Lexus HS 250h
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Never again let it be said that high-mileage hybrids are grim, joyless, or Spartan. The 2010 Lexus HS 250h sedan is the smallest and most economical car Lexus has ever built, but it’s unquestionably luxurious. Lexus has noted that more than 60 percent of luxury-car buyers would consider a hybrid if one were available. Well, now those buyers have a new option.
Official EPA mileage for the HS 250h is 35 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. Lexus says the HS 250h qualify as a Super-Ultra-Low-Emission-Vehicle (SULEV). The new Lexus HS will go on sale in August 2009.
The HS 250h is the Lexus brand’s first dedicated hybrid, just as the Prius was for its parent brand Toyota. Previous Lexus hybrids were adaptations of existing vehicles, including the popular RX 400h crossover—replaced for 2010 by the RX 450h—the GS 450h sports sedan, and the full-size luxury barge LS 600h. But the HS will be sold just as a hybrid, with no gasoline-only version.
The comparison to the 2010 Prius is apt, since the two cars share the same basic platform. They both ride on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, though the Lexus HS 250h is 2 inches wider, half an inch higher, and a full 9 inches longer than its hatchback relative. The HS also has a larger 2.4-liter engine—similar to the one in the Toyota Camry Hybrid—against the 1.8-liter engine used by the 2010 Prius. The complete hybrid system in the Lexus is fully 40 percent more powerful than that of the Prius: 187 horsepower compared to 134.
So while the two cars have different bodies, different engine sizes, and certainly different personas, you can view the HS 250h as a new Prius with a trunk, a raft of luxury accoutrements, and a different tradeoff between fuel economy and features.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as Seinfeld might say.
Lacking the Prius’s high roofline and abrupt vertical tail, the more conventional sedan styling of the HS is marginally less aerodynamic than its hatchback sibling, with a drag coefficient of 0.27 rather than the Prius’s 0.25. Lexus has never offered a hatchback, so given that the HS is a relatively short five-seat sedan, that’s still a respectable figure.
Lexus buyers expect luxury, reliability, and features, and the HS 250h delivers those in spades. It offers such optional electronic gadgetry as Bluetooth connectivity, a heads-up instrument display, a front-view monitor with a 190-degree angle of view, and adaptive cruise control. Its navigation system incorporates real-time traffic and weather, and casual-speech voice recognition. It even lets the owner customize the levels of haptic feedback in the mouse-like controller mounted on the console.
The HS also includes leather trim, a moon roof, and swathes of insulation and thicker materials to reduce the noise, vibration and harshness that every Lexus owner dreads. Adding to the refinement is a sound-deadening inner layer in the windshield, exhaust flow optimized to cut noise, and even slower, softer-closing power window switches from the uber-luxurious LS sedan.
It’s not entirely clear how the HS relates to the two other compact Lexus models, the sportier IS and the more conventional ES front-wheel-drive sedan. It will clearly expand the brand’s green appeal, and perhaps offer an upgrade to Prius buyers who want to maintain high-mpg ratings but crave more luxury and a more upscale brand.
In the end, the HS is a new kind of car for Lexus. But if Toyota’s luxury brand has demonstrated anything over its 20 years, it’s that it can pioneer new ideas and make them a sales success.
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35 / 34 MPG 6.72 / 6.92 L/100km
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BODY TYPE:
Sedan
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TECHNOLOGY:
Hybrid
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BASE MSRP:
$34,200
Side-by-side Comparison
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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....).
So take the Camry Hybrid and re badge it charge a lot more.
Great move Toyota to make more money on the same car.
HA HA who ever gets this car would really be stupid.
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.
Nice way to steal Ford's 3-bar grille. The last Camry stole the Mazda 6's front end. How original.
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.
This should sell fairly well. Many people that want a dedicated hybrid but don't buy a Prius are mainly against it because of the angle of the rear window, so this should bring in more buyers.
One thing though is that a lot of people like their hybrids to stand out a little (like the Prius) so we'll see how that plays out.
The dashboard mouse thing is pretty cool.
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
Just for the record, a Toyota executive said that the company expects to sell roughly 30,000 Lexus HS models in its first full year on the market.
That compares to a sales goal of 180,000 for the 2010 Prius, or six times as many. So the Lexus HS is more of a niche model.
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...
