2011 Lexus HS 250h - Green Car Reports
Launched last year as the first “dedicated hybrid” from Toyota’s luxury brand, the 2011 Lexus HS 250h blends an attempt at Lexus levels of luxury with the gas mileage advantage of a hybrid-electric drivetrain. But it hasn’t done so quite as successfully as the 2011 CT 200h compact hybrid hatchback that followed it this year, and the HS 250h is presently a low-volume entry in the expanding Lexus lineup. The Lexus HS 250h offers some nifty technology and is EPA-rated at 35 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. It has a blunt nose, a high cowl, and slab sides, far from the grace of some of more elegant Lexus models. It leaves us wondering, frankly, exactly who it is that buys the HS 250h. The heart of the HS is a 147-hp, 2. 4-liter four-cylinder engine (as used in the Camry Hybrid), mated to Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system, including a pair of... More than 600 pounds of extra weight, compared to a Prius, keeps the HS 250h at modest performance levels unless you select the “Power” mode. Inside, the seats are mounted high despite the sedan’s low roofline, meaning that front passengers are tight on headroom and rear-seat riders are positively slouched. It’s much more noticeable given the hush under normal circumstances, and far louder and less “Lexus” than almost any. Source: www.greencarreports.com
