Sorry, meant to say GS / LS.

 

The LS 600hL served as the lineup's and the brand's flagship. Flagships may not sell well but they serve the purpose of representing the brand by showing off the brand's image and technology.



Agreed. I bought my ES 300h not because I wanted to save money. If I wanted to save money, I would have stayed with a Corolla. I bought it because I wanted a hybrid and wanted a larger car than the Corolla, yet had less emissions than a Camry.

I bought the Hybrid as an alternative drivetrain on the ES that offers me instantaneous torque, a smooth, quiet, refined engine and the fact that in heavy commuting traffic, I can sit with the engine off, while everyone else around me is wastefully idling.

Lexus hybrids are alternate drivetrains and lifestyle choices. Nobody buys a luxury hybrid (from Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Infiniti) to save money; they buy it for the image it projects.

 

It's a phenomenal car to drive don't get me wrong. My gripe is that Lexus seemingly forgot about it, and let the public forget about it. No significant improvements (other than 2013 refresh) over it's life.

 

personally i think the car was still too much in the middle of nowhere, trying to achieve both gas mileage and performance which in turns brought lexus nothing to market about. and then the marketing team did a pretty bad job in trying to push the envelop of lexus ultimate flagship (they care more about mass money like the ES). it's a shame, i loved the ls600hl back in 07, they could have done so much more

 

Nice post! Nailed it.

 

what image is that?

 

You're more well to do (or more in debt) than common folk.

But really, luxury hybrids say that you care a little more about environment, and spend a little more for the sake of it, than common folk.

 

So you paid extra to sit in traffic with the engine off while everyone around you is idling? The ES350 for less money is just as smooth and refined, and it has better performance aside form MPG which is still pretty good.

 

You can justify it your way.

At the end of the day, you're not spending his money.

 

Yes it is his money. But I can still give my opinion.

 

and that was one of the few cars WITHOUT the spindle grille

 

This was nothing but a flagship showcase of technology that mattered only for a year or two. Remember how Lexus tried to portray it's performance hybrids as more efficient but still potent alternatives to V8 and V12? Well even back then it was a stretch that GSh is a true V8 alternative and there was no doubt that LSh was not a V12 alternative. Maybe an alternative to last gen V12 that predate LSh but not to the one that really mattered MB twin turbo, that V12 that has so much torque it was disgusting.

This thing had a future to turn into something if Toyota had delivered on its promise that third gen hybrid would have lithium ion batteries. That still didn't happen.

 

Huh?

 

i sit corrected... i thought that was only for the f sport ones

 

Thank you!

No thank you. I may listen to your opinion if you were not trying to preach and tell me what to buy.

As I said above, if I wanted to save money, I would have stayed with the Corolla. Why did you not try to sell me on your Corolla?