Lexus LBX at €349/month, a good deal?

The new compact hybrid SUV Lexus LBX enters dealerships with strong arguments but also with Premium prices.

The new entry-level model from the American-Japanese manufacturer, the premium branch of Toyota initially designed for the North American market, arrives in France.

Offered from €34,300 with an astonishing standard yellow color, 17-inch wheels, and various styling elements, the entry-level LBX is already very appealing. Lexus’s true sales advantage lies beneath the hood with a highly efficient hybrid engine. All other colors are available at a flat rate of 1,000 euros.

The 1.5-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine, coupled with a hybrid system and a CVT continuously variable transmission, boasts 136 horsepower. It can be criticized for its calmness with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 9.6 seconds, but certainly not for its frugality. Fuel consumption is 4.5 liters per 100 km with 102 g of CO2 per km, exempting it from eco taxes.

To remove any ambiguity, the 1.0 kWh battery only allows for driving in 100% electric mode for a few hundred meters. Hybrid support is secondary to the petrol engine, which it rarely replaces completely.

An Interesting Long-Term Rental Offer?

Targeted at higher social classes, the LBX must participate in the Long-Term Rental (LTR) exercise to establish itself. Thus, from its initial commercial launch, a relatively attractive LTR appears.

Like many others, it is based on a 37-month loan covering 30,000 kilometers. The first installment is increased to €4,900 (to encourage responsibility), followed by 36 monthly payments of €349. Maintenance, though minimal in the first three years, is included. This is always a plus for peace of mind.

In the end, these three years + 1 month will cost you €17,464 (plus possible recovery costs), roughly 50% of the vehicle’s purchase price. Today, there are more attractive offers, but Lexus is not positioned as a high-volume product. It charges for its manufacturing and presentation quality.

Finally, with a weight under 1,300 kg, you will be able to park in Paris without fear of your parking fee tripling starting in September 2024.

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