2013 Lexus GS450h
November 12, 2012 ShareVital Stats
Base price: $59,825, including $875 destinationTop-of-the-line price: Approximately $74,245 with the adition of a $14,420 luxury package that includes a Mark Levin premium audio system with seventeen (count ‘em) speakers, a pre-collision warning system, blind spot monitoring, and a navigation system
EPA fuel economy: 29 mpg city/34 mpg highway (3.5-liter V-6 Atkinson cycle gasoline engine plus a two-motor hybrid system)
Standard safety features: ten air bags, including knee bags for driver and front passenger; whiplash-injury-lessening front seats; optional pre-collision warning system
High tech: New (optional) Lexus infrared camera that monitors the driver’s eyes and initiates braking in an emergency situation
Chief competitors: BMW ActiveHybrid 5, Infiniti M35h
Key Points
• Powertrain improvements = a colossal 30 percent improvement in fuel economy compared with the outgoing GS450h (which had EPA numbers of 22/25 mpg)• Oddly enough, Toyota still uses old-fashioned nickel-metal hydride battery, not the lithium-ion battery other hybrids use now
• Consumers note: The price premium over the non-hybrid Lexus GS350 with rear-wheel drive is $12,050
• GS450h can be personalized with the F Sport package
• Cabin is roomier for the 2013 model year
• Above all, though, is the luxury feeling! It’s breathtaking