new_berlin

This little car has been on my mind as a replacement for one of my aging es300s for a while. When I saw a 2010 HS pop-up in my neck of the woods with 60k miles on it, I decided to check it out. The car is being sold by a Lexus dealership, so I assume it falls under their certified vehicle category. Car has rear-camera, navigation and heat/cool seats -- in case that helps narrow down the model.

I drove about 15 miles split between surface and highway. The car exhibited excellent pep and effortlessly did 80mp, so the sluggishness that i thought would be the car's downside turned out to be no biggie (for me.) Also roominess/legroom/cabin-room (at least in front) was better than I expected. On the other hand, I was taken aback by the rough ride and less than "tight" (for lack of a better word) feel compared to my aging ES300s. This hs with 60k drives/feels about as well as my 98 es that has over 150k on it.

Now my questions:

1. I realize that the ES is a bigger car and will have a smoother ride in general but I fully expected that a 2010 HS would easily be more pleasurable to drive than my much older ESes. So the question is -- am I expecting too much? Or is it likely that this HS not been maintained well? Another thing-- the tires on this car were Michelin RADIAL TUBELESS (but there was a valve). Could these tires be the reason for rough/loud ride? (I like/use Michelins myself but an unfamiliar with tubeless-radial)

2. Since this car had the nav+rear-camera, I expected that this was the premium model (or is it tech package?) but the sticker listing states it's a plain HS. Does this make sense?

3. Under the hood, I noticed that the prominent wire (running to a sparkplug) was stripped for a few inches. So this made me also wonder about the previous maintenance.

I really wanted to like and buy a 250h, so I was a bit disappointed. Any thoughts and answers will be helpful. If it's likely that this unit is not typical, I will continue to search (test-drive) for another.

TIA!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

1. Those old ES's had much softer suspensions to begin with. Absolutely tires (brand), over/underinflation can play a role in ride comfort. Lexus's like the HS were derived during Lexus's L-Finesse philosophy before the Spindle. The cars became sleeker looking but some material quality was a let down, as were the firmer (harsher) suspensions. The new suspension tuning around 2013 (starting with GS), yielded a better balance of sport and comfort.

2. The Technology Package: (Available only on Premium model and requires Navigation Package and Wide-view Front Monitor with Backup Monitor) • Driver Attention Monitor • Heads-Up Display (HUD) • Intuitive Park Assist (IPA) • Lane Keep Assist (LKA) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) • Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control

This HS250h brochure lists the breakdown of packages

3. Sorry not sure about this one.

TheAirman

1) Tires and tyre type make a big difference on the HS. It's a tighter more European type ride as compared to the other fat butt, cigar smoking, softer Lexus models. You'll know your tires are worn on the HS because it has a little more road feedback than an ES. As for tubeless tires, I haven't heard of a tube tire on a modern car. In fact, most of the time you can't use a tube in a tire because the the valve stem is part of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Can you even buy a tube for a 18" tire nowdays??

2) If it had heated and cooled seats, it's a Premium model. The Premium also has leather seats and wood accents. Yours probably has the Navigation package only. You would know if it had the Tech Package.

3) You shouldn't be able to see the spark plugs. If you can see the plug "wires", the engine cover is missing. Why would the engine cover be off or missing on the car you are looking at? That would be a question I would ask the seller.

new_berlin

Thanks for the responses Hoovey and Airman. I now have a much better understanding of the HS options to evaluate what I am looking at. Regarding tubeless tires, I am just uninformed I suppose about the term because I've never bought or seen a tire with that called out on the tire and I wondered if that had something to do with the different ride/feel.

The wire I mentioned is the one you see right on top upon popping the hood. It probably is runs to a sensor of some sort, not a spark plug as I wrote.

If I may sneak in another couple questions -- how well is the leather upholstery aging in this car for you? And if you were to test drive a hs today (ie 7 years old) what are the 2-3 things you would look/watchout for?

As you can tell, I might yet join your group :-)

TheAirman

Ok, now I think I know that wire. It's most likely the oxygen sensor wire. And it is most likely not stripped. If I can remember, it has a silicon heat protection cover on it and it only covers a little of it. That might be what you saw.

I have the white leather and just the side bolster on the drivers side show a little wear from getting in and out. Much less than I've seen in other cars, but then I use lether conditioner a couple times a year.

For such an advanced, high tech car, they are pretty much trouble free, which is great for Lexus. Being in AZ, you don't have to worry about exhaust system rust too much as some of those parts are big bucks. But because heat kills batteries, I'd make sure the battery in the trunk was a proper type and keep the Nav screen on the Energy Consumption page so you can make sure the traction battery hols a charge and will charge all the way up (all blue lines).

Also make sure all the owners manuals are there. They are thick and there is a lot to read.