Lexus GS450H Reviews

Kermit the Frog said it's not easy being green, but it can be with certain brands. While parent company Toyota flogs its hybrids as eco-friendly machines, luxury arm Lexus takes a different tack - responsible performance. The recently-updated Lexus GS has had some interior tweaks and the GS 450h follows the program of giving the hybrid models an extra brushstroke or two from the styling department.The 450h has exterior differentiation - a unique front grille design, "hybrid blue" rear lamps and 18in wheels - to distinguish it as "the high performance flagship of the GS range," according to Lexus.VALUEThe GS range has been upgraded in the iotainment department, with new satnav software. The $126,714 GS 450h wasn't lacking in the audio department and retains the 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround sound system to shake the mirrors, now with USB and audio jack plug connections. There is the delete option sunroof which would give a little more headroom but most below the old six foot mark won’t be bothered by the headroom intrusion.TECHNOLOGYThe hybrid GS is packed with technology - the 650-volt hybrid system uses a nickel metal hydride battery to store power generated by the 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine. There’s also energy generated by reversing its continuously-variable transmission to become a generator and employing brake energy recovery systems to further charge the battery. Lexus says the system teams up to provide 254kW of power (a definitive torque figure is a little harder to quantify) but the company claims V8-like outputs without the thirst.For example, despite being 200kg heavier than the $10,000 more expensive GS 460 (which has similar levels of performance) but uses an extra 3.1l/100km to achieve the same ends. The active cruise control system isn’t new and neither is the fact that Lexus still can’t get it to hold a set speed downhill without another car in front – the system is child’s play in a Beemer and a Merc but Lexus doesn’t seem interested in getting it right.DESIGNThe GS model doesn't push the boundaries for car design, although Lexus likes to invoke a European feel by calling its design language ``L finesse'' - the front view is better than the rump, with the rakish bonnet and lights forming a not unattractive snout, but the rear - perhaps due to the abbreviated bootlid and bulgy rear quarter panels - is not the prettiest of the prestige market segment.The cabin has undergone only minor changes, leaving the functional and user-friendly touchscreen and centrestack intact - unfortunately the 1980s clock and outside temperature display remains as well.SAFETYThe safety features for the updated 2010 GS range now includes the new Advanced Pre-Collision Safety System which uses the active cruise control's radar system to monitor the road; the system prepares the vehicle's safety systems for an imminent collision and will now also apply the vehicles brakes if the driver fails to act.There's the now-obligatory traction and stability control and the airbag list is extensive - driver and front passenger front, side and knee airbags, rear seat side and full length side curtain airbags.DRIVINGEerie quiet is a hallmark of Lexus and the GS hybrid does nothing to change that perception, as only the tyre noise is obvious - due to the lack of any other rumbling. Starting often has no noise associated with it, unless the petrol engine is required for air conditioning or other energy sapping systems, but creeping around a carpark on battery-only easily demonstrates how pedestrians can be blissfully ignorant of your presence. It will also cruise at metropolitan speeds on battery alone and that goes a long way toward the 10.1 figure we returned.Mundane commuting duties are what these hybrid systems are best at and it shows – heading out into the country hills drive doesn’t provide the stop-start driving that regularly allows for charging and minimal petrol engine use. That said, slipping the transmission into sport mode does generate some energy downhill on throttle over-run, but it’s soon used on the uphill runs.Putting aside the green aspects, the drivetrain itself provides a remarkable experience – a full-throttle departure is rapid, linear ... and did I mention rapid? The instant torque of the electric motor and the CVT’s seamless application of the outputs offers an extraordinary take-off. The adjustable suspension leans towards a firmer ride, even in the normal mode, but it’s not uncomfortable for its occupants, who will need to all need to be of average height to allow decent legroom for all.Flick the suspension button into Sport mode and things tighten up noticeably, allowing the GS to be aimed into corners with a reasonable degree of confidence. It sits flat enough and – despite low rolling resistance tyres – does a good job, although steering feedback is absent, which puts it out of contention for the prestige sports sedan who puts a chassis ahead of outright grunt, or green credentials. Even on eco-friendly front there are latest-generation turbodiesel with particle filters and other emissions control systems that might not be as quiet but will give good fuel economy as well as grunt.VERDICTTechno-philes and greenie-execs will like the trickery under the bonnet and it’s value for money when weighed up against it’s siblings as well as the largely-German opposition, but the design is lacking in flair and the cabin space lets it down.LEXUS GS450h Price: from $126,714Engine: 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve direct-injection V6 & a battery-driven electric motorTransmission: CVT, rear-wheel drivePower: petrol - 218kW; electric - 147kW; combined total 254kWTorque: petrol - 368Nm; electric - 275NmPerformance: 0-100km/h 5.9 secondsTop speed: 250km/h (governed)Fuel consumption: 7.9 litres/100km, on test 10.1, tank 65 litresEmissions: 186g/kmSuspension (front): independent, double wishbones, coil springs, gas dampers with variable damper control, anti-roll barSuspension (rear): independent multi-link, coil springs, gas dampers with variable damper control, mounted anti-roll barBrakes: four-wheel ventilated discs, with anti-lock and stability control systemsDimensions: length 4850mm, width 1820mm, height 1430mmWheelbase: 2850mm, track fr/rr 1540/1545mmCargo volume: 320 litresWeight: 1930kgWheels: 18in alloys.

DrivetrainThe GS450h is also the world’s first rear-wheel drive hybrid and is powered by a 3.5 litre V6 petrol DOHC petrol engine producing 218kW at 6400rpm and 368Nm at 4800rpm.Mated to the V6 are two high output electric motors that recharge using the kinetic energy produced when braking. The first one starts the car while the second drives the rear wheels. Both motors put out 147kW, and when combined with the petrol engine, 254kW is produced.An electronically-controlled, continously variable transmission ensures subtle gear changes and allows both petrol and electric motors to act as one.Suspension up front is independent, double wishbone, with independent, multi-link at the rear, and a choice of ‘normal’ or ‘sport’ mode according to your driving style.Using 95+ RON PULP to fill the 65 litre tank, the luxury hybrid should burn 7.9 litres every 100kms.ExteriorThe slightly refined design reduces drag for better aerodynamics, while the long bonnet, pulled-back cabin and short muscular rear give the vehicle a strong, purposeful stance.A rear-view camera with rear guide assist, and electrochromatic side mirrors that dim to prevent headlight glare, are just two of the exterior features that make this car easier to drive. Add to that a pre-collision safety system, rain-sensing wipers and a power-operated moonroof, and Lexus’s focus on cutting-edge technology for the GS450h is obvious.Other exterior features include five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, xenon active cornering headlights and a rear spoiler.InteriorIn the multi information display, a constant reminder that you are driving a hybrid is a power meter that updates you on the total power output and advises which systems are operating.The clean intuitive dash is highlighted by woodgrain and metallic trim, and by the multi function steering wheel that incorporates controls for the audio, cruise control and phone.Matching the exterior for features, inside the car you also get climate-controlled seats with memory, a Mark Levinson audio system, DVD-based sat nav, leather upholstery, front seat head restraints and sufficient cup holders and storage pockets.SafetyIn addition to the pre-collision system, you get ABS, EBD, VCS, a comprehensive airbag package, Active Cruise Control that detects vehicles in front and adjusts speed accordingly, and electrically controlled braking.PricingThe Lexus GS450h starts at $128, 899.DrivingDriving though the city was comfortable. The steering at low-ish speeds was surprisingly heavy but we liked that – it made us feel like we were driving a cheap Benz. But the thing is, the Lexus not cheap. For a minute let’s just forget the hybrid aspect.At $128,000, it's too close in price to the Mercedes C63 AMG and too far over the $80k Holden Grange to be an option. Unless it’s all about the hybrid aspect for you, which is very effective both from a performance and efficiency aspect.An 80k drive on the freeway was uneventful. Acceleration was good and in a very small way it delivered that slot car feel you just know the performance electrics will have when they get here.We had to constantly feed in steering, which was too light - now at speed. Both aspects were very annoying.We did find the thing amusing or