Lexus' Best Compromise Yet

Ever since the Prius unexpectedly became the Xerox of hybrids and a greenie icon, Toyota has been trying to figure out how to apply the technology to its other models. Its results have been decidedly mixed, nowhere more so than with its luxury lineup. But with the 2013 Lexus GS 450h, Toyota thinks it has finally figured out what a hybrid luxury car should be.

From a sales perspective, the first-generation GS 450h was a disappointment. While we liked it quite a bit when we test-drove it a couple years ago, Lexus just hasn't been able to move the metal. Introduced to much fanfare in 2006 as a 2007 model, the GS was Lexus' second hybrid and the first rear-wheel-drive hybrid on the market. Lexus touted it as a performance sedan, even as Toyota was heavily marketing its hybrids as fuel sippers. Whether consumers were confused or not, they never took to the hybrid GS. Sales peaked at just below 1,800 in that first year and have gone down in each successive year. In 2010, Lexus sold barely 300 GS hybrids, roughly four percent of total GS sales, which were about 7,000.

The cognitive dissonance presented by Lexus hybrids has been an issue since the brand launched its first, the 2006 RX 400h SUV. Only marginally more powerful than the standard RX, its improvement in fuel economy was similarly slight at launch. The LS 600hL – the brand's halo car before the LFA sports car came along – is a six-figure, 20-mile-per-gallon hybrid marketed as having V12 performance with V8 fuel economy, the rough equivalent of ordering a Diet Coke with your Super Size Big Mac Extra Value Meal. The "Lexus Prius" HS 250h, with neither particularly good fuel economy (35 mpg combined) nor any sporting aspirations, has been a critical and sales disaster and is rumored to be on the chopping block. While Toyota's simple, "better mileage" definition of its hybrids is clear, Lexus has combined green machine and muscle car in varying doses, such that you never quite know what you'll be getting with a gas-electric Lexus.

While the new GS 450h continues to pay homage to two different masters, Lexus has, from the outset, done a better job at splitting the difference. With an entirely new V6 engine and revised hybrid system, the 2013 model has remarkably improved fuel economy, while sacrificing just a bit on the raw performance side. According to Lexus, the new model will be rated at 31 mpg combined (29/34 city/highway), an improvement of eight miles per gallon over the old 2011 model. Do the math and that's a 35-percent improvement, which seems like a pretty good tradeoff for less than half a second in 0-60 time. By Lexus' stopwatch, the 2013 GS 450h does 0-60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds, compared to 5.2 seconds for the old GS hybrid.

The 2011 GS was offered with three engine choices: A 303-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, a 342-hp 4.6-liter V8, and a hybrid V6 with a combined output of 340 hp. Lexus has simplified all that in the 2013 redesign and now your choices boil down to hybrid or not, with the V8 gone. According to Lexus, nobody bought the V8-powered GS 460 anyway, and by its estimation, the new hybrid will serve well as the top-of-the-line model. The new hybrid V6, while still displacing 3.5 liters, has been redesigned to run on the Atkinson cycle, hence the improved fuel economy. Total system output is 338 hp, compared to the non-hybrid's 306.

The hybrid battery pack still uses nickel-metal hydride batteries, but they have been repackaged to give the GS hybrid more trunk space (13.2 cubic feet, up from 10.6 on the old model). Toyota has also upgraded the hybrid controller (it's now similar to the one found on the LS 600hL) for improved cooling and thus, greater efficiency. Maximum voltage is limited to 500 in eco mode, while peaking as high as 650 volts in Sport mode. And yes, there is a Sport mode in the 2013 GS 450h, just as in the standard GS. In fact, there's even a Sport-Plus mode in the hybrid, which stiffens up the shocks, as well as offers the more aggressive throttle response and tighter steering feel of the regular Sport mode. Putting the drive selector into Sport also pulls a nifty trick on the hybrid's power gauge, which as you can see in our Short Cut video below, magically turns into a tachometer, not unlike it does in the CT 200h. The GS hybrid also has a button-activated EV mode, just like Toyota's other hybrids, and a button for traversing slush and snow.

