Sulu

You are making some very strong assumptions here.

Do you know that the Matrix AWD model was discontinued because "the RAV-4 was eating it up in sales", or is that merely speculation on your part?

Again, do you know for sure that prospective buyers will cross-shop the UX and the RAV4, or is that merely speculation on your part? The UX is a luxury brand sub-compact crossover but the RAV4 is a mass-market brand compact crossover: Not only are the size classes different but the market positioning is different. The prices may be similar but prospective shoppers do not necessarily cross-shop only based upon price similarity.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Toys4RJill

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Okay.. I'll bite. Why?

Toys4RJill

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

By that logic then the X1, GLA, and XC40 shouldn't be sold here either..

2019 Lexus UX 177″ L x 72″ W x 61″ H
​​​​​​​2019 BMW X1 175″ L x 72″ W x 63″ H
2019 Benz GLA 175″ L x 71″ W x 60″ H
2019 Volvo XC40 174″ L x 73″ W x 65″ H

mmarshall

I haven't reviewed one myself, but, in general, the GLA is not very highly thought of by most of the reviews I've seen...nor by Consumer Reports.

Toys4RJill

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

What does that matter. The GLA, X1, XC40, and Audi Q3 are the UX's main competitors. You can't get around that.

No, but you did say it's too small for the American market. Lexus simply created it to fill a space that it's competitors compete in

mmarshall

Neither, totally. While the Matrix's own unpopularity was partly to blame, I remember a Toyota exec, at the time, saying that the RAV-4 sales were also a big factor.....it was getting most of the market that otherwise might be attracted to the Matrix. A shame, too, because an ex-co-worker of mine, who I had gone auto-shopping with before I retired, getting him a nice red Matrix, called me up and asked to go shopping again (he was ready for another Matrix after 180,000 miles, and had been very pleased with the old one). He was sad to hear it had been dropped....he would have easily bought another one. He went home with a new Subaru Crosstrek XV instead.



What I was referring to, in that statement, was not a direct cross-shop, size-wise (that, of course, would be the subcompact C-HR, and not the RAV-4). What I said (and meant) was that, for the same amount of money as a UX Hybrid (and maybe even some change back), one could take home a larger, more comfortable, more useful, more versatile, more roomy RAV-4 in the upper-trim Adventure or limited lines, and get a decent interior to boot, avoiding the El Crappo interior of the base RAV-4. Go compare the two for yourself (if you haven't done so) and I think you will agree with me.

mmarshall

In the write-up, I mentioned the X1 and QX30 as probably the two closest competitors. The others, I felt, were not quite as close.



Jill has a point...at least partly. While smaller adults won't have that much of a problem, this is clearly not a vehicle for big heavy guys like me. I also agree with Jill in that I don't think it will sell as well as the NX, and definitely not like the RX. The lack of a gas AWD version also doesn't help.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

You are right about the X1 and QX30. But your omission of the aforementioned GLA, XC40, and Q3 is no offense.. ignorant. Especially when the manufacturer tells you what their car was created to compete with and their sizes and wheelbases are within an inch or two of each other. This is the whole EcoSport / Trax debacle all over again

So don't buy it. Go get yourself a Forester. The US isn't made up of ALL big heavy people.

JDR76

I could of course be wrong, but I don't see how the lack of AWD on the 2.0 is that big of a deal.

How much would the AWD option add to the price of the 2.0 FWD? On the RAV4, it's $1400. The difference between a UX200 and UX250h is only $2000. If someone is that set on having AWD and a UX, I doubt they'd have that big of an issue paying that extra $2k, as that gets them the AWD they want, plus better gas mileage and more power.

I think a UX200 with AWD for only $600 less than the UX250h AWD would be a bit of a tough sell. Even at $2k more, I would expect the UX250h to outsell the 200 model.

mmarshall

You bring up some fair points...I, for one, am not going to say you're wrong, even though I have my own opinions on the subject. Time will tell.

mmarshall

Partly true, but, from what the specs I've seen and read, wheelbase or not, the GLA, XC40, and 3 are generally considered in the A (compact) class, rather than the B (Subcompact) class, where the UX falls. You may disagree with my classification (I respect that), but that is hardly a reason to call someone ignorant.



If outward visibility and interior space efficiency was of paramount importance, you can bet, indeed, that a Forester would be at or near the top of my list. The new RAV-4 Adventure/Limited model, though, is a nice Forester competitor, though maybe a little more pricey on the top end.