2010 Lexus HS250h: A Facebook Lexus

In life, there are all kinds of friends. True friends are those that you can wake up at three in the morning to tell them your problems without worrying that you’ll be turned away. There are good acquaintances, acquaintances, and distant acquaintances. Beyond that, nowadays there are Facebook friends, from whom we don’t really expect much...
The new Lexus HS250h, the first Lexus designed as a hybrid from the start, belongs to this new friend category: you don’t really want it and you’ll tolerate its presence for as long as it lasts, especially since it isn’t really bothering anyone. A few years ago now, when everything that Toyota/Lexus touched turned to gold, the Japanese company gave itself the very noble mandate of making the hybridization of its cars a priority.

After the Toyota Prius, Camry and Highlander and the Lexus GS450h, LS600h and RX450h, Lexus launched the HS250h last fall. Unveiled at almost the same time as the new generation Prius, it’s easy to think that the HS250h is, in fact, a luxury Prius. It’s even easier when you notice that the two vehicles share certain features, such as the wheelbase. It becomes even easier still when you drive the car, whose dimensions are somewhere between those of the Prius and the Camry. Lexus says that the HS250h is based on the Toyota Avensis sold in Europe.

Drab but lush

If the designers of the HS250h wanted to create an anonymous car, they hit the nail right on the head – but it’s far from ugly. Its front end, which seems to have the Ford Fusion’s grille and the Camry’ headlights, even adds a touch of class. Meanwhile, the tail end is slightly more original. In the passenger compartment, on the other hand, there’s no mistaking the HS250h for another car. The dashboard uses some of the same elements that were used in the RX with electroluminescent gauges, numerous buttons and controls, and most of all, that little mouse that I have learned to like while testing various Lexus products. Of course, the quality of the materials is top-notch, as is the assembly, thanks to the detail-obsessed people who put it together. The Mark Levinson audio system has an intoxicating sound but I found it lagging ever so slightly behind that of the LS460, no doubt to protect the latter’s prestige.

It goes without saying that the seats are comfortable, however, taller people will find the backseats sadly lacking in head room. Since the HS250h is a hybrid, the battery had to go somewhere and in this case it’s between the rear seatback and the trunk, which forced the engineers to make a permanently fixed seatback.  The trunk isn’t exactly huge thanks to the battery, but fortunately, it has a large opening. For a car designed as a hybrid from the start, they didn’t make much of an effort...

Hybrid engine

The gas engine is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder previously used in the Camry Hybrid and is equipped with Atkinson mode (the piston’s expansion stroke is longer than the intake stroke). The total power has not been made public, but the gas engine/electric motor combo produces 187 horsepower and 138 lbs-ft of torque. The battery comes from the Camry Hybrid (which undoubtedly explains its placement between the back seat and the trunk). The exhaust-gas recirculation system is identical to that of the Prius.

The performances won’t exactly knock your socks off (0-100 km/hr in 9.7 seconds and 80-120 in 6.8 seconds by our hand timing in winter), but it must be said that this type of car targets clients who are much more concerned about the environment than about sportiness. Nonetheless, I would have preferred a little more pep from the accelerator. Moreover, there’s enough space under the hood for a V6, but at least there’s a Power button on the dash for hyperactive drivers.

Once pushed, the accelerator offers a better response and the car spends less time in electric mode. I kept forgetting! Yes, the HS250h can operate solely in electric mode, and to take greater advantage of the benefits of electricity at night in a residential area, for example, there’s an EV mode. However, you have to learn to take it very easy with the accelerator, and unfortunately we aren’t all naturally blessed with the ability to take it easy... During our week-long test drive, we used 7.8 litres of fuel per 100 km on average, which is a very good average, but not exceptional. Lexus recommends using super, but regular will do just fine. By the way, the transition between the electric motor and the gas engine is hardly noticeable at all.

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) is, unlike a lot of its colleagues, smooth. The fact that the HS250h’s passenger compartment is well soundproofed definitely has something to do with that. Thus, you don’t hear the engine rev higher when accelerating flat out. You can put the stick shift in “B” (for “Brake”), at which point you’ll notice the engine brake a lot more.

The little cloud that could

On the road, anyone who has driven a Lexus already knows what to expect behind the wheel of this little newcomer. The steering is so unresponsive; it’s like driving a cloud. The handling is reasonably good, as long as you don’t rush it! If you push the car, you’ll notice a certain roll and as soon as the tires skid even a little, a “beep” that’s more stressful than informative indicates that the traction control and lateral stability systems are on guard. Fortunately, everything can be deactivated (yes, everything!) for situations such as getting out of a snow bank. It’s definitely not made for the race track. Strangely, I found the HS250h’s suspensions a little hard. Maybe the temperature or our test car’s tires (Toyo Observer Garrit 225/45R18) were to blame. In any case, while they aren’t sporty, they ensure good handling.

Our HS250h was nothing less than an Ultra Premium model. Almost everything than can be found on a modern car was there, from the GPS to power adjustable steering wheel to the adaptive LED headlights. The base version (?), the HS250h Premium, can be equipped with sportier suspensions offered on option. The fact that this kind of suspension comes only on the base model, and on option to boot, says a lot about what is expected of this car! And believe it or not, the front seats are not heated in this base version, which is, in my opinion, unforgivable for a Lexus! For that feature, you have to take the $1,500 Premium Sport package. On the other hand, there are ten airbags to protect the occupants regardless of the version.

A question of $$$$$

The Premium model sells for $39,900 while the Ultra Premium goes for $48,750, which seems to me too high for what the car has to offer. Sure, there’s a lot of luxury and comfort, a prestigious name and above average reliability, all things considered. People in the market for a hybrid are worried about being green, and are not concerned about whether the car is powerful and sporty... and therein lies the problem. The HS250h is nothing less than a luxury hybrid. A Prius, although it’s less comfortable, is less expensive and has an established environmentally-friendly image, so to me it seems to be a better option than the Premium version. And if you’re casting longing glances at the Ultra Premium, you could also look to the BMW 335d (diesel). It may be less reliable, but is much more interesting to drive and is still fuel efficient!