Thankfully, we drove the car in Southern California along with the standard GS 350, so we didn't need to press the latter, opting to leave the drive selector alone and stay in the same normal mode used for EPA testing for the majority of our time behind the wheel. During our short afternoon, we saw 29 miles per gallon during a 100-mile drive that included some rigorous right-pedal application and manual shifting of the car with its steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The fuel economy was clearly the thing about the GS 450h that impressed us most, but the hybrid also benefits from all the styling, interior and chassis upgrades afforded the standard GS 350, as detailed in our First Drive. We're quite fond of the GS overall, and while we're not so sure we agree with Lexus' proclamation that the hybrid stands atop the model range – more like beside it – it is the only way to get the optional bamboo interior trim, which looks quite nice. And how else would you not-so-subtly let your passengers know that you care about the environment than to bedeck it with a sustainable plant?

Turning to matters of greater importance, our initial impression was that the GS 450h felt a lot heavier than the standard GS. Indeed, at 4,190 pounds there's nearly 400 more pounds of Lexus in the hybrid. When we did punch up the Sport-Plus mode to try and make the car feel smaller, it helped, but there was still no confusing the hybrid for the standard GS. Good thing most owners aren't going to have both cars parked side-by-side in their driveway.

But thanks to the almost-instant torque of the GS 450h's electric motors, the car can leap off the line with a good bit of aggression, though dead-stop acceleration in a hybrid is always going to feel different than it would in a V8. Smooth power delivery is the GS's forte, and the extra push of the electric motors at speed is blended with the torque of the engine as well as we've felt in a hybrid. The brakes, on the other hand, still feel like regenerative brakes. They bite like real brakes, but then the hybrid system's computer takes over the car's deceleration and your attempts at modulating them will go for naught. This is probably the biggest impediment towards making a hybrid sports sedan feel "right," and suffice it to say that Lexus has yet to find that magic.

But it has found the right trade-off between performance and fuel economy. While this "top-of-the-line" model isn't any faster than the GS 350, and given its weight penalty it's not the standard model's dynamic equal either, the GS 450h still seems more like what a hybrid Lexus should be. Lexus made a big deal at its introduction about the GS 350 being a "no compromises" sports sedan, but the irony here is that Toyota's engineers made a lot of good compromises to make the hybrid turn out this well.

Pricing of the GS 450h won't be announced until March 2012, ahead of an April release. Lexus is holding firm on the GS 350 at a base price of $46,900 (plus $875 handling), but there's no telling if it will do similarly with the hybrid. The outgoing GS 450h carried a hefty $12,050 price premium over the base GS, but did include a higher level of standard equipment. Lexus has some ambitious expectations for the hybrid GS, especially when you consider that it hasn't cracked four-digit sales since 2007. Lexus reps said they expect 10 percent of GS sales to be hybrids, which would put annual sales of the GS 450h at about 2,400. Yes, that's a projected 800 percent improvement.

But before we deride this as simply crazy talk, it's worth reflecting on the most recent hybrid to join the Lexus lineup, the 2011 CT 200h. The 42-mpg compact hatchback has far outpaced expectations, selling over 12,000 units through November. Its raison d'etre is to offer high mileage first, albeit wrapped in a sporty package. That the GS 450h is now following suit shows that perhaps Lexus has finally decided paying fealty to fuel economy makes as much sense for it as it does for Toyota.

But it has found the right trade-off between performance and fuel economy. While this "top-of-the-line" model isn't any faster than the GS 350, and given its weight penalty it's not the standard model's dynamic equal either, the GS 450h still seems more like what a hybrid Lexus should be. Lexus made a big deal at its introduction about the GS 350 being a "no compromises" sports sedan, but the irony here is that Toyota's engineers made a lot of good compromises to make the hybrid turn out this well.

Audio sources include satellite, aux-in, USB, Bluetooth and AM/FM. Standard is a Pioneer system, but optional is a Mark Levinson 17-speaker system. The guys over at Harman, Mark Levinson's overlord, were so confident in their system that they gave us a blind test where they compared the Lexus system and their own $70,000 hi-fi system. While we were pleasantly surprised by the sound quality during the demo, we aren't quite ready to say that the Lexus Levinson setup is indiscernible from their hi-fi system.

