The first GS450h in Texas
06-12-12, 01:02 PM
#17
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Thought the heated steering wheel was part of the cold-weather package (AWD vehicles)....
06-13-12, 02:07 PM
#22
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Triple headlamps: yes, they're only available on the luxury package, which has not yet been made available. I wanted them, but it would have meant a long wait, and no guarantee that the next car would have the driver alertness monitor feature, a rare upgrade that this car has. I also miss the bamboo accents on the steering wheel, also to be included on the luxury package version. But, I can live without either, since the low production means a perfectly spec'ed car would seem either unlikely or a long wait away.
Hyundai Elantra in the background: Yes, it is. My mother was visiting, and she got a new car, too. And yes, we did compare our cars' design elements, particularly from the back. I saw it as a comliment that other car companies were after Lexus' design. Though they are two different classes of vehicle, we did acknowledge how good a choice the Elantra is in its price range.
My next post will be a preliminary review. Since most here on this forum are familiar with the GS350, I'll focus on the differences I'm finding between my new car and the test drive of the 350. I'll avoid the ecological motives for driving a hybrid and focus more on driving, handling, and at least touch on economics, since it's hard not to notice the $8000 difference, putting this car above the cost of an F-Sport GS350 and right next to the rather juicy-looking IS-F.
Hyundai Elantra in the background: Yes, it is. My mother was visiting, and she got a new car, too. And yes, we did compare our cars' design elements, particularly from the back. I saw it as a comliment that other car companies were after Lexus' design. Though they are two different classes of vehicle, we did acknowledge how good a choice the Elantra is in its price range.
My next post will be a preliminary review. Since most here on this forum are familiar with the GS350, I'll focus on the differences I'm finding between my new car and the test drive of the 350. I'll avoid the ecological motives for driving a hybrid and focus more on driving, handling, and at least touch on economics, since it's hard not to notice the $8000 difference, putting this car above the cost of an F-Sport GS350 and right next to the rather juicy-looking IS-F.
06-13-12, 08:44 PM
#23
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Overview: I definitely feel it is worth the extra time, energy, and expense to get the hybrid. The new GS is already a great car, but the advantages of the hybrid platform are worthwhile. Some of my reasons, however, are personal, based on how much I drive, ecological preferences, and a fondness for newer technologies. Purists might miss the familiar feel of engine revving and gear shifting, but this more extraterrestrial driving experience delivers all the instant responsiveness and a little more power than the GS350, coupled with an amazingly smooth and quiet ride.
Advantages: Significantly improved fuel economy, instant responsiveness, the coveted Sport + mode, green tech bragging rights in a sports car, and about everything you've come to know and love in the GS350.
Disadvantages: low production volume limits choices available and produces longer wait times compared to the GS350.
The $8000 difference--why it's worth it: As a recent Motor Trend article praising the GS450h pointed out, hybrid platforms seem to bring out the calculators, figuring the price difference versus the price of gas. I did the math myself back when I still had a refundable deposit on a car that was still half-way through the assembly line in Japan, figuring 120,000 miles of driving over five years (the mileage and age of my trade-in ES350), conservatively estimating the price of gas at today's values. (I expect gas to get more expensive, but I ignored that in my calculations. Note also that I'm in the United States, and I understand petroleum is a lot more expensive in other parts of the world; those of you in Europe may have very different math results.) I figured that the raw MPG difference came to the equivalent of pre-paying for about $5000 worth of gas. That still leaves me about $3000 behind the rest of you if just going by price of gas. Some of that is recouped by the inclusion as standard on the 450h several features that are upgrades on the 350--most notably the entire cold weather package and the S+ driving mode (but without the full luxury or F-Sport package contents, so no wood-accented steering wheel or striated aluminum accents.) I still figure, after applying these extras, that I'm spending about $1500 on the remaining differences in power plants besides gas mileage. I do feel that the performance upgrades justify the difference, even if I didn't carry cloth grocery bags or feel the deep inner message of James Cameron's Avatar.