I don't want to be mean, but you don't make too much sense here! This car will have a much better quality interior than a cobalt, with a lot more gadgets. The Tesla is a pure electric, this is a hybrid, but regardless, the tesla isn't a luxury car, it's a sports car. Probably not very luxurious to drive, the tesla, though it's gotta be fun.
Worst luxury interior ever......
Call me stupid then. excited to get rid of my '08 prius for this car!
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.
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.
Toyota is an engineering company. They typically take an existing product and improve it. We wonder why the US companies like GM can't compete.
Nice car, I dont know if I will be able to spend 30K on a dolled up Corrola. I will stick the IS250 :)
How can the viewing angle of the screen be 190 degrees?
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?
Carwatcher, you hit the nail on the head. End of subject. Thanks!!!
Bryce,
The Toyota/Lexus hater bunch has come back under your leadership.
Try to save GM instead. They're in deep trouble now.
Just wanted to clarify that the new HS 250h does not share a platform with the new Prius. It will be a platform that will be all new to North America. The HS 250h sedan will be the most fuel efficient Lexus ever sold; it will offer the best combined mpg of any luxury vehicle in the U.S. Its expected fuel efficiency will be more than 30-percent better than the most fuel efficient model currently on sale in the Lexus lineup (RX 400h at 25 mpg combined). We’ll announce specific mpg details closer to the sales date.
I does share the 2.4L 4-cyl with the Camry Hybrid but will have unique engine tuning, a new more efficient inverter, and a new exhaust heat recover system.
- Greg Thome, Lexus Communications
-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.
Greg Thome, thank you for the information that you have provided.
RKRB, I agree with you. It is not the name of the car or car manufacture that is important here. It is the idea of more mileage per gallon and less dependency on oil as the major provider of energy for cars. This would be a very dull world if all we had was one hybrid to choose from. Now the choices will start ranging from the relatively inexpensive Honda Insight to the expensive Lexus hybrid line. It just becomes a choice of balancing budget against luxury.
And wait one or two more years at the most. One will have a choice of sport car hybrids.
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 Greg:
Why can't you make a small Lexus?
Maybe based off the Yaris 4-door hatchback
Hybrid and non-hybrid versions
manual and auto transmissions
Priced in the 20's
I love my ES250, but the gas mileage sux (16/22 mpg EPA)
no leather
no sunroof
5-speed manual transmission
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Here's the lineup I'd like to see on a Lexus version of the Yaris
2d and 4d hatch, same price
all cars available with 6-speed manual or CVT
YS150 (current Yaris 1.5L) $20000
YS180 (Corolla's 1.8 1ZZ-FE) $23000
YS250 (2AZ-FE or 2AR-FE) $26000
YS150h (Prius powertrain) $30000
YS-F (2ZZ-GE 190 hp) $28000
I would by a YS-F (or whatever you'd end up calling it)
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...
yo Shines:
they do it all the time!
Acura EL and CSX
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
BMW 318ti
Euro 1-series hatchback
Audi A3
BMW Mini Cooper
VW Rabbit/Golf has become a small luxury car (Yaris-Sized!)
And
Toyota/Lexus >> VW German "engineering"
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.
Hi Greg,
Obviously you cannot reveal the exact dates, but I am deciding between buying a C class and this one, and was wondering whether Lexus is very close to releasing this car? Web reports fluctuate between late summer and early fall (what day is that exactly?), and no specific month is indicated. Do you think we shall start seeing test drive reports by June?
I agree.
How does a Colbalt have a better interior.
Especially in 06 when GM interiors were horrific?
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.
For that price you can get a tricked out Toyota Camry Hybird with ALL the options. And a larger car to boot.
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?
I'm in the market for a hybrid. Looking at the HS. Having leased lexus beforeand know the quality. I think it will be better quality than Ford. The residual on the Lexus should be better than Ford also. Montly $$ could be close. Waiting until next month to test drive.
Any clue what the headroom is? Doesn't look like much!
(to Bob T): I pre-ordered one of these last week and sat in a pre-production model at a show at the Lexus dealer. I purposely didn't buy an IS250 since I didn't fit into it (I'm about 6 feet tall). I adjusted the front seat so I fit into it, and then sat in the seat behind it and fit into that as well.
