MPAMDPHD

Congrats! I have a 2013 GS450h, fully loaded except for HUD and infrared front camera. Kinda sorry I missed the 2014 Siri integration, but really no big deal. I have mine in Deep Sea Mica. Your ride is beautiful. You will find the combo of luxury, economy, and GT driving very pleasurable. The GS450h is not a "tossable" car in the true sports car sense, but it is a blast to drive in the Grand Touring tradition. You will be amazed by the 50-100 MPH grunt. Don't be shocked by the surge of power from 80-100 MPH.....the car is SO poised at 100 you'll think you are doing 60 MPH. Obviously, don't speed, but the car will warp speed you to that if you are not careful. The comfort and quiet is unparalleled, yet I never feel isolated from the road and feel fully connected. The infotainment system is not the best, but you get used to it. Enform is seemingly dated, but it works fine. The mouse is not super accurate, but what the heck, this is a CAR after all, not a lap top. The 12.3" screen is amazing.IPOD integration is sometimes spotty, have to "reboot" the iPod occasionally. The LED headlamp low beams don't seem as bright as my HID's in my 2007 TL, but that could be the self leveling mechanism, high beams are very bright. I think my interior with bamboo trim is retro timeless and perhaps one of the most beautiful interiors in ANY car at any price point. The seat adjustments are amazing, LOVE the butterfly head rests. The rear passenger controls are just cool looking as well as the window screens on the side windows. I also keep my cars a long time, I also have a 2009 Camry Hybrid which has been nothing short of amazing and knock on wood, trouble free. Enjoy the 450h, it's a VERY rare car. I have NEVER seen another one in the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Seriously. I look in parking lots. Freeway and neighborhood streets. Zilch. Nada. Exclusive car. It is a niche car and I realize Lexus needs it for their CAFE requirements. It just makes me feel extra " special" Have a great time enjoying this amazing vehicle.

Im2bz2p345

Hi MPAMDPHD,

Thank you so much for your comment. I love to hear from more GS450h owners - they are so rare, even on this forum! I try to keep a good idea of the 4GS hybrid owners on the forum, so I sent you a friend request on here. Congrats on your fully loaded car as well. I don't have the HUD or night vision camera either - frankly, I think both are a waste, so no regrets.

Blue Sea Mica is a beautiful color. Could you please share some pictures of your ride?

I believe all of your comments are spot on. I agree with you that in that the 50+ mph range, acceleration of this vehicle is brutally fast. It seems like the car never stops accelerating as the revs build up. I'm a huge fan of the interior as well - one of the best that I've sat in for this price range. The comfort is unparallel. I love my bamboo interior - it makes the car's interior so unique. It strikes everyone that sits in my car right away and they just have to ask what material it is. It contradicts beautifully in a dark interior imho.

The tech in the car is definitely outdated, so that's nothing to speak about there. I really wish there was a way to simply mirror my phone on the 12.3" display.

I'm in Texas and I have yet to see another 4th generation GS hybrid either. Granted, I mainly have been exposed to the cities of Austin and San Antonio, but I smile whenever I see another GS350 as well. I have a soft spot for the GS line in general because I think it provides fantastic value and provides the perfect balance between sportiness & luxury in a four door vehicle.

Look forward to see more of your posts on the forum! All the best.

~ Im2bz2p345

jkeller

I've never seen a hybrid GS, never. A rare bird indeed. You mentioned iPod needing rebooting, that's not happened to me. Are you running an older hard drive based iPod? I'm using an iPod nano. Never had any issues. Try running your smartphone through the usb port for a while to see if problems continue.

1111GS

I have to agree with you on the headrest part. I discovered that feature toward the end of my 3 years with the luxury. It's a really nice feature for the neck and head after a long day at work. When I moved to f sport I lost some ride comfort but the part I miss most is that headrest
I saw two hybrid in one single lunch hour back in 2013 and have not seen anymore since. It's funny that I still look out for 4gs and it still puts a smile on my face when I see one. It's the best in class imo.

Prinny

Should be getting my 2013 GS 450H this weekend. It's the base model so I don't get any of the extra goodies that you guys have besides navi . Any suggestions on mods?

MPAMDPHD

Yup, I purchased a used Gen 4 Ipod with a pretty big HD, software is updated. Mmmm...maybe I should use my newer Ipod Touch instead. I prefer directly wiring in rather than BT.