By itself, the GS450h engine is not the same as the one in the GS350. It's the same size, but it is engineered differently, an Atkinson cycle engine (thanks to Wikipedia for explaining that to me) that is slightly less powerful but more energy-efficient than the one in the more familiar GS350. Adding an electric motor, however, bumps up the power by about 33 horses. Note that people pay more than ($1500 for F-sport accessories that add less than that.) My wife's car is an RX400h, Lexus' first hybrid, so I knew what to expect compared to RX350 loan SUVs (before the newer body style, which handles differently enough to make it an apples-to-helicopter comparison)--a smoother ride with a floating sensation that comes not from lack of contact with the road so much as from driving around with an engine completely shut off. Lexus advertised improvements in their hybrids since then, and the difference is noticeable. In the older RX400h, the transition from electric to gas feels like a shift from first to second gear. In the new GS450h, it's invisible, at least in ECO mode. The engine sneaks its way on almost invisibly, and that floating sensation on tires, road, and one's hiney in seat continues uninterrupted if you're driving nicely.
But, turning the **** to Sport +, I get exactly the same pull and responsiveness I got on the GS350 test drive. All the instant extra power is there. The hybrid power gauge does that sudden transformation to a tachometer, the same suspension and steering changes happen, and this car experiences the same lycanthropic affliction as its GS350 counterparts. I have yet to give it a run on a highway, so all I can report at this point is on getting into and out of intersections, but the power and performance is all there. However, while the 350 growls its way through, the 450h's hybrid system maintains relative silence, even as it punches it. Personal taste, I admit, but I prefer it this way.
As mentioned on previous posts in this forum and the hybrid sub-forum, I had a bit of a wait on this car, and there weren't a lot of choices. Indeed, this one was the only choice--not metaphorically, as in, "I have to have the black one; it's the only choice for me," but as in, "we have a black one; that's it," or rather, "we will have a black one, once they finish it." My sales rep estimates that Lexus sends only about one GS450h for every 30 or so GS350s sent to the U.S. Those of you in Europe may fare better, since hybrids and fuel efficiency are taken more seriously over there. Some of you are blessed with the eventual promise of an F-Sport GS450h. We aren't, though eventually some of the GS450h's sent will offer a Luxury Package that will include the alternate headlamps and wood-accented steering wheel, as well as other nice features I would have liked to have gotten but for which didn't feel like waiting around. I was hoping for a tan interior, and although black was among my top color choices, I think I might have gone with silver or dark red if the choices had been available. Still, when I learned about the black-on-black combination, it instantly fascinated me, especially since it included the driver alertness monitor feature I wanted, since I'm an ER physician who drives two hours to and from work several times a week. I thought I'd seriously consider it. When I found out that the only other choices available are still parts and raw material right now, I decided to go for it. When it was delivered, I learned from the dealer that it was the very first one sold in Texas.
I still have some driving to do before I can fully confirm, but experiences so far live up to expectation. I do my first two hour commute tomorrow morning. I'll offer comments on its other features such as the Mark Levinson audio, as I have a chance to try it out. I've heard one song so far ("Elemental Light," the second track off The Cult's new album Choice of Weapon), and it sounds great. Since I do most of my music listening and discovery on the road, I'm glad the upgraded sound system was included. I still have yet to try out a lot of normal GS features, like the new App Suite. (Are there any 4GS' out there without the nav. system?) A lot of what I'm finding out is probably the same as what most of you got to find out with your GS350s. As a techie and an enthusiast of Lexus hybrids, I'm honored to get to be among the first to have this new incarnation.
Advantages: Significantly improved fuel economy, instant responsiveness, the coveted Sport + mode, green tech bragging rights in a sports car, and about everything you've come to know and love in the GS350.
Disadvantages: low production volume limits choices available and produces longer wait times compared to the GS350.