maybe disturbing when we started it again back at the office - it was hot and fully charged. After a couple of goes we realised it was in complete electric mode. There was absolutely no engine noise when starting.The electric experience was good and the dash and gauges for the hybrid display were fun to watch.A comparison can be made between the evolution of the mobile phone and that of hybrid electrics. The Prius is the early brick in that it basically got the ball rolling, the GS450h is the slim flip phone -- starting to get a bit more function and style. But unfortunately we are a long way off an iPhone and it may be Mercedes, rather than Lexus, that will get us to that point.However, this is an important car as it represents a stage in the life of the current leader in hybrid technology. Let’s all just hope they go the way of the brick mobile phones and lose their dominance.VERDICT: 7.1 

Remember Betamax video recorders, those lumbering, top-loading titans of terminal technology? They went from old hat to dead format in the blink of an eye. Now picture the Lexus GS450h, a car that may just be the equivalent of a $121,900 Betamax recorder.Well, that's not entirely fair, because the Lexus will still provide transport and be able to burn reasonably common fuel (albeit of the premium kind), even if Toyota's hybrid drive petrol-electric engine system doesn't turn out to be the dominant technology of the fuel-frugality years we're entering.And while the GS450h is certainly big and heavy, it's not quite as ugly as a Betamax. In fact, the car passed the servo test with honours.One smitten BP worker even described it as beautiful, despite what I argued with him were portly, American proportions and a hunched back.Looks aside, the appeal of this Lexus is billboard-simple to define: “V8 performance with four-cylinder economy”.Sure enough, during a week of varied driving, the GS averaged between an impressive 8.5 and a reasonable 10.1 litres per 100km.But its range, off a 65-litre tank of pricey PULP, was just over 500km.Compare this to the diesel option. Our recent, long-term BMW 530d (packing an in-line, six-cylinder turbo diesel) returned a best figure of 5.7 litres per100km, with a range of 935km off a single tank of farmer's fuel. It was also far more lively to drive, handled in a whole different class — and had a boot.The Lexus looks like it has one, but open the lid and you realise it's an optical illusion. Those big ol' batteries under the rear seat take up all the space.And you can have the Bavarian brute for just $114,500. As far as performance goes, the Lexus may be quick — with a claimed zero-to-100km/h time under six seconds — but doesn't feel like it.The hybrid uses a dual-VVT-i direct-injection, 3.5-litre V6 that produces 216kW, mated to a 147kW permanent-magnet electric motor.Its theoretical combined power output is 253kW. In terms of torque, the petrol motor hits its 368Nm peak at 4800rpm, while the electric one offers 275Nm from the get-go.This means you not only have good off-the-line grunt, but handy overtaking thrust. Indeed, driven enthusiastically, and with all its sport settings switched on, the GS450h will get up and boogie.But the main impression you get is that this is a heavy car rather than a dashing one.That isn't surprising, as the Lexus weighs in on the wrong side of 1800kg. I may not be a rocket scientist, or evena white-coat wearer from the Pond's Institute, but if you're trying to build an economical car of the future, making it lighter than a tank seems wise.The sensation of weight counts against the GS450h on tight, rough roads, where it crashes and shakes, while understeering with its big nose and fighting a tail-shaking battle with the traction control at the rear end. Still, it's a classy-feeling piece of kit and it boasts an excellent interior.The GS is far more at home on good surfaces, tackling smooth sweepers and freeway driving with consummate ease. And it's freakishly quiet.Compared with the pudgy Prius, this hybrid is in a different league. I could actually live with it if I had to, whereas I'd choose public transport (or two feet and a heartbeat) over a Prius.But with a massive Lexus price tag, and not such a large range, you have to wonder who's going to want to buy it off you in a few years — particularly if hybrid technology goes Betamax on you.And while I didn't set out to compare this car to the 5 Series diesel, I couldn't get it out of my mind that the latter is a more realistic, and more enjoyable, way to save on fuel while still looking rich and executorial.The only argument left in the Lexus's favour is that it produces fewer emissions than any diesel or unleaded-fuel car.Much like the Prius, or plastic surgery, people are being asked to spend a hell of a lot of money just to feel good about themselves.

