Lexus HS 250h

It looks alot like a tricked out Corolla, rather than a Camry.....I wonder how this will compare to a Camry hybrid vs. a Prius (or even the Corolla with a 2.4). The Prius chassis is halfway between a Camry (length) a Corolla (width). If all the "hybrid-specific" designs in the Prius end up getting the same MPG as a Camry Hybrid when you put a bigger engine in it, it will be a pretty good argument that the hybrid specific design doesn't really help much. If this gets the same MPG as the Camry, I'd question if a better car wouldn't be a "Lexified" Camry with the same engine.

We'll see if the wealthy folks run out in droves for this or if most the market for hybrids remains in the middle classes. The only remote competition for this are the german TDis (and that is pretty remote....).

My girlfriends sister's '06 Cobalt has a better interior. Exterior is a vast improvement over the over the Prius though, but that just means it is as good as a Corolla now....an expensive one....with no better mileage. Hooray......... : (

O, and for the Record, the Tesla Roadster was the first luxury electric car.

Boom Boom makes a intriguing point... it will be interesting to see how it sells compared to the Audi TDIs getting ready to go on sale... I wonder how the MPG will stack up between those as well.

Which Audi TDIs? AFIK, the A3 isn't available until the first part of 2010, whereas the Lexus will be on sale in 2009. Will Audi models be available prior to 2010? (I ask b/c I am very interested in purchasing one). Thanks.

BDW

The people who think that this is just a camry don't really get it!! There is more content and different glass (insulated). The margins on the build is tighter for less wind noise. Smart key entry along with the latest navigation system. Its on a different body then the camry. Its a totally different car! So before you start on beating this car up you should get the facts...

Worst luxury interior ever......

The Prius chassis is halfway between a Camry (length) a Corolla (width). If all of the "hybrid-specific model in the Prius at the end is always the same MPG as the Camry Hybrid, if you have a larger engine, it will be a pretty good argument that the hybrid design is not really helped.

I think Boom Boom is completely right. The first impression that struck me was, oh no, it's a Corolla with bigger alloy rims and weirder tail lights.

Nice car, I dont know if I will be able to spend 30K on a dolled up Corrola. I will stick the IS250 :)

I think the name HS 250h is obtuse enough to qualify as a Lexus badge number, but perhaps it needs a couple more aitches to truly convey its hybrid drivetrain... How about HSh H250h?

Bryce,

The Toyota/Lexus hater bunch has come back under your leadership.
Try to save GM instead. They're in deep trouble now.

-Hate to part company with the crowd here, but this seems great, if the article is correct. Toyota/Lexus are expanding the hybrid drivetrain to a new area, and this will help extend the versatility and make the luxury segment more fuel-efficient. Now if they could only come up with an efficient sports car or a convertible based, say, on this chassis, it would be cover even more territory.

Any chance this will be available with AWD? As a "winter" state resident, my dream has been a Prius with AWD, but I'm sure that's never going to happen (and I'm not interested in a SUV). But some of the Lexus 250 sedans are currently available AWD models.

yo qqRockyBeans
A luxury car the size of a Yaris?!? - I can't see a luxury car buyer wanting such a small thing.
Bryce I'm sure if you sat in the HS250 and then your girlfriend's sister's Cobalt the difference in quality would be apparent - and not in favor of the Cobalt.
30% better than 25 MPG?!? If Ford decides to make a Lincoln version of the Fusion hybrid it will be bigger and get better mileage than this Lexus...

I urge Lexus to offer an interior that is not leather. I don't know exactly when it became fashionable to line the interior of a car with animal hide but it's out of date to me considering both the environmental and ethical considerations of an evolved society. And, it seems to me this is the evolved demographic this car will appeal to.
And for the guy tempted to call me a wimp or an elitist for this point of view... easy... because yeah... I'm both a vegetarian and a person who can execute a devastating spinning back kick.
Amen and peace.

I agree.

Looks like a small Ford Fusion to me. The Fusion gets better MPG (6 city, 2 highway) and can be optioned up to almost the Lexus level. Get the Milan if you want a better looking front end. Other reviews have stated that the Fusion/Milan are faster. I am not sure about the handling.

I think the Lexus beats the BMW for hybrid cars, but give me the Prius or Fusion.

Although the points have been made by several different posters, I'd still like to put this together:

The HS 250h has less interior space (10 cubic feet) than the Fusion/Milan twins, worse fuel mileage (35 MPG combined compared to 39), slightly less power, and a base HS 250h costs slightly more than the fully-optioned Fusion/Milan. And there is not much "content" that I see that the HS 250h (base or not) has that the Fusion/Milan does not. Is there any reason at all to get it over the Fusion/Milan?

Any clue what the headroom is? Doesn't look like much!

