With 34.5 inches of legroom, the back seat of the HS 250h can feel a little cramped, but it still feels like a Lexus through and through. (Lexus)
If ever someone could provide an education on hybrids, it's Toyota Motor Co.
After all, the Japanese carmaker has taken everyone to school on developing, building and marketing gas-electric vehicles.
Now, Toyota has added a hybrid-only model to its top selling luxury brand, Lexus.
The HS 250h may not take the environmental world by storm -- intensified by global warming no doubt -- but it will provide you with an extremely quiet and comfortable ride. And there's enough luxury to satiate the most discerning clientele.
Please note, and Lexus tried to make this very clear: The HS 250h is not a Prius in Lexus sheet metal.
Perhaps the carmaker is a victim of its own success with the Prius, which has become a pronoun for hybrid in the American lexicon -- though it's tough to feel bad for the automaker.
The HS 250h certainly doesn't look like a Prius. The low-slung body resembles a typical sedan more than a four-door hatchback. The front does not include a traditional grille, in order to provide better aerodynamics. Instead, it uses air intakes below the grille to cool the engine.
Really, the HS 250h looks normal, which may take away some of the environmental street cred many hybrid owners crave. Lexus does hint at the car's hybrid capabilities with the blue trim around the LED tail lamps and the less subtle "hybrid" badging.
In fairness to Lexus, this vehicle shares very little with the iconic Prius other than being a hybrid. One example: The Prius uses a 1.8-liter gas engine while the HS 250h is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and produces a combined 57 more horses than the Prius. That means the HS 250h has a little more get up and go. It feels like a lot more when you start driving.
The beauty of gas-electric hybrids is the instantaneous torque the electric motor provides during acceleration. It will jolt you slightly if you press the accelerator down too quickly as the high-pitched whirl of the electric motor sends the car lurching forward.
Quiet, but responsive, ride
The silent drive of the HS 250h and other hybrids has created a stir around the world. The Japanese government has formed a commission to study whether hybrids and pure electric cars should come with a little speaker under the hood to make a sound when traveling at slow speeds.
Apparently, hybrids have been sneaking up on people and running them over. A similar lobby has been formed in the U.S. to protect street crossers as well. No one seems to want to say that drivers should take a little responsibility and look where they're driving.
While quiet, the HS 250h powertrain, which includes an electric motor and gasoline engine, is responsive to the driver and seems to sacrifice a few miles per gallon for performance sake. It's a good trade-off.
By the numbers, the HS 250h delivers:
The mileage numbers don't reach legendary levels but they are excellent. And the technology Lexus incorporates to achieve these numbers is even more impressive. Everything, from the electric oil pump to reduce parasitic engine losses to the exhaust heat recovery system that makes the engine more efficient in cold weather, plays a role.
Some of the enhancements Lexus touts, such as the electronic continuously variable transmission, still feel a little unnatural. The system works well but eliminates traditional shift points. And in the future, I'm going to miss that awesome sound and slight gear-shifting jerk of a car hauling down the road.
Now here's one thing I dislike: The shift-by-wire system allows the HS 250h to shed pounds in heavy cables, but the dainty shifter on the dash feels like more like a joy stick than a shifter. The 2010 Prius eliminated the silly dash-mounted shift-stick thingy, but now Lexus has it. A push-button transmission on the dash would have been more interesting and a traditional shifter would have been even better. It feels like you're selecting a gear for a toy.
Big on luxury, not space
The rest of the interior of the HS 250h focuses on luxury instead of space. While the front row is spacious -- providing more than 42 inches of leg room, the second row -- with 34.5 inches of leg room -- is a tight fit for three adults.
Wrapped in leather, the interior feels like Lexus through and through. The 10-speaker stereo system is low on power (137 watts) but generous on sound.
The navigation screen serves as the digital centerpiece for the living space in this Lexus, floating out toward the driver and passenger. The system includes the remote-touch interface that allows the driver to navigate through the screen with a mouse-like controller. It was first featured on the Lexus RX 350 and 400h. It may take a few minutes to adjust to using it -- you'll want to push down on the controller to create a "click" but you'll quickly learn to use the buttons mounted on the side of the controller.
Moreover, the HS 250h provides all the creature comforts a luxury customer expects.
There are also some unexpected surprises, such as the Lane Keep Assist that uses the car's radar system to ensure the car stays within the lines of the road. (This is part of the car's radar-controlled cruise control that adjusts the car's speed to the traffic in front of it.) There is also an optional heads-up display that lets the driver keep eyes on the road instead of looking down at the controls.
High-tech features, which typically make their way into a carmaker's luxury brand first, provide a glimpse of what larger-volume nameplates could carry in the coming years. If that's the case with the HS 250h, future Lexus and Toyota drivers should expect vehicles that are easier to operate, more fun to drive and come with super-quiet rides.
Additionally, the HS 250h comes with 10 airbags and a host of safety features, such as the Safety Connect subscription. This provides a 24/7 response center in case of an emergency, similar to General Motors Co.'s OnStar program.
But a hybrid remains a vehicle choice for people who want more than high gas mileage. A hybrid makes a statement, a statement many owners want to humbly tell as many strangers as they meet. (I've never been to a party where someone has told me he drives a V-6, but plenty of people have talked about their hybrid as if it were a family pet.)
No, this sedan is no Prius.
And making the HS 250h look so normal is not going to help this Lexus stand out, and that may be it biggest attraction for some and detriment for others.
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Report Card
Overall: HHH 1/2
Exterior: Good. Sleek sedan with low-slung body, clean lines and sculpted look. Very quiet and smooth ride.
Interior: Excellent. Lots of luxury features and well-crafted throughout.
Performance: Good. Nice acceleration and well-mannered on the road.
Safety: Excellent. Standard 10 airbags, electronic stability control and loads of other features.
Pros: Luxurious and quiet ride.
Cons: Lacks the iconic profile of the Prius, so people will not know you're driving a hybrid.
Grading scale
HHHH Excellent HHH Good HH Fair H Poor
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