Vespa LX125 3V review - Telegraph The Vespa LX has been with us largely unchanged since 2005, but that's not stopped it selling very well indeed. It's still one of the bestselling scooters in the UK, and that's despite its £3,099 price (Chinese-built 125s can be had for a third of that). What you always get for the outlay is decent build quality, the only brand that uses an all-steel monocoque construction (most are plastic panels over a steel frame), low depreciation - especially compared with the cheap Chinese machines - and the unique and astonishingly enduring Vespa style. There are two other basic Vespa types available, the larger GTS, also an automatic which has 125cc and 300cc engine options (the LX can be had as a 50 or 125), and the traditional PX. This has 125cc or 150cc two-stroke power, so it sounds like a Vespa should and, better still for the traditionalists, it has a manual gearchange operated by turning the left twistgrip. The LX125 is the big seller, though, and for 2012 it has an all-new, long-stroke 125cc engine with three valves (two inlets and one exhaust). The main aim is to maximise fuel economy, but the improvement in efficiency has also resulted in a seven per cent power increase with 10 per cent more torque, while CO2 emissions are down by an impressive 30 per cent. The service intervals have been increased to 6,000 miles and there's little that needs doing beyond oil and filter changing. It's the fuel economy most buyers are interested in and, for this, Piaggio claims 155mpg at a steady 30mph. That's not as unrealistic as it would be in a car, but it's not exactly real-world either, and out and about in town you're more likely to see 110mpg, maybe more if you're easy on the throttle. That's still pretty good and a lot better than most scooters, including the old model LX125, which the new one betters by almost a third. A 10-mile daily commute will cost just over a fiver a week in fuel, a huge saving for most people currently doing it by car or public transport, and chances are you'll get there and back a lot more quickly, too. Longer trips will be harder work as it's only a 125. You're allowed on motorways but you won't be comfortable as the top speed is only 60mph and headwinds and hills will eat into that. But for busy A-roads and around town the LX feels punchy and capable, and it's especially sharp pulling away from a standstill. In fact, the auto clutch can grab quite suddenly, which will be disconcerting for inexperienced riders, although this is likely to ease off as the miles accumulate. It's a very agile little machine, more so than some scooters because of the small wheels, just 11 inches at the front and 10 inches at the rear. That's fine for rapid direction changes but it does make the LX sensitive to poor surfaces and, in particular, large potholes, which bigger wheels roll across more smoothly. But bigger wheels would stop it looking like a Vespa, so that wouldn't do. You get reasonable storage space, with a helmet-sized compartment beneath the seat and some useful extra in the back of the legshield. The accessory catalogue includes front and rear racks and various boxes, too, so there's enough for most people as long as you're not doing the family shop for a week. Vespa LX125 3V Price/on sale: £3,099/now Power/torque: 11.4bhp @ 8,250rpm/8lb ft @ 6,500rpm Top speed: 60mph Fuel tank/range: 1.8 gallons/200 miles Verdict: Expense is easily justified by economy, styling and high build quality. It's also fun Telegraph rating: Five out of five stars