Both Mazda and Lexus were late starters to the electric vehicle race. There’s some catching up to do in becoming viable alternatives to established electric competition – but which of the two represents the better small luxury electric SUV?
Overview
Just like Mazda with its MX-30 Electric, Lexus has taken its sweet time in bringing its first fully-electric vehicle to market. The Lexus UX300e uses the same bones as the current UX small SUV and brings a prestige take on what a compact, city-focused electric SUV should be.
But then the Mazda MX-30 Electric does that too – for roughly $10,000 less than what Lexus charges for the new UX. The MX-30 Electric is an all-new car, where the Lexus takes a proven package in the old UX and updates it with an electric powertrain.
It’s an interesting pairing to shop the two against one another – the Lexus might be more expensive but it’s also a much better car on paper. We’ve levelled complaints before at the MX-30’s relatively poor value proposition and diminished electric range.
We’re pitting the two against one another to see whether the UX represents a better choice for a small, premium electric SUV – despite being a significant price bump over the Mazda MX-30.
Introduction
Lexus UX
Lexus has now gone full-EV with the first battery-electric model from the Japanese luxury brand now hitting Australian shores. It’s called the 2022 Lexus UX300e and uses the same bones as the current UX small SUV.
Instead of a petrol or closed-loop petrol/electric hybird powertrain, this model is fully electric: a 150kW/300Nm electric motor spins the front wheels, and is powered by a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery package.
Lexus claims that this UX300e has an electric driving range of 360km (according to the lenient NEDC testing cycle), but we found that to be quite inaccurate in the real world. More on that later.
This 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury is the less-expensive variant of the electric Lexus UX300e, with an asking price of $74,000 before on-road costs. That’s a fair sight cheaper than the $81,000 Sports Luxury variant, but naturally quite a jump in price over the petrol and petrol/electric Lexus UX models.
What do you miss out on for the savings? There’s quite a bit of gear for the $7000 difference: 18-inch alloy wheels (we’ve got 17s here), tri-beam LED headlights with adaptive high-beam (we’ve got regular old LEDs for our spec), a sunroof, head-up display, 360-degree camera, acoustic front and side glass, and a higher grade of materials and finishes to the interior.
Other gear we have in this spec are daytime running lights, auto-folding and heated side mirrors, 10.3-inch infotainment display, 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, and 7.0-inch driver instrument display. There’s also tyre pressure monitoring, wireless charging, heated and vented front seats, heated rear outboard seats and steering wheel, and parking sensors front and rear.
And typical to the Lexus buying experience, there isn’t any long list of options or packs to dig through. What you see is what you get. Only the optional premium colour will sting you an extra $1750.
We’ve got a nice Graphite Black that has an impressive amount of metallic content and reaction to the sunlight. Other colours include Sonic Chrome, Sonic Quartz, Titanium, Mercury Grey, Khaki Metal, Carnelian (orange), Caliente (red), Celestial Blue or the only no-cost paint shade Onyx black.
While it is expensive, Lexus does help the value equation slightly by adding in an at-home charger free of cost, as well as three years’ worth of vehicle charging via the Chargefox network.
Mazda MX-30
Unlike rival manufacturers that have wholeheartedly embraced electric power, Mazda has dipped its toe into the EV space a little more judiciously. First unveiled in 2019, the MX-30 is the brand’s first electrified vehicle.
It launched in Australia in early 2021 as a mild-hybrid before being made available a few short months later as a full-electric. Confusingly, there are relatively few ways to tell the differences between the two, with both mild-hybrid and full-electric variants sharing the same body and styling.
This means a set of wacky ‘freestyle’ doors (a throwback to Mazda’s RX-8), while Mazda says the MX- in the car’s name references the sporting characteristics of its MX-5 sports roadster. There are even cork accents in the interior to signal Mazda’s origins as a cork manufacturer. These are considered parts of Mazda’s plan to embrace the future by referencing its heritage.
