LexFather

With my 50k official post (I have more than 50k posts lol) coming, I figure its a great time to post my review on my latest Lexus after 7 months of ownership. I also hope to educate about this vehicle as the media was either clueless to it or barely covered it.

I just said it in another thread, whereas the 2GS 400 just set me afire, the 3GS never really did. The styling was cool, the interior was cool, the powertrains initially were okay. CL moderator VVTi let me drive his brand new 430 when it debuted and it was lovely b/c it was "new" but I wasn't sure if I wanted one.

Lo and behold the GS 450h debuted, the first and still only RWD sport luxury hybrid. I have to admit I was smitten with this car more so for the technology and different approach. I'm no greenie but I was curious about hybrids and in my opinion, the 450h at the time was the no brainer of the GS bunch.

"The power of a V-8 with the economy of a I-4/V-6"

Driving for the first time reminded me of driving the GS 400 for the first time "damn its fast" and the thought that it was a "hybrid" made me chuckle. The reviews showed it had the best passing power of its V-8 competition, it was the quietest, got the most MPG and acceleration was near tops. Drawbacks were steering feel/sport.

Times are quoted as 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. I've taken it to the drag strip and ran a 14.0 flat and my battery was not full (for an INTERESTING read on driving a hybrid at the track go here) I am sure next spring I will crack 13s...
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...with-pics.html

I've also raced it against the 430 and the 450h pulls nearly a car ahead by 60 MPH. So yes its fast.



Not bad as the car weighs 4100 lbs. I weighed it at the track and it said 4120 if I remember right, so I was pleased to see it was accurate. In contrast, my 2GS 430 is 3750 lbs and the 3GS is around the same.

The speed and acceleration is unreal. One thing that takes getting used to is the CVT transmission. It was a worlds first as it can shift under engine load, battery load or both. Its weird not feeling or hearing a shift! During a test drive, I figure you will hate it like I did. I think it probably scares some potential buyers off. Its a very smooth transmission, sometimes it gets buzzy at full speed at very illegal speeds. Thing is it just keeps pulling and pulling, its like riding a bike down the hill and going faster and faster and not touching the pedals. I've whooped quite a few cars (check racing forum) and its always funny when I tell people "yes its a hybrid".

Which takes me to styling. Outside the small hybrid badges on the lower rear doors, the blue 450h badge on the rear and the 18" tri spoke wheels with the chrome trim, you can't tell it apart from a normal GS.

I think that appeals to me tons. However research shows people WANT to show they own a hybrid. Thus today, the 2010 GS has a much different grill (horizontal to vertical slants) and more obvious blue badging and rear tinted tails. Now in comparison to the 2GS, the 3GS has gotten less compliments. I guess I'm too stock. We also live in a time with many more attention getting cars and the 3GS styling isn't original anymore like the 2GS. Doesn't bother me. I do think sometimes I wish I got Flint Mica or white/black again....I chose black/black to continue the black GS trend I have going....(I plan to get a black 1GS one day for the hatrick)..

I've only added a Blitz real carbon fiber grill for now. I prefer the stealth look. I also painted the chrome grill black.

You can see the differences between stock, grill paint and CF/grill paint in these pics.
Stock (not my car)

Test fit Painted Chrome trim with stock grill

Test fit Blitz Carbon Fiber grill


The handling is an odd sort but I've felt this in the SCs and the GSs and ISs...somtimes the car feels near perfect and pretty damn confidence inspiring. Other times, the steering feels very loose and I feel less confident in what will happen. The wood steering wheel looks great, but it doesn't help if your hands are cold and you want to "feel" things. The GS like most cars today has electric steering.

Compared to other GSs, I really like the fact the 450h has that big heavy engine in the rear. It really plants the rear for some fun at high speeds or pressing the accelerator with the CVT. I don't want to dare call it a 911, but if you have driven a 911 with that heavy engine in the rear that is how it feels sometimes. I have had some FUN FUN FUN sliding the car and "feeling" the weight of the rear....with the CVT always adapting, it feels GREAT.

When you get it right. Like I said, if you don't, the car can feel very artificial and well, like a hybrid. Like the 2GS, steering feel is lost at higher speeds. However Henry and myself agree the 3GS drives how the 2GS does with TRD sways and that is no bad thing.

