When Lexus set out to build its first dedicated hybrid model, it would have been very easy to build a car that was little more than a fully-loaded Toyota Prius. However, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h is certainly much more than a Prius, which is a good thing. But despite being its own car, the HS 250h is still lacking in some areas.
According to the folks at Autoblog, who recently testing the Lexus HS 250h, it luckily doesn’t look anything like the Prius. Instead, Lexus decided to ditch the emphasis on efficiency and a minimum drag coefficient in favor of a more stylish exterior. Since it’s lacking the Prius’ teardrop shape, the HS 250h exudes a bit of sophistication from the outside.
Inside, the HS 250h boasts comfortable seating and loads of technology, just as any proper Lexus should. While there’s no shortage of amenities, some of the features lack proper usability. As Autoblog says, “Lexus has less experience designing interfaces than Apple and it shows.”
While the HS 250h is powered by a similar system found within Prius, it’s much quicker than its Toyota-badged counterpart. Richmond Lexus pointed out that the Lexus can sprint from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. It also offers separate driving modes including Normal, Power, Eco and EV. The EV mode is especially interesting as it allows the vehicle to operate solely on electricity for (very) short distances.
Overall, Autoblog found that the HS 250h was just as comfortable and competent as other Lexus vehicles. However, for a consumer that’s truly concerned about fuel efficiency, Autoblog subtly hints that for the price and for its vastly better mileage, the Prius may be a better bet. Reston VA Lexus disagrees.
* * *
Read more Lexus news on this blog. Subscribe now for more.
You must log in to post a comment.