But Mazda’s not exactly making it easy to get involved in electric vehicles. The small SUV-bodied 2021 Mazda MX-30 Electric is sold as a single variant costing $65,490 before on-road costs (or $70,967 drive-away in metro Melbourne). That places it among some lofty competition including the Hyundai Kona Electric, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mini Cooper SE, and Mercedes-Benz EQA.
To do battle with the above, Mazda fits the MX-30 Electric with a 107kW/271Nm electric motor powered by a 35.5kWh battery. This set-up sends power to the front wheels only, and Mazda says it can travel 200km between charges on the widely accepted WLTP cycle. That’s down on rivals such as the Hyundai Kona Electric , which can travel more than 450km to a charge in Extended Range models.
It leaves a bit of a sour taste reading these specs after hearing the price, but the Japanese manufacturer intends the MX-30 Electric purely as a stylish city car for younger folk with eco-conscious minds. In terms of equipment, that cohort can expect to be rewarded with adaptive LED headlights, a head-up display, 12-speaker Bose stereo system, sunroof, 360-degree cameras, heated front seats and steering wheel, and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Leading into 2022, it feels like the MX-30 Electric has come onto the scene a bit late, and a bit half-baked, but read on to get a grasp on what it’s like to spend some time in the MX-30 Electric.
| Key details | 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury | 2021 Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina |
| Price (MSRP) | $74,000 plus on-road costs | $65,490 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Graphite Black | Polymetal Grey |
| Options | Premium paint – $1750 | Three-tone paint (silver roof rails, black roof) – $1490 |
| Price as tested | $75,750 plus on-road costs | $66,980 plus on-road costs |
Inside
Lexus UXThis Lexus UX300e is a mostly familiar experience inside to others in the model range, with a few indicators that it’s the battery-powered electric model. There’s one on the instrument binnacle, on the other side of the central speedometer and power indicator. This is a digital set-up, with an additional display on the other side with only basic information available.
The seats are heated, vented and electrically adjustable, and plenty comfortable enough for everyday usage. There’s an electric steering column as well to allow one to get positioned nicely behind the wheel.
There’s a unique gear shifter with a slightly different action for drive and reverse, along with an electric park brake and the touchpad for controlling the infotainment display.
The centre console of this otherwise small vehicle is decently sized and hides two USB-A power outlets. This is joined by a wireless charging pad, 12V outlet and – bless – a CD player.
Otherwise, the built-up nature of the interior layout – with the big dashboard and raised centre console – doesn’t help with the spaciousness or airiness. However, it does feel high-quality and very well put together overall, which puts it in a good position to fight against the likes of an Audi or Mercedes-Benz.
The second row isn’t too spacious, either. We just squeezed kids’ seats into the back, but I wouldn’t like the chances of fitting long-limbed adults behind each other comfortably. There are air vents in the back, however, and a couple of USB-A power outlets further down.
There is a transmission tunnel to contend with in the UX300e, a carryover from its petrol-powered legacy which now functions as cable routing for the high-voltage batteries (with the batteries themselves underslung beneath the floor and back seat). Fitting five adults into the car would be somewhat tight in the back.
The boot is reasonably sized for a small SUV measuring in at 414L. It also bucks the trend of limited boot space in electric vehicles, because Lexus has stowed the battery packs low and central in the UX chassis. Such a thing is good for torsional rigidity and the centre of gravity, but the electric Lexus also gets more boot space than the petrol and hybrid variants. The tailgate is electric, but you don’t get a spare wheel in the UX of any sort. You’ll have to make do with the repair kit.
An aspect I immediately noticed of the MX-30’s cabin was the wide-opening front doors that afford an almost 90-degree aperture. It makes it incredibly easy to get inside the front row, even if the stretch to get into the back seats is a bit more of a struggle.
From the outset, it looks like a beautifully styled space. There are interesting design motifs just about everywhere you look. Whether it’s the floating centre console, the flip-up storage shelves covering the cupholders that are finished in cork, or the array of digital displays that show everything from air controls to EV information.
All surfaces are covered in quality materials with a nod to sustainability. The door card uppers are recycled PET plastic, the seats are a blend of leatherette and cloth, and the aforementioned cork is pinched from the leftovers of cork bottle-stopper manufacturing.
