Congrats 1Sick! that's a really neat story and good choice on the color too! I guess you have pretty much all the lexus hybrid except the LS600 in your family now. good work!

 

Well the car hasn't been driven much and seems to be getting 32 MPG. Its new and short trips are not great for hybrids so its understandable. I drove it recently so here is an update.

I have yet to drive the "sport" HS but I now can compare the model with the 17" wheels vs the 18" wheels that we have. I MUCH prefer the ride on the 17" wheels and to me the handling isn't much different. Sadly b/c of styling the 18" wheels really tidy up the looks compared to the 17s.

Again, the HS drives more "Euro" than a ES and its not bad, pretty predictable. Not really fun or sporty but its not sleeptastic. Steering is great, brakes are great for a hybrid. The view out the car is great.

With the 18s, you obviously feel the road more and I think this is somewhat at odds with the HS here. You sit higher up like a SUV inside but the ride is rougher. Its not harsh mind you but I prefer the quiet and cushiness of the 17s with this car and it fits its personality more. Lexus also seems to go either LOW profile or FAT tire. They don't seem to blend the two and offer a 50 series tire on most models.

Getting to the tech, I love the front view cam. What a treat to have, when u slow down it turns on automatically on the NAV screen and it really helps at bad intersections or when there is a car or bush etc in the way. Its also very helpful when an idiot stops their car way over the line in the left lane and you want to turn right but can't see. The camera really does help.

Lane Assist on the other hand is something I could live without. I reported on the Infiniti M56S I drove how stupid it was and how it beeped constantly and was just annoying. On the HS it doesn't beep as much but when it does, it is annoying. I want to tell the car "hey I'm not drunk, I saw the line" but it beeps anyway. Then it shows the lines on the HUD screen and on the dash. Needless to say they told me they leave it off most of the time so it seems to be a waste of money.

I tried to "pre-collide" with something while looking away (its like attempting a no look crash/pass in a car) but I couldn't get it to work.

Remote touch is genius. Period. So easy to use.

I also tire of most Lexus seats feeling similar. Hey Lexus what about some seat extenders?

Overall SHE loves it and that is what matters.

 

nice update.

 

Excellent story/review covering a lot of practical aspects of the HS. Congrats on excellent choice.

And please no more attempts at "pre-colliding", lol.

 

Thanks for the update! The problem with the HS for me is the mileage. My Camry will average 29-32 mpg driving conservatively. I just cant justify spending that much more money for just fancy technology.

 

I knew I had to get the luxury package on the Rx to get the seat extenders on my car. Its not that big of a difference but it helps with my long legs.

 

Good update 1SICK! I especially like your thoughts on the front cam

 

Nice write up & update buddy! I had one as a loaner with the tech pack etc and really enjoyed car, I was surprised how much I liked it.

 

That's not bad overall mileage at all, as I see it, for a hybrid of this type. You're not driving an Insight or new 3Gen Prius here....the HS, compared to them, has far more substantial sheet metal, equipment, and interior-trim quality, all of which add some mileage-robbing weight.


Totally agree with you on wheel-size. That's one of the reasons (among several) why I think the 19s and 20s on the Venza are pure overkill.

Not sure of what you mean "for a hybrid" . Brakes, on hybrids, in general, tend to be pretty good, because, when you lift your foot off the gas and hit the brake pedal, the triple-combination of gas-engine-compression, electric-motor-drag, and regenerative-braking all help slow the car and avoid wear and tear on the brake parts.


Interesting that you mentioned the Infiniti M56. It was Infiniti, several years ago, that actually invented the lane-departure beeper/camera system, unlike Mercedes or Volvo, the companies that usually come up with new safety-devices like that. I agree with you that it can be annoying. After a couple of minutes of that annoying beeping, I usually just turn it off on Infiniti vehicles I've reviewed.

Short front-seat cushions are typical of many Toyota-designed vehicles. Consumer Reports has also mentioned this on occasion.

