Good Thing, Small Package: The 2019 Lexus UX 250h F SPORT

The 2019 Lexus UX 250h F SPORT.

"Little" and "luxury" have a hard time co-existing in American minds. Houses, cars, diamonds, boats---bigger means more expensive and more expensive means luxury.

Or so it went. There's a new generation of luxury buyers coming into their peak earning years who realize that luxury is an experience, not a physical measurement. If a small crossover SUV that gets good gas mileage makes sense for them, then why can't there simply be a luxurious version of that?

That's where the 2019 Lexus UX 250h comes in. It is the smallest of Lexus' three crossovers---the big RX, the medium-sized NX, and now the UX---and there are a lot of good things that come in this small package.

ES Goes F: The 2019 Lexus ES350 F SPORT

The 2019 Lexus ES350 F SPORT.

For those of us who remember when the Lexus brand first appeared and the ES series was little more than a very nice Toyota Camry, it's a surprise to learn the 2019 is the seventh generation of the ES.  The new-gen ES350 is lower and wider, adapting the design language of the stunning LC500 coupe and LS500 sedan. 

They Grow Up So Fast: The 2018 Lexus NX 300 F SPORT

The 2018 Lexus NX 300 F SPORT.

Three model years ago, when Lexus rolled out the NX series, I remember thinking that it was awfully small.  That came from a quick comparison with the familiar RX, which had been the only Lexus crossover for literally decades.

Now, there's a thoroughly refreshed NX and after a week with it, the NX seems exactly right.

More Motivation: The 2018 Lexus LS 500 F SPORT

The 2018 Lexus LS 500 F SPORT.

It was a few days into the week that I had the all-new 2018 Lexus LS 500 F SPORT.  Mrs. TireKicker and I were walking back to the car in a parking lot, and about 50 paces away, I saw the entire car from the side for the first time.

"Damn", I said, "that is just gorgeous."   And Mrs. TireKicker agreed.

It is the second time in three months that Lexus has grabbed both of us by our sense of aesthetics.  Regular readers will recall our Thanksgiving week trip to Los Angeles in the 2018 Lexus LC 500h hybrid coupe...which we still want, $101,385 price tag be damned.   That review was entitled "Motivation", since I'd need (using my dad's formula of never buying a car that costs more than half your annual salary) to make $202,770 a year (minimum) to buy one.

Sweet Spot In A Hot Segment: The 2017 Lexus NX 200t F SPORT

2017 Lexus NX 200t F SPORT.

In this third model year of the Lexus NX series, it is without question a success.  Sales are good, outpacing those of direct competitors like the BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA-Class.   In fact, the NX has sold nearly as many copies this year as BMW has the midsize X3.  It is only a couple of thousand sales away from the bread-and-butter BMW 3-series.

Luxury With An Edge: The 2016 Lexus RX 350 F SPORT

The 2016 Lexus RX 350 F SPORT.

The Lexus RX was the world's first luxury crossover, and for most of its life, it has been a vehicle that, without apologies, targeted middle-aged women of means, with, as Michael once wrote, shock absorbers filled with whipped cream and styling like a well-used bar of soap.

So why does the new RX 350 look like a fighter jet?

Same Car, Less Money: The 2015 Lexus GS 350 F SPORT

The 2015 Lexus GS 350 F SPORT.

Just shy of eight months ago, I reviewed the 2014 Lexus GS 350, in a piece called "What An Extra $5,695 Can Do For Your Lexus GS 350".  By all means, click through and read it, but the summary is that I said that adding the optional F SPORT package to the GS 350 made it a better-handling and more desirable automobile.

Why You Should Buy One Version Of The 2014 Lexus LS 460 But Not The Other

The 2014 Lexus LS 460.

You may have noticed new signs of aggression from Lexus, for nearly 25 years the maker of whipped cream on wheels.

The signs are in the styling now for most of the lineup and in the engines and suspensions for machines like the IS, GS and most F-Sport models.

Even the flagship LS 460 has been given the new edgy treatment.  The lines are taut, purposeful....the spindle grille fits in with the rest of the family design language...and this year, the LS offers an F-Sport model.

This is good news, because the LS, for all its charms as a smooth all-day cruiser, has never had moves that would inspire confidence on a winding road.

New Car Review: 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport

Among enthusiasts, Lexus has something of a bad reputation. Despite stunners like the LFA supercar and the recently-reviewed-here IS-F sedan, the image is stil that of isolation chambers on wheels.

And out of the Lexus lineup, the vehicle that gets singled out for perhaps the greatest amount of abuse and derision among the smugly superior driver's set is the RX crossover.  It is, intentionally, the least sporting Lexus, designed to be a supremely comfortable conveyance appealing primarily to middle-aged and well-off females.  And it's been selling like hotcakes for well over 15 years.

But Lexus is on a mission to be taken seriously, and so this year, there's an F Sport edition of the RX 350.  Unlike the IS-F, there's no engine swap, just a much-appreciated upgrade of the transmission, suspension and some nice trim bits.