Luxury Hybrids

Luxury hybrid buyers have one choice: Lexus

Some automakers are trying to fill a niche for well-equipped luxury vehicles that appeal to wealthy consumers who wish to make an environmental statement by driving a hybrid car. These customers are not as concerned with the price of gasoline as they are about reducing their carbon footprint. By selecting a luxury hybrid, drivers can demonstrate that they are conserving fuel without giving up the comforts of an upscale luxury car. Lexus is currently the only automaker to offer hybrids in the luxury-car class, although other marques are expected to introduce competing hybrid sedans in the near future.

With a hybrid V-6 gas/electric powertrain rated at 340 horsepower, the 2009 Lexus GS 450h doesn't compromise on power. It offers strong performance on par with many sports sedans in this price class, and reviewers praise its quiet, comfortable, feature-laden cabin. The Lexus GS 450h's fuel-economy rating of 23 mpg in mixed driving isn't particularly impressive in light of the mileage offered by other hybrid cars, but it's good compared to luxury sedans with V-8 engines offering similar levels of power, which typically average between 15 and 20 mpg. That stated, owners shouldn't plan on fuel savings to help them recover the GS 450h's price premium compared to a comparably equipped, nonhybrid GS 460 (*Est. $53,470) or other lower-priced sports sedans. (Read more about the nonhybrid Lexus GS models in our report on sports sedans.)

Climbing even higher up the ladder brings us to the very expensive, range-topping Lexus LS 600h L (*Est. $106,035), a long-wheelbase premium luxury sedan that boasts a 438-horsepower hybrid V-8 powertrain. That makes the LS 600h even more powerful than the conventionally powered Lexus LS 460 (*Est. $63,825 to $77,260) with its conventional 380-horsepower V-8. Rather than trying to compare the LS 600h to other hybrid cars, most reviews compare it to other high-dollar, high-tech luxury sedans, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (*Est. $89,350 to $198,950). The Lexus LS 600h L's hybrid system delivers 21 mpg in mixed-use driving (20 mpg city/22 mpg highway). By comparison, the conventionally-powered Lexus LS 460 L (*Est. $63,825 to $77,260) puts up an EPA-estimated 19 mpg combined (16 city/24 highway) for over $30,000 less. In practical terms, it'll take forever for the hybrid LS to recoup its staggering price premium, and its fuel-economy advantage over its gasoline-only sibling is marginal. As a result, the Lexus LS 600h L winds up being more an image-enhancing flagship than anything else.

In a bid to capture some of the green cachet that parent company Toyota has cultivated with the Prius, Lexus introduced a new entry-level luxury hybrid car, the Toyota HS 250h, at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Like the 2010 Toyota Prius, with which it shares many components, the HS 250h is a hybrid-only model that wears unique bodywork, which should make it instantly identifiable as such. Underhood, however, the HS 250h will get the Camry Hybrid's more robust powertrain: a full-hybrid, four-cylinder gasoline engine/electric motor combo with a total output of around 187 horsepower. Bigger than the Lexus IS 250 (*Est. $31,155 to $34,785), but smaller than the Lexus ES 350 (*Est. $34,320), the well-equipped 2010 Lexus HS 250h is expected to be priced around $32,000 when it reaches the market in mid 2009.