Trexus

I don't agree that the HS is in "high demand" in the U.S. but more of it being scarce because of the low demand and with the current low demand it's difficult to find the specific colors and options one might want...

I still think Lexus should give the HS another chance. Just restyle it drop in the new 2.5L engine with a hybrid motor from the new Camry hybrid and market the HS 300h as an entry level luxury hybrid.

We all know the ES 300h hybrid is coming and Lexus should market the ESh as a mid-level luxury hybrid variant from the ES line. I can see the ES line worldwide as:

ES 240 (China)
ES 350
ES 300h

KILLERGS4

LFA is LFA, I can't believe you are using that as your agrument.

dallen1059

the rumor is a fact. my dealer talked directly to his lexus rep and confirmed that after december 2011, no hs 250's will be imported to the USA.. toyota added the hs250 to the US market when sales were slumping in an attempt to keep their numbers up. it was never really planned to be a car for the US market. that's why they never really marketed it heavily, if at all. the rep said that the HS can be a spigot. if gas prices go up, and there is high demand, they can always turn on the spigot again. (MY opinion now...but if there IS a demand, the ES hybrid would probably fill the need, i think). you'll also notice that on the yahoo car sites, there is NO listing for the HS for 2012. I know all this because i was in the process of buying one, when i saw these rumors. i asked my dealer about it, and he said he was unaware of the rumor. i told him that i was sure the dealers would be the last to know. so, he said he'd call his guy at Lexus, and sure enough, he told him what i've reported here. BTW, i bought the car anyway! Hope i wasn't stupid.

RJQMAN

I bought one too and I am glad I did, since the car will not be available, and it was what I wanted - I doubt that the ES will have the features of the HS. If it does, then I was wrong. Only time will tell, since Lexus plays their plans close to the vest.

I think they did plan to bring it to the US as recently as early August - they released US pricing then. Then in mid-August things got a little strange when my local dealer said he could not obtain the options I had specified back in June. I was blaming the Dealer (I still do to a degree), and then the Regional Manager - now I think maybe they had little or no control over it either. I have thought for a long time that the car might be phased out, but I am disappointed that it is being done in such an 'under the table' manner.

If you got the car you wanted, then there is no reason to think you did the wrong thing in my view. To the best of my knowledge, there is not another car out there that has the fuel economy, features and comfort level of a well-equipped HS250H today. Maybe there will be next year. Maybe not.

DDS62

I am not arguing against the HS being phased out. Quite the opposite. It seems more certain as additional sources report their demise. I can't help but notice, however inconsistencies in reasoning. Toyota has stated many times that all of their Lexus automobiles will be offered as hybrids, so why the conclusion that the new hybrid ES will obsolete the HS? I have provided a link from Toyota with statements about new options and other details coming for the 2012 HS, so why the conclusion that since no info on Yahoo, the car is history? Can't deny the credibility of reports from people within the Lexus dealerships, but why not post their names and their dealerships? Certainly that would not be considered a breach of confidentiality for someone in sales.

Magellan55

So, crystal ball time :-) If the rumor is correct, will existing HS's become more valuable or less valuable?

I typically keep cars for 8-10 years, but if my company's stock options soar, I might be looking to trade up to a Tesla S once they are available in my area :-)

RJQMAN

That Fiskar Karma looks pretty cool too. And I think they finally got US approval to sell them here after years of red tape. Not sure I would want an all-electric anything though. Nothing like being halfway between two cities and running out of electricity with no extension cord. I think all electric makes sense for going back and forth from the suburbs to the city in a daily commute, or for neighborhood transportation to and from the kids' activities, but not much sense for a person like me, who spends most of their time going from city to city.

I have my HS250H and I am glad I do. I just broke the Lexus rules though, and colored my grille flat carbon black with 3m vinyl. The sonar/radar still works fine, fortunately, and I really like the looks of my car a lot better, but as my late grandfather used to say in Latin (translated) 'Concerning taste there is no argument.' It is not as flashy - but the chrome around the grille with the angular V-type form near the lower bumper now stands out and makes the front a little 'edgier,' which suits my taste. It has been raining here for three days, but once the rain stops I will try to take a picture and post it.

RJQMAN

As to the name of the salesman (although I do not understand why giving his name somehow would give his statement more credibility) is Ed Stephano and he is at Park Place Lexus in Dallas (Grapevine) Texas. He is a good man who appears genuinely interested in getting the right car for his customers. I contacted them through the internet about a car they had advertised, and ended up driving from Florida to Dallas and trading my Pontiac with 250,000 miles on it for the Lexus. My new black-on-black HS250H is about 1 month old and I have 4,000 miles on it already. I drive a lot.

I think another poster named his source at the dealership in greater Cincinnati as well in a different thread, or quite a ways back in this thread. The bottom line is no more HS250H after January 1st. I doubt that anyone really knows why except the Marketing guys, and they think like a breed apart. I gave up on marketing people years ago when the 'lifestyle' ads started replacing the ads that told you something about the car.

