Lexus HS News

  • 2010 Lexus HS 250h

    Some owners of the 2010 Lexus HS 250h will find an unfortunate notice in their mailboxes next month. Lexus has issued a recall of the hybrid car over the hybrid transaxle, which can potentially fail altogether. If an affected HS 250h's hybrid system does go kaput, the luxury brand says power steering and brake assist functions will work normally, but the system's shutdown increases the risk of a crash at higher speeds. DON'T MISS: Lexus Discontinues The HS 250h Hybrid, Quietly This latest issue marks the seventh time Lexus has recalled the HS 250h since 2010. Lexus says 18,000 HS 250h hybrids...

  • chrysler aspen dodge durango hybrids 002
    Ten Used Hybrid Cars To Consider Steering Clear Of: UPDATED

    Some used cars are better bets than others. And just as new hybrid cars vary in efficiency, driving quality, and sales volume, some used hybrids may be a more conservative bet than others. A used Toyota Prius is by far the most familiar and most numerous hybrid, with more than 7 million sold...

  • The 2010 Toyota Prius
    Recall For Some 2010 Toyota Prius, Lexus HS 250h Models

    Toyota said today it would recall some 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid cars in the U.S. due to a potentially faulty brake-pressure accumulator. The component, said the company, may develop an internal crack due to metal fatigue caused by vibrations over the course of the vehicle...

  • 2010 Lexus HS 250h
    Lexus HS 250h Hybrid Car Recalled For Potential Loose Suspension Fault

    Lexus is voluntarily recalling some of its now-discontinued HS 250h entry-level hybrid luxury sedans after it determined that incorrectly-adjusted components on the rear suspension arm could age prematurely and cause suspension failure. According to its official release, the safety recall only...

  • 2011 Lexus HS 250h
    Five New 2012 Hybrid Cars To Consider Steering Clear Of

    Say "hybrid car," and most people think Toyota Prius. The Japanese maker has sold roughly 3 million Prius models worldwide since 1997, which is more than half of all the hybrids in the world. The 2012 Toyota Prius remains the gold standard among hybrid-electric vehicles, with three of its four...

  • 2010 Lexus HS 250h
    Green-Car Death List: 2012 Models To Which We Bid Adieu

    Every year, some car models pass from our midst, often dying quietly and unnoticed. Here's our list of the green cars that are no longer with us. There were, of course, more cars than just this handful of the greenest models that died in 2012; here's a more complete list. Chevrolet Aveo While the...

  • 2011 Lexus HS 250h

    “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away,” once penned songwriter Neil Young, addressing the hazards of a life lived in the spotlight. If you were a fan of the Lexus HS 250h hybrid, you’ll be saddened to learn that fading away is exactly the fate of Lexus’ compact hybrid sedan. Lexus has dropped the car from production, without making any kind of official announcement of the hybrid’s demise. Remaining stock will be sold from dealer and port inventory. When confronted by Inside Line over the car’s in-limbo status, Toyota’s official word was...

  • 2011 Lexus CT 200h compact hybrid hatchback, road test, June 2011
    2011 Lexus CT 200h Compact Hybrid Hatch: First Drive Review

    The 2011 Lexus CT 200h pretty much occupies a class of one. At the moment, it’s the sole luxury compact hybrid hatchback sold in the U.S. And it’s a dedicated hybrid, meaning there’s no gasoline-only version. If you want the compact hatch, you get the hybrid. It’s also terra...

  • 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
    Only One Hybrid Car Pays Back Its Owners; Know Which One?

    One of the criticisms of hybrid cars has historically been that there's no payback, especially given the cheap gasoline prices in the U.S. The extra money you spend on a hybrid isn't returned in gas savings, say critics. Well, that may be true, especially when regular gasoline is averaging $2.77 a...

  • 2010 Lexus HS 250h
    2010 Lexus HS 250h Luxury Hybrid Not Selling As Expected

    Last summer, when we first drove the 2010 Lexus HS 250h luxury hybrid--and then did a full test drive--we were quite puzzled by it. Neither as fuel efficient as a hybrid nor as elegant and refined as other Lexus models, it seemed neither fish nor fowl. And in the end, while we appreciated its...

  • 2011 Lexus CT 200h teaser
    2011 Lexus CT 200h Hybrid Hatch: U.S. Buyers Need Not Apply

    Much has been written about U.S. car buyers' aversion to hatchbacks, with many citing the relative sales of the Volkswagen Jetta four-door sedan over its five-door Golf counterpart. It appears Lexus has taken that attitude to heart. At next month's Geneva Motor Show, it will launch a new, dedicated...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    Toyota Prius Recall Guide: Sudden Acceleration & Brake Safety

    Everything you need to know about the recalls affecting the 2010 Toyota Prius, and the 2004-2009 Prius too

  • 2010 Toyota Prius

    As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for its 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h models to update the anti-lock braking system (ABS) software. The new software improves the response time of the anti-lock system and alters its sensitivity to tire slippage. The update is intended to reduce inconsistencies in brake feel that many owners experienced as brake failure. The recall is voluntary, meaning that owners need not have their cars updated if they are satisfied with the brake feel. Interaction of ABS, regen & hydraulic brakes In the 2010 Toyota Prius, the problem occurs when...

