It’s all play and no work (yet) for this first-time car owner
For two blissful weeks in December, Roxanne Arkin’s 2021 Lexus UX 250h Hybrid Electric
— her first car — charioted her confidently from home to work and back again. The 32-year-old insurance broker had previously been driven to purchase a commuter car, and the pandemic further deterred her from public transit. With another shut down, and then a work-from-home order, Roxanne’s professional purchase was left feeling a little underworked. With big hopes for the near future, Roxanne tells us where her Lexus is taking her as she awaits her return-to-office, and why it was the perfect fit for her first-ever vehicle.
“We knew that we wanted a hybrid,” said Roxanne Arkin, who purchased the 2021 Lexus UX 250H from Lexus Downtown, along with her husband. “Not so much electric quite yet, but for sure a hybrid. We looked at the Prius and we looked very briefly at the Corolla… and that was a great car but it just didn’t have much power.
“Then finally at the Lexus dealership I saw the UX and I just thought, ‘I love this car.’ I love the way it looks, I love the interior… it felt like a luxury vehicle but for more of a reasonable price.
“I have a friend who has the same vehicle and I’ve driven in it before, and I just really enjoyed it and felt comfortable so that helped. When I finally decided on the UX I also wanted it to stand out a little bit with a pop of colour so I opted for the blue or ‘Grecian Water’ exterior.
“The main reason that my husband and I got a car was so that I could actually commute to work. I’ve been working in the same place for 10 years now, and it’s about an hour away by transit. The pandemic kind of sped up the process a little bit. We’re hoping for a return to the office in September and I fully anticipate having to drive to work every day.
“Beyond that though, one of the purposes of getting the car was so that we could go and do some hiking outside of the city and go visit my parents more often in Ottawa — but mostly so far it’s been used for inner- city driving.
“We haven’t had many opportunities to venture out until recently because of the restrictions but now that they’re lifting we’re finally starting to make some solid road trip plans — and I’m really excited.
A CLOSER LOOK: 2021 Lexus UX 250h Hybrid Electric
Stay cool
“Obviously we love the heated steering wheel but one really amazing feature of the vehicle is the cooling seats,” said Roxanne. “Especially right now in the summer. The seats are dark grey leather so when they’re sitting in the sun they can get super hot and so being able to cool them down before you get in is such a bonus.” Adding to interior comfort, the UX’s front seats are 8-way power adjustable and the car’s dual zone automatic climate control lets you tailor interior temperatures to suit individual preferences.
Can you handle it?
“We don’t have winter tires, but the car still served us well this last winter,” said Roxanne. “I found it handled really well.” Not a surprising sentiment since the UX features high structural rigidity and a low centre of gravity. It also has the tightest turning radius in its class, so it responds quickly and surely to your every input. Further, its innovative AWD system sees that an additional motor on the rear axle automatically adjusts the power-split between front and rear axles when accelerating, cornering, or driving on slippery surfaces.
Safety first
“This was the first car that I’ve ever owned so safety was a big factor for me,” said Roxanne. “These cars are known to be very safe so that played a big part in my decision.” Proving that safety comes first for Lexus, all UX models are equipped with an integrated suite of active safety features that support the driver’s awareness and decision-making under a variety of circumstances. Some of the many features include Pre-Collision with Pedestrian and Bicycle Detection, All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and Lane Tracing Assist.
Like the lane assist, when you get on the highway it kind of just locks you in to the space. Lexus is known for not being completely up to date on their technology, they wait until something has been tested for years before they implement it. SO the dash isn’t.
This article was edited for space and clarity. Want to be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle? email us at [email protected] with “Why I Love” in the subject line.
The Specs
BODY STYLE: Compact SUV
DRIVE METHOD: AWD
ENGINE: 2.0 L 4‑CYL
FUEL ECONOMY: (CITY/HIGHWAY L/100KM) 5.7/6.2 (CITY/HWY)
CARGO CAPACITY: L (cu. Ft.) 487 (17.2)
PRICE: Starting from $40,250
WEBSITE: lexus.ca
Keyword: 2021 Lexus UX 250h: Lexus keeps this driver excited for the future