Lexus GS 300h 2014 Review

No doubt Lexus is spreading its range and appeal. You’ve got the fabulous LFA for the billionaires, the forthcoming RC for the rev-heads, the just-revealed NX for the young and young at heart and the GS 300h for the, erm, accountants.

By that I am not suggesting the latest petrol-electric hybrid version of Lexus’ luxury sedan is boring (or accountants for that matter), more that it has a set of numbers worth scrutinising.

The most obvious is the 5.2L/100km claimed fuel consumption average, which is right down there among the luxury diesel crew when it comes frugality while spewing out a lot less human-harming particulates. Big tick there.

But then there’s the 9.2 seconds 0-100km/h time, which is related to the 1820kg kerb weight and 164kW power output. That is a slightly less appealing combination.

You also have to take into account the $102,000 price (plus on-road costs) for this flagship Sports Luxury version we are testing. If you are looking at minimal outlay and maximum frugality, surely you’d buy the base model Luxury version for $79,000, or the ES 300h with the same drivetrain for $72,000, or the smaller IS 300h for as little as $59,500?

Or you could support the Aussie car manufacturing industry in the little time it has left and opt for a Toyota Camry Hybrid. Okay, so the drivetrain’s detuned and the equipment level, the quality et al. But so is the price. By a lot.

Mind you, compared to the obvious diesel opposition from Audi, Benz and BMW, the Lexus is in the mix. The Sports Luxury sits between the 2.0 and 3.0-litre TDI Audi A6s on price, ditto when it comes to the 520d and 535d (there is no 530d) Beemers. The 5 Active Hybrid is nearly $20,000 more expensive and in a different performance class.

Both the E 220 and E 250 Mercedes-Benz diesels undercut the top-spec GS 300h, but the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid is up near $110,000.

By the way, we’ve previously explained where the new GS 300h Sports Luxury and its brethren fit into the GS line-up previously.

Like all Lexii, the GS 300h is well equipped in terms of both technology and equipment. Safety is a big deal with a whole bunch of digital aids incorporated under the VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) banner. There’s also blind spot monitoring, a rear view camera with guides, 10 airbags and tyre pressure warning.

One thing the GS does not have is an ANCAP rating. Many luxury cars don’t so it’s not unusual. But Lexus is pretty confident it offers excellent crash protection.

The Sports Luxury is alone in having standard an ‘advanced’ pre-collision safety system, that includes driver fatigue monitoring, collision warning, pre-collision brake assist, pre-collision braking and pre-collision seatbelt tensioning.

Other features unique to the Sports Luxury include active cruise control, lane-keeping assist, head-up display, 20-way adjustable front seats, passenger seat memory, rear outer seat heaters, LED headlights and foglights, automatic high-beam, 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio, tri-zone climate control with ‘nanoe’ (gentler, more moist air) technology, a huge 12.3-inch multimedia screen, manual rear-side and electric rear sunshade, moonroof, power bootlid and unique 19-inch alloys (the spare is a space saver). Phew.

Complementing the huge amount of stuff is the effort that’s actually gone into the design and build of the 300h. The interior, while perhaps too conservative for some tastes, is beautifully appointed and stuck and stitched together with care.

The thing you are going to have to adapt to is the Lexus Remote Touch (or LRT), which operates like a mouse controller to help you access audio, sat nav, Bluetooth and so on. Operating it with the left-hand takes a bit of getting used to it (unless you are left-handed!) because its movements are quite subtle. The palm rest is a nice touch.

From there it is what you would expect; beautiful seats, plentiful storage and a lovely standard of leather trim. There is good space in the rear seat for outboard passengers, less so in the middle thanks to the transmission tunnel. But the main issue is the lack of a split-fold rear seat thanks to the Ni-MH (nickel-metal hydride) battery pack. The boot still manages a decent 451 litre capacity.

The build quality translates to the way the GS 300h Sports Luxury drives. It’s a solid sucker and really does feel secure and planted.

That’s a real positive when you consider this is the sort of car great for the daily commute. After all, that’s where the hybrid drivetrain really comes into its own, using the electric assistance at low speed to decrease fuel use.

‘Low speed’ is definitely where the emphasis is, because the 300h’s ability to run purely on electric power depends very much on speed and throttle use. Get at all enthusiastic and the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine will kick in. Avoid that fate and the nickel-metal hydride battery pack will run out of charge in a couple of kilometres anyway.

The good news is we still ended with a 6.1L/100km real-world fuel consumption average after a week of experimentation in city, country and on freeways. That’s pretty darn good, and when combined with the 66 litre fuel tank, means you should get close to a 1000km range.

Getting through those 1000km will be a mostly satisfying, if not exciting, experience.

The 300h steers predictably via an electrically-assisted assist rack and pinion system and corners reliably on its combination of double wishbones and multi-links. Push on hard and there’s a bit of understeer and bit of tail wag.

At car park speed there’s a sense of how big this car is, at 4850mm long, not least because the windows are quite small and the pillars quite thick. The various parking aids (including front and rear sensors do come in handy.

With the Drive Mode Select dial left in the ‘Normal’ mode the 300h Sports Luxury rides with a good level of comfort despite rolling on quite aggressive 235/40 19-inch rubber. It does get a bit terse once you reach the Sport Plus mode and the settings of the variable damping system are ramped up. Steering also adds weight if not feel. So mark that as ‘don’t bother’ most of the time.

At the other extreme, ECO mode dulls engines response that bit further, so avoid unless you are trying to eke out those last few tenths of a litre. Left in ‘Normal’, or tuned a little more aggressively in Sport/Plus, the drivetrain does an acceptable job in terms of response.

It lacks authoritative punch up-high, but where it really feels off-key is the interaction with the CVT, which sometimes responds to the lever or paddles when operated manually in search of one of the eight pre-set ‘steps’ … and sometimes does its own thing. It rather takes the ‘Sports’ out of the ‘Sports Luxury’ experience.

Like most hybrids there’s also a familiar two-stage feeling to the brake pedal, as the system cycles through regenerative and orthodox braking.

As is typical of Lexus models, noise intrusion into the cabin is pretty subtle. The only proviso is when the engine gets a bit excited in its upper reaches; then it can become noticeable. Otherwise, tyre noise is more obvious, albeit diluted and banished somewhere off in the distance.

And that’s the GS 300h all over really; it’s functional, luxurious, frugal and technologically impressive. And distant, maybe even a little aloof. There is much done well, nothing done poorly, but little that excites either. Might have to wait for the RC F for that…

Lexus GS 300h Sports Luxury pricing and specifications:
Price: $102,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol/electric
Output: 164W/105kW (221Nm/300Nm)
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 121g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A