grayson73

Anyone have the Touring model? Curious about the differences in response and ride quality.

Clutchless

They have the same engine but apparently have a sport tuned suspension. Knowing Lexus it will not be much different. According to the brochure, which is too large to attach the touring package has the following.
18x7.5 split 7 spoke wheels
sport tuned suspension
aluminum sport pedals
two tone black and water grey leather trimmed interior
illuminated door sill scuff plates
heated front seats
rear spoiler

The heated front seats and spoiler and I think the wheels are on my Premium model.
I have never seen comments by anyone about one and think they are very rare. Do you have a line on one?

grayson73

Yeah, I see one for sale and am wondering whether it's better to get the Touring model or a Premium with Lane Keep Assist, Radar Cruise, and HUD.

Clutchless

What year is each car and how many miles on each and do you know the service history for either? A Premium with those options is very rare and I think I would prefer them over the sport suspension. However I have not driven a touring or seen what the 2 tone interior seats look like. You should drive both. I think the premium will hold its value better with those options. Where in MD are you? I am in VA near DC.

Also have you searched this forum regarding the touring model to see what others have said?

grayson73

Yeah, I've searched the forum; not much info. I'm in Montgomery county. but work in SW DC.

TheAirman

The HS handles pretty good compared to the ES I drove, but not near as good as the IS AWD I drove. So I don't see how much better the Touring would really handle. I thing the Touring is just a different subset of options compared to the Premium. Remembering when I bought mine, the Touring just didn't offer the option level I wanted. You can always add the lighted door sills and aluminum pedals later. They are readily available from Japan.

But for me, the HUD is a MUST HAVE !! After they stopped making the HS, I thought about getting the ES-h, and the lack of HUD is the sole reason I didn't. Sadly, I don't know of any other Lexus that still offers the HUD. The Toyota Prius might still offer it in an option package, I think.

My next car after the HS WILL have HUD, and the one I am looking right now has it as an option. I think HUD is one of the best safety advancements. Right up there with Blind Spot and Pre Collision.

corradoMR2

^^^ GS, RX, LX have HUD (and in Canada, NX has it available too). Which car are you looking at? BTW, I totally agree on the value of HUD. Had it on my RX and currently NX - it's a feature you think you don't need until you have it.

To the OP: I have only test driven an HS Touring and I found the ride quality a tad firmer and with body roll a tad less though nothing dramatically different vs the one I settled on. Tire brand and tire pressure can play as much a role in the ride quality and handling areas.

lexusinlou

Agreed. I LOVE my HUD. Like you, I will probably never own another car without it. I am on the reservation list for a Tesla Model 3 and there is much speculation in those forums about whether or not that car will include HUD (especially since the dashboard is rumored to have little, if any, instrumentation other than the 15" touchscreen display). I was telling someone the other day that I can't recall really looking at my speedo in the HS. It's just way too convenient to have the MPHs displayed right there in your line-of-sight. With the lane keep assist and radar cruise, I consider my HS as a nice transitional vehicle into the Tesla with its Autopilot function. But that's at least 2 years away. Until then, I'll be enjoying the HS.

RJQMAN

Hi Airman. I agree. It was a huge disappointment when the ES came out without the HUD option. It spoils you - I never want a car again that does not have that option. When I travel and rent a car, it is the think I miss the most. As far as the Touring, I never saw one. And the local distributor only imported models with Navigation and not the full tech package - so I had to go to Texas from Florida to get my first hs250h. And I just bought #3 - a 2010 model - and had to get it from Delaware to get a premium with the tech package.

RJQMAN

I own 3 hs250h cars - and I have never seen the touring model anywhere. For me, I would not even consider buying one without the HUD, and you can only get the HUD with the Premium and the Technology package, I believe. All 3 of mine have the tech package and the HUD feature - the only thing that is kind of a waste is the lane keep assist, as it keeps fighting me when I want to pass someone. The other features are outstanding. It will spoil you for sure.

TheAirman

A Model 3, huh?

We high tech hybrid owners sure are a different class of auto buyers, aren't we?

I like the technology behind the 3. But I don't like the range, nor the infrastructure to support it. In my area, Pittsburgh, the closest charging station is on the north side of town and I live in the south side.

That's why I so much loved the Cadillac ELR. I just wish Cadillac would not have abandoned that vehicle. But they just weren't selling. Nobody wanted an electric Cadillac car when you could get an Escalade SUV for about the same price.

And speaking of HUD, I noticed that the new Mazda CX-3 has HUD as an option. And the one I was looking at, which is just not quite here yet like the 3, is the Mercedes C350e, also has HUD as an option.

Clutchless

My friend's Mazda 3 has the HUD option which comes with their Grand Touring option package. It is projected onto the windshield vs the more expensive method of building it onto the windshield. You can adjust the aim for your height and seat position.