It chews some grass, then heads for some old machinery at the side of the road, which it leans on to rub its rump.The luxurious Lexus is more interesting than the wombat gives it credit for.It is a great technical achievement. The Lexus team has managed to combine a powerful V6 engine and an electric motor for masses of power and to limit fuel consumption.Whether or not it will revolutionise the automotive landscape, as Lexus claims, is another question.It's impressive, but also flawed.The GS450h is tested on a 1870km trip to Sydney, on to the Blue Mountains and back.I even venture 47km from Lithgow to a bush cabin at the ghost town of Newnes, once an oil shale production site.After driving the new Lexus, you wonder whether petrol-electric hybrids really are the answer or whether it will it be a forgotten technology in a few years.It is expensive for Lexus (Toyota) to develop and produce — it certainly isn't making money from hybrids.At $121,990, the GS450h slips into the Lexus GS range between the $112,300 V6 GS300 Sports Luxury and the $137,200 V8 GS430.It gets a range of top-shelf gizmos including adaptive headlights, radar cruise control, keyless start, rear parking camera and the latest-generation satellite navigation.But the big difference is the hybrid drivetrain.The special GS combines a Toyota-based 3.5-litre V6 with an electric motor, using a battery that is topped-up through friction from the brakes and engine.At low speeds the GS450h can run purely off the electric motor, which is eerily silent.When you give it a push, the GS fires up its V6 petrol engine as well.Sometimes the car runs purely on the petrol engine.The combination of both powerplants adds up to an impressive 254kW.There is 275Nm available on demand thanks to the electric motor and a total 368Nm from the V6 at 4800 revs.The car uses a continuously variable transmission that constantly changes the gear ratio and feels like it has just one gear.Lexus says all this provides guilt-free performance.The GS450h is fast. Lexus says it can do 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds, faster than its V8 big brother.Lexus also claims it produces combined fuel consumption figures of 7.9 litres/100km — that, and the 0-100km time, seems optimistic.Highways, where petrol and diesel engines shine, aren't friendly to hybrids.The test car achieved an average fuel consumption figure of 8.3 litres on the trip — about what you would expect from a regular Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore using petrol combustion engines and regular unleaded (the GS demands premium).A sporty and refined diesel, such as the one found in the BMW 530d or Peugeot 407 Coupe, should do significantly better.Other testers have returned figures of eight to nine 9 litres/100km driving the GS in the city, which is good but is not going to save the planet.One of the biggest problems is the size of the battery, which takes up a huge chunk of the boot, which now has room for only one large suitcase. The overflow has to travel on the back seat — making it close to useless for family travel.The boot space would be even more cramped if Lexus hadn't replaced the full-size spare wheel with a space saver, which is not good on a long trip in the bush.The extra hybrid components also add weight — about 250kg, turning it into a 1865kg car.The extra grunt of the powerplants overcomes this in a straight line, but the extra weight takes its toll when cornering.The steering in the Lexus has a dead feel and the nanny electronic stability control is overly protective — discouraging sporty handling.Its CVT gearbox is the same. It feels strange to not have any gear changes and decidedly non-sporty. The "manual" shift mode is even less convincing.Still, you can't overlook the car's stunning torque.Plant the right foot while passing a truck and it will storm forwards with the go of a supercharged V8. It's a pity it sounds like an over-muffled V6.The only other niggle is the suspension tuning, which is harsher than it should be.This Lexus is at home in stop-start city traffic, where it runs quietly and efficiently in comfort, but is not perfect.The 450h is an interesting technological showpiece that owners will enjoy showing to their friends, but it certainly doesn't revolutionise the automotive landscape.

