ROAD TEST ~ 2011 Lexus GS 450h

Few cars on the road can deliver both performance and fuel economy.

The 2011 Lexus GS 450h is one of them.

But that’s not all you get with this gas-electric hybrid version of Lexus’s five-passenger upscale GS sport sedan.

It also has all the luxury features that Lexus is known for— so in short, you can have performance, luxury and fuel economy all in one nice-looking package.

Although it comes at a hefty starting price of $71,150, environmentally conscious buyers in the market for a luxury sedan no longer have to make compromises when they jump into hybrid technology with the GS 450h.

So how does this luxury sedan deliver performance and fuel economy at the same time?

Well, it’s not like most other hybrids because it starts with a much larger gasoline engine than the norm, a 3.5-litre 24-valve V6 that is mated to a high-torque electric motor, high capacity storage battery and sophisticated power management system.

In all, the Lexus Hybrid Drive produces 339 combined net horsepower, while at the same time achieving an impressive Tier 2 Bin 3 emissions rating.

Power is sent to the rear wheels of the GS 450h through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with sequential multi-mode shifter and snow mode feature.

The GS 450h is both smooth and powerful on the road, accelerating seamlessly up to cruising speed in a quiet, efficient manner. While not in Prius territory, city/highway fuel efficiency is 8.7/7.8 L/100 km— quite impressive for a luxury sport sedan, but not quite on par with many other hybrids on the road.

As a comparison, the GS 350 AWD gasoline version achieves 11.4/7.8L/100 km city/highway fuel efficiency.

The GS 450h debuted in 2007 and at that time was billed as the world’s first luxury performance hybrid sedan. It is now one of five hybrids in the Lexus fleet, joining the top-line LS 600hL, RX 450h, HS 250h and the new CT 200h compact luxury hybrid.

This makes Lexus the market leader in hybrid technology— not what one would expect from a luxury brand.

Unlike some others on the market, this isn’t an “over the top” hybrid, style-wise. Outside of a couple of badges on the rocker panels, the GS 450h looks just like any other luxury sedan.

It has a streamlined look with a coefficient of drag of 0.27, which is very good for a mid-size sedan.

Inside, the cabin is refined, luxurious and contemporary.

Maple wood trim accents along with chrome and brushed aluminum add to the look of luxury as does the leather covering the seating surfaces, steering wheel, shift knob and door trim.

This is a car that comes fully loaded with dual zone automatic climate control and a classy 14-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound AM/FM/DVD audio system with integrated XM satellite radio, Bluetooth capability and MP3/WMA audio capability.

The 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive. I was quickly able to set up just the right driving position into the memory system that has three settings. The front seats are heated and cooled.

Other standard features include 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, adaptive front lighting with auto leveling, intuitive park assist, rain-sensing wipers with de-icer and Smart Key system with push button start.

The lighting system helps provide a full, well-lit view for night driving by monitoring steering angle and vehicle speed. High-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps are standard fare. Auto leveling ensures the headlamps are always properly aimed through the use of sensors front and rear.

Park assist helps alert the driver to obstacles in potential blind spots with the use of sensors at the front and rear corners of the car. Meanwhile, the wipers automatically turn on when moisture is detected and a heating system in the lower windshield helps keep the wipers from icing up.

Other features include a voice-activated hard disc drive (HDD) navigation system with back-up camera, tilt/telescoping steering column, auto-dimming mirrors, power moonroof and power rear window shade.

There is a full slate of safety features including anti-lock brakes with brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-start assist and eight airbags.

On the road, it doesn’t take long to realize that Lexus stresses the performance part of the equation in this vehicle.

This hybrid actually has guts, thanks to the 339 combined hp of the gasoline and electric engines.

It accelerates smoothly and crisply and at speed, it cruises effortlessly. Depending on your driving needs, there are four settings for the adaptive variable suspension— from comfort to sport.

One drawback with this, as in many hybrids, is the limited trunk space due the battery pack that sits just behind the rear seats and eats up trunk room.

However, my hockey bag fit just fine and there would be no problem with a set of golf clubs. There is no pass-through, however.

So while the GS 450h is a pricey piece of automotive hardware, it is one of the few hybrids on the market that really does offer performance for the serious driving enthusiast. It also has all the luxury features one would expect in a Lexus and gets the fuel economy of many four-cylinder vehicles.

Lexus has been the leader in hybrid technology and the GS 450h is in a class by itself as a midsize performance hybrid sport sedan.

 

 

BODY STYLE: four-door luxury sport sedan.

DRIVE METHOD: front engine, rear-wheel drive.

ENGINE: 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 combined with a high-torque electric motor (339 combined hp, 267 lb/ft torque with gas engine only).

CARGO CAPACITY: 300 litres (10.6 cu ft).

FUEL ECONOMY: 8.7/7.8/8.2L/100 km (32/36/34 mpg) city/hwy/combined.

PRICE: $71,750, as tested $73,835.20 including $1,950 freight and PDI.