The car also has the electric brakes which take some time and took me a couple months to learn how to modulate. I don't have many issues with it now. Every once in awhile, I'll brake up a little too hard and my G/F will look like "WTF". Lexus brakes have always been a strong point and I've yet to experience fade. One negative is the CONSTANT brake dust on the front wheels. I look like I have gunmetal wheels up front most days. If you don't know, the hybrid system is amazing that the car renergizes the battery with regenerative braking. When you brake in the GS 450 (or coast) it recharges the electric motors. There is a cool screen that shows this under the odometer and on the NAV screen. One of the reasons I love it, its different and very very forward thinking.

Since I am am inside, lets continue there. The GS has been raved for having maybe the best looking interior in class and I agree here. Its also pretty well built. It is obvious Lexus moved to a harder plastic for the dash compared to the 2GS. I love how it looks in comparison but it is "hard" to the touch. Some owners have had rattle issues. For the most part I have been lucky. From my reading and understanding the GS 450h has a special set of engineers compared to other GSs on the assembly line.

I have the black interior and I love it. The GS black interior gets the redwood, a great match. The "passionate black" gets the greywood and red trim. (google it or search lol). I don't like busy, I hate busy. I look at a lot of interiors with 10 different colors inside and obvious sweeping dashes and it looks overdone and gets old fast. The GS has the redwood on the console (it can scratch) and I personally love the curved wood on the doors, very different. Some people have asked for more wood but I like it. There are also subtle chrome touches..like around the Mark Levinson tweeters. The leather feels good but newer models have semi-analine leather. The heated/ventilated seats work VERY well. I am not officially a fan of ventilated seats, they really do make a difference in keeping you less sweaty and cooler.

Another original part of the GS is the "titanium" gauges. They look expensive and hand built. The 450h also is different as it has no tach, but a battery meter. Read below and see the pics!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX

Well its not just about the CVT but you guys are correct partly. My G/F's 07 Altima has CVT (can't wait for that lease to be up next year ) and she has a tach and the car does rev like a regular tranny depending on your speed and if you punch it/cruise etc.

From my understanding Lexus did it to make the 450h "different" and to show the "power" being used from the battery motor. Lexus intent with this car was to show power gains more so than fuel efficiency. You will notice Lexus literature rarely mentions fuel economy.

Driving the car, it acts like a battery tach. When you at a stop, the needle stays in the blue range and when you punch it, you see it rise up like a tach.
(you can see the blue color in the pics below)

non hybrid

Primitively speaking, think of it as a hybrid battery turbo gauge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX

Okay so to better help explain I took some pics after inner tonight. Notice we have those beautiful Titanium Gauges but sorry for the quality, it was my iPhone and my left hand wasn't too steady.

This is traveling at about 65 mph using gas only. As you can see the battery is not being used so the power meter is on low/0.


This next pic is when I hit the gas at half throttle, enough to engage the battery. As you can see the battery is now being used and it is reflected in the power meter. This is similar to how the revs in a traditional car rise when you want to speed up.



The next pic shows the level of the power meter it at full throttle (I let off the gas quickly as my G/F was following me ) and as you can see most all of the battery is being used. This is when you get the class leading passing power. I was at 85 MPH in a blink.


I hope this better explains how the power meter on the 450h works

The 450h also has a neat hybrid information display on the NAV screen which shows what parts of the car is producing power or recharging. There are different colors to make it easy to read.

There has been a lot of talk about the 3GS lacking room but I am 6"5, 230lbs and I fit in the front fine. My head rarely hits the roof, only if I put the seat all the way up. I've fit 5 people in my vehicle a few times, not small people and you won't die as some people want you to believe. It is no LS in the rear though.

Overall I much prefer the coupe like drivers oriented dash and smaller dimensions to a vehicle with a larger interior that drives sportier. I don't fully get that.

One thing the 450h lost is trunk space. 7 cubes!! The regular GS has 12 plus. For 2009 they figured out how to make it 10 cubes (damnit) though. To be honest its not too much of an issue. I really stuff that trunk when I need too. Two small luggage bags fit perfect. I will advice to keep a sheet around if you need to use the rear seats and don't want to scratch them.

