Entries Tagged 'Lexus' ↓

MPG-o-Matic 2013 Lexus GS450h Review Summary: With a starting price of $58,950, the 2013 Lexus GS450h is targeted at the more affluent among the eco-conscious crowd. This elegant hybrid sedan makes a design statement unlike anything else on the road, with a positively scrumptious bamboo-trimmed interior. The GS450h’s stirring performance and a combined EPA gas mileage rating of 31 miles per gallon (MPG) is clearly intended to make those who might be shopping the Mercedes-Benz E350 Bluetec and new Audi A6 TDI clean diesel sedans stop to consider the alternatives.

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DELRAY BEACH, Fla.—I have to admit, I felt the need to redeem myself. I am a notorious lead foot, and I habitually get low mileage numbers in every car I drive. Even when I try to do well. Hybrid. TDI. Gasoline. It’s all the same. And it’s all bad.

So, when the folks at Lexus announced during the press preview for the all-new 2011 CT 200h that the worst gas mileage they’d seen thus far was around 37 mpg, I considered the gauntlet thrown. I absolutely could not get below that number.

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The Lexus ES range proves that a luxurious ride and good gas mileage need not be mutually exclusive. Over the years, Lexus ES gas mileage ratings have hovered in the mid-to-high twenty mile per gallon highway (MPG) range, with a high of 30 MPG in the 2007 ES 360.

All Lexus ES models are equipped with six-cylinder engines in a front-wheel-drive configuration. The displacement has grown over the years, from 2.5 liters in the 1990-1991 ES 250, to 3.0 liters in the 1992-2003 ES 300, 3.3 liters in the 2004-2006 ES 330, and 3.5 liters in the 2007-2009 ES 350. While regular-grade fuel was acceptable in the ES 250, ES 300, and ES 330, premium-grade is recquired in the ES 350.

A manual transmission was offered from 1990 through 1993. The current model is equipped with a six-speed automatic.
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Although the gleam is long off the apple, America hasn’t given up on the sport utility vehicle (SUV) just yet. While sales of conventional SUVs have dropped dramatically, hybrid SUV models are selling quite well … and for good reason. Hybrid SUV mileage ratings are substantially higher than their conventional counterparts. With that in mind, we spent a good part of this past year testing SUV mileage, with a big focus on the most fuel-efficient hybrid SUVs.

Although some of the choices can be quite pricey, there’s little question that the best SUV mileage results are found in the hybrid models. This has lead to remarkable bursts of popularity within more affluent and progressive segments of the car-buying public.

Here’s a case in point …
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Whether you need to haul people, pets, gear, or any combination of the three, SUV hybrids work hard to contain fuel costs, while providing more versatility than typical hybrid sedans.

Part and parcel to our role as the Internet’s leading independent authority on gas mileage, we’re committed to the task of documenting each and every hybrid SUV currently on the road by the end of 2008. As of August 2008, we’ve reviewed the following vehicles:

• Ford Escape Hybrid SUV
• Lexus RX400h Hybrid SUV
• Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid SUV
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV

Each one of these SUV hybrids is an excellent vehicle in its own right. Each takes a different approach.

The Escape Hybrid is a more traditional SUV with the best overall mileage in its class, while the RX400h is a roomy and comfortable living room on wheels. These two play opposite ends of the utility and luxury scale.

The Vue Green Line has European roots and flair, with unique styling, segment-topping highway gas mileage, and a more car-like ride.

The roomy and versatile Toyota Highlander Hybrid delivers the best overall gas mileage for a seven passenger SUV.

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