According to the dealer, it should be out 30-45 days from last week. It also has heated/ventilated seats (which will be nice for New Orleans summers). The people who were driving it across the country for Lexus said they were doing 80 on the freeway and getting 38 MPG (obviously I have no way to verify this).
They also appear to have fixed the issue of not having satellite radio and a USB iPod interface.
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.
I would look for a little more than just "reliability" in a luxury car Chuck. Excitement and luxury are usually words that one associates with luxury brands. Lexus is the luxury brand for people who don't really understand cars and are just aiming for a name. If you want a real luxury brand, then go for an Infinit, Audi, Mercedez, BMW, Cadillac......hell, even the new Hyundai Genesis beats out most boring old Lexus. Please, next time you are car shopping, at least look at the competition and I guarantee you will be amazed.
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.
So I got to test drive a HS today. It's got the features of a lexus but I can't help but think the car looks like a tricked out camry/corolla. Nothing made me go WOW on the exterior besides the gas mileage. Drive was smooth though.. and very quiet., but I also drove an IS350 so after driving that the HS was weak.
Bryce have you ever been in a Lexus?
i AGREE WITH RKRB. I WILL WAIT FOR THE FIRST HYBRID CONVERTIBLE/SPORT CAR -- PORSCHE, BMW, LEXUS. PEOPLE WHO THINK GREEN LIKE CONVERTIBLES/ SPORT CARS TOO !!
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 dove the HS. Car is great. Has all the toys. I'm not a fan of navi. You can get it without it. But it has the ventilation , memory seats. Plently of power.This is what you don't get on the Prius. The Prius & Insight won't get out of it's own way. Top of line Prius in in low 30's Ther HS is 38 with more toys. I will be getting one next month.
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.
This is a a disappointing hybrid vehicle IMO. I would rather get a Ford Fusion or another diesel powered luxury sedan any day! Only 35 mpg, and looks like a cross between an extended Toyota Corolla and Camry and nothing in the look says luxury, to me. Oh well. There will still be some people who buy this simply cuz its a Lexus or has luxurious features. Whatevea, cuz I wont be one of those folks, lol!
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 agreee. Here in Miami the Acura dealer is at least 30-45 min. away, but I can go to the Honda dealer for service
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.
I just bought it 3 days ago...and am having a blast with it. Traded in my 2007 IS250, and while I do miss gears a little (the HS250 has one continuous gear), the ride is MUCH smoother and the hybrid packs plenty of punch. Averaging 32 mpg around town. The nav system is awesome, and the new Lexus Enform service is fantastic. Was in a part of town I was unfamiliar with today and needed to find a Starbucks. Pushed a button and she downloaded directions right to the nav. Total process took less than a minute.
Love being the first kid on the block with a new toy!!
ACTUALLY LEXUS CAME OUT WITH THIS GRILL ON THEIR CONCEPT CARS YEARS AGO CHECK AND SEE
THIS IS ACTUALLY A HYBRID CAR. ITS DEFENITELY NOT A ELECTRIC BECAUSE YOU DONT PLUG IT IN . IT GENERATES POWER DIFERENTLY LOOK IT UP
HERES A LINK
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090223205846AAYk8u4
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.
Lease the HS 10 days ago. Wife loves the car.Has 500 miles and the car is still on the first tank of gas. Might need to fill up soon. Car has all the toys that the ford fusion doen't have. Test dove both cars. Ford had a terrible lease program They wanted me to buy the car. HS has 4yr/ 50000 warranty. So for the life of lease not much out of pocket except scheduled maitance. Car has plenty of pickup in the eco mode . No need to use the power mode. My wife drives on the highway to work at 70 mph. Can't be happier
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 also coming up to the 1st month on the lease. Love the car. Had no problem with the bluetooth.I have a blackberry 9000 I'm on att. Maybe it's a Verizon or the phone.
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.
As someone with asthma, I prefer a leather interior since it reduces dust mites. Also, the use of a leather interior minimizes the use of plastics. I try to reduce synthetics use as much as possible since it takes hundreds of years for plastics to decompose. Moreover, plastics are destroying our oceans (i.e., the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre).
Is the ride smoother on the base model since it has higher aspect ratio tires than the premium model?
A question for owners of the hs250: is the ride smoother on the base model with the higher aspect ratio tires (55) compared with the premium model with the lower aspect ratio (45)?
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.
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