Which gets to my next point. The 450h is a hybrid that gets better MPG than on the HIGHWAY, not the City. Rated originally 25/28 revised to 23/25. When I first got it and babied it I could average 25 MPG easy, 28 MPG even. Since then, the damn car is just FUN with its every abundant battery torque. So I get the estimate of 23 MPG driving pretty hard. IN comparsion to my 430, that is 5 MPG better, I was getting 16-18 in the 430. So I am VERY pleased with MPG.

The 2GS 430 has a near 19 gallon tank..the 450h 17 gallons. I could barely get 330-340 miles to the tank normally in that car. I've gotten 100 miles MORE in the smaller tank 450h. It kind of contradicts the fact that it gets great highway miles but u can't pack much in the trunk for a highway trip. I've gotten 32MPG easy cruising 55-65 on the highway. Driving it cold and in the city really hurts MPG. Again the car is tuned for speed, not MPG. I've sat and watched the MPG plummet during cold starts and driving in short trips around town (need an HS 250h)

I didn't buy this car just for MPG benefit so I don't keep a log of money saved b/c its a hybrid. There are other benefits like this car is ultra emissions clean and only other hybrids meet this. This car is also HELLA quiet (not hellaflush, sigh). I mean I love it. When you come to a stop the car shuts off. Most times you can't tell a thing. Sometimes you feel a minor move in the rear as the motor turns off. (the manual tells you that may happen so don't be alarmed). In the Lexus manual when the engine is off, the car gets 50% less NVH. I mean it feels like being in a bank vault.

When the battery if full, I can drive around on just electric power. Not for very long, maybe 2 miles tops and up to around 20 MPH. If you have driven a golf cart, that is how it feels and sounds. Pretty cool (GREAT for drive by's). You literally cannot hear the car coming. Its funny b/c the 2GS has an L-tuned exhaust and people say they can hear me coming a mile away. With the 450h, I've literally SNEAKED UP on people. Hilarious!!!

Other amenities are the Lexus usual. I love the keyless entry and pushbutton start (though my leather case is wearing). I love the LEDs all over the interior, so classy. I love the folding side mirrors and they have a puddle light. I love the adaptive headlights, you CAN see them move. I've already raved about the Mark Levinson system and I can't buy a Lexus without it. The NAV is gen 5 and I don't use it often but it has proven its use. I still need to read the manual on it. The glove box is big, the doors have ample map pockets as the rear seats. I DO HATE that there is NO MP3 CONNECTION. WTF. My G/Fs 07 Altima has that. Funny I was one of the dolts saying it was not needed and ridiculous. Boy was I wrong. Luckily new GS now have it.

Values for this vehicle has held VERY strong. I could sell my vehicle today for the same price I bought it months ago. The 450h is a limited production model, only 2k for the USA initially and today its special order only. I love the fact its so rare, I've only seen 2 others since this car debuted.

Its really a thinking persons car. If a salesman knows nothing about it, people will walk out on it as its "different". Even the Lexus hybrid manual says "this car will drive different to a conventional car". It was early for its time but it is catching on as Benz offers a S-class hybrid and Infiniti is bringing a M37 hybrid soon.

Overall I applaud Lexus for being first to offer a different take on the luxury sport sedan. I overwhelmingly recommend this car. I don't see myself NOT buying a hybrid for a conventional vehicle. Gas only to me has to be a very fun vehicle from now on.


I leave this post with the grin I get driving it around and getting asked "wait, that is a hybrid"????

Yes, it sure it

CDNROCKIES

Great review Mike!

You have a beautiful car there.

Oh ya, and btw congrats on your 50K posts.

I8ABMR

solid review from an owner. doesn't get better than that. I have yet to drive a 450h. I keep reading about the added torque and the delivery of that added torque.

encore888

Great writeup, enjoyed reading it!

I haven't had the chance to drive the GS 450h or the HS 250h yet, those I would like to try (for differing reasons). The GSh in some ways is ahead of its time, and that accounts for it being a rare model. Before the IS-F came along it held the title of fastest Lexus, IIRC, and it still is a beast. Interior-wise, I've always found the GS to be more on the sporty/severe side, but still resplendent in top-notch quality and materials; with the GS I love the swoopy door design.

Nextourer

well written and thanks for the update. I too was floored at the GSh's acceleration. It's fast. And I love those 18" alloys.

