There are luxurious cars, and there are fuel-efficient cars. There are even some that offer moderate levels of both characteristics. But no vehicle has managed—or even attempted—to take luxury and fuel economy simultaneously to such high levels as has the 2010 Lexus HS250h, the industry’s first dedicated luxury hybrid. Think of it as the Prius of Lexuses or the Lexus of Priuses—your choice—and you won’t be far off.

If any company can pull it off, it’s Lexus. But by Lexus’s own admission, the HS250h is not one of the brand’s so-called no-compromises hybrids—such as the RX450h, the GS450h, and the LS600h—which supplement well-endowed engines with electric power for a driving experience that feels befitting of their luxurious trappings while still delivering better fuel economy and lower emissions. By inference, then, is Lexus suggesting that the HS250h is perhaps a “compromised” hybrid? After our first drive in one on the roads around Newport Beach, California, it became clearly evident that that’s what it is.

“Mooing” Motor and Un-Lexus-y Loudness
So what happens when Toyota takes the small-car chassis on which it also bases the Prius and adds hundreds of pounds’ worth of Euro-market Toyota Avensis–based sheetmetal and luxo gewgaws? Well, for one thing, it gets slower—which is why Lexus deemed the Prius’s 98-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder inadequate and replaced it with the Camry hybrid’s Atkinson-cycle, 2.4-liter unit with 147 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. The nickel-metal hydride battery pack and electric motor conspire with the engine for a system output of 187 hp (the 3050-pound Prius makes only 134 combined horsepower). Hustling the 3740-pound HS250h to 60 mph takes 8.4 seconds, which is 1.4 seconds faster than the last Prius we tested. The HS pays the piper in fuel economy, though, as its EPA city/highway ratings of 35/34 mpg doesn’t even come close to the Prius’s 51/48 figures.

In spite of the HS250h’s alleged acceleration advantage, the Prius and the HS250h feel virtually identical from behind the electrically assisted steering wheel (which, in the HS250h, unlike in the Prius, is thankfully not ovoid). Road feel is pretty much zero, even with the optional 18-inch wheels and 225/45- series tires. However, the steering response is direct and reasonably quick. At the same time, the interior sound quality isn’t exactly up to the traditional Lexus-isolationist level. We wish it were, for as much as we like to hear and feel what’s going on beneath us, what we hear and feel inside the HS250h are the droning “mooOOOOooo” of the engine-and-CVT combination during acceleration, along with a fair amount of tire noise and low-level reverberations from road impacts. We understand that less weight is important for any hybrid in the interest of fuel economy—and indeed for any vehicle—but even we would like a few more pounds of sound-deadening material in the HS250h so we don’t have to hear the powertrain’s pitiful drone. We suspect anyone who’s ever owned a whisper-quiet Lexus would agree.

Think you can creep around in EV mode to shut things up? Technically, you can for up to two or three miles, so long as the battery remains above a 50-percent state of charge. This requires the tenderest of right feet (which we admit we don’t have) and only works when not accelerating at speeds higher than 20 mph. Otherwise, the engine fires up.

The HS250h subscribes to the latest craze in hybrids in offering selectable “eco” and “power” settings in addition to a normal mode. Eco mode accelerates battery recharging and retards throttle response to maximize efficiency; power mode does the opposite. Putzing around Newport Beach in the HS250h, we noticed a canyon of difference between the two modes and a commensurate difference between the resulting fuel economy, as well. Employing our best hypermiling techniques in eco mode for many miles, we eked the HS250 to over 42 mpg— although we assure you we made few friends among our fellow drivers along the way. In power mode, we enjoyed crisper acceleration, of course, but had a hard time getting mileage anywhere above the high 20s.

A Little More Luxury, a Little Less Practicality
Okay, so dynamically, the HS250h leaves a lot to be desired. But what about luxury? The good news is that the HS250h offers many more luxury fitments than we usually associate with hybrids. Problem is, so does the 2010 Prius. The list of features that come standard on the HS is long, but not much longer than that of a reasonably well-optioned Prius. And there are many options—such as the odd-but-effective “lane keep assist” feature, adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation, and swiveling headlamps—that can also be added to the Prius. Exclusive to the HS250h, however, are such options as Lexus’s nifty “remote touch” controller, a wide-view front monitor, a head-up display, and a Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system. The HS250h debuts Lexus’s new OnStar-like Enform system, which makes real live people available to beam directions to your navigation system, displays sports and stock information, and allows owners to input up to 100 destinations into the car from their computer rather than from the driver’s seat.

