In the US, Lexus is a go-to brand for luxury, reliability, and stylish design. It's become a dominant force for every type of customer, from luxury SUVs to V8 sports cars, ever since it was launched specifically for this market in 1989 with the LS sedan. The company doesn't only sell its cars in America though – and that means not every car makes it here, like the shoe-sized LBX.We all know that small cars don't make it big on US shores – and that's why one of Lexus' most interesting city cars isn't available to US customers. But are we missing out? We got behind the wheel of the LBX recently to find out if Lexus should sell it here, or if the UX is enough to satisfy luxury small car cravings.The Lexus driven is a UK-spec vehicle that is not currently available in the US. All pricing and information has been sourced from the manufacturer and test drive experience, where available. Lexus' Answer To The Acura Integra Johnson Chen/Valnet/CarBuzz A Compact Commuter If you want a compact luxury car in the US, you don't have many options at the moment. Sure, there's the Lexus UX from the same company, but that's not really a small car. Your best bet then, probably, is the Acura Integra, which uses the same platform as the Honda Civic but gives it a slightly sleeker and more upmarket body with more standard features. It's something we're used to these days – platform sharing has become one of the most cost-effective ways automakers can build cars.Johnson Chen/Valnet/CarBuzzThe same goes for the Lexus LBX, only this time with a car that isn't sold in the States. It's on the TNGA-B platform shared by the Toyota Aygo X Cross city car in Europe. That makes its proportions (165 inches in length) perfect as a small runabout in cities like New York. Just like the Acura & Honda platform, the LBX and Yaris Cross share the same engine, a tiny 1.5L petrol hybrid with 136 horsepower. That sounds measly for a premium brand, but in Europe, customers are much less sensitive to power. What It's Like To Drive It Doesn't Try To Be Sporty LexusLexus knows where it sits in the market, and unless you get one of the "F" badged trims, you're in for a quiet and comfortable ride. The LBX is no different, and its tiny hybrid engine makes it quiet at speed and in normal driving conditions, but no one would've expected it to be fast. It's progressive, making acceleration at lower speeds feel effortless and great for city streets, but highway driving could feel like a drag. Even though it's tiny, the high driving position and great visibility make it feel like you're in control.Johnson Chen/Valnet/CarBuzz We quite enjoyed driving this car, and it inspires confidence, which is exactly what you want when driving a luxury car. There's minimal body roll, and speed bumps don't upset the short wheelbase as much as you'd think. It's impressive. Driving the Toyota it's based on only confirmed this, as we felt the Lexus was better built and inspired more confidence when cornering. At its lowest weight, it's only around 2,822 lbs, meaning it can even feel nimble in traffic. What's It Like Inside? Lexus It's what you'd expect from a Lexus inside, only with a rear bench that's pretty much unusable. The seats up front are comfortable, well-built and hug you well through corners, but you're going to have to be pretty short to enjoy yourself in the back. The short wheelbase also encroaches on ingress and egress space, so just getting into the back seats is a little awkward. Still, we'd expect family shoppers to upgrade to the larger models.Lexus The cabin feels tight to the touch and in the "Vibrant" edition we drove, the colorful elements made it feel airy and a bit less boring. Some of the climate controls were a bit strange (hard to see on the move), but we're happy to see physical controls still available. If you only need a car to get to and from work, though, it feels great. A low cargo floor also means there's more rear space than you'd expect. We'd even say that apart from the rear seats, the design of this vehicle is more premium compared to the Integra. The GR Corolla's Luxury Lexus Twin LexusIt feels like Toyota's big sporty MO right now is high-performance three-cylinders, which is why the Lexus LBX has been spiced up with the Morizo RR. Its three-pot makes a massive 305 hp through an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive, and there's no hybrid powertrain in sight. Think the Toyota GR Corolla if it wore a tuxedo. If you're wondering why it's called the Morizo – that refers to the racing alias that Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, used when racing at the Nürburgring without the management board knowing.Lexus Its cosmetic tweaks help it feel more pronounced on the road, and yellow seatbelts, calipers, and exterior accents are a signature of the Morizo line. The car isn't sold in the US or Europe, but only in the Asia-Pacific region, meaning it probably won't grace US shores any time soon. From our short time with the regular LBX, we can imagine that, despite its tall design, it'd be a planted hot hatch to drive thanks to low weight and tight steering.It would be a great addition to the Lexus lineup in the States, though, as it would compete directly with the Acura Integra Type S, or even the BMW X1 M35i, which has the same amount of power. While small cars are dying around the world, we think this would be more fun than most dedicated sports cars to live with in a tight city. A Perfect Opportunity To Conquer A New American Audience LexusWe know all the reasons why Lexus doesn't sell this car in the States – but it might not be as silly as you think. With more people living in urban environments and willing to trade power for efficiency, it feels like the perfect recipe. There's also statistics to back this up — the Acura Integra sold over 20,000 units in 2025, so there is a market for smaller luxury vehicles. Crossovers also keep growing in popularity, so this combination of small proportions and a higher driving position is a proven recipe.Lexus The Integra has also been losing sales in the past few years, down 17% from 2024 to 2025, and Lexus has been moving on from sedans with the discontinuation of the LS in 2026. That means there's space in the market for a car like this, and Lexus could keep the same number of models on the market with this car.European prices are often higher than American market costs, and the same is true for this tiny Lexus. In the UK, it starts at £30k, or $40k when converted, and that puts it higher than both the Integra and the bigger Lexus UX. The company would have to slash the price to around $33k to compete with the Integra, and even then it may be too close to the $38k Lexus UX that offers more power and lots more space.Sources: Lexus, Toyota, Acura