by Cheryl Eldridge
The 2014 Lexus 450 (Hybrid) really sets the standards when it comes to classy.
My one week tester with the $60K Lexus 450 H was breathtaking and definitely my cup of tea.
With 30 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, my trip to Memphis, Tennessee was a breeze. No gas guzzling, and in classic, luxury style.
According to Lexus the RX Line has come a long way baby, and like McDonalds says, “I’m loving it.”
As the very first luxury crossover, the Lexus RX invented a language of its own. With its innovative approach to design, safety and utility, the RX translated the needs of discerning drivers into a new expression of luxury. And the legacy continues with the RX F SPORT, the exhilarating apex in crossover vehicles.
The 2014 Lexus GS 450h is the hybrid version of the regular GS 350 sedan, which is reviewed separately. There is only one body style and trim level available.
Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension, adjustable drive settings, automatic LED headlights, LED running lights, heated and auto-dimming mirrors, automatic wipers, a sunroof and keyless ignition/entry. Inside the cabin you get cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated eight-way power front seats with lumbar adjustment, driver memory functions, leather upholstery, a heated power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a power rear sunshade. Electronic features include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, the Safety Connect emergency communications service and a 12-speaker surround-sound audio system with a six-CD changer, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB audio interface.
The optional navigation system brings with it a larger 12.3-inch central display screen, voice controls and the Enform suite of smartphone app features. The Luxury package adds 18-inch wheels, LED foglights, adaptive headlights, additional front seat adjustments, rear climate and audio controls, manual rear side sunshades, and upgraded leather upholstery and wood trim. The Luxury package can also be had with heated rear seats.
Stand-alone options include different 18-inch wheels, an automated parallel parking system, an active lane-departure prevention system, adaptive cruise control and a forward collision warning system, blind-spot monitoring, a head-up display, a power trunk opener and a premium Mark Levinson 17-speaker audio system.
Powering the 2014 Lexus GS 450h is a hybrid system composed of a 3.5-liter gasoline V6 engine and a pair of electric motor/generators fed by a trunk-mounted nickel-metal hydride battery pack. A total system output of 338 hp is sent to the rear wheels through a CVT.
Lexus estimates that the GS 450h will go from zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, which is a tenth of a second quicker than Lexus’ quoted time for the GS 350. The EPA’s estimated fuel economy is excellent for a luxury sedan at 31 mpg combined (29 mpg city/34 mpg highway).
On the Safety side, every 2014 Lexus GS 450h comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, a rearview camera, front and rear side airbags, side curtain airbags and front knee airbags. Also standard is the Lexus Safety Connect system, which includes automatic collision notification, an emergency assist button and stolen vehicle location services.
Optional features include blind-spot monitoring (with rear cross-traffic alert) and a lane-departure warning system that can steer you back into place should you fail to act. Adding the optional adaptive cruise control includes a frontal collision warning system that detects an impending collision and responds by pre-tensioning the seatbelts and activating brake assist.
Though the GS 450h has not yet been directly tested, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its gasoline-only equivalent, the GS 350, the best possible rating of “Good” in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset, side-impact and roof strength tests. Seat and head restraint design were also rated “Good” for whiplash protection in rear impacts.
Inside has the best Lexus tradition, the GS 350h features a finely crafted interior marked by soft leather and rich wood and aluminum trim. Befitting this caliber of luxury sport sedan are seats that are firm and cosseting in equal measure, and limited only by the degree of power adjustments you choose. In back, two average-sized adults should be pretty comfortable, though the BMW 5 Series is roomier still.
The GS 350’s Remote Touch multimedia controller is more problematic. This small, mouselike device adjacent to the gear selector makes sense conceptually, but cursor control is wobbly and imprecise, and making audio or navigation selections is even harder when you’re on the move. Further complicating the process is the system’s lack of a physical “back” button and the fact that all the icons are the same color. That said, we do like the impressively large 12-inch display that comes with the optional navigation system as well as the optional Mark Levinson audio system, which sounds fantastic.
According to Edmunds, Total luggage capacity for the trunk measures 13.2 cubic feet, just a bit less than the regular GS 350. Still, most conventional midsize luxury sedans have bigger trunks. As in the GS 350, the GS 450h’s rear seats don’t fold down.
I really enjoyed driving this Luxury flagship and look forward to more Lexus models in the future.
Until next week, drive safe, Don’t text and drive and buckle up.