The $121,990 car includes radar active cruise control, adaptive variable suspension (the driver can set normal or sport), a vehicle dynamic management system, 10 airbags, electronic chromatic instrument panels, rear view camera, parking sonars, DVD satellite navigation, customised interior lighting, dual-zone climate control and 14-speaker – yes, 14 – Mark Levinson premium sound system.It also has the smart entry and start: the car automatically unlocks when the driver grabs the door handle and allows a press-button start by detecting the "key" being carried by the driver.The GS450h has all the features of the luxury version of the GS300 and GS430 petrol-only models with which it shares the bodywork. The vehicle dynamic management system until now was available only on the GS430. Lexus does not want potential buyers to have any excuse not to select the 450h hybrid.The GS450h is the first Lexus hybrid to be released in Australia, although Lexus is part of the Toyota family which has the world's biggest-selling hybrid car, the Prius. Lexus says hybrid versions of its all-wheel-drive SUV wagon, the RX400h, and its flagship sedan, LS600h, also are on the way.The GS450h has a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and a 650V electric motor. The electric motor has 147kW power – more than many petrol engines in medium-size cars. Power is not the sum of the electric and the petrol engines' respective maxima, but works out at a total of 254kW.This power is more than the petrol engine siblings in the range yet it has 31 per cent better fuel economy than the GS430 and 19 per cent better than the GS300. Standard tests show just 7.9 litres/100km for the hybrid.The GS450h runs a constantly variable automatic transmission.Hybrid activityFOR gentle start-offs, only the electric motor is used. When more power is needed, the petrol engine joins in. The battery provides more power to the electric motor if extra acceleration is needed. When decelerating, a regenerative braking system gathers energy usually lost in braking and converts it to electricity to be stored in the battery. The engine switches off when the car is stationary.Dot pointsALL Lexus GS450h models will have vehicle identification numbers printed on 5000 Data Dot micro identification dots sprayed on to strategic spots on the vehicle. Each the size of a grain of sand, they can be read by special lighting. Data Dots are a theft deterrent and help lower insurance premiums.

But we've got to say the GS450h is a revelation in terms of performance and economy, a promise of what technology can and does deliver.The really exciting part however is that this technology is likely to find its way into the good old family Camry within the next couple of years.Now that is exciting!We missed the launch of the GS450h at Bathurst a few weeks back and we regret doing so after a week behind the wood in-laid wheel.You see Lexus has opted for an entirely different approach to the hybrid question, with the emphasis firmly on power rather than economy.That's not to say this hybrid is not a light sipper, it still consumes fuel at the claimed rate of 7.9L/100km - but that's really not the point.The point is, Lexus has shown, that it is now possible to have your proverbial cake and eat it too.Here's a car that goes hard but still manages to deliver four cylinder-like economy.In fact, if this is what hybrid technology has to offer, it could well become the new millennium's answer to turbocharging - because let's face it, the V8 has had its day.Having said that, the GS450h is not cheap, not at more than $120,000, but you do get a lot of motor car for your money.The heart of the matter is not some piddling four cylinder engine but rather a family-sized 3.5-litre V6 which itself puts out 218kW but has beefed up with the addition of a powerful 147kW electric motor.The electric motor alone kicks out as much power as some family cars.The combined result is a sports sedan that delivers a modulated 254kW of total power, with much of the torque available instantly as there is no spin up time necessary.Like its cousin Toyota Prius, the Lexus has a large visual display showing the ebb and flow of energy through the hybrid petrol-electric system.The normal tacho has been replaced by a power meter the left of the speedo that is calibrated in kilowatts.The ignition key is a wireless one with a button to power up the system.Standard features include 10 airbags, stab- ility control, pre-collision system, radar controlled cruise, rear view camera, DVD player and a 14-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.We like the GS styling, low and sleek with a swept back look that takes for the form of a four-door coupe.It looks classy and the multi-layered five- spoke design of the 18in alloy wheels is particularly effective.Inside the hybrid is as quiet if not quieter than other models in the Lexus range.The CVT auto is designed to optimise power and economy, with just the one continuously variable forward gear.But for more enthusiastic drivers a set of six cogs is provided for manual changes and the suspension can be switched to a firmer sport setting.There's even a power setting for the hybrid system that unfortunately we did not discover until too late in the piece.How embarrassing?There we were thinking it went all right anyway.Even pushed hard the Lexus still managed to post 9.6L/100km which is just outstanding.If you are looking for a reason to buy Japanese instead of the German premium brands, the GS450h is drives a pretty good argument. 