Then don't let her see the CT, with its more versatile hatch-rear end for shopping, packages, etc.....She my want to trade it in.

 

Wanted to update since we hook up with my folks often on weekends to hang out and we usually drive the HS.

I noticed the light colored seats have the denim wearing on it already in the drivers seat. Scotchguard I guess? Otherwise the car has no problems to report mechanically. She loves her HS and "gasp" people seem to like it but I can't tell looking at sales She stated the other day some people in a new ES started to talk to her at a light to ask how she liked it and the wife in the car was real interested in it. Surely its LFA in traffic

Driving the car pretty tamely I really prefer the base 17" wheels to the 18" wheels in regards to the ride. Shame it looks better with the 18"s. I just don't think 45 series tires are needed here and we will likely try a 50 series when they need replacing. The ride isn't bad but for a car that isn't really hustled it just feels at odds to feel this much road. I also think the shocks are too sensitive. My GSh rides much better to me (and it should I guess).

We ride with 4 people and space is fine, roomier than the IS in the back not as spacious as the ES. A good fit between the two. I really like the airy windows, you get a good feel for whats around you compared to a lot of cars today with slits for windows.

The trunk is a good size at 12.1 cubes, not huge but better than my GS. We have no issues shopping and have never needed to put anything inside the car.

I don't think I really reported on the dynamic radar cruise before and I have to say I love it. A few years ago DaveGS4 showed me how it worked in his LS 430 but I guess from the passenger seat I didn't get a true feel for it.

With the HS you set the cruise with the familiar cruise stalk and on the steering wheel there is a button for the radar cruise. When you press it "radar Cruise" pops in the screen inside the battery level usage meter. You have 3 different lengths to set it in regards to how closely you want to follow the car before you. 3 bars show and you pick the bar, 3 bars is furthermost and 1 bar is closest. You also see your speed on the display that you set the cruise in. What a great feature for cruising on the highway! It takes awhile for your brain to trust the car but if a car breaks the set radar barrier, the car will slow itself down! You can see the speedometer slowing up and the car slow down. Depending on how close the car is is how the HS will slow down, in other words it can be slightly abrupt if a car cuts close and pretty seamless if the car in front merely slows down.

Lane assist is still odd to me. Didn't like it in the M56 and don't like it here. They keep it off most times except at night, where it seems to help if one is sleepy. I find it beeps when it wants when you get off exit ramps and sometimes it doesn't beep when you cross the center lane. I can do without this.

I have to say I really like the tech and I hope all Lexus models get these features. The HUD is great also, shows when you change volume, it displays direction changes when you have a set destination in the NAV and of course speed.

MPG is between 32-36 MPG average with 4 people, not just highway so that is impressive. The car feels like a nomal car in power mode. In ECO mode it lacks spark. EV mode is nice for driving in parking lots and neighborhoods.

There is a niche for this car but its not for me and unless you are a techie (the tech in this car is not available in most cars this price range) the styling is hard to overcome. I was thinking "maybe a black/black DD in the future?" but I prefer the CT to me even if its slower.

 

Glad she likes it! The real question is what's next for Mike.

 

So glad she is enjoying the ride 1SICK!! And I agree 32-36 with 4 people is very good mileage. Keep the updates coming.

As for the tires I up sized my tires from 45 series to 50 series at 22K when my OEM set needed replacing. Very happy with the change. When she gets closer let me know if you'd like to discuss.

 

as to the MPG, what does the other car do over the same route? thats my question.

people dont realize that end numbers dont matter much, but difference between regular cars and hybrids in same conditions, does.

I have small city car and it gets 26 MPG over the month of city driving... Slightly larger than Yaris with 88hp engine.

At first glance, if I told you Prius got 40 MPG you would say it is hybrid, it needs to get 100... but in reality, 50% better consumption than car that is a lot smaller and lighter is quite darn good :-)

 

Sounds pretty good, thanks for the update