You folks miss the point about owning a Lexus. As a long time Lexus owner, I know that the point of owning a Lexus is the entire ownership experience. The dealer knows me by name and treats me with respect. When it's time for service they come and get the car, leave a loaner and return my car (clean inside and out) when the service is done. I have bought my last two cars without even going to the dealership - I called the manager, told him what I wanted, we worked out a price (including my trade in) and my new car was delivered that night. Add in that you're getting a world class car with legendary reliability and it's a combination that appeals to me. Does it cost more - you bet! But to me the time and aggravation saved by not having to go to the dealer, deal with an overworked service advisor and then get a ride to work and a ride back to the dealership is worth the money. If it's not to you, buy a Chevy - they need all the help they can get. But for me, I'll stick to my LS460.

Why get a Lexus over a Ford/Mercury? I have three reasons:

Quality:
When it comes to both quality of materials used and "fit and finish" of the vehicle, luxury vehicles (especially those from Japan) tend to use higher-level materials (higher-quality leather, real wood trim, etc.) as well as having higher standards when it comes to the assembly of the doors and quarterpanels.

Reliability:
Toyota/Lexus has consistently proven to be a more reliable vehicle than Ford/mercury, requiring less repairs and having lower maintenance costs year after year.

Resale value:
Toyota/Lexus has outperformed EVERY U.S. car company with regards to average resale value (based on Edmund's AND Kelly Blue Book). This will especially ring true in the luxury car market, where the average length of ownership is much shorter than that of lower-to-middle-income families.

Bryce have you ever been in a Lexus?

What's the point of this car? I'll bet you it flounders in the showroom floors. Th reason the Prius is so popular is that it allows you to be green while having smug appeal - people can instantly recognize it. Plus, 35 MPG????Are you kidding? The Prius gets 51+ MPG on average, has most if not all of the features in that lexus as options (and maybe more, I don't see Lane Assist, Intelligent parking, and all that in this Lexus - and the top line Prius have leather, voice activated navigation, 8 speakers, etc)

I just test drove this car. It's great. Hs all the toys that you need.It has more then the Prius & Insight. Plenty of power. The Prius & Insight won't get out of its own way. Has ventilation & memory seats. Loaded Pruis in the low 30's The HS is 38. Not much more per month.

I'd love this 250h. But the Lexus dealers are far and few between in metro D.C. where it takes close to 2hrs many days to drive the 30 miles to a Lexus dealer.
Why can't Toyota dealers, which are all over the place, service a Lexus? Especially for routine maintenance visits. It is frustrating to pass 3 Toyota dealers on the way to Lexus.

I have an ES350 that gets 32 miles per gallon on the highway. I would like to have a hybrid but my ES is larger, and only gets 3-5 miles less than the Lexus hybrid on the highway, and it has a great engine and witll peal out if I want to. It is luxurious with leather and navi, air-conditioned seats, etc. I'll stay with the ES until they get an plug in that get a significant increase in mpgs.

ACTUALLY LEXUS CAME OUT WITH THIS GRILL ON THEIR CONCEPT CARS YEARS AGO CHECK AND SEE

I just saw an ad for this car on TV so I was intrigued to find out more about it. Having purchased a Ford Fusion Hybrid in July with all of the options I was very surprised to learn that a Lexus Hybrid would cost only a little more. Now that I see the specs. and interior I am reassured that I made the right choice. In CT there is no sales tax on cars that are EPA rated 40+mpg--thus I saved $1900 that I wouldn't on this car. In addition, since my 12 mile commute is not highway, I am easily averaging 45 to 50 mpg each trip. I never thought that a Ford vehicle could look this and drive this nice.

Just completed the first month on the lease of an HS. We are big Lexus fans as the quality has been excellent. When it was time to turn in the leased IS 350 i was kinda drooling over the 600h Pebble Beach but decided it made the wrong statement. Soooo, on to plan B. Looked hard at the convertable IS (too small for golf clubs and laptop bag), the GS and the 460. Decided to be moderately socially responsible and ended up choosing the HS. We had driven the Prius last year and just could not see it making it the "work" car. Mostly it was about the rear window and overall comfort compared to being a bit spoiled by the Lexus toyota experiences.

Enter the HS. Let me say that first, I really like it. It is smart transportation. The hybrid has altered my driving habits and we simply drive more conservatively. We live in an urban area with a lot of slow traffic. Rushing to the next red light to see the same cars is normal and a waste of time/energy. The HS has helped us to chill a bit and let others fight for the one car lead.

The ride is very comfortable, the "fit" is good and the technology is effective. Favorites: proximity cruise control, heads up display speed readout, nav arrows on the HUD. We wish these items were on our RX350 and LX570. There are some other interesting features in the electronics package like stock tracking and Lexus "news" updates. Mostly this hints at the convergence to web applications such as Yahoo, Google News, etc.