Which is why Toyota is turning to a menu of full-flavour Lexus hybrids, starting with the GS450h.

But their bewilderment is as nothing compared to yours.Not only has this very neat accelerative feat been achieved in a Lexus — a marque certain of us equate with wobble-bottomed, luxo lameness — it has been done with scarcely an aural indication to match what your eyes are seeing but choosing not to believe.Welcome to the GS450h — the world's first mass-production, rear-wheel-drive, luxury hybrid car.Welcome, also, Lexus informed those of us gathered in Bathurst on Wednesday, to the future of motoring. Just for once, the PR blah is more than hubris.As we have seen, the GS450h's unique powertrain can certainly move you. But it's the way in which it achieves forward motion that leads you to concur that this car launch may well come to be seen as one of the decade's most significant.The hybrid variant of the GS range packs an all-new, dual-VVT-i direct injection 3.5 V6 that's good for 216kW, aided and abetted by a 147kW-capablepermanent-magnet electric motor. The total power output is "limited" to 253kW.The dual-injected petrol engine, a lovely piece of work in itself, delivers 368Nm at 4800 rpm, but the electric unit's 275Nm is available from absolute zero.Turbo diesel-like lag? Not here.Driven through an unfeasibly smooth Electric Continuously Variable Transmission, this dual-engine combo offers 4.5-litre performance with a posited 2.5-litre equivalent combined fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100km.This means the "h" variant has 30 per cent greater range than the eight-cylinder GS430, and about 14 per cent more than the six-pot GS300. It's a potent cocktail of performance and economy.Before hemp-lovers start petitioning the Greens cabal in the Legislative Assembly, the GS450h does all this while emitting an ultra-low level of environmental nasties, making for what Lexus calls "guilt-free performance".Having never experienced the least guilt over performance, I wasn't sure what that meant. But thrusting through the drought-depleted landscape of the NSW central west, even the least penetrable mind must acknowledge there's something in this ozone-layer-depletion stuff.It helps hugely that the GS450h means climbing into a hybrid no longer calls for surrendering your testes. Besides, anything as complex as this that works so seamlessly is surely worth a bit of attitude adjustment.The V6 is the primary source of power and torque, supplemented by two electric motors. One of the latter acts as the starting motor and supplies power to run ancillary functions — steering power assist, stereo, climate control et al.The second electric motor is there to layer additional power and torque over the petrol engine. And this it did superbly during our admittedly brief open-road experience.The GS450h weighs more than 1800kg, so the best will in the world won't imagine it as a sports saloon. But it's a grand tourer of the highest order.CVTs are apt to denude the driver (well, this driver) of feel for speed. Combined with an almost deathly quietness and acceleration that redefines seamless, it's all too easy to achieve licence-voiding quickness without much sensation of having done so.The six set ratios available in the CVT's sequential shift mode provide an engine-braking function that is of the essence, especially when turning this bulky sedan into tighter bends.The stop pedal has plenty of power but is far too short-travel and firm to feel anything other than abrupt in a package that is otherwise silky.There's more fun to be had than simple go-fast acceleration, though, with steering that has a decent amount of feel, and the car's overall weight distributed at 50/50 to extract the most from the rear-wheel-drive dynamics.Beyond its driveline innovation, the GS450h is bountifully equipped, as befitting the GS series. Gagdets include the Lexus Pre-Collision System, active cruise control, adaptive variable suspension and 10 airbags.The surfeit of tech is laid out for ease of use and legibility, points of difference being a power meter instead of a tachometer (there is, after all, more than one engine torquing away here), a read-out that indicates the power source being tapped, a rear-view camera and automatic reverse assist, and hands-free Bluetooth for the phone.The need to shove the battery aft, however, seriously infringes on boot space. A tight 250 litres has to suffice for the golf clubs.All this can be yours for $121,990, so don't expect to see many of them about, much less hear them. (Use of the horn is advised in car parks or at low speeds.)The point of the GS450h's advent, though, is that performance has been added to the hybrid equation.When that filters down to affordable cars, as it surely will, Lexus's claims of revolutionising the "automotive landscape" will come to pass. It will be a deceptively silent revolution.