Almost too perfect. |
| 2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre, Auto123.com) |
In what could be a perfect world, there would be no hunger, no poverty, no pain, no bosses, no diseases, you get my drift. In this world, everyone would be comfortable, warm, have a nice house, good friends, you know, a little of everything that makes us all feel good and safe. Again in this life, we would still need to get around. We would therefore need a vehicle that would perfectly match our way of life. This car, in my opinion, would be the Lexus GS 450h. Keep in mind that this is an imaginary world and that I agree that a
Prius, a
Civic hybrid or a Yugo could the same but this is my fantasy and it serves my purposes. This car lacks nothing nor needs anything except maybe some character not unlike other Toyota and Lexus products.
The 450h is the top model of the GS range of Lexus cars. The original GS was available from 1993 until 1997 at which time the second generation GS
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| 2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre, Auto123.com) |
hit showroom floors. The first GS was reasonably received but the 1998-2005 greatly outsold it. For 2006, the present-day GS is strikingly good looking thanks mostly to its L-Finess influenced lines.
Well-FinessedThe
2007 GS has swooping lines that gently cascade from the roof towards the back and the front. The far-back located cabin is accentuated by the highly raked windshield that makes the GS look fast. The wider track and larger wheel well give this GS a far more muscular stance or the previous model. Handsome alloy wheels are always important to bring a car's styling full circle and the 450h's 18" rolling stock does not disappoint. Standard on the GS are a series of subtle side skirts that remind onlookers that this is a sportier Lexus. My tester included the optional rear spoiler.
The cabin is full of premium touches. The most obvious is the presence of California Walnut wood on the centre console, door panels and steering wheel. Hides and hides of supple leather cover the seats and portions of
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| 2007 Lexus GS 450h (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre, Auto123.com) |
the door panels. The plastics and they way the different textures and colors come together are nearly perfect. The layout of the dashboard is comprehensive. My favorite is the touch-screen navigation system; in my humble opinion, they should all be this way. Climate controls are positioned on each side of the display screen while principal navigation menu buttons also find their way on the upper sides of the screen. The seats provide ample support and comfort; I felt very calm and relaxed after a nearly eight hour trek. Headroom and legroom are sufficient up front. The rear occupants have a little less volume to play with but the comfort level is still high. The trunk really suffers volume-wise due to the presence of the batteries. It is almost bad enough to warrant the selection of another vehicle for a family vacation.
