Imagine a gas sipping hybrid that is actually fun to drive, comfortable and yes, luxurious. Pretty incredible, eh? Now imagine two of them! Toyota, and its luxury division, Lexus, have teamed up to provide two of the most satisfyingly drivable hybrids on the market.
The first the Toyota Prius -- has been around a while and has defined the hybrid in the minds of most consumers. When it first came out, Hollywood superstars traded in their Ferraris and Bentleys for a little Prius in a pious sacrifice on the altar of environmental correctness. Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow and Leonard Di Caprio have all been spotted driving their Prius cars in Hollywood, Westwood, Santa Monica and Malibu.
The original Prius was cramped and underpowered. Not so for 2010. It is larger, roomier and frankly a pleasure to drive. This reviewer once drove from Atlanta to Ft. Stewart with CNNs Clark Howard, the consumer expert, in his 2005 Prius. Clark is way over six feet tall and I am just six. In our army boots and with all our gear, we felt like sardines in a can. Not so today. The completely redesigned interior offers surprising head, hip and shoulder room for front and rear passengers alike. The Hybrid Synergy Drive is Toyotas exclusive design that makes the electric and gas power plants work together efficiently and with real oomph for such diminutive sources. 154 foot-pounds of torque never felt so hunky. Fully equipped, the Prius has all the stuff luxury car buyers demand. Like premium sound, navigation, satellite radio, backup camera (especially useful given the limited rear visibility) and automatic dual control climate system.
Hey it even looks rather attractive. Unlike the Prius of yore, it resembles a real car. With big, wide 17 inch alloy wheels. No longer do you feel compelled to put on your Birkenstocks or Earth Shoes to drive it.
Starting at around $22,000 the Prius is an exceptional value. And at 50 mpg, youre saving a whole lot more.
In a lunch conversation with a Toyota spokesperson the other day, I was told what the difference was between the Prius and the new 2010 Lexus 250h. Its simple, he explained, The Prius is a hybrid that happens to be luxurious, and the Lexus is a luxury car that just happens to be a hybrid.
A walk around the 250h reveals an attractive, substantial, almost beefy-looking sedan, in sharp contrast to most econo-hybrids. Large 18 inch alloys put a lot of rubber on the four corners. It looks like a Lexus and only a discrete chrome h on the rear, gives away the fact it is a hybrid. Merging onto GA400 heading North toward Roswell, I was astounded at the power.
Rather than just glue Lexus badges on a Prius or Camry Hybrid, Lexus based the HS 250h sedan on a specialized platform not utilized by any other Toyota or Lexus hybrid. In terms of size, it's bigger than a Corolla but smaller than a Camry. As for the driving experience, though, it's all Lexus, with refined performance, a smooth and quiet ride and an impeccably trimmed cabin chock-full of the latest (but easily operated) high-tech features. The center console is impressive it looks like something out of the space shuttle but without a manual (they hadnt printed one yet when I got a hold of the car) I was able to figure out just about everything it was that intuitive.
The HS 250h borrows its power train from the Camry Hybrid, which is both bigger and more powerful than that used in the Prius. This allows it to post a 0-60-mph time of 8.7 seconds -- fairly quick for a hybrid vehicle. As for fuel economy, the HS 250h has an EPA fuel economy estimate of 35 mpg in combined driving. This is significantly less than the Prius' combined rating of 50 mpg, but it's still the highest of any luxury-branded hybrid vehicle.
The 250h actually turned heads in the valet lane and the carpool turnaround. Most were surprised to learn it was a hybrid. Backseat passengers reported that there was much more room than expected for what might be called a luxury compact. Starting at $34,000, and smartly equipped at $40,000, the Lexus 250h is a luxury car that a corporate executives most critical stockholders would approve of.
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