In the car, we found the premium sound system to recreate a wide range of frequencies and even difficult resonance tones. (Just listen to any Boards of Canada album and you'll hear what we mean.) One of the main reasons the sound is so good is because the GS is "Lexus quiet." The muted cabin sets up the listener with nothing but blissful sound no matter the genre.

Another source of audio is streaming Pandora. Using Enform with any Android or iOS smartphone, listeners can select and create stations right from Lexus' screen. Enform runs over a Bluetooth serial connection and doesn't require a physical connection like BMW connected or MyFord Touch. Apps are first downloaded on the phone, then played on the Enform system.

With the launch of the GS, Enform will gain two new apps to the suite: Facebook and Yelp. Now users can set their statuses and check into locations from their car. They can also find reviews on local businesses and even make reservations over the Open Table app. Having the entire app suite run wirelessly over Bluetooth is what we'd like to see more automakers include in their infotainment systems.

2013 Lexus GS has dramatic looks, fun gizmos

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Are you in the market for a new car? If you're looking for a sporty luxury sedan, there's no shortage of good choices.

One example is the new 2013 Lexus GS. It has dramatic looks and fun new gizmos, including apps that can be upgraded indefinitely.

The redesigned Lexus GS is the car that almost wasn't. For years, it lived in the shadows of not only its competitors in the market, but other Lexus models.

"The GS has struggled in the past," said Paul Williamson. "I think we've not quite delivered all of the package that customers in that segment wanted. So we've really made a huge effort with this new GS to really target the heart of the mid-luxury competitors."

When the decision was made to go ahead with a redesign, special attention was paid to styling. This includes a new grill that stands out and shows a new Lexus design theme.

The GS also moves forward under the hood, which means no more V-8. In a world increasingly looking toward more fuel efficiency, there are only six cylinders for the new sedan, although the 3.5-liter engine makes great sounds.

If you do want more power, you can opt for the V-6 hybrid model coming soon.

"There's no reason to build a V-8 when we've got a really effective hybrid power train giving us V-8-like performance, but fuel economy better than most of the six cylinders in this class," said Williamson.

Or there's the performance-themed F-Sport version with emphasis placed on cornering and braking. Inside, there's a new wide LCD display, allowing a full navigation screen and other information beside it like audio settings at the same time.

If you have the money to spend on a luxury sport sedan, there are so many choices in the segment from many different brands. So why would someone want to choose the Lexus, besides the fact that it's the newest?

For one thing, Lexus said it won't become dated from a technology standpoint, which is something that tends to bother luxury buyers

"We can't, we don't, update the car we drive nearly as often as we update the phone we carry in our pocket," said Williamson. "So we're offering a full suite of apps custom-designed for Lexus. These apps work on your smartphone, and the smartphone can make the car get smarter over time."

Technology, performance, and style are all traits that previous versions of the Lexus GS generally had, but they also had a certain degree of anonymity. This bold new version will try a little harder to stand out in a crowded and competitive field.

VS: BMW 535i

As we said, the 5-Series will win a straight-line race. Its turbocharged powerplant just delivers too much torque for the Lexus to really compete. In fact, shown a set of curves, the 5-Series might still win. The thing is, the GS is easier to drive quickly, and for that reason, it would probably be our choice.

The GS feels more stable, especially when being pushed hard. At times, the 5-Series felt unruly, liable to step out of line with less provocation than the Lexus. Part of the problem was the nature of power delivery from the turbocharged six-cylinder, as hitting the gas too early on corner exit could cause stability problems.

VS: Mercedes-Benz E350

With the 5-Series, A6, and GS all getting significant redesigns, the E350 is now the old car in the range, and it shows. The cabin in the Benz just can’t stand up to the new Lexus. The materials don’t feel that great, and the infotainment systems are feeling at least a generation behind everyone else.

We’ll need an extended test of the GS to get a firm verdict on its luxury credentials (especially the ride around town), but based on our time with it, it is going to outshine the older E-Class.