Lexus GS 450h

Our verdict

The Lexus GS450h is a nice little hybrid sidestep. Yes it can run on electric power and yes this is a ‘proper’ hybrid, but if you start thrashing it the car will use the batteries and electric drive to increase performance (particularly from rest with instant-torque from the Synergy Drive). So what Greenies peg as a step in the right direction, petrolheads also think is a good thing.

Comfort

The Lexus becomes even more attractive for comfort lovers in 450h form. The brakes regenerate energy to charge the batteries and allow sublime soft-stops in town, and the engine will switch off if you've got sufficient charge and allow full EV running. It doesn't last long, but there's nothing better than avoiding the internal combustion engine if you want to be the smoothest limo in town.

Performance

Lexus's performance-enhancing hybrid system actually means that despite the weight gain, the 340bhp 450h is faster to 62mph than the 430 V8. The benchmark comes up in just 5.9 seconds and runs on to a limited 155mph. Hah!Up yours Ken, or rather Boris.

Cool

We like the two-fingered salute to the idea that ‘green' has to be righteous and dull, but the GS450h isn't a cool-looking thing.

Quality

The GS is generally exceptionally well made, if a little ‘Japanese' in taste. You'll find the wood very plasticized and tacky and some of the dash architecture a bit weird, but it does feel as solid, if not more so than any German rival.

Handling

The extra weight of the batteries and electric motors is certainly noticeable in the 450h, but the GS isn't exactly a featherweight in the first place, so it matters less. Try to flick the car from one direction to the other and you'll noticea serious amount of lard trying tear the tyres from their perches about a millisecond later.More of a drag racer than a finessed backroad tool.

Practicality

There's even less space in the boot of a GS450h than there is in the stock motor, so don't expect cavernous load capacity. There's also no more room in the rear, so if you have three tall friends that you drive around a lot, you might want to consider something without such a bustle back.

Running costs

The 450h gets a really quite good 35.8mpg on the combined cycle. But if you drive it anywhere near hard then that'll drop like a stone wrapped in lead and then wrapped in more, slightly heavier lead. Insurance is group 17, but the C02 output is really rather low (compared to anything in a similar class) at just 186g/km.