The Last Car With Tail Fins Is Actually Still On Sale In America

Let’s talk tail fins for a second. From slightly awkward beginnings on the 1947 Cisitalia 202 CMM by Vignale, to soaring relevance and height on the 1959 Cadillac, to global influence on Heckflosse Mercedes-Benzes and Trabants, tail fins defined an era. Sure, this styling highlight of the jet age faded quickly due to increased concern for public safety, but that hasn’t stopped car designers from trying to re-interpret tail fins. In fact, there’s still a car you can buy in America that has a pair of tail fins, and there’s a good chance it’s not the sort of car you’d expect.

Now, this claim comes with a bit of an asterisk, as we’re really going for the vaguest interpretation of tail fins. Structural purists may pine for ferrous fins, but as far as I’m concerned, so long as multiple fins exist on the back of a car, those are plausibly, by definition, tail fins. With that in mind, take a close look at the taillights on the Lexus UX. They have fins! How gloriously odd is that?

Granted, it’s a bit hard to see the fins from the press photos Lexus has released, but thankfully, we have different pictures. In the words of Lieutenant Arcot Ramathorn from Super Troopers, “Enhance.”

See? Fins! Relatively prominent ones by the standards of 2024, at that. It’s the sort of styling element you’d expect from Cadillac rather than Lexus, but it just fits in the context of the UX. Plus, Lexus claims these fins have an actual aerodynamic benefit, so they’re a functional choice along with an aesthetic one.

Now, there’s a chance you forgot the Lexus UX existed, and you might be wondering if it can cash the checks its tail fins write. Well, I recently got behind the wheel of the updated UX 300h at AJAC EcoRun, and I’m pleased to report some surprisingly good things. For 2025, the model gets a new hybrid system that boosts combined power output to 196 horsepower from 181, and even with a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of 7.9 seconds for the all-wheel-drive model, the updated Lexus UX is as quick as you’d realistically need. Now, a well-tuned chassis certainly helps, and it feels downright eager to change direction by the standards of the segment, even if featherweight steering doesn’t tell you much about what the front tires are doing. The damping strikes a nice balance between control and ride comfort, the spring rates and anti-roll bar rates pair nicely with a stiff body structure, and it all adds up to a vehicle that’s remarkably chuckable for a so-called crossover. It’s no hot hatch, but it’s unexpectedly engaging, and that’s a brilliant little surprise.

On the inside, there’s also plenty to like. That shiny, dust-magnet black plastic so prevalent in modern cars is kept to a relative minimum, with Lexus primarily trading on textiles and subtle matte plastics. Plus, there’s a little bit of LC 500 to several touch points, from the artfully integrated interior door handles to the HVAC controls to the Shrek ears on the sides of the instrument cluster. While not everyone can daily drive a gorgeous V8 Grand Tourer every day, a few borrowed touches are nothing to sneeze at. Just to add some sprinkles on top of this compact luxury crossover sundae, the upgraded F Sport seats are genuinely all-day comfortable, the driving position is nice and low, and Lexus’ own ten-speaker stereo is better than the upgraded Burmester option in the Mercedes-Benz GLA. It all adds up to a package that feels so liveable, especially with the new touchscreen-based infotainment system that abolishes Lexus’ controversial trackpad.

Speaking of competing subcompact luxury crossovers, the GLA certainly doesn’t feature the Parthenon solidity of the UX, for this thing feels well screwed together in Lexus tradition. No creaks, no squeaks, no rattles, just a cabin that feels well-made. As a bonus, fuel economy is off the charts. While the UX 300h AWD is rated at 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined, I averaged 50 mpg without even trying.

Despite the UX’s entry-level status, you don’t exactly get shortchanged on must-have features. Eight-way power heated and ventilated front seats? Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? Hands-free power liftgate? A reasonably vivid color heads-up display that doesn’t completely wash out when viewed through polarized sunglasses? All of this kit is available, and it all works well.

However, the UX 300h is a lot of money, especially since the new Toyota Prius is, well, actually quite nice and about $10,000 less expensive. The UX I drove stickered for $54,587 Canadian, and an equivalent U.S. model stickers for $49,545. While that’s still less expensive than a less economical Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC, normal cars these days are so good that you have to occasionally wonder if a luxury model is worth it. Oh, and the cargo area in the UX features a high liftover height, but that’s a minor demerit in the grand scheme of things.

Still, what we have here isn’t just the last car sold in America with tail fins, it’s a well-made, well-appointed, economical small car. Sure, it has the price tag to match, but for the right person, it could very well be worth it. In fact, once you balance every factor, it might be the best truly small luxury vehicle on sale today. How about that?

(Photo credits: Eamonn O’Connell)

Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.

• The New 2023 Toyota Prius is Sleeker, Bigger, Quieter and More Powerful, So Why Am I Bummed Out?

• The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Is A Champion At Never Using Gas

• A Reader Gave Me This Incredible Old Book About Taillights And Fins By George Barris: Cold Start

• We Need To Talk About The ‘Saddle Fins’ On Australia’s Chrysler Royal

• What Lost Styling Cues Would You Like To Make A Comeback? Autopian Asks

Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.