Based on Scotty Kilmer’s well-documented positions on these platforms, here’s my honest synthesis — not a verbatim quote, since I can’t put words in his mouth, but his consistent public stance across his videos and Q&A community points fairly clearly to an answer.
His likely pick: the Lexus RX 350 (non-hybrid). Scotty has a video literally titled “I Just Found the Best Luxury SUV” reviewing the RX350, calling it one of the best new and used luxury cars to buy YouTube, plus another titled “Here’s Why You Need to Buy a Lexus.” That’s a strong, repeated signal — the RX350 fits his core philosophy: Toyota-family reliability, luxury feel, without unnecessary complexity.
Why not the RX 450h/400h hybrids, despite you wanting gas savings: in his own community Q&A comparing the 2015 RX450h vs. 2013 RX350, the guidance was blunt: both are very reliable, but you have to remember about the battery — expect a large bill when it comes time to replace it at 10-15 years old, and if you plan to keep the car a very long time, the 350 may win out over the hybrid CarKiller. That’s Scotty’s classic frugality instinct — he’s generally allergic to paying for complexity (batteries, turbos, CVTs) when a simpler, cheaper-to-maintain option does 90% of the job.
How this maps to your whole list: Scotty’s general on-record philosophy (buy Toyota/Honda, avoid unnecessary complexity, don’t overpay for badges, distrust anything with an expensive failure mode waiting at high mileage) would likely rank your cars roughly:
- RX 350 (non-hybrid) — his actual on-camera “best luxury SUV” pick, matches your luxury/AWD/room goals with the least risk.
- RAV4 or CR-V (proven years) — his bread-and-butter recommendation type, though less “luxury.”
- RX 450h — fine, but he’d flag the aging-battery cost as a real long-term tax, not free money.
- Anything with a Subaru CVT or a neglected Honda V6 timing belt — he’s notoriously skeptical of CVTs generally and always harps on timing-belt interference engines as a landmine if service isn’t documented.
- The UX 250h — likely a pass from him purely on value: paying $20k for a small Corolla-based crossover isn’t the kind of “smart buy” he preaches.
Worth noting: this is my read of his consistently stated public positions, not something he said specifically about your list — if you want his literal take, his YouTube channel and the Ask Scotty community are the direct source. But if I had to bet, RX 350 (non-hybrid) is the one he’s most likely to point you toward.
Yeah that is a pretty good synthesis of my ideas