eCarOne Founder: You’ll figure it out!
Me: Is it on?
eCarOne Founder: You’ll figure it out!
This was the conversation after I got into the 2010 Lexus HS
250h and pushed the start button. Sure
enough, I figured it out…. All I had to do was press the gas pedal and I’m
off. This was the first hybrid I ever
drove and I’ll be up front right now and say that it’s not for me. But then again, I’m not at all a tree hugger
nor am I even remotely on the environmentalist side of the spectrum. Furthermore, I have a two mile daily commute
so fuel consumption is not an issue for me.
But then let me be fair to the Lexus and say that you really
don’t have to be a tree hugger or an environmentalist to appreciate this
car. I think this car works really well
for those who want to save fuel but don’t want to sacrifice quality and luxury.
It’s a Lexus, so there is no sacrifice.
You get everything you’d expect; leather,
memory/heated/ventilated seats, great NAV with back-up camera, Bluetooth, USB
iPod connection, and everything in between.
What you don’t get is the feel of driving excitement. For example, when you’re at a stop light, the
car shuts off so you’re not feeling it idle.
When you first start the car, nothing happens until you press the gas
pedal and start moving at a decent speed then the engine kicks on. Like I said, it’s not for me but it is in
every other aspect a true Lexus. Once
you’re driving this car, it’s all luxury and quality from there and you forget
that you’re driving a true work of technological art (i.e. hybrid technology).
Why would you purchase this car instead of say an IS250
Lexus? They’re both small, sporty, and fun
to drive. However, the HS 250h is a
truly economical car to operate. I usually have a car from eCarOne for about a
week and during that week I usually use at least 4 or 5 gallons of
gasoline. This time, I didn’t even see
the fuel needle move! I don’t know much about
hybrids so I’m not sure how it seems that I didn’t consume any fuel but I’m guessing
it has something to do with my short low speed daily commute.
This is where this car really shines…. Since I have a short
daily drive, I normally get terrible fuel consumption with any gasoline car
(i.e. city driving). However, with this
hybrid I get excellent fuel economy because most of the time I’m at low speeds
and thus using more electric and less gas.
I think this car would work very well for someone who either
has a very long commute and looking to lower their overall fuel cost, or
someone with a very short commute and looking for better MPG.
If you fit into one of these categories, then I strongly
urge you to take a look at this Lexus.
