2007 Lexus GS 450h Road Test

Composed, competent handling makes a vehicle safer. In addition to such handling, Lexus had equipped the GS 450h with more electronic safety nets than hockey nets in the NHL, when they're not on strike or golfing that is. The list goes like this: Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management

2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

(VDIM), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC) and Hill-start Assist (HAC). Suffice to say this array of artificial intelligence works collectively to keep the GS 450h shiny side up and out of trees. This is a comprehensive bundle of leading-edge technology that, due to the inability to completely deactivate, could frustrate the purists among us. With that, I'll suggest the GS 450h isn't really the sort of sled you'd expect to hang a tail with attacking the next good bend, so why get uppity about its Nanny electronics? Regardless of one's cornering prowess, there's little doubt that the sensitivity of the car's brake setup is going to take some getting used to. Perhaps due to its regenerative braking technology, the 4-wheel antilock disc-brake installation likes to firmly grab hold if anything greater than a warm breath encounters the pedal. Okay, so I jest but you get my point. Like the acceleration produced by the combination of a V6 engine and a high-torque motor, the combination of disc brakes and regenerative braking attack a rolling wheel like piranhas on a carcass.

Clearly the athletic driving dynamics of the GS 450h and its exhilarating hybrid powertrain are what make the 4-door, 5-passenger sedan such a unique and rewarding driving experience however as a Lexus, there's plenty more to raise a pulse. To start with, the GS 450h is mid-size-sedan

2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

eye candy. It exhibits sharp, rakish lines and a take-no-prisoners stance. Occupying the driver's seat places one in a leather and wood laden cockpit that's as modern and well-constructed as any out there. It's also fitted with the very latest in gizmos and gadgets such as voice activation, navigation with rear parking camera, Bluetooth wireless technology, heated and ventilated front seats and an awesome, 14-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. In fact there's nothing to add because the GS 450h comes one way- loaded. You name it- you'll find it. If there's an aspect to the vehicle's opulence not in keeping with Lexus benchmarks, it would in my mind relate to the road noise generated by the low-profile Dunlops affixed to each corner. For some reason, a hollow-sounding tire drone that presents itself on all but the most polished surfaces tends to detract from the cabin's serenity.

Hopefully nothing will detract from the remarkable fuel economy Lexus projects for the GS 450h. According to their literature, the expensive sedan will offset its price of ownership with fuel economy ratings of 8.7 and 7.8

2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Rob Rothwell)

litres per 100 kilometres (32 / 36 mpg) respectively. If these figures are accurate, driving the GS 450h ought to be fiscally responsible, perhaps even ethical when compared against competing, non-hybrid luxury brands. Calculate-in the significant reduction in exhaust emissions that hybrids hold over conventionally-powered vehicles and driving something as hedonistic as the GS 450h may become as respectable as driving a Toyota Prius. Perhaps it's time for Brad Pitt to upgrade. I holdout great hope for the GS 450h. Yes, there are some unanswered hybrid questions such as long-term reliability and battery life, but moving away from our insatiable reliance on fossil fuels is a good thing, even if the evolution takes time. In the interim, Lexus is offering the opportunity for buyers of premium marques to step up to the plate and hit one for good old Mother Earth.


Impressive
.Unrelenting thrust
.Lexus luxury and build quality
.Superb handling
.Hybrid technology

Unimpressive
.Tire noise
.Inability to deactivate electronic Nanny
.Poor trunk space
.Unanswered long-term hybrid performance and reliability
.$76,900 to call it "mine"