It’s a comfortable place to spend time. The front seats afford good side support and a comfortable cushion to spend extended periods of time, while all screens are within easy reach of the driver or passenger.
There’s a decent amount of storage in the centre console, whether it’s in shelf mode or configured for cupholders. Under the floating centre console portion is more storage and USB ports for charging devices. The door pockets are relatively shallow, but can be used for extra loose items and thin bottles.
Things become a bit less agreeable after jumping in the second row. Even though they’re a cool talking point, the suicide doors will become a pain to open often – this car is much better suited to couples than families. There’s just a small amount of room for your feet, and the door card pokes into your leg space making the area feel a bit claustrophobic.
Cargo space stands at just 311L in the boot.
| 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury | 2021 Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina | |
| Seats | Five | Five |
| Boot volume | 414L | 311L |
| Length | 4495mm | 4395mm |
| Width | 1840mm | 1795mm |
| Height | 1525mm | 1555mm |
| Wheelbase | 2640mm | 2655mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Lexus UXDespite getting a new electric powertrain, the electric Lexus UX300e has kept the same touchpad-driven infotainment system that Lexus has been using for some years now. The infotainment display is of a good size, and the operating system ticks important boxes like wired Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, digital radio and native navigation.
But with no touchscreen capability (and the screen feeling a little out-of-reach), you’re forced to use the mildly infuriating touchpad behind the shifter for your control.
It isn’t all bad, as the volume controls and additional buttons are helpful for navigation. However, attempting to move the pointer between icons accurately is a challenge. Once you’ve got your eye in, it gets a little easier. But there is no doubt that using this while driving takes more effort and attention than a straight touchscreen system.
Other cars in the Lexus line-up have recently had touchscreen capability added, which gives the driver (or passenger) the option of that or the touchpad. Such a thing would be a nice addition to this Lexus UX300e small electric SUV.
The infotainment display is joined by a couple of quaint touches you rarely see on cars these days (an analogue clock and a CD player), and the multi-function display in front of the driver also gives you a small amount of basic information.
The familiar Mazda Connect infotainment software does service in the MX-30 Electric through an 8.8-inch screen mounted atop the dash. It’s one of my favourite systems to use, mostly because of the intuitive layouts for menu systems and nifty shortcuts surrounding the rotary dial that controls the whole ordeal – no touchscreen here.
The sound system is a beauty, with strong, resounding bass and clear outputs that will make you love listening to your tunes. The maps are also a nicely presented feature. However, you can use smartphone mirroring if you’re fonder of the Apple CarPlay/Android Auto screens.
There’s a 7.0-inch digital instrument display ahead of the driver to show various information, while a head-up display makes it easy to glance your speed on the go.
Safety & Technology
Lexus UXSafety is an important factor for any new car these days, and the Lexus UX comes away from this test with good results – along with a five-star ANCAP test result in 2019. Adult occupant protection in particular is very good with a 96 per cent score logged.
Along with eight airbags for occupants in the event of a crash, the Lexus has a lot of systems in place to try and prevent such a thing happening.
Autonomous emergency braking comes from forward-facing radar and camera systems, which also power things like traffic sign recognition, smart adaptive cruise control and lane tracing (Lexus speak for driver assist tech that can keep the car centred in the lane even through traffic and curves).
The autonomous braking also works for pedestrians day and night, and cyclists during the day. There’s also brake assistance, automatic high beam, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring.
Another handy feature for a city-focussed vehicle is a kind of low-speed autonomous emergency braking. At speeds below 15km/h, the Lexus UX will use its sensors to monitor for impending collisions (like in parking lots and shopping centres).
Mazda was awarded with a full five-star ANCAP safety rating for the MX-30 Electric utilising stringent 2020 safety protocols.
In addition to a strengthened chassis (with respect to the lack of a B-pillar), the MX-30 is fitted with a suite of active safety features including autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go.
