Lexus HS250h sales disappoint ... because high end Prius is NICE! and gets 50mpg?

Do not judge a book by its cover. It won Ward's Interior of the Year award for hybrids. The LCD screen is 8".

 

i see hundreds of HS hybrids around Los Angeles... possibly thousands.. sure, the prius sightings are multiple mores... same with the RX hybrids... but i wouldn't call it ugly....

then again.. i do see a lot of really "rare" hybrids in this area. (between here and beverly hills)

mercedes s class hybrids, LS hybrids, every other lexus hybrid, every toyota hybrid. even yukon hybrids. (nobody around here buys saturn.. but i've seen 2 or 3) i guess i could include honda hybrids too.. but those are mainly driven by parking meter people... haha...

 

It looks like an elongated corolla.

 

Yep. For the doubters of the HS 250h on this thread, if you ever set foot in a Lexus dealer, definitely take the time to sit inside a HS 250h, esp. more well equipped one and check out the interior, nav system and controls.

You'll notice the interior materials are of high quality and there's nice stitching to the left and right of the mouse-like controller and above the gauges. The controls all have a high quality feel and the wood (or fake wood) is nicely done. The heated + cooled seats are nice as are the power seats w/memory. There are tons of other cool features like the concierge service where you can connect w/a call center, have the operator lookup a business and they'll send the destination down to your nav system.

 

I know it is subjective but that interior is ghastly or wet as Simon cowell would call it ;-). If it is so called luxurious what are those black oem push buttons doing on the left hand side of the steering wheel again a beige background. What's up with the three pieces of fake? Wood? It like a child designed it and then thought "ah the design brief was luxury better have some wood in there as well"

and then that contraption for the satnav screen. Again clearly an afterthough and not nicely integrated. Looks like they finished and went oh bugger we forgot the satnav. Ah well let's cut a bit here and a bit there.

Sorry but if that is classed as luxurious and even won an award in the us market it just demonstrates that that market is still so far behind true luxury.

But hey the good thing is that the outside is so ugly that no date would ever see that interior they'd rather take the "bus" home

you seriously think that looks better than ANY other hybrid available to buy?And seriously think that is luxurious? I guess it all depends what one is used too but I'd rather look at a horses bottom whilst bein on my cart. And the menure is good for the environment too.

 

Ok, name me another currently sold in the US hybrid in that price range (~$34K MSRP) or less that is is more luxurious and has a higher quality interior. Look at Lexus: New Luxury Cars and SUVs from Lexus USA and look at what other entries are in the $30K price range and compare their interiors to the HS. The HS stacks up reasonably well although getting far better fuel economy than the ES and IS.

As for the "satnav" as you folks call it, it's fine. Go take a look at Mercedes-Benz - Home of C, E, S, CLK, CLS, CL, SLK, SL, SLR, R, GLK, M, GL, G Class. It has a pop-up screen too.

The part that isn't well done on the HS is that (IIRC), if you have no nav, you still have the area where the mouse-like controller would be jutting out, with only a small bin/storage area in its place. That's odd.

As for the exterior, well, I'd say it looks better in person than in pictures, but yes, I've heard criticisms (only from pictures) that it looks like a Corolla.

 

HS is not available here in PT, so I can't take my opinion, but you might take a look at...

2010 Toyota Sai - Top Speed

Toyota Sai is the least luxury brother of the Lexus HS250h. There it is, after all, Toyota has been thinking of a "bigger" Prius, not a "smaller" Lexus h

No matter what is said, I think a "bigger" Prius is needed, many folks find the compact shape too small for their family. Doesn't sell well, but is selling, and with acceptable MPG. Lacks trunk capacity, unfortunately...

 

That is changing the goal posts buddy! The title of the link said best luxury interior of a hybrid. It did not put it in a particular price category, and why limit the world to just the US.

True the Mercedes c class has that ghastly satnav underneath a flap as well. I wouldn't call a Mercedes C class a luxury motor either, more like a typical rep vehicle. The rest of the range doesn't have that though, much more neatly integrated.

Take a look at the VW Toureq hybrid, which I am test driving tomorrow evening, that's how you do an interior. But even then I would not call it luxurious.

Look I am realistic and what one person thinks is luxurious is cheap and nasty to someone else. It is all relevant to ones experiences. I bet we can have the same conversation regarding hotel rooms. And that is before bringing in cultural differences.

It just my opinion, I am used to better and expect much better. Having features and a bit of fake wood does not turn something into something luxurious.

 

Have you seen it in person or are you just being an internet keyboard warrior? I have sat inside at NY auto show and I have seen one parked outside. The interior is very nice.

