Comments on: Lexus unveils 2010 GS 450h

By: twobolt

twobolt — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:16:07 +0000

The thing to remember about comparing BMW/Audi to Lexus pricing is that the first time you pay for your BMW or Audi is when you buy, the second time is as you service it after the warranty expires. Lexus is appealing to so many people because it’s defect levels are SO MUCH LOWER than the European cars. They might design neat prototype mass production vehicles in Germany, they just haven’t figured out how to build yours yet though they are good at pretending. The best example of that is, of course, Mercedes. The last time I checked, $3500 of the price of each new MB sold in the U.S. was the advertising budget spent here to sell it.

Imagine getting to own a car and pay for it only once. That 2nd $50K on the 530i will send one of YOUR kids to college or one of the BMW service writers kids. You choose.

By: superman

superman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:47:20 +0000

Nice

By: A4

A4 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:25:19 +0000

JakeK, it probably came in last in all 3 of them. Probably R&T too.

By: reedfast

reedfast — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:44:50 +0000

tornado GTI
just forget efficiency and buy an rs6 already! That is a quick luxury car.

By: alsvw

alsvw — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:01:26 +0000

what the hell is lexus doing? their cars all starting to look like toyota camry’s and avalon’s. someone at lexus needs to wake up see that their new products are loooking like crap. or just the camry.

By: cereal

cereal — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:40:54 +0000

It’s okay.

I wish they’d give it more flare like it should have. Then again it IS the hybrid version.

-cereal

By: larsim

larsim — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:26:51 +0000

WOW. Nice Camry!
Errrr, I mean, Lexus!

By: Bosley

Bosley — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:33:22 +0000

TornadoGTI, I totally agree with you but somehow this site seems to double as the anti-Toyota-news.com forum for communal Toyota bashing no matter what they do…..

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:09:50 +0000

It has to look bland, or I would characterize it simple, to appeal to people who can afford them. Have you seen many Lexus drivers sporting tattoos? I didn’t. They are sort of blend looking professionals (with large sums of money). Granted, Rock n’ roll legends would not be caught dead in Lexus, and they are the only ones with income to buy those, but they wouldn’t. I suspect Lexus is not actively looking this consumer segment.

By: F50

F50 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:47:10 +0000

Scratchy: Yes.

I don’t like this car much, it has a nice interior and looks decent, but its bland, very bland.

By: A.J.

A.J. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:07:13 +0000

The GS has always been my favorite Lexus. The hybrid just makes it even better.

But it will be blasted expensive.

By: elviososa

elviososa — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:59:12 +0000

Hmmmm……something is missing here…..

By: Sector_15504

Sector_15504 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:16:18 +0000

i can see the HS, LS Hybrid, and MAYBE a RX Hybrid (i live in LA, so hybrids are common here of all kinds), but GS Hybrid is kinda like the Accord hybrid…. performance oriented and not efficiency oriented….. and thats why it isnt selling, or ever will…… when people think hybrid they think amazing fuel econo… not amazing performance….

By: MikeFX

MikeFX — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:57:19 +0000

The GS was a hot looking ride when it first came out, but turned away any buyers over 6′ due to its ridiculously small cabin. Then my 65 year old neighbor bought one (bright red), so Smegley is spot on.

By: scratchy

scratchy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:41:05 +0000

so this is supposed to be the Lexus E class ?

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:31:24 +0000

^Didn’t Car and Driver do a competition where the GS came dead last because it was the most un-involving car in it’s class? It may have been Automobile or MotorTrend.

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:59:40 +0000

Although I definitely don’t like the strange center stack, with the weird buttons on the side, the GS has to be my favorite Lexus of all time. It’s the second Lexus ever made that’s fun to drive, the other being the original IS.

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:54:25 +0000

I never argued otherwise with you? haha

By: TornadoGTI

TornadoGTI — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:51:35 +0000

@sj79 and A$ – I never said I would take this over its competitors but I can understand why some do. I love MY BIG 3 (Audi, BMW, MB). I would take the A6 3.0T then the 535i over this.

Also, not to defend Lexus or knock the Europeons, but they do have reliability going for them. The buyers of Lexus are the same as Toyota but with more money. They are the sensible choice. An appliance for people with money.
The GS450h is just a VERY quick, large luxury sedan, that happens to be a hybrid. Not a hybrid that happens to be a VERY quick, large luxury sedan. The focus isn’t mileage but knowledge of its hybrid roots. Just to say you drive a hybrid. For a lot of people that matters.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:51:11 +0000

I remember the GS being kind of a semi hot car when it first came out, so what happened? Oh wait, I just answered my own question. That would be nothing.

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:50:21 +0000

The good news is that no one forced to buy this. Or wait, who can afford it on this blog

By: KarLoveBoy88

KarLoveBoy88 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:50:14 +0000

It looks the same to me. Boring!!

By: masteryoda83

masteryoda83 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:45:32 +0000

Gosh I really dont like Lexus as a brand. I do have to give Toyota credit for not puling a Honda/Acura and making everything FUGLY. I just think that A4 hit it on the head, the reason we dont see any of these on the road is that anyone who is shopping for a car in this price braket is NOT going to buy this junk. There are so many other more intriguing drives for the same coin.

By: Smegley Wanxalot

Smegley Wanxalot — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:40:11 +0000

Aging empty-nesters who are too good to buy a Buick, REJOICE!

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:31:19 +0000

I’d much rather have a supercharged audi or a twin turbo BMW than a bunch of laptop batteries in a lexus.

By: sj79

sj79 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:28:11 +0000

tornado:

In real world testing this car yielded low 20s in combined mileage. Its barely more efficient than the 6 cylinder competition.

By: TornadoGTI

TornadoGTI — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:26:42 +0000

I like the GS450H. It is the fastest HYBRID (not electric – Tesla / Fisker) vehcile on the road. It does 0-60 in roughly 5.0 seconds. I like that. I am not a fan of Lexus as a whole or the GS line but when you can have a luxury sedan, that is hybrid, still compete with their gas counterparts, I thik it is a win. This is as fast as a 535i or A6 3.0T and faster than an E350. It also costs the same as the others. Seems good to me.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:16:31 +0000

^Yeah driving into work this morning I was thinking about this since I saw a regular GS, trying to remember, did they ever build a hybrid one or did I just dream that? I still have yet to ever see one.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:13:58 +0000

Why doesn’t Toyota just put the Camry Hybrid’s powertrain into the ES? There Toyota – I just sold 20,000 more cars next year for you!

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:13:42 +0000

I forgot this car was even made anymore