2007 Lexus GS450h Test Drive

The 2007 Lexus GS 450h isn’t just your average trumped up hybrid sedan. The claim? The 2007 Lexus GS 450h delivers the performance of a modern V8 engine and sips fuel like a four cylinder; Lexus GS 450h smog forming emissions are 80% cleaner than the average car; the level of quiet during the electric-mode is half of that during normal engine operation and 0-60 is as quick as a Porsche 911 with Tiptronic. A hybrid with oomph? You bet. Base price: $54,900, EPA estimates 28/27 MPG city/highway.
First Glance: You‘d never know it has an electric soul
A brand new model for 2007, the Lexus GS 450h is a hybrid powered luxury performance rear-drive hybrid sedan -- and among the quickest Lexus vehicle ever built. The new GS450h is significant not just for Lexus, but for the automotive world: it is the first hybrid luxury rear-wheel drive car available on the market. With a 0-60 mph of 5.2 seconds, a top speed of 131 mph and a combined gas mileage of 27.5 MPG, the GS 450h is leading a new generation of hybrids. And like the new hybrids, it is transparent -- in other words you wouldn’t know from the outside or the inside that this sedan has an electric soul.
The skin of the 2007 the Lexus GS 450h is lean and leggy, with an arching roof line, high belt line and long hood. The hybrid badging on the lower rear door molding is discreet (maybe too discreet?) ; the large, exposed dual exhaust with stainless steel tips and 18-inch and five-spoke alloy wheels are bold and somewhat funky. A lowered hood and height combined with the wider rear tread gives the GS 450h a wide stance.
Bottom line--the Lexus GS 450h will appeal to a specific audience that likes Lexus, wants a sedate look (more Mozart than rock n’ roll) and is going for a hybrid with wings.
In the Driver‘s Seat: Lots of gadgets but easy to use
All the Lexus bells and whistles, plus its easy to use
© Toyota Motor Sales
The 2007 Lexus GS 450h does not skimp on standards; in fact it comes will all the proverbial bells and whistles. For example, the 7-inch vehicle information touch screen has good resolution, crisp icons and you don’t have to be a wizard to figure it out. The push button engine start is a nifty touch.
Add to that all the luxury standards like Bluetooth wireless telephone capabilities; ventilated and heated leather power seats; AM/FM/six-disc in-dash CD; moonroof; rear sunshade and a rear backup camera. Note that standards like this -- and the fact that they that are actually user friendly -- add great value to this sedan.
And the Lexus GS 450h also comes equipped with loads of safety equipment including driver, front passenger, knee, side and side curtain airbags.
As far as the cabin’s appeal-- Lexus applied just the right touches of high end woods and leathers. I also liked the slim glove compartment which flipped open with the touch of a button. The whole interior layout was very clean, clear and easy to navigate. It’s attention to details that make Lexus..well...Lexus. A note on the back seat-- it‘s a bit close if you have long legs or want to fit in a brood of kids. The trunk, however, will hold a weekend worth of goods.
On the Road: 339 hybrid horsepower, no waiting
The 2007 Lexus GS 450h does not disappoint. I tested this hybrid on the roads of the Big Island of Hawaii--on turf that winded through lava fields, tucked into rain forests and climbed up soft hills. If I hadn’t been forewarned about the local police I would have really let loose. The ride was seamless: smooth, fast, almost rambunctious -- and quiet to a T.
The 2007 Lexus GS 450h takes hills and altitude with aplomb, corners on all fours, accelerates smoothly and handles with great ease. What you get in this vehicle is the excellence of Lexus engineering, a good will approach to the environment and a light but steady hand. (I’d like a little more attitude in the look, but it might take a couple of years to add that into a hybrid mix.) Under the hood the Hybrid Synergy Drive consists of a 3.5-liter all-aluminum V-6 generating 292 hp and 267 lb-ft, and two electric motors generating a peak 197 hp. Combined rating is 339 horsepower.
According to Lexus, 0-60 time is 5.2 seconds, with maximum torque available immediately -- which means that there’s no delay passing or avoiding obstacles on the roads. A benefit of all this technology is an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating of 28/27.
Journey‘s End: More to come...
A performance hybrid -- who would have thought?
© Toyota Motor Sales
If you want the confidence of a Lexus product with some punch, if you want a hybrid with power and if you want to be in front of the pack (in speed and in the cool factor), the Lexus GS 450h is the car for you. Lexus has refined this synergy drive to be quieter, cleaner and quicker than it’s cousins. I think the Lexus GS 450h will raise a stir. To note--in November of 2005 Neiman Marcus sold 75 LT editions of the Lexus GS 450h in two hours flat.
However, if you are skittish about what some say is the unproved reliability of electric/hybrid engineering then maybe you should wait a couple of years on this one to see what pans out.
Of course, this kind of eco-cool comes at a price. The MSRP is $54,900.
Lexus will be getting into hybrid renditions of many of their products in the next bunch of years so if you want to spend less just hold tight.
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