EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

I took my car in for some service and they gave me an almost brand new HS250 as a loaner....it has the 17 inch wheels, navigation, Satellite radio, no ML. I had seen a few before but never paid too much attention. I am a Lexus fan but this car just does not do anything for me. Looking at this thing, all I see is a Corolla...yeah yeah, it is not a corolla but damn it, it looks like one. Interior is nice, nice leather, the interior layout is way better than a prius. The joystick is nice. The driving experience is just flat out bad. First you start it up, throw it in reverse and the gas motor kicks in at some point. When you hit the gas, from a standstill, you get a slight vibration in the gas pedal and the thing just barely seems to move. Handling is what you would expect from a sedan like this and braking seems fine. The pluses are that it is roomy inside and gets 35 mpg (that is what the almost empty tank avg was). It has a pretty nice interior but overall, the exterior styling just kills it for this car IMO.

Bambigular

I also had a HS loaner car and it was a P.O.S. Its a fixed up Corolla. I can't believe Lexus makes such a crappy vehicle.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

I'd like to test drive one.. great family car..

Magellan55

I guess it's subjective - the HS isn't a sports sedan, so if you expect it to drive like one, you would be disappointed. It also shares nothing with the Corolla, other than maybe some family resemblance (but then all Lexus/Toyotas do to me). Considering what's involved in a hybrid drive system, IMO Lexus has done a great job making all the transitions pretty seamless. After a few days, they really aren't even noticeable unless you're looking for it.

I think the HS is having an identity crisis - not even Lexus seems to know who the target market is. Luxury Prius / Camry Hybrid? Trying to strike a balance between family sedan / gas sipper / luxury car / sporty handling (with the 18" wheels)?

I've had mine 2 weeks now, and overall I'm not excited about it, but it's really not a bad car at all once you get over the hybrid-isms. I find I can drive it normally, darting around rush hour traffic, and 80 mph on the highway, and still knock down 36 mpg. No problem passing / merging / etc. Not much different overall than my Saab 95, VW Passat, etc., other than lack of a manual tranny.

I guess to sum it up, if you're looking for a fun sport sedan ala BMW, look elsewhere. If you're looking for an upscale alternative to a 4 cyl Accord / Camry / Altima / Focus / Prius, take a look.

JKN2000

I too just picked up this morning the HS250 as my loaner car, as my LS was getting some stuff done to it. Interior wise, really nice. nicer than a Prius. But again, like noted above, it doesn't inspire you when you drive. Its definitely just a car for folks that want some luxury and huge gas efficiency. I do miss my roomy LS, but then again, I realize its just temporary until I come get the car back.

pagemaster

The problem with the HS is the price. It should compete with pricing close the Camry. The Avalon and ES co-exist at the exact same price point, the HS and Camry is where people will cross shop

Magellan55

I'm wondering if handing out HS's as loaner cars is backfiring for Lexus. I'm sure they are doing it to give it some exposure, but I'll bet other owners of non-hybrids will likely have the same reaction - "POS". I think the HS only works for people who want a hybrid, and are willing to be open minded about the different driving characteristics. But in a loaner, you just want something to get you to work with minimum fuss.

I had a neighbor say she rented a Prius on a trip last week, and also called it a POS. My guess is it was more the hybrid experience than the build quality. She's never complained about other rental cars.

YotaCarFan

I had an HS as a loaner and had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, the high-tech goodies, modern interior layout, joystick shifter, HUD, front & rear camera, and joystick GPS are very appealing. Engine performance seemed fine to me; the car was fairly peppy in "normal" or "power" mode. On the other hand, I see obvious evidence of cost cutting, which should *not* be the case in a Lexus, let alone one that costs $50K when fully loaded, before taxes. (That's not a misprint. Take the premium model, add GPS, ML audio, Tech package, LED headlights, parking sonar, etc., and you're over $49K. That is 10% over a fully loaded ES350.) For that price, they need to fix the following:

* Not enough wood; should either put in a wood/leather wheel or more wood on dash
* Unacceptable excessive use of hard plastic on interior door panels
* No driver seat cushion extender
* Sun visors don't extend; instead have incredibly chintzy slide-out panels that
cause the visor to hang down sloppily at an angle when flipped to side window
position b/c they must clear the grab handles
* Cheap grab handles - they don't retract. Plus, cheap coat hooks in rear that appear
clipped onto grab handles
* No in-door courtesy puddle lamps on rear doors
* No smart-key entry for rear doors (just like the Camry)
* No light inside the center console box (incredible - even Kia gives you this!)
* Cheapo looking cup holder adjuster
* ML audio has to be special ordered (likely so they can advertise a low max cost of car)
* High profile tires make for too much road noise and vibration
* Hardly any interior storage; in-door pockets too small; typical Lexus/Toyota too-shallow
sunglasses holder unusable for anything
* Premium leather feels stiffer than standard leather in my ES350
* Uncomfortable driver seat - hard bump in lower lumbar spine region
* No rear reading lights
* If they really wanted to make this a practical family car, they'd either include
fold-down rear seats with a decent pass through or make a hatchback version

As far as exterior styling goes: I'm not crazy about it. From the rear, the car looks to skinny and tall. The front grille appears low budget - all car grilles are plastic, but this doesn't even pretend to masquerade as chrome. Nonetheless, if the interior was superbly done, I could overlook the external styling issues.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

My only complaint is the "hybridism" as above state. When the gas engine kicks on once the car cannot run on the battery alone. The transition is rough, shuddering. Very un-Lexus like. I feel the one in the RX450h is better.

varcity64

iTrader: (2)

i got the HS as a loaner on thursday and will have it until monday, so i have this car for quite some time. someone asked me if i would trade my 07GS350 for the HS, straight up, and without hesitation, i said no. while it is cool driving a hybrid, its definitely not for me. i miss the roominess and power of my GS.

YotaCarFan

Lexus really needs to make a Hybrid ES350. While cool, the HS250h just doesn't have enough room - small trunk, skinny center console box, not much room for child seat in back, etc. An ES350 with the interior (but not exterior) styling of the H250h would be really cool!

wdlugitch

I would be interested in knowing why they make the LS and GS in hybrids but not the ES. They make a Camry in a hybrid, which is what the ES is based on, but not an ES. Lexus...are you listening???

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

Hey fellas...I do have a couple more comments....I found the seat to be way more comfortable than the one in the GS. The joystick interface and where all the controls are was very well thought out. Very good mpg. I share the sentiment that the es hybrid would be a better car.

I8ABMR

It just doesnt look like a Lexus. I am curious to see what its like first hand when I get one as a loaner. Last time I almost got one but ended up in an RX350. I have to say the RX is an awesome vehicle.

Canesguy

Go back to your ES, GS, SC, and LS threads and talk there instead of coming over to our house (HS) and insulting our cars. We know that hybrids are quirky and not sexy but it's like going over to a neighbor's house and telling them their daughter is ugly. It is also exhibiting troll-like behavior and not appreciated.