Can the discerning car buyer demand high quality and high returns on fuel cost? Yes, they can, and the 2014 Lexus 450h delivers both.
The luxury hybrid class has suddenly filled up with many competitive machines, including such fine examples as the Tesla, Cadillac ELR, Infiniti Q 50 Hybrid and three BMW offerings. How do you pick? Even though it's priced at a premium, I'd start with the GS 450h because through and through, no matter what kind of power plant it carries, the Lexus opulence is what one has come to expect from the Japanese maker.
Of course, you could spend thousands less and get the Camry Hybrid but the hallmark of any Lexus, and the reason you buy it, is the luxurious fit and finish of the automobile. Just look through the window and you'll see the handsome bamboo wood trim and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Pop open the door and slide into the firm, comfortable perforated heated and cooled leather seats, feel the cabin silence with the thud of the door and take in the elegance afforded you.
The luxury refinements continue with an upgraded package that adorns the car with a moonroof, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated steering wheel, LED headlights and a 12.3-inch high-resolution display and navigation. A powerful sound system makes rides a pleasure and the infotainment center responds to either voice commands or by using the mouselike selector. One drawback, and I've encountered this in other models, is the cellphone audio quality is rather poor for a $70,252 car. One other disappointment: Because the battery is mounted behind the rear seats, the trunk cargo area suffers and there's no option to fold the rear seats.
The large LCD displays light up with the Lexus logo on start, and once you slide the car into gear the solid ride and easy proportions of the 450h make maneuvering the four-door, five-passenger sedan easy. Front and back radar and cameras help get you in and out of tight spots and double as safety features when in cruise mode. All the controls are in the right spots, easily accessed and intuitive.
This is a wonderful car to drive and the Lexus Hybrid Drive is a 338 hp 3.5 liter V-6/electric motor combination mated to a electronically controlled variable transmission that makes the car a quiet, smooth cat that glides through the streets but has plenty of pop when you need it. The 450h CVT is configured to perform like the eight-speed tranny that earlier models featured.
Twist the Drive Mode Selector to the newly added Sport and the car's gearing and suspension adjust to give you more powerful acceleration and steering command. Paddle shifters complete the sporty mode, if you desire, as does the red hue of the dash lights. The rear wheel drive automobile delivers 29 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Run this in pure ECO mode and you can squeeze a couple of extra mpg but the performance suffers.
I like the car's subtle lines and toned-down hourglass front grille assembly. The upgraded package features adaptive LED headlamps.
Based at a MSRP of $59,600, our test car had a number of goodies added in addition to the $5255 luxury package. Blind spot monitoring, heads-up display, one-touch power trunk and parking assist add another $2500 to the price; various processing fees land you at our final price.
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