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2007 Lexus GS 450h Road Test

A Hybrid that sprints to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and produces 339 horsepower?Yes, the term performance hybrid might seem like an oxymoron, but it’s a description fitting of the 2007 Lexus GS450h. As Lexus expands its hybrid offerings to build on the successful RX400h, it seems a natural fit to offer one in a large luxury sedan. V6 economy with V8 power, what’s not to like? Well, there's a lot to like but not a lot to love, so while my time with the GS450h was enjoyable it was also frustrating. The new third generation GS, the first Lexus to employ its L-finesse design language, is an attractive and grandiose sedan, especially

This is the world's first performance hybrid. It's also the world's first rear wheel drive hybrid, if anyone was wondering... (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

when finished in a flattering hue, such as the Icicle Blue Pearl of my test example. It’s a love or hate color, my one friend dubbed it “metrosexual blue”, and is only available on the hybrid GS. Well, unlike him I’m comfortable with my sexuality. The

The cabin of a GS is always a fantastic place to spend time. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

car did catch a lot of looks, but I chalk that up to the color and the fact the GS (or any Lexus for that matter) is not a common car where I live. The final word on color came the day I was returning the car to Lexus, a couple in their late 30s driving an older Maxima motioned for me to roll down my window while stopped at a traffic light and told me how much they loved the color. An aspect of the design I’m not sure about is that from profile the

Glove-soft leather seats are both heated and cooled. Keyless entry is officially on my list of awesome things. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

rear third of the car looks a bit odd, and that even the 18-inch wheels look too small. The fastback design allows for a lot of quarter panel, which I feel is what makes the wheels and wheel wells look this way. Overall I like the GS design, and on the 450h there is even a small hybrid badge in front of the rear wheels, but it’s probably too small for the owner of the Camaro you just pulled away from at a stoplight to read. They would get a good look at the dual polished exhaust tips and subtle deck lid spoiler, mind you.

Mark Levinson System will knock your socks off, 100-percent. The touchscreen nav is just as good. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

As is to be expected in a Lexus, the interior was very nicely finished. Everything had a luxurious feel to it and everything fit together perfectly. My test GS was outfitted with soft grey leather seats, as well as very nice dark grey finished wood on the dash, door panels, console and even the steering wheel. The steering wheel felt fantastic to the touch and featured power tilt/telescoping functionality with ancillary audio/climate controls. The instrument panel is attractive and easy to read, and I liked the brushed aluminum finish on the gauge faces although the kW meter that replaces the tachometer seems kind of pointless.

If you're not used to a CVT gearbox, the GS450h can be a bit, well... weird. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

The perforated, premium leather seats feature 10-way power adjustment, three memory settings (even for the passenger!) and are not only heated but cooled as well. My one complaint came not from the seats themselves, but with the controls for them. The controls were under a very slick sliding console lid that was also the front armrest. If a passenger is in the front seat and the driver wants to adjust their seat heater, then you have to ask your passenger to move their arm or vice versa. The normal/sport suspension setting, power/snow hybrid buttons and the traction control off switch are located in the same place, but they are used less often than the seat climate controls.

Lexus does a good job of hiding some of the other controls, however, such as the

Easy to get in, very difficult to get out - not to do with it actually being difficult to exit the vehicle, it's just so comfy. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

fuel filler door, trunk release, power mirror adjustments, etc, to the left of the steering column in a two tiered drop down pod. The lower part houses the above-mentioned controls while the top part is a small change compartment. It’s been described as a knee knocker, but I could get in and out without hitting it and left it closed unless I needed to use it. One of the features that I am especially growing accustomed to is keyless (fobless) entry and push button start. It’s a great feature especially when picking my 6-year old son up from school and have an armload of stuff. It’s great to be able to unlock and open his door to let him scramble in just by pulling on the door handle. No fumbling with a key fob or trying to remember which pocket I put it in. I never thought I would see the day when regular keyless entry was too much of an inconvenience!

As a luxury car, the GS450h makes sense. As a performance car it needs a bit of work. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

The optional Mark Levinson audio system is simply incredible. It’s one of the best factory audio systems I have ever heard (the Audi S8’s Bang & Olufsen is another) and while car audiophiles and magazine editors complain that even premium factory systems will never sound as good as a well engineered aftermarket system, I’m certainly not going to rip apart my Lexus to install a new stereo. To 99 percent of the car buying public the system is more than adequate. The bass is solid and the whole system sounds very crisp and clean, even at higher volumes. I own a couple of Nine Inch Nails dual discs so I was able test out the DVD audio component of the system. My only knock against it, and I have read of this happening to others, is that sometimes upon playback, certain vocal tracks on a DVD would be missing. I have yet to hear of an explanation. I suspect the system is not set up to hear a certain channel, but it could be an issue in regards to the encoding of the DVD.

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