mikemareen

I really don't see how the HS benefits anyone....it averages 35mpg, but what's the big deal when you have cars of the same size getting 29 to 30 mpg just on standard gasoline engine?

a comparable nissan altima or sonata go for around 20k, heck even a camry can be had for 20k....so for about 20K more you get the HS that gets about 7 more mpg. So you'd need to drive the HS about 13 years just to break even on gas vs driving a altima, camry, sonata.

what is the point ? the hs just doesn't fool anyone. It's a compact car with all kinds of gadgets squeezed into it.

Canesguy

You forgot to mention its blend of a fine degree of luxury and great gas mileage Vs. the strict econobox or strict luxury car. These are things that DO appeal to some, admittedly not all of us.

Magellan55

IMO, it sort of depends whether you do mostly city or highway driving. I think the HS is hard to beat as an upscale gas-sipping city car. What other luxury car gets even 25 mpg in the city? It's also a plus if you like techno-gadgetry, as the HS can be loaded down with stuff not available on other hybrids or even some luxury cars. Or if you just like the Lexus ownership experience.

But if you spend most of your time on highways, and prefer nice driving dynamics over gadgets and Starbucks, a diesel BMW / Audi / Merc / VW will likely be a better choice. The A3 TDI, for example, has similar interior dimensions to the HS, gets 41 mpg and just won green car of the year. Even some gas versions come close to the HS in highway mpg, though needing premium.

I guess the market will decide if there's a point to the HS or not - so far, my Lexus dealer is having trouble moving them, but the Audi dealer is selling out of A3's before they hit his lot. Maybe the HS sells better in big cities; traffic isn't much of a problem where I live.

Canesguy

I agree mostly with what you say, but, except for similar mpg, the A3 is not truly comparable in that it is a wagon, not as "soft" and luxurious as the HS, and is a diesel.

mikemareen

supposedly they are selling well in the so cal west LA more affluent areas.

however, the 34 local and 35 highway is kinda mis-leading. this should average 34.5 on my mpg guage...however it never hits 34 and always at 30. this is absolutely misleading.

Argelius

A few more observations (again -- I love the car while pointing out its flaws. Wish Lexus would put me on some sort of customer feedback board).

There's a lot of hard plastic in the cabin. While it's nicely textured and doesn't necessarily look cheap, it doesn't feel very Lexus-like (even if it is made of decomposing plant materials). I've noticed this particularly on the lower door panels. The hard nature of the plastic makes it get scuffed and dirty really easy (especially noticeable because it's black).

I'm getting better at navigating around the iPod interface, so some of my initial criticism of has been muted (but just a bit -- the graphics are still so blocky and uninspired...)

Magellan55

Agree on the plastic - I wonder how many hybrid buyers really care about such things? I'd much rather have softer materials, especially on the seat backs, but yeah the doors do scuff easily too. IMO, the interior materials of the IS250 would have been fine - seems like "green overkill" to me.

Richw

It sounds like we both got similar HS Premiums on almost the same day (I took mine home 4/14/10). I really like your analysis and agree with almost everything you said.

As far as overall impressions, I just love the HS. Coming from driving Toyotas almost my whole life, most recently trading in a 2005 Prius for the Lexus, I'm still getting used to how great the car feels - the ride, quietness, amenities, and most important, the technology are just outstanding. As I said in another post, people who compare this car to a Prius cannot have driven either car. There is just no comparison.

You are killing me with the positive comments on the ML sound system. My only serious regret on the purchase is not going with the sound upgrade. The stock system is muddy, no sound stage, no punch to the bass, poor separation. I could go on and on. Much to my surprise, the Prius JBL system was far superior! I bought the car from existing inventory from a local dealer and figured the stock Lexus system would suffice. Big mistake if you're into audio.

I also agree about the nav and Ipod systems, though they are a step up from what I had, so I really haven't felt disappointed.

To me, 2 of the best features are the adaptive cruise and lane keep assist. I do some highway driving for work, and these make driving so much less stressful. Far from feeling like you don't need to pay attention, when the car takes action, you notice immediately and are more likely to notice things you need to.

On the LED lights, I notice difference at night (I drove the regular lights at night on a test drive. They definitely cast a brighter, longer, and seemingly wider light. I'm glad I went with them.

Again - great review (of course great minds think alike).

I posted separately for suggestions on the sound system. Anyone reading this thread have any thoughts?

Thanks,
Rich

Argelius

Welcome to the HS family, Rich. Glad you are enjoying your car. I continue to be very pleased with mine. I'm really blown away by the mileage I'm getting since I was fully expecting to get less than the EPA. I just finished my second tank and got 37.3 mpg (mixed city and highway). While I'm definitely working toward maximizing my mileage, I'm not doing anything insane like going 40 mph on the freeway and p*ssing off all the other drivers.

Sorry to hear about your audio complaints. For me, it's actually good to hear since that was the one thing that made me wait 5 months for the special order (I knew I'd kick myself later) and probably pay a premium (above and beyond the cost of the ML). It remains baffling to me why Lexus chose to advertise the ML system as an option, but them make it essentially unavailable to the US.

Richw

Hi Argelius,
Thanks - it feels great to be in the HS family!

I'm getting similar mileage results - 37-38 without doing anything fancy, other than keeping it in Eco mode when I'm driving locally.

I agree about the availability of the ML system. There were 0 available and I was just not wanting to wait the 3-4 months for a special order.

I will probably look into a good after market audio install. With $1500 as the number I would have had to cough up, I'm pretty sure I can find something that will get me what I'm looking for.

KGenaidy

Argelius,

Glad to hear the mpg's are meeting your expectations! It will only improve as the HS breaks in.

Bet you're glad you waited for the ML system.