2007 Lexus GS 450h Review
Written By: MyRide.com
Reprinted under license.
Style, performance, and oh yeah, decent fuel economy, too
.jpg "2007 Lexus GS")
Continue to more photos from MyRide.com
Overview
Lexus GS 450h - 2007 Review: Two vivid memories came to mind while driving the 2007 Lexus GS 450h - a day trip through New Hampshire with a stop along the river in Woodstock, and crawling through the slot canyons outside Escalante, Utah. Why? Because they're all smooth on a level you can't forget. The canyons and riverbed can thank Mother Nature, time, and lots of flowing water, while the Lexus GS 450h, or its owner, owes gratitude to designers for their vision and engineers for their brilliant execution. Indeed, the fact that the GS 450h achieves an EPA-rated 28 mpg on the highway becomes easy to overlook.
Performance
Everything about this car feels smooth. Power is always available aplenty, with gradual pressure or release of the gas pedal instinctively adjusting rpms and speed. In fact, there's enough power behind the continuously-variable transmission to ensure a roll of the throttle will give you the response you want without simply racing the engine in anticipation, as is often the case with such gearboxes. Give the throttle a good squirt and the GS 450h simply hauls tail.
On the down side, there's a surge in the powertrain while cruising at a steady speeds, most likely tied to the hybrid system's regenerative braking/charging activities - it was subtle, but noticeable. Fuel economy dipped to between 23 and 27 mpg, depending on driving style.
Handling
Drivers will be blown away by how well balanced this car is on the twisty roads. Steering is extremely responsive, providing plenty of feedback without the leaden or over-boosted feel of various competitors. The optional run-flat tires allow for high speeds through corners without any worries about grip, and body roll is negligible. We hit 70 mph through the sweepers, yet never noticed any tendency for the tail to step out and only the slightest hint of understeer. The highway ride is a bit stiff, no doubt attributable to the run-flat tires, and bumps don't disrupt the ride or handling. Steering feels solid and refined even at triple-digit speeds, while braking is responsive (we noticed a hint of fade during a spirited mountain run).
Continue to 2007 Lexus GS 450h Review from MyRide.com
© 2007 Autobytel Inc. All rights reserved.
Drifting Articles:
2007 Mazda CX-7 First Drive
Mazda CX-7 -- 2007 First Drive: Interestingly, it takes a trip to the cultural and historic epicenter of the United States to appreciate what's going on in the automotive world.
Mazda MX5s Iconic Evolution that Makes Mazda Parts Distributors Like Parts Train Deliver the Best
Fresh from the wheels up, Mazda MX5 -- the world's favorite roadster remains true to the lightweight, fun to drive formula that sold more than 700,000 MX-5s worldwide since its introduction in 1989. The third generation Mazda MX-5 will be presented in October 2005 at the Geneva and Melbourne motor shows.
Buying A Nissan The Smart Way
As everyone knows, buying a Nissan can be a expensive undertaking. Its not that Nissans are the most expensive cars on the road or any thing. Its that automobile prices continue to increase across the board as automakers improve and remodel cars.
Orange County Dermal Filler Injection Specialist Nissan Pilest Holds Juvederm Training Lecture for Area Physicians
Cosmetic Physicians who want to get "up to speed" on the multiple uses of Dermal Fillers prefer to get their information from long-time injection specialists. Nissan Pilest, Board Certified Dermatologist with a private practice in Irvine and nearly 30 years experience, presented a lecture to a group of physicians on the multiple uses of Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus, the flagship hyaluronic fillers from Allergan.
Jennings-Mazda Retails Newly Launched Mazda 2
Jennings-Mazda co.uk, a leading Franchise dealer group, announced the retail of the newly launched Mazda 2. This B-segment model is characterised by elegant design, fuel efficiency, great functionality, comfort and safety.
All the Info on the 2005 Nissan Maxima
Like many cars in the 30K dollar mark, the Maxima is partially a luxury and sport sedan. One thing that Nissan offers that many others don't is a pretty sweet 6 speed manual transmission for the true sports car fans that want a little more when grabbing the groceries.
2004 Mazda 3 Review
Mazda 3 -- 2004 Review: Conventional wisdom: You get what you pay for. Conventional wisdom: Small, affordable cars are a necessary evil to be sloughed off as soon as you move up a tax bracket or two.
2005 Nissan Xterra Preview
NEW YORK, NY - When Nissan debuted the original Xterra, the philosophy was to provide a basic SUV priced low enough that active Gen-Xers could afford it and styled ruggedly enough to convey strength and capability.
Nissan GT-R Preview
What we know about the GT-R is that it will share its underpinnings with the Infiniti G35 coupe and sedan and the Nissan Z. Power will come from a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, with power rumored to be somewhere between 400 to 450 horsepower, believable considering the size of the twin exhausts we saw on the prototype we photographed earlier this year in LA.
2007 Acura MDX Review
Acura MDX - 2007 Review: Picture in your mind a sport sedan. One with all-wheel drive, an active damper system, and responsive steering and brakes.
Nissan Ultimate Sports car The New GTR
Nissan GTR 2008
Cool Concept: Nissan AZEAL
One of the worst things about growing up is that having fun starts to cost more and more money. First, there's the transfer of expenses from parent to child, which makes that trip to the movies or the go-kart track a little less fun.
National Radiesse Training Physician Dr. Nissan Pilest Reaches New Levels in Injectable Facial Correction
Dr. Nissan Pilest, Injection Specialst and National Education Faculty Trainer for Bioform Medical's new Radiesse filler material demonstrates innovative non surgical injectable alternatives to visiting physician groups in hands-on training series.
2005 Mazdaspeed Mazda MX-5 Miata
What's so great about the new Miata? They've been making them for years and they are virtually unchanged. Sure, the Miata is a classic sports car with rear wheel drive and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
Fortune Market 250 Coming to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Fortune Market Media named as sponsor for race the weekend of May 16-18, 2008.