Car of the Year Awards 2024: Overall winner

Choose any of our 2024 award winners and you’ll be getting the best car of its kind. However, the overall Car of the Year title is reserved for the model that has moved things on the farthest in the past 12 months. And this year, that’s the Lexus LBX.

Sales of small SUVs like the LBX are booming right now, with car buyers loving their blend of chunky looks, elevated seating and sensible running costs. However, while almost every mainstream manufacturer offers at least one of these vehicles, small SUVs that wear a prestige badge are rare.

Lexus has spotted a gap in the market, then. And this limited direct competition could have easily led it to penny pinch. But instead, it has created a proper mini-Lexus – a car that offers the quality, refinement and hybrid technology the brand is famous for, just in a more compact and affordable package.

Ah, yes, affordability. In an era when a lot of very ordinary cars cost around £40,000, the fact that you can have an LBX for less than £30,000 makes it amazing value. Even the luxuriously equipped Premium Plus version that we recommend comes in at £34,495. What’s more, the LBX’s strong predicted resale values mean tempting PCP finance rates. So, it’s a car that will make you smile for any number of reasons and, more importantly, will keep you smiling in the way that only great cars do.

That’s exactly what the LBX is: a great car. And it’s one that we’re delighted to recommend to you as our Car of the Year for 2024.

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See all of our Car of the Year 2024 winners >>