The $8000 difference--why it's worth it: As a recent Motor Trend article praising the GS450h pointed out, hybrid platforms seem to bring out the calculators, figuring the price difference versus the price of gas. I did the math myself back when I still had a refundable deposit on a car that was still half-way through the assembly line in Japan, figuring 120,000 miles of driving over five years (the mileage and age of my trade-in ES350), conservatively estimating the price of gas at today's values. (I expect gas to get more expensive, but I ignored that in my calculations. Note also that I'm in the United States, and I understand petroleum is a lot more expensive in other parts of the world; those of you in Europe may have very different math results.) I figured that the raw MPG difference came to the equivalent of pre-paying for about $5000 worth of gas. That still leaves me about $3000 behind the rest of you if just going by price of gas. Some of that is recouped by the inclusion as standard on the 450h several features that are upgrades on the 350--most notably the entire cold weather package and the S+ driving mode (but without the full luxury or F-Sport package contents, so no wood-accented steering wheel or striated aluminum accents.) I still figure, after applying these extras, that I'm spending about $1500 on the remaining differences in power plants besides gas mileage. I do feel that the performance upgrades justify the difference, even if I didn't carry cloth grocery bags or feel the deep inner message of James Cameron's Avatar.
By itself, the GS450h engine is not the same as the one in the GS350. It's the same size, but it is engineered differently, an Atkinson cycle engine (thanks to Wikipedia for explaining that to me) that is slightly less powerful but more energy-efficient than the one in the more familiar GS350. Adding an electric motor, however, bumps up the power by about 33 horses. Note that people pay more than ($1500 for F-sport accessories that add less than that.) My wife's car is an RX400h, Lexus' first hybrid, so I knew what to expect compared to RX350 loan SUVs (before the newer body style, which handles differently enough to make it an apples-to-helicopter comparison)--a smoother ride with a floating sensation that comes not from lack of contact with the road so much as from driving around with an engine completely shut off. Lexus advertised improvements in their hybrids since then, and the difference is noticeable. In the older RX400h, the transition from electric to gas feels like a shift from first to second gear. In the new GS450h, it's invisible, at least in ECO mode. The engine sneaks its way on almost invisibly, and that floating sensation on tires, road, and one's hiney in seat continues uninterrupted if you're driving nicely.
But, turning the **** to Sport +, I get exactly the same pull and responsiveness I got on the GS350 test drive. All the instant extra power is there. The hybrid power gauge does that sudden transformation to a tachometer, the same suspension and steering changes happen, and this car experiences the same lycanthropic affliction as its GS350 counterparts. I have yet to give it a run on a highway, so all I can report at this point is on getting into and out of intersections, but the power and performance is all there. However, while the 350 growls its way through, the 450h's hybrid system maintains relative silence, even as it punches it. Personal taste, I admit, but I prefer it this way.
As mentioned on previous posts in this forum and the hybrid sub-forum, I had a bit of a wait on this car, and there weren't a lot of choices. Indeed, this one was the only choice--not metaphorically, as in, "I have to have the black one; it's the only choice for me," but as in, "we have a black one; that's it," or rather, "we will have a black one, once they finish it." My sales rep estimates that Lexus sends only about one GS450h for every 30 or so GS350s sent to the U.S. Those of you in Europe may fare better, since hybrids and fuel efficiency are taken more seriously over there. Some of you are blessed with the eventual promise of an F-Sport GS450h. We aren't, though eventually some of the GS450h's sent will offer a Luxury Package that will include the alternate headlamps and wood-accented steering wheel, as well as other nice features I would have liked to have gotten but for which didn't feel like waiting around. I was hoping for a tan interior, and although black was among my top color choices, I think I might have gone with silver or dark red if the choices had been available. Still, when I learned about the black-on-black combination, it instantly fascinated me, especially since it included the driver alertness monitor feature I wanted, since I'm an ER physician who drives two hours to and from work several times a week. I thought I'd seriously consider it. When I found out that the only other choices available are still parts and raw material right now, I decided to go for it. When it was delivered, I learned from the dealer that it was the very first one sold in Texas.
I still have some driving to do before I can fully confirm, but experiences so far live up to expectation. I do my first two hour commute tomorrow morning. I'll offer comments on its other features such as the Mark Levinson audio, as I have a chance to try it out. I've heard one song so far ("Elemental Light," the second track off The Cult's new album Choice of Weapon), and it sounds great. Since I do most of my music listening and discovery on the road, I'm glad the upgraded sound system was included. I still have yet to try out a lot of normal GS features, like the new App Suite. (Are there any 4GS' out there without the nav. system?) A lot of what I'm finding out is probably the same as what most of you got to find out with your GS350s. As a techie and an enthusiast of Lexus hybrids, I'm honored to get to be among the first to have this new incarnation.
