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New Lexus LBX vs used BMW X1 costs
It's no secret that we think highly of the new Lexus LBX, but, for similar money, you could pick up a year-old BMW X1, so is that the better buy?...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
For this Lexus LBX in Premium Plus trim, you'll need £34,495. From new, our BMW X1, in 23i M Sport guise, cost £42,970, but it's since dropped to roughly £36,000 after a year on the used car market.
As for future deprecation, our data puts the X1 at £13,325 of its current value lost over the next three years, while the LBX is set to lose £14,970 of its new car value over the same time period.
If you'd prefer to buy your LBX on PCP finance, then it'll be £389 per month as part of a 42-month contract that also involves a £5174 deposit and an 8000-mile annual limit. If you'd like to keep the car at the end of the contract, that'll be an extra £15,694.
For the X1, we were quoted £512 – same deposit and mileage limit – over 48 months. Your final payment would be £14,221.
Fuel economy leans definitively in the LBX's favour: the model averaged an impressive 51.3mpg on our test route. For a non-hybrid family SUV, the X1 performed well, but it couldn't come close to matching its rival's efforts. It averaged 36.6mpg.
As of writing, it was too early to find the cost of an LBX service plan via Lexus, although we expect plans to appear soon. The model will likely fall into the brand's 'compact' category for service plan pricing, meaning you'll be paying £31.38 over three years (a total of £1129.68) and, in return, you'll get three services and one MOT.
Turning to BMW, we were quoted £899.64 for the X1. However, the plan only included two services and no MOTs, so, overall, the X1 is more expensive to service.
Both cars come with heated, electrically adjustable front seats and climate control. Some desirable features, though, came at cost to the original X1 owner extra but are standard on our LBX, such as a heated steering wheel and adjustable lumbar support. What's more, it cost extra to upgrade the X1's cruise control to adaptive, yet the LBX gets that at no added cost.
The LBX was too new to feature in our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, although Lexus as a brand came top out of 32 car makers ranked – and has been in first place for the past few years. The latest-gen X1 was nowhere to be seen either. BMW, as a brand, ranked 12th, bettering Audi and Mercedes but ultimately falling short of Lexus.
The LBX is yet to be safety tested by Euro NCAP. The X1 was tested in 2022 and received the maximum five out of five stars.
Alternatives
New rivals, used rivals
Under its skin, the LBX is mechanically related to the Toyota Yaris Cross. Of course, Lexus has made strides in pursuit of the LBX being a more luxurious model, but the Yaris Cross is already good as it is, plus its entry-level trim is around £5000 cheaper than the LBX's.
The Volvo XC40 is closer in size to the X1. It's one of our family SUV favourites, especially used, thanks to reasonable prices, a comfy ride and a plush interior. There's a wide variety of engines (as well as a couple of fully electric versions) and trims to choose from, too. On the other hand, some of its engines can be thirsty and its infotainment system can be fiddly to use.
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