Any reason why you think it clearly is an afterthought? I knew it had the retractable screen when I looked inside a parked 250h. It took me awhile to find the location of the screen. When the screen is retracted, it is well hidden from the thieves.

Sure there are other hybrids that are more expensive. See LS600h and GS460h. Other hybrid (Fusion hybrid?) may have won previous year award but this year's winner is HS250h.

 

You have a 2010 Prius or have it on order right? What do you think of Prius' interior?

 

Absolutely a keyboard warrior as you put it so kindly ;-) haven't seen it for real. As I said it is just an opinion. And even when you see/experience it the interpretation whether it is luxurious is subjective as that is all relative to what one is used too. That doesn't make an opinion more or less qualified

I don't think the prius is particularly luxurious nor greatly built, quite plasticy feel to it. Feature wise it has a lot, but that doesn't make it luxurious to me. Likewise the materials used in the lexus maybe (and I expect to be) of higher standard, yet too me it just doesn't look right and too me it just doesn't look luxurious.

It is all just an opinion chaps, doesn't mean you have to agree, doesn't mean I am wrong, doesn't mean I am right

my grand mother used to say; even when an ape wears a golden ring it still is an ugly thing ;-) or as I am a bit more blunt I'd say lipstick on a pig might be top quality lippy it is still a pig.

 

Well, obviously since the interior has won awards plenty of people disagree with you.

All the wood in Lexus vehicles is real by the way.

You need to see it in person, the interior is not a typical design but is quite unique and high quality.

 

I met an owner last week of a this Lexus in a parking lot. He's getting 10l/100km avg right now (warm weather) and my 2006 Prius is a steady 5.0l/100.

He was quite surprised. Luxury? I didn't find it all that nice. When I tire of Prius, I'll go with Camry.

 

Hey someone agrees roflmao I know one swallow doesn't make spring but it is a start ;-) not many agreed with Columbus either when he set off on his journey ;-)

 

You're calling the interior of the HS 250h ghastly when you've never sat in one and examined one in person, for any length of time.

The reason why I bring up in the hybrid in the same price range, well, gee... hybrid or not, it shouldn't be a shocker that a $100K car has a better interior than a $10K car or a $70K car vs. a $25K car. Duh... As for available in the US, sorry, I'm being US-centric but I can't accurately compare interiors of cars that aren't available here in the US. So, they're useless to me and I most likely haven't seen them in detail or in person.

Again, tell me of another currently available hybrid in the same price range of a HS 250h that has a better and better quality interior.

I've seen the JDM Sai and the JDM HS 250h while in Japan. The Sai's definitely a step down in interior quality.

As for VW Touareg Hybrid, I'd sure hope it has a nice interior because of VW Touareg Hybrid Tops $100,000 in Europe, $30,000 More Than Diesel - All Cars Electric.

+1

Sorry, I don't find your opinions or statements about the HS 250h's interior to be particularly valid when you haven't seen and felt the inside of one in person. I own an 06 Prius, have seen the inside of the 2010, driven them 3x and had a one week test drive of the HS.

I think by your standard, you'd think the 2010 Prius' interior is truly horrid esp. if you sat in and felt both of them, then compared and contrasted.

If you want a truly crappy interior, you should look at the crap that GM was pumping out in the 90s and early 2000s for the US market. Think cars like the Pontiac Sunfire, Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Grand Am or even current Chrysler products like the Dodge Caliber. But, I digress...

 

I do find it mildly amusing how new rules keep being introduced.

Any you grossly miss the point, just because one interior is deemed "better" that does not mean it is luxurious.

Ps. Let's not get into a discussion on what the Quality Criteria are for better; I.e. How does that get measured
PPs. You forgot to put the Cadillac brand in that list

 

Please get back to us once you've been inside of and touched many surfaces of a nav equipped HS 250h and a 3rd gen Prius.

 

.....

 

I could not possibly be allowed to comment ;-)

so how about the original topic, how come this award winning vehicle does not sell very well then? I refrain from voicing my opinion but are interested to be lectured by those who think it is so much more luxurious and proven right by a self claimed majority but still did not buy it?

 

Because I don't know how big a market there is for a small, slow, funky looking $35,000-$47,000 sedan. I think most buyers feel as I do that the ES is cheaper and provides an overall better value and is more attractive.

Doesn't mean that the car isn't well built and luxurious though.

I don't think people have an issue with you commenting, its just the fact that you go on like you're an expert when you haven't even seen the vehicle in person and sat in it.