06-13-12, 08:48 PM
#24
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Additional comments: I may look into adding the LED triple headlamps later, the way some of you are switching out front ends for the F-Sport version. (I've even entertained the thought of doing that, too.) I'm kind of hesitant to change anything, though, because it's so nice as-is, and everything is working. Still, over time, the bug may get to me, especially once I start seeing others with that feature--if I see them. I've seen three or four GS450h's of the last body style in the wild over the past five years, and I don't expect to see very many of this one other than mine--though I'd love to see more of them.
06-13-12, 09:39 PM
#26
Lexus Test Driver
Interesting choice of exhaust treatment on Lexus's part. I think at this price point, to rob the hybrids of chrome is a mistake.
Love that interior. The contrasting light wood is very classy and upmarket. That is exactly the combination I'd go for.
Congrats and enjoy this beauty!!!
Love that interior. The contrasting light wood is very classy and upmarket. That is exactly the combination I'd go for.
Congrats and enjoy this beauty!!!
Last edited by Fizzboy7; 06-14-12 at 10:23 PM.
06-14-12, 11:45 AM
#28
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Beautiful car! I can wait a year or so when it's a little more common and more options available, but it's a tough wait 
Can you please update with real-life MPG numbers later?
Can you please update with real-life MPG numbers later?
06-14-12, 12:25 PM
#29
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Thanks to all of you. I'm also very pleased with the matte bamboo wood. I don't miss the chrome tailpipe accents, and I agree with Lexus' decision to de-emphasize them on the hybrid.
The car arrived at my house with about 40 miles on it and 24 mpg average. After I did my hour and 40 minutes to work, mostly highway, I am up to 30.4 mpg this tank. I was mostly in ECO using cruise, but I discovered the practicality of Sport + in getting around a slow-moving van on a country back road.
The dynamic radar cruise was nice, and I saw its responsiveness when someone pulled in front of me suddenly. Before I reflexively switched off cruise, the car started braking on its own.
Got to listen to the Mark Levinson audio, and the difference from my last ES350 audio was pretty significant. Mp3s had CD quality, and something I recorded analog off YouTube even sounded good. Hats off to whoever programs DSP.
I have yet to try the Enform apps. I had a brief glitch getting them configured when the car first arrived; it was so new that Enform did not have the VIN number on file until later that afternoon after my dealers made some phone calls. Granted, I bought the car while it was still in Japan.
More to report as I find out. Next I'll test Pandora. (You're not in Kansas anymore!)
The car arrived at my house with about 40 miles on it and 24 mpg average. After I did my hour and 40 minutes to work, mostly highway, I am up to 30.4 mpg this tank. I was mostly in ECO using cruise, but I discovered the practicality of Sport + in getting around a slow-moving van on a country back road.
The dynamic radar cruise was nice, and I saw its responsiveness when someone pulled in front of me suddenly. Before I reflexively switched off cruise, the car started braking on its own.
Got to listen to the Mark Levinson audio, and the difference from my last ES350 audio was pretty significant. Mp3s had CD quality, and something I recorded analog off YouTube even sounded good. Hats off to whoever programs DSP.
I have yet to try the Enform apps. I had a brief glitch getting them configured when the car first arrived; it was so new that Enform did not have the VIN number on file until later that afternoon after my dealers made some phone calls. Granted, I bought the car while it was still in Japan.
More to report as I find out. Next I'll test Pandora. (You're not in Kansas anymore!)
06-14-12, 12:45 PM
#30
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Additional notes: the ECO indicators: interestingly enough, unlike most other new Lexus, this car does not prompt low consumption with a green leaf indicator. It was probably felt to be redundant, since in normal and eco drive modes, the tachometer is replaced with a combined engine/motor output indicator that shows charge when braking and coasting, eco in mid-range, and power when flooring it. There is a green EV light that shows whenever the gas engine is off and the car running on electric power alone. This lights up whenever this happens, not just when using the EV drive mode, which can only last short distances at low speeds.