Doesn't this look better?

I like it with its chrome grill too. The two look good.

 

I've got to see the hs in person. It looks radically different from photo to photo and different angles. Like the photo the op posted, the hs looks great, not just the color but the body lines, etc. But I can look at edmunds or the like and I think it looks terribly ugly. Am I the only one that sees this?

 

The Japanese don't know STYLE. Look at the hideous new Mazdas & Acuras for proof. They can't make a decent looking front end to save face. Now, some British & German folks know a few things about styling a car.

 

It's the company I guess. Up until last year(or whenever they started with the led drls) i thought audis looked bloated. If you want style out of the japs I must say infiniti has it. Very agressive and sleek looking. I am on both sides with the acura new grill. Sometimes I like it (makes acura distinctive) then I think it's way too much.

The only two cars I like from lexus (style wise) is the gs and the ls. The GS looks fantastic on the outside. a perfect middle between aggressive sport styling and luxury that is understated (The gs & ls interior really pisses me off with that cassette player). The ls is a bit boring, but i like the lights (front and rear).

Anyway back to the topic. I am probably going to test drive the HS 250h today so I can finally see it in person.

 

Let's hear your review on the HS250h. I agree with your remarks on the GS & LS, especially the LS. I agree also on the Infiniti. I thought the G36 coupe of 2 years ago was one of the best looking Japanese cars. But that grill sometimes looks like a bass's mouth. I still think the Acura is hideous. The only good looking one was last years TSX, but they've ruined it now.

 

So I took the hs 250h for a test drive yesterday (sunday). I must say the looks will make the majority of people love it or hate it. I didn't particularly like it the color (it was like powder blue I think Lexus calls it Silver Opel Mica), but the exterior styling to me was ok... that's it. It does look very normal so if you are the type of person that wants the car to look like a Lexus you better look to another car.

I think if you like the ES model then the HS will be perfect for you. It rode much like an ES with very similar handling, maybe even a little tighter. I have to fault the HS for it's powertrain. I am an avid hybrid lover, but the HS does not live up to what you would think it should be. The acceleration is far better than a prius, but the HS is out done by some non luxury hybrids. Same goes for handling in comparison to other non-luxury hybrids. The ride was whisper quiet, but when i pushed the car (getting on the highway) the engine sounded very un-Lexus like. It groaned a little too harshly. The tech in the HS is top notch. I did use the Intuitive parking assist which was pretty cool. I must say they need to migrate some of this tech into the GS hybrid. the remote control worked really well. it applied feedback when passed over a button on the navigation screen. The Heads up display actually was visible in the day time, which i didn't expect it to be.

My other major sticking point is the interior(mostly the dash). It's laid out very logically but I feel like Lexus quality wasn't even a factor. the dashboard is absolutely cheap looking. The eco plastic really gave the hs a cheap look, but the eco plastic didn't feel cheap. I wish Lexus would have thought about bamboo paneling to class up the dash. The "pop" up navigation does not look good to me. The screen itself is crisp, but the way it comes up looks so not Lexus if you know what I mean (as if someone was building it, finished and looked and saw that they forgot to put the nav screen in , then just bolted in on top). When the navi screen is down the dash looks particularly cheap and plain looking. The seats are great ( the Hs I drove was loaded so I don't know if seats are different without the heated/ventilated option). There was plenty of room front and back. Good amount of knee room in the back (unlike the IS). And the trunk is a decent size.


I personally wouldn't purchase an HS, but I can see who this car is aimed at. I just felt it fell short on somethings I can't compromise on. Exterior looks I can compromise on to a point, because I don't see the outside of the car when I'm driving it. The interior i see all the time. Fuel economy is good, but not great considering faster hybrids exists that are more fuel efficient.

 

I hated the flood of big ugly chrome grills I saw at the Detroit Auto Show, yukky!

 

Here is a modded one where they painted some slants.

 

They should make the hs look like that standard and I am right on the line with the way the HS looks (they do look far better than that acura grill). One thing I can say is that "light blue" color did not do any justice to the look of the HS.

 

ewwww...that thing will hurt your eyes after awhile.....

 

Body colour or black looks great, chrome looks cheap to me.
This from a person who was the owner of this bike: -

 

Does Infiniti have any hybrids?

 

Infiniti has their hybrid coming to market soon 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid Confirmed for Production; New M Line at Tokyo as Fuga - Wide Open Throttle - Motor Trend Magazine

The Infiniti system seems to be more robust than the HSD, with a lith-ion and can move the car up 62 mph on battery alone.

 

Personaly,
I like my Prius. And I also have a 2010 on the way