Choosing your consumption strategy
Like the Prius, the HS allows drivers to choose their fuel consumption strategy by selecting one of four operating modes: Normal, Power, Eco and EV.
Each mode adjusts the heat engine’s fuel supply settings according to throttle input. In Normal mode, acceleration is relatively linear, while Power mode is markedly livelier. The latter is better suited to highway driving where passing is sometimes necessary.
Eco mode is just the opposite, prolonging acceleration to the point of sluggishness. Choose this mode when you want to get the most out of every last millilitre of fuel.
Finally, EV mode allows the car to run solely on electric power as long as you keep it under 40 km/h. It then becomes possible, in ideal conditions, to travel up to two kilometres (the Prius is limited to 1.6 km) without emitting any CO2 whatsoever!
However, to make efficient use of EV mode the driver has to adopt a, shall we say, humble approach to driving. Forget about throttle response and prepare yourself to be passed left and right, as the HS 250h displays all the get-up-and-go of a lethargic tortoise.
A pleasant drive
There is very little to find fault with ride-wise. The suspension settings of our tester ensured great stability at high speed. Power steering proved precise and, contrary to that of the ES 350, not overly assisted.
Some drivers will nonetheless be irked by the micro variations produced by the rather spongy gas pedal as well as the CVT, whose job is to continuously optimize the gear ratio. The slight “swaying” that results is mostly felt on the highway when attempting to maintain a constant high speed. It largely disappears once you engage the cruise control. In the city, where the vehicle’s speed varies dramatically, the problem isn’t as obvious.
Two similar models. Two very different prices.
In Canada, Lexus is proposing two variations of its sedan: Premium and Ultra Premium. Although identical from a mechanical point of view, their respective endowment results in a substantial difference in price – a 9,000-dollar difference, to be exact.
Like the Prius, the HS allows drivers to choose their fuel consumption strategy by selecting one of four operating modes: Normal, Power, Eco and EV.
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| The Remote Touch “mouse” is particularly fun to use. |
Each mode adjusts the heat engine’s fuel supply settings according to throttle input. In Normal mode, acceleration is relatively linear, while Power mode is markedly livelier. The latter is better suited to highway driving where passing is sometimes necessary.
Eco mode is just the opposite, prolonging acceleration to the point of sluggishness. Choose this mode when you want to get the most out of every last millilitre of fuel.
Finally, EV mode allows the car to run solely on electric power as long as you keep it under 40 km/h. It then becomes possible, in ideal conditions, to travel up to two kilometres (the Prius is limited to 1.6 km) without emitting any CO2 whatsoever!
However, to make efficient use of EV mode the driver has to adopt a, shall we say, humble approach to driving. Forget about throttle response and prepare yourself to be passed left and right, as the HS 250h displays all the get-up-and-go of a lethargic tortoise.
A pleasant drive
There is very little to find fault with ride-wise. The suspension settings of our tester ensured great stability at high speed. Power steering proved precise and, contrary to that of the ES 350, not overly assisted.
Some drivers will nonetheless be irked by the micro variations produced by the rather spongy gas pedal as well as the CVT, whose job is to continuously optimize the gear ratio. The slight “swaying” that results is mostly felt on the highway when attempting to maintain a constant high speed. It largely disappears once you engage the cruise control. In the city, where the vehicle’s speed varies dramatically, the problem isn’t as obvious.
Two similar models. Two very different prices.
In Canada, Lexus is proposing two variations of its sedan: Premium and Ultra Premium. Although identical from a mechanical point of view, their respective endowment results in a substantial difference in price – a 9,000-dollar difference, to be exact.
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| The HS 250h is powered by a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder mill coupled with an electric engine. |