UX 250h E-Four

[stepppy]

I took my Prius in for its yearly service and MOT yesterday and whilst I was waiting I had a look around the Lexus showroom.

We nearly placed an order for a new UX last year, but due to the near year wait times and possible new UX in a few years after that we decided not to go ahead.  However, we had a look at their used stock and they had a lovely UK Takumi E-Four in Terrane Khaki which is the spec and colour we would have ordered if we went for a new one last year.

The Salesman said the E-Four is quite a rare model, and I wondered if anyone who has one can give their experiences of it compared to the FWD model.  We were offered a test drive, but we can't fit that in at the moment.  I notice that the E-Four suffers on paper MPG wise, so wondered what people generally get. 

We did not have any intention of changing yet, but after seeing this one and with the value I still have in my Prius, it could be a very cheap upgrade and interim car until a new UX arrives in however long.  We have not purchased a used car for at least 20 years so a little nervous, but it did look immaculate apart from a tiny hairline scratch on the roof which they would get detailed out.  

It's two years younger than my Prius and has just under half the mileage, but comparing to others for sale, it does seem to be a bit expensive.  As its the only E-Four that I could find it would seem that is where the premium is coming from.  I have no need for four wheel drive and would not spec it new, it just happens that this one is four wheel drive.

Thanks.

[Ammu]

I recently got an E4 F Sport Takumi . I don’t think the AWD makes a big difference other than the little extra traction when it decides you need it . Fuel economy is lower and R tax is more . I love the car though . 

[stepppy]

I was supposed to be test driving it tomorrow, but they are forecasting snow, so I think I will cancel.
 

Apart from the £40K supplement for 5 years the road tax is the same £155 isn’t it?  Paying £0 at the moment so that’s going to hurt!

[NemesisUK]

10 minutes ago, stepppy said:

I was supposed to be test driving it tomorrow, but they are forecasting snow, so I think I will cancel.

Surely the best time to test drive an E-Four?

[stepppy]

3 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

Surely the best time to test drive an E-Four?

Thing is I am not bothered by the AWD , it just happens to have it. It’s more of a negative to me really (boot space/economy), but the rest of the spec is perfect. 

[NemesisUK]

Drive it anyway, you're committing to nothing and gaining experience of what's on offer?

[Richard1200]

Do not test drive it because you will buy it and every time you fill up with petrol you be thinking of how much more it is costing you for something you do not need. 😂

[stepppy]

A normal UX is going to be a lot more thirsty than my Prius, so I guess another few less MPG extra won’t matter 😁

[cadman2k]

The road tax per year would be £155 per year but this would not apply till the car was 6 years old. The additional road tax per year (till the car reaches 6 years old) would be an additional £355 per year, so £510 per year to tax it.

You have to be mindful of this on top of other costs, especially if your mindset is around costs to own/run.

Have you had an insurance quote on it? I think the UXs are cheaper to insure than other Lexus models and you may find it cheaper to insure than your prius.

They are comfortable cars, in fact I've seen posts where claims are that they are the most comfortable of the cars in the entire lexus fleet with an ability to soak up bumps and poor roads without been thrown around in the cabin.

They do have lexus generation 4 hybrid technology which should be as efficient as it gets.

Not sure of the difference in kerb weight between the E4 and std, but know with roughly a 1600kg kerb weight mated to the 2.0 engine it is a well balanced machine, size/weight/power.

What is your average mpg in the Prius?

 

[stepppy]

1 minute ago, cadman2k said:

The road tax per year would be £155 per year but this would not apply till the car was 6 years old. The additional road tax per year (till the car reaches 6 years old) would be an additional £355 per year, so £510 per year to tax it.

You have to be mindful of this on top of other costs, especially if your mindset is around costs to own/run.

Have you had an insurance quote on it? I think the UXs are cheaper to insure than other Lexus models and you may find it cheaper to insure than your prius.

They are comfortable cars, in fact I've seen posts where claims are that they are the most comfortable of the cars in the entire lexus fleet with an ability to soak up bumps and poor roads without been thrown around in the cabin.

They do have lexus generation 4 hybrid technology which should be as efficient as it gets.

Not sure of the difference in kerb weight between the E4 and std, but know with roughly a 1600kg kerb weight mated to the 2.0 engine it is a well balanced machine, size/weight/power.

 

- Road tax, that is what I was expecting, so that's all good.

- Costs, I know its going to cost more to run, especially servicing and tyres, I just like to have all the facts rather than it being an affordability issue.

- Insurance quote is just a tad more than my Prius, so that's all good too.

I did test drive a premium sport last year when I was looking at purchasing the face lift UX and was very impressed with it.  This time I will be test driving the actual car I would be purchasing and being a Takumi has the sunroof, which although being just under 6 feet tall, I do have a long body, so I need to ensure that there is sufficient headroom as I have made that mistake before and regretted it. In the showroom it seems fine, but proper driving will give me a better idea.  I can wear a top hat in my Prius as there is so much headroom 😁

Thanks for all your answers, it's been very useful.

Test drive has been postponed until Friday now.

[ColinBarber]

On 2/17/2023 at 9:45 AM, stepppy said:

The Salesman said the E-Four is quite a rare model, and I wondered if anyone who has one can give their experiences of it compared to the FWD model.  We were offered a test drive, but we can't fit that in at the moment.  I notice that the E-Four suffers on paper MPG wise, so wondered what people generally get. 

AWD is rare because there is very little benefit so hardly anyone adds that option and it's unlikely you could tell the difference on a normal road other than slightly less mpg because of the extra weight.

If it's the spec you want other than AWD then I wouldn't necessarily pass it by, I just wouldn't recommend specifically looking for an AWD model or pay extra for it.

[stepppy]

Thanks Colin, my thoughts exactly.

Not something I would spec, but it definitely seems to be adding a premium to their price, but I will work that out if all goes well on the test drive. 

[Ammu]

On 3/7/2023 at 9:01 PM, stepppy said:

I was supposed to be test driving it tomorrow, but they are forecasting snow, so I think I will cancel.
 

Apart from the £40K supplement for 5 years the road tax is the same £155 isn’t it?  Paying £0 at the moment so that’s going to hurt!

It’s £355 on top of £155, I paid around £510 . 

[stepppy]

3 minutes ago, Ammu said:

It’s £355 on top of £155, I paid around £510 . 

Yes correct 👍 

[stepppy]

Just a quick update to say I had the test drive, but decided against it.

It drove lovely and really looked like it had just come out of the showroom, but in the end I am just not used to buying a used car, so will go ahead with my original plan and wait for the next generation UX whenever that maybe rather than using as used model as a stop gap ... no rush.

They offered a very good package and the trade in for my Prius was amazing, they obviously know that Toyota next door will have no trouble selling it.

Thanks for the help and opinions offered.