The MX-30 Electric is fitted with 10 airbags throughout the cabin.
| At a glance | 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury | 2021 Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina |
| ANCAP rating & year tested | Five stars (tested 2019) | Five stars (tested 2020) |
| Safety report | ANCAP report | ANCAP report |
Value for Money
Lexus UXIf you compare this Lexus UX against non-electric vehicles in its own range, the UX300e is always going to feel very expensive. The petrol-only UX200 costs around $45,000 before on-road costs in a similar specification, while the more powerful (and more efficient) petrol-electric hybrid goes for around $52,000.
That means you’re shelling out more than $20,000 extra to eliminate tailpipe emissions from your vehicle, and have the possibility of a zero-emissions form of transport. That’s the nature of electric vehicles – batteries are expensive and that’s simply the cost of doing business.
Lexus throws in a complimentary at-home charger for the asking price, and three years of charging via the Chargefox, which helps with the value proposition.
Depending on where and how you charge your vehicle, there is a good chance of improving that value-for-money ratio by reducing the running costs overall. We charged up the Lexus using an Evie charger – at 40c per kilowatt hour – which filled us up from near low to 92 per cent for around $13. This could be cheaper if you’re charging via other networks at home.
Having a CHAdeMO and Type 2 plug – both of which are capable of 50kW – is handy for flexibly charging in different locations, and you can get a full charge in around 80 minutes using the most powerful DC charger.
If you charge from home, using the provided 7kW charger, Lexus claims “about” 6.5 hours for a full charge.
For those shopping against other small luxury SUVs with electric propulsion, there is a good mix of options to choose from.
The Mercedes-Benz EQA is similarly priced at $76,800, and the new Polestar 2 can be had with dual motors and a long-range battery from around $70,000. And don’t forget the Volvo XC40 Recharge, which is a $77,000 proposition. But if you’re buying electric, you’d be mad not to consider other options like the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Hyundai Kona Electric as well.
However, whichever way you cut it, the Lexus offers the least bang-for-buck when you consider driving range. Only the electric Mazda MX-30 offers less driving range at 224km, claimed. The Mercedes EQA offers 480km of claimed electric range, while the XC40 Recharge can go 418km according to WLTP testing.
It’d be hard to construe the Mazda MX-30 Electric as good value for money, though you could say that about a great many electric vehicles currently – unless you’re playing the long game.
But the single-spec MX-30 Electric E35 Astina is quite expensive for what it is, and for what it offers you. This is why Mazda has positioned it with far more flair than some rivals such as the Hyundai Kona Electric. The Australian arm of the Japanese manufacturer only expected to sell 100 of them when it launched.
Those who do buy one will be paying $1273 through capped-price servicing at 12-month/15,000km intervals (whichever is first). The battery is warranted for eight years, while the rest of the car is backed for up to five years (unlimited kilometres) after the initial purchase date.
For its week on test through suburban Melbourne, the MX-30 Electric returned a 16.6kWh/100km energy consumption, putting it ahead of Mazda’s official 18.5kWh/100km claim.
| At a glance | 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury | 2021 Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $885 (3 years), $1475 (5 years) | $1273.79 (5 years) |
| Energy cons. (claimed) | 15.0kWh/100km | 18.5kWh/100km |
| Energy cons. (on test) | 18.0kWh/100km | 16.6kWh/100km |
| Battery size | 54.3kWh lithium-ion | 35.5kWh lithium-ion |
Driving
Lexus UXThere are some clear benefits from this electric powertrain in a small luxury car like the Lexus UX. Firstly, the performance is better. Instant torque is much better than the flaring, hard-revving nature of the petrol engine, and the rolling acceleration is particularly fast and enjoyable.
Getting out of the hole, the electric motor can quickly find (and exceed) the limits of traction afforded by the 17-inch economy-focussed tyres. Get some progressive application of the throttle and the Lexus UX300e offers plenty of acceleration for the application.
While the quality of the ride, steering and performance are all good, you can feel the weight of the thing overall. Its 1840kg is quite a bit for a small, front-wheel-drive car after all, and symptomatic of the battery pack that’s mounted below the floor. That’s about 300kg more than the UX200 Luxury, and you get a sense of that as the electric UX300e starts loading up outside wheels through corners. It’s well-masked by the suspension and steering tuning, but it’s certainly there.
