Has anyone driven both? What are the key differences between these two cars?

 

If you want to compare the UX to the closest Toyota counterpart you should compare to the Toyota C-HR. The closest Lexus to the RAV4 is the NX.

 

I drove the RAV4 and, much to my surprise, was very impressed. The are alot of "high end" options included such as a high mounted rear camera that displays in the rearview mirror when cargo obscures the drivers view out the back window. I thought the redesign was very well done and a bit more aggressive looking. The power was adequate, and interior room/ cargo space was decent.

However, in February when i drove it, the hybrid was not available here in the US, so off to look at the UX250h I went. No regrets. But, i did really like the RAV4 and if available as a hybrid at the time, would have purchased on the spot.

 

Depends on what you're looking for. IMO when we were looking at the new Rav4, we were very impressed. It's definitely a lot roomier if you're comparing it to the UX. What the UX does have over the Rav4 is the Lexus "luxury" treatment. If you're going for space, the Rav4 wins. We ended up with a CPO RX instead. Wife thought the UX was too small and the Rav4 didn't make the cut.

 

Of course the Rav4 is roomier than the UX. The Rav4 is a bigger vehicle. The closest Lexus equivalent to the Rav4 is not the UX. It's the NX which is based on the Rav4.

 

Agreed, I was just giving the OP our POV when we reviewed the 3 cars. The UX is on the OP's list of comparison likely due to price as the UX is the least expensive Lexus SUV.

 

Just my opinion, if someone really thinks the RAV4 is viable, then the Lexus UX isn't your demographic. Both are very different in terms who the buyer profile is. RAV4 will be mainstream, vanilla and an ocean of them. Nice vehicle, but very "budget" looking. The UX is true luxury, elegant and no vibe of "budget". Seriously 2 different worlds and they're not in the same class. Someone posted it's comparable to the NX? I can't disagree more. UX similar demographic attraction would be those like the BMW, of Volvo XC40. I'm sensing it's budget/cost scenario and that's ok. But the 2 wouldn't truly compete if you buy what you really want.

 

When people say "Rav4," be sure to distinguish between the older Rav4 which is the Rav4 that's related to the NX.

The current (and only) NX does not relate to the newest Rav4. The new(current) Rav4 is a generation ahead in terms of architecture, unibody, safety, electronics, etc. If there is a new NX (I'm sure there will be), it will be based on the current (newest) Rav4. I'm sure it's been under development for some time now.

As said, the UX would be related to the CH-R. Not Rav4.

But if you'd still like to compare them, you can. The UX is more of a nimble, car like experience. I drove the newest Rav 4. While solid, it's a bit of an appliance. I haven't driven the UX but I'd bet it's more fun, compact, nimble, upscale. More luxurious, stylish, and personal than a Rav4.

 

To answer the original question, I prefer the way the UX drives - it's nimbler and a bit smoother ride-wise, and the turning radius is great for the city (I made a U-turn the other day that I certainly couldn't have in a RAV4).The new RAV4 drives nicely, as well, and the hybrid drivetrain is supposed to be a step up from the non-hybrid, though I didn't get to test drive that model.

For what it's worth, a top-end RAV4 costs just as much as the UX - I looked at both cars and ended up spending less on the UX than I would have on the RAV4 trim/option set I would have gone for. They're competitors in that they're both crossovers and have hybrids available, but the RAV4 certainly is a step up in size (with plenty of other differences, as well).

I also looked at the Mercedes A220, Volvo XC40, Audi A4, BMW 3 series, and others, in terms of my personal competitive basket. The UX won out in terms of cost, gas mileage, and expected reliability, and its quirkiness factor - though it's certainly tough going from the A220 to the UX infotainment system.

 

The Rav4 is huge and ungainly. It can’t compare to the UX. The ride isn’t as smooth, the cabin is nowhere near as quiet, and you can feel and hear the hybrid engine working for every mph. Don’t get me wrong I wanted the RAV4 to wow me. It just didn’t. For the price, the UX just has a ton more value/comfort/luxury.

 

OK, I looked at the UX very closely a few months ago as a replacement for my wife's 7 year old Prius v. I've also looked very closely at the new generation RAV4. The new RAV4 is far from "huge and ungainly".

The 2019 RAV4 is even shorter than my wife's 2012 Prius v which is pretty damned small: RAV4 = 180.9 inches; Prius v = 181.7 inches. Both aren't much longer than the UX which is 177 inches long.

The UX is just a tiny bit narrower than the RAV4: UX = 72.4 inches; RAV4 = 73 inches.

There's very little difference in the "footprint" of the RAV4 and UX. They are essentially the same size vehicle.

My wife test drove a 2019 RAV4 Limited Hybrid a few weeks ago with me and a salesman in it with her. I assure you that I know what "quiet" is after 24 years of driving Lexus LS sedans a total of 330,000 miles. The RAV4 hybrid was very quiet and comfortable on both city street and highway. The 360 degree bird's eye camera made it easy for her to park. I don't think the UX has one of those?

The real kicker for us is that - even though the RAV4 is about the same size as the UX - the RAV4 has far more interior space. From my experience, 36 inches of rear legroom is the minimum needed for the typical male adult to be comfortable on anything but short trips - at least it is for my 6 foot tall body. The RAV4 has 37.8 inches while the UX has only 33.1 inches. When it comes to cargo volume behind the rear seats, the RAV4 has 37.6 cubic feet while the UX has only 21.7 cubic feet. Something that's important to us since we have a utility trailer is that the RAV4 Hybrid is rated to tow 1,750 pounds while the UX owners manual says "Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle". A receiver hitch is a factory option on the RAV4 and they are also available in the aftermarket from at least two hitch makers.

When I tried to find a hitch rack for a UX just to carry a hitch mount bike rack, I came up empty handed. I checked again today and still can't find one. There are roof cross bars available for the UX but my tiny wife can't lift her bike up to get it on a roof. I had no trouble finding a receiver hitch for our Prius on which we use 2-bike hitch mount rack.

There's a reason that more RAV4's are sold than any other model made by Toyota whether it is the Toyota or Lexus brand. The UX is a very nice vehicle but it's a niche "personal size" vehicle in the same vein as the discontinued Lexus CT200h.

The UX isn't going to work to replace my wife's Prius so it's going to be a RAV4 Limited Hybrid. We had been waiting for the 2020 RAV4 to get both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Now we are going to wait a little longer for the recently announced RAV4 Plug-in Limited Hybrid that can go about 25 miles on a charge which is farther than my wife drives most days.