I would also bet that 50 - 70 % of the buyers of this car can barely afford it in the first place. Slap on top of that poor FE, and they can't afford to drive it at all.

And for the guy to be "ashamed" of the mileage performance, shame on him. The first thing he SHOULD say to a stranger is, I can get 25 MPG without sacraficing any performance.

so, i see this thread had been around for a while, what are your opinons on this car? my neighbor has a lexus & is an avid fan of the make, since i'm in the market for a hybrid, & since i'm tired of being cramped in a chevy cavalier coupe, what are your realistic, real-world opinioons of this car?

This Lexus looks like it doesn't gets real good mileage for being a Hybrid. Can anyone tell me why that is?

One of my co-workers has one and it is a nice ride. He has a long commute and the quiet comfort improves the quality of his ride. It isn't great in MPG but it is comfortable.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Hello all, It's been a while since i posted...

Now, regarding the post,
Since everyone has different personalities and tastes, It's good to know that there many choices to choose from to suit their likings on what they want to drive and be seen in. For some reason, the BMW 5 series still appeals to me, I dont know, that's just me; maybe another reason is a prefer to drive a stick and prefer a stiffer ride.
I'm glad you like the lexus, good for you, therefore it's good to know there are people out there for every car in this class. That keeps competition alive so these companies keep making even better cars for all of us to admire.
i wouldnt go as far as calling people stupid because they place their hard earned money where they want to put it. Instead i would consider it really stupid if people were to pay that much for something they didnt like and regret in the end.

I can see were your coming from, but some people just like the idea of cleaner emissions, etc.

Instead, maybe focus on Lexus's contradictory statements, trying to pitch the GS 450h as the perfect sports car. The regular GS is far from sporty, and I wonder what the hybrid drivetrain would do to it. Heck, even the LS is more sporty than the GS.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the E320 CDI yet.

E320 CDI Blutec

Base price: $52,325
Fuel tank: 21.1 gal
Weight: 3,860 lb
Emissions: Tier 2 Bin 8 (Bin 5 w/ AdBlue)
Trunk: 15.9 cu ft
0-62: 6.8 seconds
US EPA MPG: 27/37

GS450h
Base price: $55,615
Fuel tank: 17.2 gal
Weight: 4,134 lb
Emissions: Tier 2 Bin 3
Trunk: 7.5 cu ft
0-62: 5.9 seconds
US EPA MPG: 25/28

The Lexus contributes more to climate change and foreign oil while the Merc contributes more to air pollution (still a lot cleaner than our Bin 10 '03 Odyssey). I'd go for the more practical (actual trunk and longer range) Merc myself, especially since it can run on biodiesel. Actually I'd go for the upcoming 530d (with BMW's version of Blutec and AdBlue), which is even more efficient according to the Euro cycle.

Before we bought our TCH we were sitting in a mercedes dealer negotiating on a E320 CDI. We had the price down to $40,000, but still decided to walk since we were able to get into the Camry for $10,000 less and it burns less fuel, and the fuel costs less. The E320 was a very tempting car mainly because the seats are so comfortable.

I always thought the LS series was for smooth riding luxury and the ES series was for sporty handling.

BTW, how much is the Blutec and AdBlue addatives? How long does it last?

Has anyone else noticed that all the people on this thread are Camry Hybrid owners?

I had a really fun time with an Audi A4 before the TCH. I hope to test-drive a GS hybrid soon, because I want to know if my TCH driving style can get better gas milage out of the Lexus. In all honesty I can't afford one right now but my tryst with the Audi Quattro has spoiled me. The Camry is a great comfortable highway cruiser, however. And I discovered that its VDIM, while no match for Audi's AWD, can manage very well in gravel or ice.

Regarding the AdBlue: the urea is supposed to last as long as the engine oil, if not longer. You'd get the dealer service subscription and not worry about it. It's not intended to be a user-service item.

If you care about any additional service fee then you're not a Mercedes customer. Which is the main reason I am a Toyota owner again. Since I chose to get into a new Toyota sedan I purchased the best and here I am on a hybrid web site...

I will report back after testing the Lexus hybrid vs. the Camry hybrid.