What you won’t find are the roof-mounted solar panels that are available on the lower-priced Prius. There are other compromises, too. The base textured leather upholstery feels more like leatherette and makes the upgraded semi-aniline leather a worthwhile upgrade. Color combos are slick, especially the high-contrast cream leather with black carpeting, but there remains a certain sense of thin-skinned cheapness to the materials that reveal the car’s light-weight-over-substance priority set. And with the batteries located between the rear seatback and trunk, the cargo area is surprisingly small and lacks the accessibility of the Prius’s hatchback. (To be fair, the HS has the largest access slot of any Lexus sedan.)

We’d Rather Have a Prius (There, We Said It)
Lexus claims that a not-insignificant 60 percent of entry-luxury customers would consider a hybrid if it were available. If that is the truth, this car should sell reasonably well. Still, it’s hard to say that the HS250h does the hybrid thing—i.e., get great mileage and make splashy green statements—as well as the Prius. Nor does the HS250h do the luxury thing as well as other Lexuses. It is less practical than the Prius while returning exactly as much driving satisfaction—which is to say very little—all without the green halo effect that has made the Prius the favorite of the environmentally inclined. Indeed, if the HS250h isn’t going to drive any better than the Prius, we’d rather have the mileage—and the lower monthly payment—of a Prius instead.

So, the HS250h is a “compromises hybrid” that strikes a compromise between good mileage and a fair amount of high-brow comfort features. We can think of other vehicles—the Mercedes-Benz E-class diesel or even a loaded Ford Fusion hybrid—that strike that balance just as well, and drive better in the process.

Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $33,000

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, 147 hp, 138 lb-ft; AC permanent-magnet electric-motor assist, 141 hp, 199 lb-ft; combined power rating, 187 hp

TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 106.3 in Length: 184.8 in Width: 70.3 in Height: 59.3 in Curb weight: 3740 lb

TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 8.4 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 16.5 sec @ 87 mph
                          

                                                                                    

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2010 Lexus RX 350

2010 Lexus RX 350 Review
For the Lexus RX, 2010 brings a moderately updated drivetrain. The RX 350 sports a 3.5-liter V-6 with 275 horsepower (up a slight 5 hp from before), teamed to a six-speed automatic transmission and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, the latter of which has an adaptive torque split for rapidly changing driving conditions. (Theres a hybrid edition covered separately as the 2010 Lexus RX 450h.) The new transmission, with its extra forward gear, also has a sport-shift mode. And with help from the new eco driving light and a careful right foot, the 2010 RX 350 can be coaxed to 18/24 mpg fuel economy. The bigger surprise is the increased powertrain noise found in the latest edition, a little unexpected in a vehicle thats taken great pride in its isolation from the road.

Options and Features
Standard equipment includes a CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone climate control and ten-way power front seats. The most controversial feature in the new 2010 Lexus RX is likely to be the available "Remote Touch" controller, which Lexus compares openly to the iDrive system from BMW and Audi's MMI. The controller is shaped more ergonomically than those click-wheel setups, and Lexus says it feels natural like a computer mouse. It can be used to control the navigation systemwhich is mounted farther away on the dash than in prior versions for better visibility. A head-up display is also available to cut down driving distraction even more. In TheCarConnection.coms experience, its far more usable and intuitive than the click-wheel iDrive clones, but its still a computer interface that can distract drivers, and can take weeks to learn to use. The RXs rear suspension is new as well, and it leads to the biggest improvement in the package: about five percent more cargo room behind the second-row seats. The area is more usefully shaped, too, and the two rows of seats continue to offer ample leg, head, and shoulder room for four adults (a third can squeeze into the middle of the second row for short trips). It helps that the RX has grown an inch or so in most directions, but the difference is only immediately obvious to your luggage.

Summary
Other options on the 2010 Lexus RX 350 will include leather seating, a side-view monitor, USB connectivity for MP3 players, a Mark Levinson sound system, a hard-drive navigation system, XMNavTraffic, a rear-seat entertainment system, ventilated front seats, remote start, and a sport-minded suspension. Perhaps the most sought-after feature in the Lexus RX is the Lexus ownership experience; its more costly than some five-seat crossovers and not the most distinct, but Lexus has long dominated customer-satisfaction and service rankings. What you give up in driving flair, you win back in ease of ownership.
 

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