From the July, 2012 issue of Motor Trend

By Kim Reynolds

Every time I observe somebody calculating a hybrid's "payback miles" -- that is, its price premium (if you can figure that out) amortized by its mileage improvement -- I cringe. For those who need simple answers, I guess it's hard to resist, but the trade-offs embodied by these cars are more complex than simpleminded division. Let me flip the conversation: How many people figure out the payback cost effec-tiveness of a concert-hall-quality sound system? A bigger engine? Carbon-ceramic brakes? Nobody. But for some reason, the word "hybrid" brings the calculators out.


If the value proposition of mainstream hybrids is prickly business, grappling with expensive, high-performance, ueber-luxury ones is a cactus hug. And the three most recent examples of this predicament are perfect examples: the new Infiniti M35h, Lexus GS 450h, and Porsche Panamera Hybrid we've gathered here.

To untie the complicated knots these vehicles represent, we decided to tug at the strings from three separate directions. We looked at how they rate as luxury cars, how they compare as performance cars, and, of course, whether they're any good at being hybrids in the first place. This idea of subdividing the problem into a trio of attributes inspired the photos on these pages, which are meant to suggest a triathlon. Hey, play along.

Now, I can already hear the eruption of angry keyboard clatter when you note that one of our three triathletes showed up wearing gold-embroidered running shoes. While the base prices of the M35h and GS 450h are $54,595 and $64,650, respectively, the Panamera Hybrid thudded upon our doorstep at 30 to 40 grand more -- $95,975. To suppress the outrage of any of you 2 Percenters confronted with a 1 Percent car, let's agree now that, if the Infiniti and Lexus fit your wallet, but a 95-grand Porsche just gets you mad, whenever you see the word "Porsche," just skip right over the offending paragraphs. Pretend they aren't there. Deal? Deal.

So let's start with the "luxury" part. Although all three can readily produce long lists of the requisite lap-of-luxury features -- a funny one being the Infiniti's lane-departure chime, which repeatedly sounded around the Cypress College track during our photo shoot (it was detecting the running lanes!) -- luxury is really something you know when you see it. And feel it. Although each of these cars appears to date from a different automotive era, you can see and feel luxury in all three.

First Place: Lexus GS 450h
The best fuel economy here, and substantially superior in terms of driveability. And it handles better than you'd expect too.

After our comparison drive, editor at large Angus MacKenzie asked me which of these cars I'd really prefer to drive. I responded, "Around a racetrack" -- suspecting that's what he was getting at -- "no question, the Porsche. But to the racetrack, the Lexus."
And most of our lives are spent, metaphorically speaking, driving to the racetrack.
And the M 35h? To neither, I'm afraid.


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz1syhkwuKK

But at least as unexpected was the GS' handling while trailing in the Porsche's wake. Though much slower, its tail actually drifted, its throttle modulations adeptly fine-tuned its understeer, and its turn-in was sweet. When I figure-eight-tested the car, I actually yelled out, "I can't believe this is a hybrid!" as it oversteered out of the corners (and with more delicacy than the Panamera, which tended to abruptly snap back into line -- ouch, the neck). A head nod to its Dynamic Rear Steering (active rear wheel steering), which countersteers up to 1.5 degrees below 50 mph for agility and parallel steers above that for enhanced stability. It's not nearly as fast as the Porsche, of course, but -- hold on here -- is it actually out-scoring the Porsche in our three triathlon qualities?

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz1syi2sAEs

After our comparison drive, editor at large Angus MacKenzie asked me which of these cars I'd really prefer to drive. I responded, "Around a racetrack" -- suspecting that's what he was getting at -- "no question, the Porsche. But to the racetrack, the Lexus."
And most of our lives are spent, metaphorically speaking, driving to the racetrack.
And the M 35h? To neither, I'm afraid.


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz1syhkwuKK

But at least as unexpected was the GS' handling while trailing in the Porsche's wake. Though much slower, its tail actually drifted, its throttle modulations adeptly fine-tuned its understeer, and its turn-in was sweet. When I figure-eight-tested the car, I actually yelled out, "I can't believe this is a hybrid!" as it oversteered out of the corners (and with more delicacy than the Panamera, which tended to abruptly snap back into line -- ouch, the neck). A head nod to its Dynamic Rear Steering (active rear wheel steering), which countersteers up to 1.5 degrees below 50 mph for agility and parallel steers above that for enhanced stability. It's not nearly as fast as the Porsche, of course, but -- hold on here -- is it actually out-scoring the Porsche in our three triathlon qualities?

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz1syi2sAEs

the GS Hybrid, ... slightly easier-to-swallow MSRP of closer to $70,000?