MPAMDPHD

if the 18" wheels are not installed, think about upgrading down the road with 18 or 19", fills the wheel wells nicely. Not a huge priority, but again something to think about. Other than that, the base 450h is sweet! Congrats, you might even have the faster 450h, a few pounds lighter than a so-called fully loaded versions. Depending on what your previous ride was, you're gonna be in for a surprise.

MPAMDPHD

Hi IM2BZ2p345, I just posted some pics. Not a great photographer, so forgive the quality. It's nice to hear from other 4th Gen. 450h owners. It's odd, the car really is a rare bird. Not many were sold in California in 2013. Even when I run into another Lexus owner, it's usually a ES350, IS or "regular" GS owner. We can talk general Lexus shop, but when it comes down to the nuances of the 450 Hybrid, even other Lexus owners look at you with a little bit of skepticism..."really it's THAT fast?". I keep the car for the most part garaged. I do road trips on the weekend with the wife. I l live in the SF Bay Area, so combined with some great driving roads and the unfortunate drought, driving on the weekends has been clear, sunny and enjoyable. I own a 2007 Acura TL, which has over 120K on it, I think I will eventually sell it. I also have a 2009 Camry Hybrid, which is my wife's car and that has 90K trouble free miles (knock on wood). I think the 450h is the tip of the spear for Lexus. I think it is a harbinger of things to come for future non fully electric cars for Toyota/Lexus. The recent scandal and exposure of the fraud of Volkswagen's so called "clean diesel" proves that Toyota and Lexus were right after all to invest in Hybrid technology. Right now, Toyota is at least 2 generations ahead of even BMW in the gas/electric Atkinson cycle design. After over a year of ownership, I still marvel at the seamless power of the two electric motors driving the wheels. It's like owning a Tesla without the range anxiety and not perfected pure electric tech. I think Toyota is eventually headed in that direction with this "beta" high performance hybrid: fully electric 450's are a few seasons away, but I think our GS 450H's will be considered a true "sentinel" car someday. I know, maybe it's all crazy fantasy, but hey, a guy is free to imagine. Let's face it, the fact that you shipped your car across several states and had a truck deliver it to you, means you get it too. We own some amazing automobile DNA, a precursor to a future of high performance fully electric vehicles and as early supporters of the 450h, we were there to get the ball rolling!

MPAMDPHD

The LFA is $400K. Yet, the GS looks like it belongs next to it. NIce!!!

MPAMDPHD

The 3/4 angle of my 2013 GS 450h. Clean and restrained lines.

MPAMDPHD

Right? Goofy as it is, the butterfly headrests are purty cool!

Im2bz2p345

The car looks beautiful in Deep Sea Mica! The car is already rare enough and top of that, you have quite a rare exterior color as well! I know the 2013 GS 350 F-Sport wasn't even offered in Deep Sea Mica.

I checked out the album you uploaded too and it looks like you're really enjoying your GS450h. Your interior color actually makes the car look extra comfy! With your exterior color, the flaxen colored interior would have been my first choice as well, but that's nothing to fuss over. At least you have plenty of options on the car!

You've definitely keep the leather in tip top shape. My biggest "fear" with light colored leather is that it will get dirty easier, but clearly that's not the case. Anything special you do or use? Just curious.

Btw, how many miles does your vehicle have on it? Hope there are many more trouble free miles for you! Enjoy her.

Thanks for sharing some photos sir,

~ Im2bz2p345

Prinny

Thanks haha! Was definitely thinking about upgrading to 18s or 19s the 17s are a bit on the small side lol and the design is okay, but I want something that stands out a bit more. Haven't really come across a set of wheels that I really liked though so I'm not too sure what to do about that just yet. I don't have any plans of dropping it because living in LA these past couple months have convinced me to never try something like that again -__-.

Previous car was a 2003 G35 sedan lol. It was only dropped less than an inch maybe 2/3 of an inch and I was still bottoming out eveywhere...

I'm missing out on the upgraded interior and the LED headlamps .

1fuzzybk

I have never seen one with the 17" wheels. They always had the 18" wheels. That was like a prerequisite from the factory (just like the Nav). Are you sure they are the 17's?

1fuzzybk

There was one in the Bay area for a week, until I cam and picked it up. Then drove it home for the 1250 miles. San Francisco Toyota bought it and shipped it in from Washington.




Test Drive - GS 450h