  • 2010 Audi A3 TDI named Green Car of the Year, 2009 LA Auto Show
    Green Car Sales: Winners and Losers of 2009

    It's beginning to look as if the worst is over for U.S. auto sales. The year that just closed was, in the immortal words of Queen Elizabeth II, an annus horribilis, with only 10.4 million vehicles sold, down 21 percent on 2008 and the lowest total since 1982. But some light seems to be appearing on...

  • Lexus magazine auto editor Clark Heideger in a 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid sedan
    How To Get 85 MPG In a 2010 Lexus HS 250h Hybrid: Go Downhill

    You have to give corporate PR guys some credit when they publish an article on the astoundingly high mileage their car got in a road test, and then dismiss the whole thing as "silly and totally unscientific." That's what Lexus magazine auto editor Clark Heideger did. When a coworker got 47.4 miles...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius rolls onto the Detroit stage at its global debut in January 2009
    EPA's Most Climate-Friendly Cars: All About Fuel Efficiency

    The dirty little secrets of Top 10 lists are in the methodology, as Forbes found out with its weirdly inaccurate "10 Dirtiest Cars" list. (It's the end of the year, so it's time for a lot of Top 10s.) But we see no such problems in the EPA Green Vehicle Guide, which rates vehicles not only on...

  • Toyota Hybrid Concept 2
    Toyota to Debut New Hybrid Concept at NAIAS

    Toyota has gained a considerable hybrid market share with the dedicated hybrid model the Prius. This single vehicle has outsold all other hybrid models and continues to set the standard for a dedicated hybrid. Toyota has been contempt with a single dedicated hybrid model for some time now.  The...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    Prius Patent Problems? Trade Panel to Investigate Infringement Claim

    A U.S. trade panel has agreed to investigate claims that Toyota infringed privately held patents in designing its hybrid electric vehicles. Toyota is widely acknowledged to be the industry leader in hybrids, having sold more than 2 million globally since 1997. If the allegations are upheld by the...

  • Audi A3 TDI clean diesel - European model

    As of November, you'll have two choices if you want a compact five-door hatchback with a clean diesel engine. One is the brand-new 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which was just given a base price of $30,775 today by Audi. It'll start arriving in dealerships in November. Longstanding diesel champ: Golf TDI The other is the 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, the latest in a longstanding and popular series of Volkwagen diesel hatchbacks and sedans. It was just priced at $21,990. and we think it will may become the biggest clean-diesel winner in the US market. The 2010 Audi A3 TDI and 2010 VW Golf TDI share a basic...

  • 2010 Lexus HS250h - front side
    Orders for Lexus HS 250h 20 Times Higher Than Toyota Expected

    Perhaps it's the gas mileage rating of 35 mpg city, 34 mpg highway.  Perhaps it's the tax breaks offered in Japan for hybrid vehicles, or perhaps it's because it's Lexus' only dedicated hybrid model, but whatever the cause is, Lexus surely isn't complaining that pre-orders for the Lexus HS 250h...

  • Lexus HS250h
    Lexus HS 250h Ride & Drive, Day 3: Road Trip

    In a word: comfortable. That is the best one-word summary of our long road trip in the Lexus HS 250h. Two words? VERY comfortable. Our road trip was from metro Detroit to Cedar Point, a round trip of about 250 miles, mostly on the freeway using cruise control. Our average miles per gallon was 37.6...

  • Sophie and her carseat fit nicely in the back seat of the HS250h
    Lexus HS 250h Ride & Drive, Day 2: Running Errands

    Today I took the Lexus HS 250h running errands with my five-year-old, Sophie. Bank, grocery store, dry cleaners, that sort of thing. At the end of the day, I'm still impressed, and so is Sophie (she loved that she could connect her iPod to the sound system). The HS 250h was so quiet while idling...

  • Lexus HS250h
    Lexus HS 250h Ride & Drive, Day 1: First Impression

    It’s ten o’clock on Saturday night and I have the windows down, the moon roof open, and “Time to Pretend” by MGMT buzzing in my ears. I feel giddy, invincible, like the road was made for me and I’m the only one on it. Headlights appear in my rear-view mirror and I glance down at the...

  • 2010 Lexus HS 250h
    2010 Lexus HS250h Pricing Starts at Exactly $35,000

    The 2010 Lexus HS250h is an interesting beast. We've covered it quite a lot because, among other interesting traits, it pioneers a new market segment: the dedicated luxury hybrid sedan. We did an initial Drive Report and then, more recently, a full review, and now Lexus has completed the last piece...

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