Luxury, performance, frugality 

It’s difficult to think of the three together: luxury, performance and frugality. Enter the world’s first hybrid-powered luxury-performance sedan: the GS 450h from Lexus.

Until now, the word hybrid evoked thoughts of the quirky-looking compact Toyota Prius, with owners having a sole intent of getting 60 miles per gallon.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but many who are conscious of the environment and the world’s oil reserves consider 28 miles per gallon an acceptable achievement and don’t want to forgo quick-acceleration high-performance driving.

As Bob Carter, Lexus group vice president and general manager puts it, “The GS 450h is a total high-performance package matching its combination of outstanding driving performance, environmental efficiency and a refined, ultra-quiet ride.” We think it offers a compelling reason for luxury/performance car buyers to consider hybrid technology.

Lexus says it could have produced a GS hybrid with even better fuel economy, but the goal was to introduce a performance sedan that would be equal to or better than the top V-8 sports sedans from Europe while delivering fuel consumption similar to that of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder vehicle.

According to Lexus, the GS 450h will accelerate from zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds. That’s as quick as a Porsche 911 and equal to the much-acclaimed BMW 550, with more than 30 percent better fuel efficiency.

Performance aside, the GS 450h is equal or better than worthy competitors like the Infiniti M45, BMW 5-Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A8 in terms of handling, driving characteristics and build quality.

A few things bothered us about the 450h: Tall drivers will feel the headliner brushing the top of their head and trunk space is reduced almost by half to accommodate the hybrid battery packs. We didn’t much care for the appearance of the dash or the placement of buttons to adjust the power mirrors, fuel door and trunk release.

The 450h is powered by a 3.5-liter, 292-horsepower V-6 teamed with a high-output electric motor to deliver a combined 339 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque to the rear-wheels. An automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) is the only transmission offered. Thanks to the battery pack, maximum torque is delivered immediately. No hesitation, just instant high-performance.

Identical in appearance to its GS siblings, the V-6 powered 300 and V-8 powered 430, the 450h comes only as a midsize luxury four-door sedan. Apart from different wheels, the only indication that this GS is different is the word “hybrid” along the rocker panel below each rear door, and a blue highlighted “450h” on the lower right corner of the trunk lid. Base price, including destination charges, is $55,595 — about $3,000 more than the V-8 equipped GS 430.

Standard luxury equipment includes 18-inch wheels, adaptive HID headlamps, heated and cooled perforated leather seats, power-adjusting steering wheel, moonroof, park assist, and a 10-speaker audio system with in-dash CD changer. Options on our tester included a navigation system, 14-speaker 330-watt Mark Levinson audio system, active suspension system and run-flat tires.

The safety stuff includes every air bag possible including driver/passenger knee bags, side and side curtain; headlamp washers; stability and traction control; ABS; emergency brake assist; and rain-sensing wipers. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crashes, the 450h earned the highest possible “Good” rating.

Driving the 450h is an experience in pure luxury and comfort. Jump in, press the start button on the dash (you need only to have the key fob in your pocket or purse) and the 450h starts (in gas mode when the engine is cold or for the first start for the day). After it has been running, the 450h starts in battery mode with no telltale sound. It’s eerily quiet, like an electric golf cart.

The vehicle operates at low speed without using the gas engine. In stop-and-go city driving or heavy expressway rush hour traffic, you could go miles without ever needing the gasoline engine. After reaching a speed of about 25 mile per hour, the gas engine seamlessly kicks in and takes over.

All things considered, we found the 450h to be an exceptional car and believe that most buyers will be more than pleased with their choice. While Toyota is expected to build more than 100,000 Priuses for the U.S. market, Lexus will have an initial run of 2,500. We understand that most are already spoken for. That’s not surprising. For those who can afford it, it’s a bargain.