Rumors Of A Forthcoming "lexus Prius"

[RGHessel]

So, I've been reading about rumors that Lexus is coming out with its own version of the Prius, thereby giving it a Hybrid that emphases economy more than pure performance.

I'm sure the racerboys will have lots of angry things to say about this, but I personally love the idea. I currently have a GSh which averages 25 mpg and supposedly goes from 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. I'd love to see what the Lexus engineers can do with a Prius (with Lithium-ion batteries) in terms of the performance-economy equation. Would love having a Lexus that gets 35 mpg (and maybe only goes 0-60 in 7.5 seconds....)

Just thought I'd try triggering a discussion to see if anyone has heard any more about this other than what is here

[lu1de]

come on, lexus is about luxury. they already have toyota prius so there would be no point giving the prius a lexus badge. IMO. Lexus is the luxury brand/version of Toyota

edit: after reading the article... I'm not sure what to say. I still don't think they should/will...

[lenore]

Marketing drives everything as well as these gas prices.....

[wwest]

Marketing drives everything as well as these gas prices.....

Yet another FWD Lexus...??

I think not.

[RX400h]

Toyota has the hybrid Camry, which averages 34 MPG, has about 200 HP, and is no slouch when it comes to acceleration. Maybe an ES400h that gets the same mileage as the hybrid Camry? That'd be nice.

[s10]

Well, if Lexus would come out with a luxury wagon with the same technology as the upcoming Prius, it will be a winner.. and a huge one.

I was hesitating between the Prius and the RX400H... The Prius being a bit too bare, but best economics, the RX being a bit to big and worse economics, but best comfort... I choose the RX.. but would swap for a Hybrid luxury wagon the day it would be on sale.

[RGHessel]

come on, lexus is about luxury. they already have toyota prius so there would be no point giving the prius a lexus badge. IMO. Lexus is the luxury brand/version of Toyota

edit: after reading the article... I'm not sure what to say. I still don't think they should/will...

I still firmly believe there is a huge market out there for cars with great fuel economy that also are filled with all the luxury gadgets, finishes, quality that Lexus is known for.

We've all been hypnotized by the marketing of auto makers that that allow them to put ALL gains into more power rather than more efficiency.

Obviously, a "Lexus Prius" wouldn't be for everybody -- but if they can pull it off (meaning making it feel like something more than an Prius with a Lexus badge), it will be a huge success. And it would be an excellent platform by which to roll out Li-ion batteries.

[lu1de]

I would love it when Lexus or Toyota made a car that didn't use gas. Only electricity :D that's sort of my dream :)

[RX400h]

Well, if Lexus would come out with a luxury wagon with the same technology as the upcoming Prius, it will be a winner.. and a huge one.

I was hesitating between the Prius and the RX400H... The Prius being a bit to bare, but best economics, the RX being a bit to big and worse economics, but best comfort... I choose the RX.. but would swap for a Hybrid luxury wagon the day it would be on sale.

Wagons have traditionally been poor sellers; that's why you probably won't see a wagon hybrid anytime soon. However if they were to make one, they'd most likely use the Camry hybrid as the platform.

[s10]

Well, if Lexus would come out with a luxury wagon with the same technology as the upcoming Prius, it will be a winner.. and a huge one.

I was hesitating between the Prius and the RX400H... The Prius being a bit to bare, but best economics, the RX being a bit to big and worse economics, but best comfort... I choose the RX.. but would swap for a Hybrid luxury wagon the day it would be on sale.

Wagons have traditionally been poor sellers; that's why you probably won't see a wagon hybrid anytime soon. However if they were to make one, they'd most likely use the Camry hybrid as the platform.

Wagons were poor sellers in the US because everybody was buying SUVs... now the tendency is going in the same direction as Europe, where wagons are hugely popular because they offer the best space/fuel consumption combination.

More and more car makers are re-introducing wagons in the US, they will be very popular, very soon.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

. . . snip

I was hesitating between the Prius and the RX400H... The Prius being a bit too bare, but best economics, the RX being a bit to big and worse economics, but best comfort... I choose the RX.. but would swap for a Hybrid luxury wagon the day it would be on sale.

We hesitated between the Prius & 400h too!

Thant' why we went ahead and just got both :P

[RX400h]

Wagons were poor sellers in the US because everybody was buying SUVs... now the tendency is going in the same direction as Europe, where wagons are hugely popular because they offer the best space/fuel consumption combination.

More and more car makers are re-introducing wagons in the US, they will be very popular, very soon.

They don't call them wagons here; they are refered to as "crossovers". The only wagon I see is the Audi. The term "Station Wagon" is essentially, obsolete.

[ilovelexus2007]

We hesitated between the Prius & 400h too!

Thant' why we went ahead and just got both :P

...yeah, if everyone is having lots of green like you...then it would be an easy decision :)

anywho, how is the prius compare to the 400h? I commute 70 miles a day on my 400h and I started to feel it's such a waste to put that many mileage on a Lexus, I'm thinking of getting a cheaper and better fuel economy car just for work like a Prius (and still keeping the 400h for leisure), but that's gonna stack up more debt :(

[Step Hen]

anywho, how is the prius compare to the 400h? I commute 70 miles a day on my 400h and I started to feel it's such a waste to put that many mileage on a Lexus, I'm thinking of getting a cheaper and better fuel economy car just for work like a Prius (and still keeping the 400h for leisure), but that's gonna stack up more debt :(

If gas prices continue to rise like it is doing, you may able to make payments towards the prius with the gas money you would otherwise be spending on the rx!

