No More Guilty Pleasures... About Driving That Is
Hybrids are slower, weirder and more expensive than conventional gasoline-powered cars, right? While not entirely false, the seriously odd Honda Insight - recently announced to finally be
on its way to pasture - and futuristic Prius - about halfway through its second generation - continue to propagate such a mindset, but on the whole it is hardly accurate anymore. Take the new GS 450h. Not only does it look totally normal, and quite attractive to boot, but it's faster out of the gate than the GS model's base-line gasoline-powered 3.0-litre V6. Impressive, no? Certainly, but that's not even half the story. Amazingly the new hybrid is also quicker than the pricier V8-powered GS 430 from 0 to 100 km/h, 50 to 80 km/h, and scoots to a higher top speed.
And that's where the new midsize luxury hybrid blows away the pricing misconception too. At $76,995 fully loaded, the only way it comes, it hits the market about $11,000 less than an equivalently equipped GS 430! Did you get that? It's faster than a V8-powered GS, is equipped with a similar level of standard features, and saves you $11K right out of the box. So much for preconceived ideas.
At first glance it's unlikely the average luxury car buyer will notice much of difference between the conventionally powered GS and the hybrid model, but
side-by-side there are a number of unique details that separate the two. First off, the new 450h gets black vertical strakes for its waterfall grille, denoting its performance character, plus unique 15-spoke wheels feature a stylish chrome centre spoke in each three-spoke cluster, for a personalized custom appearance. In front of each front tire is a wheel spat; a little plastic aerodynamic aid that guides air around the outside of the car, and if that airflow were to be followed down each side sill, matte-black and chromed rub strips highlight the rocker panels, capped off with "HYBRID" in bold, embossed text.
From behind, there's even less to differentiate the new hybrid from its conventionally-powered stable-mates, other than the chromed "GS 450h" badge attached to the back of the rear deckled. Chrome tailpipe tips look sporty, a discrete spoiler accentuates
the trunk lid, and when seen from a car-length or two away, its meaty, low-profile 245/40/18 front and 245/45/18 rear tires give it a look of substance.
Like the regular GS, that look of substance translates into superb road manners, even when flinging the big sedan through narrow, circuitous roads. And this, despite reasonably significant weight gain thanks to the battery pack lodged behind the rear seatback and additional electric hardware under the hood, results in a very even weight distribution of 51:49, front to rear. Actually, after a day of serious play, made up of high-speed jaunts and apex carving through a mountainous region, in parts hundreds of feet above beautiful Lake Okanogan just north of Kelowna, BC, I actually felt as if the extra girth kept it planted to the ground more effectively than the regular GS. Either way, it's as competent through the corners as any in this class, while delivering the level of ride comfort most German sedans can't, or choose not to achieve.
Hybrids are slower, weirder and more expensive than conventional gasoline-powered cars, right? While not entirely false, the seriously odd Honda Insight - recently announced to finally be
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| Lexus wants to change our perceptions of what a hybrid car is all about. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And that's where the new midsize luxury hybrid blows away the pricing misconception too. At $76,995 fully loaded, the only way it comes, it hits the market about $11,000 less than an equivalently equipped GS 430! Did you get that? It's faster than a V8-powered GS, is equipped with a similar level of standard features, and saves you $11K right out of the box. So much for preconceived ideas.
At first glance it's unlikely the average luxury car buyer will notice much of difference between the conventionally powered GS and the hybrid model, but
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| Nice wheels, fat low-profile tires and "HYBRID" script, no less. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
From behind, there's even less to differentiate the new hybrid from its conventionally-powered stable-mates, other than the chromed "GS 450h" badge attached to the back of the rear deckled. Chrome tailpipe tips look sporty, a discrete spoiler accentuates
 |
| The GS 450h doesn't look much different from a conventionally powered GS. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Like the regular GS, that look of substance translates into superb road manners, even when flinging the big sedan through narrow, circuitous roads. And this, despite reasonably significant weight gain thanks to the battery pack lodged behind the rear seatback and additional electric hardware under the hood, results in a very even weight distribution of 51:49, front to rear. Actually, after a day of serious play, made up of high-speed jaunts and apex carving through a mountainous region, in parts hundreds of feet above beautiful Lake Okanogan just north of Kelowna, BC, I actually felt as if the extra girth kept it planted to the ground more effectively than the regular GS. Either way, it's as competent through the corners as any in this class, while delivering the level of ride comfort most German sedans can't, or choose not to achieve.