RSS
Home
Lexus HS 250h information and review
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Lexus has a plan. Their goal is to have either a hybrid or hybrid alternative for every vehicle in their fleet in addition to launching a new hybrid every year. They started this plan in 2005 with the release of the RX 400h. This year they’re launching their first dedicated hybrid, the HS 250h, the first entry level luxury hybrid by any company later this summer. Like the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight before it, the HS 250h has no nonhybrid equivalent; instead it was designed and built purposefully as a hybrid vehicle. In addition, to cater to a large an audience as possible, it features four separate drive modes, a standard mode, a power mode, an eco mode, and an EV mode. Every care was taken to make sure Lexus’ latest hybrid was as efficient, green, and pleasing as possible.
The HS 250h is the first hybrid to feature sixth generation hybrid technology mating a 40 horsepower electric motor powered by a high voltage battery to a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Atkinson engine for a total of 187 horsepower. It also features an exhaust heat recovery system, which uses a series of valves to trap exhaust heat into warming up the gasoline engine faster, resulting in faster warm up to optimal conditions, which results in higher efficiency of the vehicle. The HS 250h is also the first to use infrared cut glass, the windshield keeps an extra 30% of entering heat, mostly via sunlight from entering the cabin, keeping the vehicle cooler and reducing the need and usage of another enemy of great fuel economy, the air conditioner. In addition it borrows an idea from GM’s hybrid system in having an eco-light, a green light that illuminates whenever the vehicle is being driven in an "efficient manner". Final EPA numbers aren’t available, but they’re expected to be around 35/34/35 MPG.
While the HS 250h has a lot under the hood to make it efficient, it’s also built as green as possible. Manufactured in a dedicated hybrid manufacturing planet in Kyushu Japan, the HS 250hs lifecycle carbon footprint is as much as 90% cleaner then most other vehicles on the road. This is largely due to the use of ecological bioplastics, another first for the HS 250h. Ecological bioplastics are a new kind of plastic material, plant based rather then the normal oil based which are practically indistinguishable from normal plastics, but are completely recyclable at the end of a vehicles life, and for those keeping score, is a carbon neutral process, as the plant stock’s contribution to the environment negates the carbon release during the recycling process. These materials make up the injection molded interiors, the panel boards, and other hard plastic surfaces of the interior. The HS 250h also makes use of a plant fiber, not all that different then hemp, which makes up the upholstery, the foam under the seat cushions, and other softer materials.
Practically no one thinks of Lexus without also thinking of luxury, and the HS 250h doesn’t come up short there either. Lexus put a lot of effort into ease of use, utilizing a new style of cockpit design, the HS 250h breaks down things into an eyes up operation zone and a hands used operation zone. In the eyes up operation zone is all the instrumentation that you need to see, from speedometer, Navigation and operations screen, a new heads up display, all designed to make sure that your eyes never need to move more then a few degrees from the road ahead. In the operations zone, everything is laid out with easy access for your hands, from the toggle controls on the steering wheel to the HMI – Human Machine Interface controls which is a computer mouse like system that allows for quick and easy system controls means that you never have to move your hands much or hunt around too long for the right button or setting. Likewise, all the normal comforts and options that one would expect on a Lexus are present, in addition to some new features, like XM radio and the Lexus Enform, a kind of Lexus version of OnStar. It even boasts a very large trunk, one of the bonuses from having been designed as a hybrid is that the high voltage battery is hidden rather then just in the trunk, reducing available space.
Why all the effort? According to Lexus, more then 60% of entry level luxury car buyers would’ve bought a hybrid had it been available. That 54% of current hybrid owners have a household income of $100,000 or more, with 16% of them also owning a luxury car. With those numbers, it’s not surprising that Lexus plans to sell 25,000 HS 250h’s in the first year. Nor is it surprising that so far, they’ve sold more then 170,000 hybrids, their plan seems to be working.
Then the question becomes, how good is the HS 250h? The version I tested was equipped with the touring package and the Navigation system. The drive was slightly more then 20 miles through city and hilly urban environment on a sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s, starting the HS 250h cold. The first thing I noticed was that the systems weren’t all that intuitive, it took me several minutes to figure out some of the displays and it took a passenger to figure out how to access some of the information in the HMI interface. This was not a promising start. On the road it operated as you’d expect any Lexus to run, but what was noticeably surprising was how quickly it was warmed up, it took less then a mile before it was warm enough for the engine to drop off. As I adapted to their particular usage of both the message center and the operations screen to present two different sets of data, I also noticed another great feature. The device like a tachometer had two green bands on it, keeping the tachometer needle in the dark green would keep the HS 250h in EV mode, which meant I could control when the HS 250h left electric vehicle mode. Trying out the four different modes of operation, the difference was largely in how the vehicle responded to the pedal, in power mode it was quick to respond with lots of power, in normal mode it drove like any other vehicle, while in eco-mode, it was a bit slower to engage the combustion engine and stayed in electric only operations for longer, as well as shutting down the combustion engine often. Experimenting around, I found little reason anyone would use any mode other then eco mode for normal driving. EV mode, the final mode, was a nearly useless button, as all it would do is turn the combustion engine off at speeds under 20 MPH after the hybrid system had already warmed up, which any hybrid synergy drive based hybrid would do automatically, including the HS 250h in any other mode. I also found that the eco-light operated much like GM’s, doing nothing but staying illuminated through my entire drive, once again I call it an eco-lame. Around 15 miles in, the sun was shining rather brightly, and I noticed two things, I didn’t feel the heat of the sun on my face, as the infrared cut glass was keeping it out and secondly that the operations/navigation screen was tiltable to reduce glare.
How did I do? I think the screens speak for themselves:
Almost 38 MPG starting cold going less then 21 miles, experimenting around with the various modes and information screens on a new vehicle not built specifically for high MPG is astounding. I can see owners having lifetime MPGs of greater then 40 MPG with smart driving techniques. As a luxury vehicle, I can see why Lexus says the HS 250h is in a class by itself.
Upsides: Fantastic hybrid system, High MPGs, Lots of space and comfort, Luxury brand, Subtle hybrid markings, Extremely useful Tachometer style instrument for maximizing fuel economy, Easy to see information screens.
Downsides: Price (TBD, but as an entry level Luxury vehicle, you know it’s not going to be cheap), Long learning curve to the user interface, Some information is only in the Message Center, other only in the Operations/Navigation screen, Useless EV button, Without the Navigation/Operations system, there is a distinct lack of information available and a surface that is just in the way and does nothing.
Alternatives: In the Luxury class, none. In the hybrid sedan market, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid.
Bottom line, if you’re in the market for a luxury sedan and want to go hybrid, the HS 250h should be your first choice. I highly recommend the Navigation/Operations system. If you’re looking for a hybrid sedan and cost is an issue, you may want to look elsewhere first.