Fizzboy7

Excellent writeup and good choice.
I've had the lucky opportunity to drive the GSh on three seperate occassions at Lexus events and it truly is blazingly fast. The 0-60 number of 5.2 sounds conservative to me. When driving it back to back to an IS350, the GSh felt faster. Or maybe it's all that mass moving forward, which sometimes gives the impression the car is faster than it really is. Either way, it induced massive smiles and laughter. It's not what you or the people on the outside world would expect from a relatively conservative-looking sedan. That is exactly the type of car I like. One that looks rich, classy, and modern, but pins you to the seat when the urge strikes. Also, and I have said this to people since 2005, the current GS has the nicest styled dashboard I've ever seen in my 25 years following car designs. All shapes, cuts, and lines come together in the most modern and clean way.
As far as this car not catching on too well with the public- it's pricey. And most hyrbid buyers are looking for the mileage, not the speed. But I think Lexus knew this and still produced the car knowing it would be for performance. All would have maybe worked better saleswise if it weren't for having a third GS model in the line-up (the V8).
I am very curious and anxious how they go about redesigning this car. I presume it will get better mileage without sacrificing acceleration, a la the new RXh.

The G Man

Wow, 50,000 post. 1SICKLEX, you must be # 1 in here as far as number of post or at least in the top 10. I just want to thnak you for the posts and you keeping this forum so active and informative.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Nice review and congrats on 50k Do you find that the titanium gauges get washed out when it's bright out? I had a GS350 for a loaner for 4-5 days and there were times I could barely read the damn thing

lucasb7

Great review! I think you summarized the 450h owner's feelings very well.

For those of you who haven't driven one, go do it! You'll have a blast I promise!

madmax2k1

Great review. I think Lexus should focus a bit more on the performance/sporting aspect of their IS and GS models and leave the luxury/comfort for the LS, ES, and their SUVs. The ISF shows that they're capable of that.

mmarshall

Nice write-up, Mike.......perhaps your best one yet. You, of course, in this review, had the benefit and experience of of months of ownership (and a fully broken-in vehicle).........something I usually don't have in my reviews.

The weight penalty, of course, is the extra hybrid motors/battery case. But, as you note, that is negated by the hybrid's added torque and higher MPG.

If it DOES scratch, try a little of the SCRATCH-OUT that I sent you...but VERY gently at first...don't rub it too hard. Then, if the polished-wood surface can take it (it's very sensitive, of course), you can use a little more pressure as needed to get the scratch out.

Do you feel is is as good as the newer Nissan/Subaru units?

One of the penalties of swept-back, humpback-whale roofs (and, of course, they are very common in most newer sedans) is that the rear roofline does tend to cut into the size of the rear trunk opening......I often mention that in reviews. Usually, though, if you can actually get the package/box into the opening itself, there is room enough in the cargo area itself to accomodate it.

With regenerative braking, there should not be the need to use the brakes as much........or as heavy..........as with a conventional vehicle. The regenerative effect places a natural drag on the powertrain and helps slow the vehicle down. Many AWD vehicles, on coasting, have a similiar effect...the added drag of the AWD system lessens the need for brakes on downgrades. I notice that with my Outback.






And, last..............congragulations on 50,000 posts. Keep going, and at this rate, you might catch Henry.

Lextasy89

Great review, I've only had my gs 450h since last saturday and I love it!

IS-SV

50K posts, that's some mega numbers! When you hit 50K I guess you go from being a "Lexus Fanatic" to "I Stare at Goats", cool.

Excellent review. Nothing beats a review by a knowledgeable experienced enthusiast and long term owner.

mmarshall

Agreed. But most reviewers, unless they are like Jay Leno or the Sultan of Brunei with vast car collections, can't afford to own a sample of every car they write up. Certainly me and Mike can't.

IS-SV

Yes, but that's a huge bonus of CAR CHAT (even if it's on a Lexus forum), the members own far more cars than any one individual can possibly own. And the owners have previous ownership experience with many brands/models that we are interested in regardless of what they currently own and report on. They often are seasoned, experienced enthusiasts with hands-on experience with the top premium car brands (which explains their involvement with a Lexus forum).

Some of the non-Toyota/Lexus brands I've noticed CL members owning include BMW, Mercedes, Jag, Rover, GM, Ford, Nissan, Porsche, to name a few.