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2008 Lexus GS450H Review
New engine, revised styling for luxury sports sedans.
2008 GS450H Review Summary & Specifications
The Lexus approach to high performance isn't grasped by everyone, so it's easy to overlook the genuinely rewarding road manners of the Lexus GS sedan. This car has the calm, intuitive personality we associate with the Lexus brand, though ride quality can get firm with the large tires. Passenger room is good but not generous and cargo room is limited. All versions of the GS have capability to get you to your destination as quickly as you dare, and the GS 450h's combination of power and fuel economy is unique among midsize luxury/sport sedans.New Car Test Drive correspondent Kirk Bell contributed to this report from Chicago.
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| Vehicle Category | Luxury Cars |
| Editor | New Car Test Drive |
| Model Lineup | Lexus GS 350 ($44,150); GS 350 AWD ($46,100); GS 460 ($52,620); GS 450h ($54,900) |
| Engines (standard) | 4.6-liter dohc 32-valve V8 |
| Transmissions (standard) | 8-speed automatic with manual shiftgate |
| Engines (optional) | 303-hp V6; 342-hp V8; 340-hp hybrid V6 |
| Transmissions (optional) | 6-speed automatic (V6); 8-speed automatic (V8); CVT (hybrid) |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | driver and front-passenger front airbags; front and rear side-curtain airbag; seat-mounted side-impact airbag for front and rear seats; driver and front passenger knee airbags; force-limiting seat belts with pre-tensioners for driver, front passenger and outboard rear seats; 3-point belts for all seating positions, including rear center position; height-adjustable front shoulder belt anchors; automatic locking retractor (ALR)/emergency locking retractor (ELR) seat belt function on all seating positions except driver (ELR only); traction control; Vehicle Stability Control system (VSC); four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) integrated with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); electronic stability control; tire pressure warning system |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) integrates and manages ECB, ABS, BA, EBD, VSC and Electronic Power Steering (EPS) for total-vehicle dynamics control; Electronic Controlled Brake system (ECB); Pre-Collision System (PCS); front and rear park assist; rearview camera |
| Basic Warranty | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Tahara, Japan |
| Manufacturer Phone | 1-800-USA-LEXUS |
| Manufacturer URL | www.lexus.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 44150 |
| Model Tested MSRP | Lexus GS 460 ($52,620) |
| Standard Equipment | leather upholstery; heated and ventilated front seats; dual-zone automatic climate control; interior air filter; power tilt/telescoping wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls; cruise control; heated 10-way power-adjustable front seats; memory for the driver's seat; mirrors and steering wheel; trunk pass-through; heated auto-dimming power exterior mirrors with tilt-down back-up aid; power windows; power locks; SmartAccess keyless access and starting; sunroof; remote engine starting; 10-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo with six-disc CD changer; auxiliary audio input jack; vehicle information system with a seven-inch touch screen; Bluetooth wireless cell phone link; auto-dimming rearview mirror; universal garage door opener; power trunk closer; automatic xenon adaptive headlights; theft-deterrent system; fog lights; adaptive variable suspension with sport and normal modes; P245/50ZR18 tires on alloy wheels |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | all-season run-flat tires ($320), rain-sensing wipers with headlight cleaners ($100), rear sunshade ($210), Mark Levinson 330-watt audio/navigation system with surround sound and rearview camera ($3630), rear spoiler ($200), Lexus Link ($900), intuitive front and rear park assist ($500) |
| Destination Charge | 765 |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Price as Tested | 59245 |
| Layout | rear-wheel drive |
| Horse Power | 342 @ 6200 |
| Torque | 339 @ 3600 |
| Fuel Economy | 17/24 |
| Wheelbase | 112.2 |
| Length/Width/Height | 190.0/71.7/56.1 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 36.7 |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 37.8/54.4/43.5 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | 37.0/51.4/36.4 |
| Trunk Volume | 12.7 |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | |
| Front Suspension | independent, double wishbones with high-mount upper arms, coil springs, gas-filled shock absorbers, stabilizer bar, Adaptive Variable Suspension with driver selectable shock absorber damping |
| Rear Suspension | independent, multi-link with high-mount upper arms, coil springs, gas-filled shock absorbers, stabilizer bar, Adaptive Variable Suspension with driver selectable shock absorber damping |
| Ground Clearance | 5.1 |
| Curb Weight | 3945 |
| Stock Tires | P245/40ZR18 all-season |
| Brakes Front/Rear | disc/disc with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist; ECB brake-by-wire; VDIM electronic stability control |
| Fuel Capacity | 18.8 |
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