Ask the Expert: Which small, reliable runabout can replace my large Lexus?
Dear Alex
My Lexus IS200 will be 25 next year. It has done almost 96,000 miles, travelled in France, charged up and down the M40 and never let me down. I now live in a city and do not need a car with such a large engine, but a smallish reliable runabout to carry two adults and two grandchildren under 12. What do you suggest?
– JJ
Dear JJ
You may not need to stray too far from the Lexus stable, as the Japanese firm has just released a new small car called the LBX which might suit you.
The LBX is a compact SUV, which means it’s slightly taller in stature than the usual hatchback. This, however, might not be a bad thing, as the higher rear seats should make it easier to load your grandchildren into the back.
It has a very efficient full hybrid powertrain, which keeps fuel costs down, and it’s smart outside with a slick, high-quality interior. And you get an extra year’s warranty each time you use a main dealer for annual servicing, up to a maximum of 10 years of age. Not that you should need it – Lexus’s reliability record is matched only by its parent company Toyota’s.
Having said that, the LBX doesn’t come cheap – prices start at just shy of £30,000. If that’s a concern, you might like to try the Hyundai Bayon instead.
Behind its extrovert styling, the Bayon is a well-equipped and roomy little SUV that can be had with a mild hybrid powertrain – that means it won’t be quite as efficient as the Lexus, but it should still be pretty cheap on fuel.
The interior is a bit plasticky by comparison, too, but the Bayon is comfortable and drives well – and it’s much more affordable than the Lexus, which makes it pretty decent value. You get a five-year, unlimited-mile warranty as standard, too.
But perhaps you don’t want a small SUV. If that’s the case, why not try the car on which the LBX is based: the Toyota Yaris? It won’t surprise you to hear the Yaris is even more efficient than the LBX, given it has the same hybrid powertrain in a smaller, lighter body. It has the same warranty offer and should be just as reliable.
The Yaris is a little firm-riding and its interior is a touch more dour than the Lexus’s, but otherwise it’s a good little car. You will find the rear seats more cramped than in some small cars, though.
There is, however, a happy middle ground between these two options: the Honda Jazz. The current Jazz is also a hybrid and, while it isn’t quite as fuel efficient as the Toyota, it’ll be more so than the Lexus.
It benefits from an interior that’s smarter than the Yaris’s, too, with plusher materials and greater room in the back – and you can flip up the rear seat bases like cinema seats when your grandchildren aren’t using them to provide extra luggage space.
That makes the Jazz the most pragmatic choice of the lot. Given your circumstances, I suggest the Honda or the Lexus.
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