Top Safety Pick +Top Safety Pick criteria

2023 Lexus UX

small SUV / 4-door SUV

2023 Lexus UX 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteriaRating
Small overlap front: driver-side
G
Small overlap front: passenger-side
G
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Moderate overlap front: updated test
M
Side: original test
G
Side: updated test
G
Roof strength
G
Head restraints & seats
G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteriaRating
Headlights
G
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system
Superior
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Standard system
Superior
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (night)
Standard system
Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteriaRating
Seat belt reminders
G
LATCH ease of use
G
+

Other available safety features

  • Standard blind spot detection
  • Standard lane departure warning & prevention
  • Optional rear automatic braking

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year. Driver-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteriaRating
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the original moderate overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: updated test

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus UX 250h Hybrid 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Thigh/hip
G
Leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Thigh
G
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
P

View of the vehicle after the crash showing the airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

The rear passenger dummy's head came close to contacting the front seatback, which increases the risk of head injuries.

Rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a low risk of injury to the head or neck and chest. During the crash, the shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck, compromising the effectiveness of the rear restraint system.

The rear passenger dummy's lap belt moved from the ideal position on the pelvis onto the abdomen, increasing the risk of abdominal injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

About the moderate overlap front test

February 2024 adjustment to rating criteria

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2019-23 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the original side crash test

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2023-24 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd

The Lexus UX was introduced in the 2019 model year. Side 2.0 ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 UX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis
A
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2019-23 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus UX 200 4-door 2wd

(Curb weight 2019 Lexus UX 250h 4-door 4wd)

Overall evaluation
G
Curb weight3,573 lbs
Peak force21,809 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio6.10

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leatherette seat

Overall evaluation
G
Dynamic rating
G
Seat/head restraint geometry
G
Technical measurements for this test

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Headlights

Trim level(s)

  • All trims
Evaluation criteriaRating
Low-beam headlight typeLED projector
High-beam headlight typeLED projector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?Yes
Overall rating
G
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination High-beam assist credit

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was fair on the gradual right and gradual left curves and inadequate on the sharp right and sharp left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on both left curves and on both right curves.

Technical measurements for this test

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Standard Lexus Safety System + 2.5 Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2023 models

Superior
Superior
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)

System details

  • standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

This rating applies to all 2019-24 models

Superior
Superior

Crossing child

  • In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 11 mph.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Crossing adult

  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult

  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 32 mph. A warning was issued 1.9 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (night)

Night

System details

  • standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

Includes high-beam assist credit

This rating applies to all 2023-24 models
Superior
Superior

Crossing adult

  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 11 mph.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult

  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 31 mph when using its high beams and a warning was issued 2.4 seconds before impact. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 30 mph and a warning was issued 2 seconds before impact.

About pedestrian front crash prevention test

Seat belt reminders

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Front row
Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
DurationLong enough (90+ seconds)
Volume
Audio frequency
Second row
Startup status alert (visual)
Initiation time
Duration at least 60 seconds
Belt disengaged alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
Duration at least 30 seconds
Volume
Audio frequency
Technical measurements for this test

About the seat belt reminder evaluation

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
+
extra LATCH positions
Vehicle trimUX 200
Seat type leatherette

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor and the ability to borrow lower anchors from the other seating positions.

Note: When anchors are borrowed, they aren't available to use in their designated positions.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
+
extra LATCH positions
Vehicle trimUX 200
Seat type leatherette
1 2 3
Rating iconRating
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

PositionRating
1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
not too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
Can be borrowed from 1 and 3
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
not too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

About the child seat anchor evaluation