Prius meets Corolla and gets badged as a Lexus

[ZYAL8R808]

So Lexus will be making the HS250h which is a $36,000 + luxury hybrid. 35 mpg for over $36,000? Barely breaks into 8 second 0-60? Will people really go for a dressed up, marked up Prius/Corolla? I fail to see much benefit. Any thoughts?

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2010_lexus_hs250h.jpg

[M_TYPE_X]

I'm not in the line to get one.

[ant_marter]

Was posted here a while ago:

http://forums.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=190222

It is based on the Toyota Avensis so is a bit bigger than the Corolla/Prius...

As for its sale potential as a dressed up Toyota - well, isn't the ES Lexus's biggest selling model and it isn't much more than a Camry with different plastic bits?

[GroovinGTR]

My biggest head-scratcher on this car is why not an ES hybrid? Much cheaper to develop - already a Camry hybrid, would look better inside and out, and Camry hybrid get 33/34, about the same as the HS' 35/33.

[cdlong]

the prius sells well partly because it's exclusively a hybrid. everyone around you knows how environmentally conscious you are.

[delerium75]

Hmmmm........ Uhh, No.
http://www.automobilrevue.de/images/hybrid_toyota_prius1_01.jpg

[M_TYPE_X]

America, we need to talk. What you want is: CAMARYGON SPORT W/PINSTRIPES Stk. No. 732458911*5

You do not want this ... Lexus WTH.

[ZYAL8R808]

Mtypex, return of the Camarygon? I thought you got treatment for that fetish.

[cdlong]

Hmmmm........ Uhh, No.


"no" what?

no they don't sell that car anymore?
no that car doesn't fit current styling trends but does from the mid '90s when it was designed?

[SouthStar019]

and they beat nissan at the ugly game. don't know how they manage to do that one but i would rather roll in a sentra over that.

[240Xtrm]

I rather roll in this over the Sentra right now. Even the Saturn Astra over the Sentra.

[delerium75]

"no" what?

no they don't sell that car anymore?
no that car doesn't fit current styling trends but does from the mid '90s when it was designed?
No to virtually any Toyota product. There appears to be a bit of a similarity with the first Prius though the Lexus doesn't appear to suffer from 1st gen Prius' Echo-like tall, skinny proportions. And I don't ever remember tall and skinny fitting into any styling trends...at least not any that resulted with a good looking car. Tall and skinny belongs on a runway wearing Prada. The only Toyotas I still would like to own would be an '87-'88 Cressida or a '98-'00 Lexus LS since those have a normal driving position and seat/pedal relationship unlike most recent Toyotas (which ends up being my primary beef with their cars...they're not comfortable to drive for more than 2 hours).

[da mayor]

honestly, there are some people that will buy this car just b/c of the Lexus badge.

[BB6Driver]

This car demonstrates some people's desire for a masochistic car experience so well.

$36k for this front-driver still does not equal a Lexus. Sorry Toyota.

[Artour]

Lexus hybrid's boom eats up supply

U.S. launch may feel squeeze from soaring Japan sales

TOKYO, August 24, 2009 -- Booming orders in Japan for the new Lexus HS 250h sedan may pinch supply of the brand's first dedicated hybrid when it goes on sale in the United States next month.

In its first month in Japan, the car racked up 10,000 orders or about 20 times Toyota Motor Corp.'s initial sales target of 500 vehicles a month.

Customers wanting an HS 250h now face a six-month wait in Japan, meaning a car ordered today will be delivered in February, said Toyota spokeswoman Monika Saito.

The surge in demand could affect supply of the Japan-made car to U.S. dealerships.

"We hope there won't be a problem, but we'll see," Saito said.

The HS 250h went on sale in Japan on July 14. Sales are getting a lift from new tax breaks that the Japanese government has offered to spur the sale of green vehicles.

In the United States, Lexus has priced the base model at $35,075 including shipping. The pricing of the entry-level luxury car is aimed at winning younger customers whom Lexus has been losing to BMW and Mercedes.

The HS 250h is Lexus' first dedicated hybrid and also the brand's first to be powered by a four-cylinder engine. The car gets 35 mpg city/34 highway, the highest mileage of any Lexus.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CA&Date=20090824&Category=ANA06&ArtNo=308249970&Ref=AR&MaxW=600&border=0&title=1

[M_TYPE_X]

six-month wait? how JDM.