Single Gripe: the Bluetooth phone connection. Have had problems getting the phone to connect with bluetooth in the HS. Noting that this same phone has no problem with connecting to the other Lexus cars in the driveway it's hard not to think that problem is with the car. However, back to Verizon tomorrow to try another phone to search for compatability.

Did I pay too much for a Prius variant? Should I have looked at the Ford? Probably, but am I happy with the HS? Yes, Very. Lexus quality, comfort and reliability... But I'll be even more happy when the phone/bluetooth problem is sorted out...

I bought the Lexus HS 6 weeks ago and love driving the car. I use the Blackberry Tour from Verizon and it works fine. My only complaint with the car is that people can't hear me when on the bluetooth. Took the car in for 1000 mile check up and the dealer said the bluetooth system was working properly.

Is the ride smoother on the base model since it has higher aspect ratio tires than the premium model?

Not only it looks better than the other hybrids on the road it also gives you more bells and whistles than you need. Rear view camera, cooling and heating seats, voice recognition for pretty much everything, bluetooth, XM, sun roof, leather, nav, calendar, traffic feed, great stereo, etc... all controlled by a mouse. This is not an old man's car who doesn't understand the difference between Toyota and Lexus. This is a luxury car with Hybrid elements that I think still lets you make a statement for the environment. And it runs on regular gas. So what if it doesn't get 50 like the Prius which in my opinion is the most hideous thing on the road next to rendez-vous (they could be relatives). I'm 39 and after driving the new Lexus Hybrid, I'm sold.

"The complete hybrid system in the Lexus is fully 40 percent more powerful than that of the Prius: 187 horsepower compared to 134."

...yeah, but how much heavier? Any curb weight figures?

I just bought the car last week in Aurora White with beige leather interior and I LOOOOOOVE the car - the hardest part is getting out of it, lol!!!

Cheers! :)

Lexus made the same re-badging mistake several times in its short 20-year history.

After the initial success of the 1989 LS400, Lexus took the Toyota Cressida (similar to a Camary) and called it the LS250. Everything was the same except for the logo. It failed miserably and was discountinued in 1991.

Then they took the Toyota Camary in 1992 can rebadged it ES300 albeit it had a different shell but the platform and amenities are similar including the powerplant. To date the Camery and ES still shares many components.

In 1996 Toyota designed the Aristo which looked more like a Lexus than Toyota, and guess what? Yup, it became the GS300 over here... It was quite successfull because the car was designed from the ground up instead of taking an existing model and rebaged it.

Later in 2000 Toyota created the Altezza and also launched a Lexus version called the IS300. However this time around the car looked more like a Toyota than Lexus and despite initial success, people didn't like the idea of paying over the top for a Toyota in Lexus clothing. However in 2006 Lexus replaced the IS300 with a completely new IS250/350 which was never sold as a Toyota anywhere else. It had tremendous success as it was designed from the ground up to be a euro luxury beater.

Now with the HS250 Toyota once again went backwards and took a Prius, add all the bells and whistles to it and called it a Lexus...

WTF is Lexus thinking? When Lexus introduced the RX400h they took the existing RX300 and dropped a hybrid motor but kept everything else the same. They should have took the existing IS platform and drop a Hybrid motor in it!!!!! That friggin HS250H is NO WAY a lexus in the looks department - it looks like a Toyota Prius with a really cheesy bodykit!!!!

Shame on you lexus, and thanks for ruining the image of the IS250/350 with this piece of crap you call a car... If i wanted a prius I will buy two for the price of an HS250H!

why don;t you clever mode fakers , go and buy a space ship if want more beautiful interior , this car is just fine

We just bought it last week. The car is great rides smooth and has a bit of power. I guess do not need 300 hp but 190hp more then enoguh to go around town, the Prius gives 130hp. We paid about $3K more then the Prius 4 with nav and leather, price tag is about $38K but negaciate to a much much lower price...

oh yeah and one more thing, the HS250h is a much different animal than a Camry Hybrid, just test drive those two before you jump into unsupported conclusions.

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

we bought Lexus HS250H premium with navigation package last Saturday. It is a hybrid sedan. We test drove Ford hybrid , prius and lexus and liked the lexus. Ford has lot more features but we didnot like their customer service. Also, felt it was not as smooth as lexus and prius. Prius is good for the price. But, found that it had less space between leg and dashboard/steering wheel for short people. Also, view through the rear window was not good -salesperson said one will get used to it. Prius V with navigation would have cost us $31000. For a few thousand dollar more lexus offered lot more features compared to prius and better safety rating.

Has one here bought platinum service pack. The dealer is offering platinum service pack for $3999.00 which includes 7 year 100000 mile extended warranty and regular service until 50000 mile. Is it worth it? What does the platinum pack offer other than what one gets when vehicle is taken to regular lexus service center. Anyone here know.