WHICH SMALL, RELIABLE RUNABOUT CAN REPLACE MY LARGE LEXUS?

Q

My Lexus IS200 will be 25 next year. It has done 96,000 miles and has never let me down. I no longer need such a large engine, but require instead a smallish reliable runabout to carry two adults and two grandchildren under 12. What do you suggest?

– JJ

A

You may not need to stray too far from the Lexus stable, as the Japanese firm has released a new small car called the LBX which might suit you.

The LBX is a compact SUV, so 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 children.

It has a very efficient full hybrid powertrain to keep fuel costs down and it’s smart outside with a slick, high-quality interior. And you get an extra year’s warranty if you use a main dealer for annual servicing, up to a maximum of 10 years of age. Prices start at just shy of £30,000.

If price is a concern, you might look at the Hyundai Bayon. Behind its extrovert styling, it is a well-equipped and roomy small SUV with the option of a mild hybrid powertrain – although it won’t be quite as efficient as the Lexus.

If you don’t want a small SUV, how about the car on which the LBX is based, the Toyota Yaris? It 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. You will find the rear seats more cramped than in some small cars, though.

There is, however, a happy middle ground: the Honda Jazz. The current Jazz is also a hybrid and while it isn’t quite as fuel efficient as the Toyota, it will be more so than the Lexus.

Its interior is 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 pragmatic choice. Given your circumstances, I suggest the Honda or the Lexus.

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The Lexus LBX small SUV provides hybrid economy in a slick package inside and out