NOTE: Pricing based on data collected August 2009. Costs of hybridization and forced features are UCS estimates based on information available on manufacturer websites.
See full Hybrid Scorecard methodology
Vehicle Summary
Lexus introduced the GS 450h Hybrid, a luxury sedan that seats five people, in model year 2007. It gets a combined EPA estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg, a very modest 3 mpg improvement over the hybrid’s conventional counterpart, the GS 460. The GS 450h is a product of the brand’s initial “performance hybrid” concept, choosing to sacrifice fuel efficiency gains for improved performance. The Environmental Score for the GS 450h is the worst of all the Lexus hybrids on the market, garnering it only a “Medium” hybrid value despite its relatively modest price increase over the conventional GS 460. The GS 450h is a full hybrid, offering electric-only operation under certain conditions, idle stop/start, power assist, and regenerative braking.
Environmental Score
Compared with the GS 460, the GS 450h achieves a 13 percent reduction in global warming emissions. This is less than half the global warming emissions improvement that its cousin, the Lexus HS 250h, achieves over a comparable conventional model. The low smog-forming emissions for the vehicle earn it an EPA air pollution score of 9 out of 10, matching that of the HS 250h and its more gas-thirsty sibling, the LS 600h L. Despite its impressive full hybrid drivetrain, the GS 450h has a poor overall Environmental Score of 4.9, worse than the Saturn Vue Hybrid—a vehicle that does not even have the technology to truly be considered a hybrid vehicle.
Scorecard Environmental Score methodology
Hybrid Value
The estimated cost of the hybrid system on the Lexus GS 450h is $2,130, a modest price premium compared with the other hybrids we evaluated. But its Hybrid Value is only a “Medium” given the paltry 13 percent improvement in global warming emissions The GS 450h shows that Lexus models are still a very mixed bag when it comes to bringing the advantages of hybrid technology to its customer base in a cost-effective manner.
Scorecard Hybrid Value methodology
Forced Features
By design, the Lexus brand offers premium features on all its models. Both the conventional and hybrid GS models come loaded with premium features, but the hybrid model comes with a few more and earns a Forced Features rating of “$.” Sample Forced Features on the GS 450h include intuitive parking assist, a backup camera, and rain-sensing intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle. Click for the full list of forced features.
Scorecard Forced Features methodology
Hybrid Scorecard Home
Additional Info
Visit the Who’s Got Hybrids section to read comments and stories from actual hybrid owners.
Visit the Reviews page to see what popular automotive websites think of this hybrid.
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