I had read that they first predicted 30,000 a year in sales, then lowered it tom 20,000 a year, then 15,000 a year - and this was before the first one was shipped over, as I recall (I could be a little off on that). Earlier in this thread someone posted the actual sales, which I think totaled less then 20,000 in three years. Again, I wonder if they would have sold more if you could get the darned thing. This approach of Lexus shipping whatever they want (perhaps based on a Regional Manager's projections done months before) and their dealers being forced to sell whatever they get simply, pardon the phrase, sucks. The full slate of colors and options did not seem to ever really be available. And as far as the US market is concerned, it could use some exterior aesthetic tweaking in my book. It needs to be a few inches longer and about an inch lower.

But the technology of the HS250H is way under-hyped. It is amazing - almost overwhelming - it is literally years ahead of anything else out there that is fuel efficient - and the interior design and comfort level is excellent. I seriously doubt the the 'replacement' 300 series will have anything close to the HS250H in technology. Hope I am wrong, though. My wife now wants a car like mine - but I can't get it anymore. At any price. Sigh.

RJQMAN

The reason many of us think that the ES will be marketed to replace the HS is because the Lexus people told us so in broken English at car shows and dealerships. The ES of itself is not necessarily the thing that 'obsoleted' the HS. I truly believe that Lexus intended to import the HS as late as early August, or they would not have bothered to issue US pricing. I suspect the decision was made sometime in August by Marketing people who could not figure out how what changes needed to be made to the car and/or how to promote the HS250H in the states and were too proud to admit it. But that is just my guess.

DDS62

IMO naming the source validates the comment. I have been a message board user in the sports world and I can say without hesitation "you can and will read anything on a message board". I must acknowledge, however the members here seem to be quite responsible.

So it appears that the HS is history. For myself that will end my relationship with Lexus. I have never found the Lexus styling very appealing, save the LS and my wife won't allow me to buy one. Every other car they make save The SUV's have roof lines that are so low they look out of proportion and forward sloping grills that are (IMO) unattractive. All their sedans are designed with the seat practically rubbing the ground. You must fall into the car and pull yourself out. Young people don't notice those things. The styling of the LX and the RX are (IMO) unappealing, the Rx (IMO) is close to being one of the ugliest cars on the road. It looks like a big rat to me! I bought the HS because (IMO) it was the best looking car in the showroom and it had a roof line that was as high as any sedan on the market. With entry exit assist I can sit down and get out holding a cup of coffee and a doughnut. Try that in the ES. I hope the reliability of the HS proves to be good, else my entire experience with Lexus will be a bust. I really hope that this rumor still proves to be false, because I was impressed with Phil Booth, my sales consultant. He even sent me a hand written note 10 months after the sale asking me to contact him about any lingering concern I had about my purchase. Which is what I did when I asked for conformation on the rumor. I had almost purchased an Infinity that I fell in love with, but the people at the dealership were less than congenial and refused to make any effort to obtain the exact car I wanted. In hind site, I would have been better off dealing with the Infiniti sales staff than in trusting in Lexus'.

Magellan55

What's interesting is on the Lexus website the only cars that don't say "2012" are the HS, LX, and GS. Makes me wonder if the LX and GS are being phased out too...

moolman

Anybody interested in a fully loaded HS in NorCal, I'm about to order the Prius Plug In. I admit that I'm a car ****, I know it's not financially wise but it's my vice in life, I don't drink or smoke but I like having new wheels. I was waiting for Lexus to release a hybrid with a Li-on battery, maybe even an updated HS. Maybe, I'll just keep the HS for a bit longer or go with the Prius Plug In. I do love all the tech features on the car, now I wish I bought the one with LED headlights and ML stereo, which are special order only.

They can't discontinue the LX, what are all the Middle East Shieks going to drive around in.

DDS62

Despite the well informed comments here, I am still not completely convinced the demise of the HS is a forgone conclusion. It is difficult to envision Lexus turning the HS into an Edsel, and themselves into an Edsel manufacturer. It has been 53 years since Ford Edseled themselves and even today they are still feeling the reverberations from that decision. Obviously Lexus is not going to discontinue the GS. Can't help but notice that the only references on the net about this HS rumor is right here in this thread. Don't doubt that RJQMAN's source (have no clue about dallen's) said exactly what he reported, but that kind of information should have hit the main stream media by now. There could be other explanations - like different divisions choosing not to import the HS. but I feel the car will be for sale in the States. We'll see.

Magellan55

OK, according to postings on the GS and LX forums, both of those are skipping 2012 and coming out with new platforms for 2013. So that leaves the HS with no apparent future, at least in the US, unless the earthquake hit HS production uniquely for some reason, and they just aren't ready for 2012 yet.

I guess the CT has been more popular, and an ES-based hybrid leaves the HS with too little market share to sustain?

Toys4RJill

We almost purchased one of these. We looked into the Lexus RX hybrid, HS and the CT which we eventually picked up. The HS just did not seem to make a lot of sense to us, very small car where the CT was just so much more reasonable with the hatch on the rear. The RX was out of our budget.

We liked the styling and overall interior layout in the HS but the CT won us over.