Lexus 450H

Lexus has come a long way since its origins more than twenty years ago as a spin off luxury brand of Toyota.

The technology in the latest SUV and sedan hybrids is recognised as one of the best and most reliable systems available.

My week with the GS 450 h was one I enjoyed very much.

The almost total lack of noise in the interior from road and wind even at highway speeds was astonishing rivalling Mercedes, Jaguar and BMW in this respect.

So job done Lexus.. 

There's no doubt you are in a luxury saloon, when you slip inside. .

Ventilated and heated front seats , a heated steering wheel, active distance radar, heads up display and auto everything else, just some of the delights of the 450H.

One that I found strangely absent is the lack of an auto lock feature on the doors.

They will unlock automatically, but you have to lock them manually in the first place..searching the manual I couldn't find anything that allowed the doors to auto lock.

Billed as an eco car, the 450h did not disappoint. 

The average fuel consumption during my week driving mainly around town, was eight and a bit litres per hundred kays..the 3.5 litre V 6 petrol engine quiet and frugal on its own, automatically disconnects from driving duties quite a lot while tootling about in the metro area, leaving the silent electric powerplant to take over..  

There are four suspension/transmission modes. Eco, Normal, Sport and sport S. the latter when selected also brings the seat tighter about the driver's back. 

The seventeen speaker sound system is simply fabulous, and probably one of the best in any car at any price. Clarity and presence is amazing.

 It's a large car although if the driver is tall, rear seat room diminishes substantially behind he/she.

A nice touch is a driver controlled button on the side of the front passenger seat back that allows remote fore and aft movement. Although why you need that escapes me for now.

Handling is excellent and while not perhaps in the league of a 7 series BMW or Audi A8 is surefooted enough and communicative.

Would I buy one over more conventional rivals?

Probably not, but only because of personal taste and preference for certain features not found on the 450 h.

A smooth turbo diesel powerplant like the three litre V6 TDi in the Audi range gives similar economy but with a much greater rush of torque. Peter Sellen

Peter Sellen