Levels of refinement are quite high, even though this Luxury specification misses out on the acoustic glass that the Sports Luxury specification gets. It’s something that is no doubt helped by the mostly silent electric motor, which allows the Lexus to reach higher levels of refinement than petrol-powered models.
The biggest problem from my point of view is the lack of driving range for the amount of money spent. While Lexus claims around 300km worth of electric driving range between recharges, turning on the air-conditioning quickly saw that indicated number drop down to 264km.
And during a hot Australian summer – with a dark hue nonetheless – you’re using the air-conditioning and vented seats aplenty. From my experience in the Lexus UX300e, I’d be sitting on a safe range of around 250km between recharges.
Mazda MX-30
Unless you spend a majority of your time journeying between the home and office, the MX-30’s battery status will be a constant presence in the back of your head. You’ve only got just over 200km to play with (Mazda says 224km on an ADR cycle), which is best deployed in around-town environments where charging infrastructure is more common.
But it’s around the city where the Mazda MX-30 does its best work. While not quite as darty and lithe as the MX-5 that Mazda would have you believe, controlling the MX-30 is fun and is about as normal to drive as a conventional combustion-powered car. The small battery obviously doesn’t impact weight as much as its rivals.
The car plays a simulated dorky sound to emphasise how hard the motor is working (in place of an engine noise) – which I disliked at first – but I grew to enjoy the aural integration depicting how hard you’re accelerating or decelerating. Apart from that, the MX-30 cabin is a serenely quiet place, joined by a comfortable ride profile that handles bumps and imperfections with a tight but compliant nature.
Its small stature is easy to place on the road, and rounding corners is pretty fun and rarely lurchy, but vision outside the cabin is not great. The enclosed second row gives little way to view out the back, and the side mirrors take some getting used to for their weird magnification.
The MX-30 Electric’s meek 107kW/271Nm outputs don’t delight on paper, and they feel as such in practice. That wild surge of electric power that some associate with electric vehicles is lacking. Overtakes must be a bit more measured than you’d expect from an EV. That said, it’s entirely perky enough for around-town duties, and the instantaneous nature of the torque delivery should prove handy in zipping across roads.
The car has five modes of brake regeneration that can be controlled using the paddles behind the steering wheel. Of note, there’s no obvious ‘one pedal’ driving mode (like its EV rivals have) that strengthens the regenerative braking to the point that you don’t have to use the brake pedal.
When it comes time to charge up the MX-30 Electric, a 20–80 per cent charge takes nine hours using the supplied AC wall-plug charge cable, three hours using an AC home charging box (extra cost) at 6.6kW, and 36 minutes using a 50kW DC public charging station (charge cable costs extra).
| Key details | 2022 Lexus UX300e Luxury | 2021 Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina |
| Engine | Permanent magnet synchronous motor | Single electric motor with 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery |
| Power | 150kW | 107kW |
| Torque | 300Nm | 271Nm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single-speed automatic | Single-speed automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 81.5kW/t | 74.2kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 1840kg | 1442kg |
| Turning circle | 10.2m | 11.4m |
Conclusion
We started this comparison knowing the Lexus UX300e is a substantial amount more than the Mazda MX-30. From the outset that puts the Lexus at a significant disadvantage over the Mazda.
However, for the amount of extra cash you’re outlaying for purchase, you do get a vastly better-value package. It delivers a true luxury vehicle experience, and don’t forget the level of extra care the brand provides in offering its suite of Encore ownership program benefits.
Consider, you’ll be able to swap out your limited-range electric UX for a petrol-powered Lexus alternative for the odd occasion a long-range vehicle is required. This is a neat solution to a theoretical problem often levelled at electric vehicles.
Standard kit levels are high in both cars, but the UX elevates above the Mazda’s list by offering the installation of a home charger plus three years complimentary access to the ChargeFox high-speed charging network away from home.
The Mazda is a premium product that will make its owners feel good about their purchase, but everything else about the car is just too niche. It’s small, its range is compromised, it’s expensive – the Lexus fares far better in all these respects which is why it managed to claw back a win in this comparison.
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