Eh... I can kinda see a reason for the hs 250h assuming its mileage isn't too much worse than the Prius. Say it's maybe 10% worse, and you get a much nicer, more comfortable, and more featureful interior, plus Lexus dealer service. It's just a premo Prius, really, even if it's not from a mechanical standpoint... from a marketing stand point it will be unless the mileage is quite a bit worse on the hs.

 

It's interesting that you guys are saying the Prius is uncomfortably loud inside, especially for long periods of time and at higher speeds.

Edmunds has listed the following noise levels for the 2008 Prius:
Db @ Idle: 47.2 (engine on); 40.7 (engine off)
Db @ Full Throttle: 70.6
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 67.7

And for the 2008 Camry Hybrid:
Db @ Idle: 46.8 (engine on); 42.4 (engine off)
Db @ Full Throttle: 73.1
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 66.7

Overall they look pretty comparable. The Camry is a bit quieter but not significantly so.

I did have an email exchange with Dan Edmunds regarding their noise ratings, though, and he did mention to me that certain frequencies and types of noise stand out more and become irritating much more quickly, but they don't stand out in a way that would affect the decibel meter's readout. He also said they're working on a new test chamber and 'home track' that will make their readings from one test to another much more consistent and less dependent on wind speed, temperature, track surface, etc.

 

Then what justifies the existence of an RX400h? It's just a Toyota Highlander Hybrid with some more features for a ton more money, right? But I see them everywhere.

I see the HS250 the same--some people want a hybrid, but not for $50,000, and just aren't going to (1) buy a Toyota (2) buy a Prius, or (3) buy a funky looking hatchback (no matter how practical it is).

Frankly, I'm shocked that there is not an ES hybrid.

 

good post...

The Prius is kind of funny -- people seem to either love it or hate it...
"its so loud at cruise, its so ugly, its too girly, etc "

one thing it definitely is -- innovative -- I wonder how things would be different if the Prius didn't exist.
I'm glad it does!

 

I agree 100%. Te prius just ha s a more unique shape to it. The camry will fit in in traffic a little better, but who cares. I would probably go for the prius.

I have a buddy who ha s a 911 turbo. He bought a prius 2 months later because he was putting to many miles on the Porsche. Now all he does is talk about the damn prius all of the time. It must be a great car

 

I am more shocked that they decided to come out with a FWD, 4cyl version of the Toyota Avensis when they could have mated a dumbed-down version of the GS450h's hybrid system to the 2.5L V6 in the IS. It would have been better looking, higher tech (HS hybrid system is lifted directly from the Camry hybrid), and probably cheaper to produce.

Instead we have the HS 250h which looks like the bastard child of a Corolla and Civic, with a Camry motor. I still can't believe it wears the Lexus badge

 

I agree completely with MPLexus301.

The thing I can't stand on the Prius is the vibrations when the engine cuts in and out. Very annoying to me. Now I don't know if the Camry Hybrid is any better, but I would expect the 2010 Prius to have addressed that issue. The Ford Fusion Hybrid supposedly has successfully dealt with that.

If I were picking between the '09 Prius vs Camry Hybrid, I would pick the Camry. But between the '10 Prius and Camry, I'd pick the Prius. Looking beyond the Toyota's I would rather have the Ford Fusion Hybrid.

 

The IS is already way to small to use as a sedan. By the time they added the batteries, it would have been a 2 seater with not trunk and still have hade mileage in the mid 30 mpg range which is not good enough for such a small car.
Steve

 

Because they wanted a dedicated hybrid. Unfortunately, the dated 2.4L is not ideal for that.

Rumors were going around that an IS hybrid would be coupled to a 2.0L 4 cylinder. Personally, I think the 2.5L V6 would be a fine engine to mate to a hybrid powertrain in say a Sienna hybrid, or Highlander, Avalon, ES, etc. However, its not a tranversely mounted engine.