The 2008 Lexus GS 450h hybrid is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, available in one trim only, the Sedan. The GS 450h has a VAR speed automatic transmission, 3.5-liter, V6, 340-horsepower, hybrid engine, and is equipped with a completely new Lexus hybrid powertrain which has 80 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new car.

“From a stop, acceleration and low speed is all electric power. It’s silent. It’s eerily silent. Sometimes you think the car isn’t running, but once you get going, the transition between the electric and gas [motors] is very smooth…”

By John G.

Hybrid Power Without Compromise – Lexus GS 450h

Up:

• Luxurious yet not ostentatious, inside and out: that’s the Lexus way
• Ridiculous torque makes passing easy and high-speed cruising a pleasure
• Hybrid drive means a performance car that doesn’t feel silly stuck in traffic
• Keyless entry and exit done right

Down:

• “Quick start guide” is 58 pages long
• Weighs over two tons and it isn’t even AWD
• Map lights are really dim, light switches are hard to find in the dark
• Batteries for the hybrid drive don’t leave much trunk space

Sideways:

• Really a 4-door Grand Touring car, not a sports car Read the rest of this entry �