[s10]

Wagons were poor sellers in the US because everybody was buying SUVs... now the tendency is going in the same direction as Europe, where wagons are hugely popular because they offer the best space/fuel consumption combination.

More and more car makers are re-introducing wagons in the US, they will be very popular, very soon.

They don't call them wagons here; they are refered to as "crossovers". The only wagon I see is the Audi. The term "Station Wagon" is essentially, obsolete.

What's in a name? btw VW has wagons too, so has MB and BMW... anyway cars that look like wagons but are called differently are the future! :P

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

We hesitated between the Prius & 400h too!

Thant' why we went ahead and just got both :P

...yeah, if everyone is having lots of green like you...then it would be an easy decision :)

anywho, how is the prius compare to the 400h? I commute 70 miles a day on my 400h and I started to feel it's such a waste to put that many mileage on a Lexus, I'm thinking of getting a cheaper and better fuel economy car just for work like a Prius (and still keeping the 400h for leisure), but that's gonna stack up more debt :(

Comparing the two, for us, one gets an average of 26mpg versus the other that gets 56mpg. Lexus never consideres mpg, rather they make it all about POWER ... but they need to as gas spirals ever upward. Lexus would likely 'gussy-up' a Pri-Lesus, with more sound deadening, better handling, and those SEATS ... many complaing of the seats ... they'd put lumbar support in it, undoubtedly, with heated, height adjustable functions too, etc. But the Prius has way more high tech gadgetry. Our pet peave is that the 400h doesn't have the smart key system (SKS ie; no key to start up, or even enter the car) the way the Prius has, but the sks IS rumered to be in the 09 400h. It's about time. And the Prius has way more steering wheel controls, so you don't have to look over & fiddle with knob controls.

[BobBass]

I think Lexus is making a huge mistake by not bringing out an ES240h (or whatever designation they decide on.)

It should be a simple matter to drop the powertrain from the TCH into the ES body/chassis and modify the rear seat for the batteries.

I'd get one in a heartbeat. The TCH doesn't offer HID's, auto up/down windows, folding mirrors, "upscale interior," etc. and it ticks me off that there aren't any true "luxury" full hybrids geared toward maximum fuel economy.

The Altima hybrid is a little better in that respect but no lumbar support and is only available in relatively limited numbers in CA emission states.

[mindmachine]

Hi,

I spoke with my dealer and was told the new hybrid will fit between the IS and the ES and should get around 40 MPG average. I was also told that it would be introduced next spring I suspect as a 2010 model. I told him I wanted one and to keep me informed. He said I could probably find out more on autospies.com than he gets from Lexus, but promised to keep me updated as he gets info.

[SW03ES]

I doubt we'll see an entirely new model in between the IS and ES, that doesn't make any sense.

What they SHOULD do is come out with a hybrid ES based on the Camry Hybrid. The R&D costs would be negligable, the car is similar in interior size to the Prius.

I'd buy one...

[ilovelexus2007]

I too think Lexus will have the ES Hybrid coming out soon...since they have already done it with the Camry Hybrid. But I think the IS Hybrid is not a bad idea, probably better mileage than the ES since it's smaller...but again, the IS is a performance/sport sedan...so many would probably prefer performance over fuel economy.

I agree with someone's, the RX has been the top selling SUV for so long that Lexus didn't even bother to make any improvement (e.g. keyless entry, start push button etc..). As much as I'm impressed with my 400h hybrid system, I'm sure Lexus can do a lot better for the RX for its price (especially the RX350).

Btw, I will be testing a Prius this weekend...so excited. Prius' owners, anything I should look for or ask for?

I'm sure it won't be that powerful and comfort as my 400h, but the fuel economy really attracted me. My fiance and I may finally use the Prius to commute to work and enjoy the 400h on the weekend. (yes, I drop her off work half the way, and then drive another 20 miles to my work) (painful!)

[SW03ES]

The Prius is okay, we have one. The economy is good, but you actually probably can get fairly comparable economy out of something cheaper, like a Yaris or Honda Fit if commuting is what you're looking for.

To me the negatives of the Prius are:

1. Its weird looking

2. Its really uncomfortable. The seats have very limited adjustments (front, back, and tilt, thats it) and the driving position is upright and weird.

3. Its expensive

For just commuting I'd buy a Yaris or Fit and pocket the extra cash.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

The Prius is okay, we have one. The economy is good, but you actually probably can get fairly comparable economy out of something cheaper, like a Yaris or Honda Fit if commuting is what you're looking for.

To me the negatives of the Prius are:

1. Its weird looking

2. Its really uncomfortable. The seats have very limited adjustments (front, back, and tilt, thats it) and the driving position is upright and weird.

3. Its expensive

For just commuting I'd buy a Yaris or Fit and pocket the extra cash.

But the fit & yaris are cracker boxes compared to interior cubit feet of the Prius. That's why the Prius is not a compact or subcompact, rather on par with seemingly 'larger' cars, cubic feet interior wise. In fact I believe the Prius has more cubic feet interior space than (for example) the Malibu sized cars. If Lexus DOES make a Prius-esq type ultra high mpg car ... the extra weight of the Camery tends to be detrimental to that objective. More weight = less mpg. As for the cheese wedge shape? Some think it's weird looking, some think that makes it cool. I don't care if it looks like a Malibu / standard 'look', or not IMO. But low drag coefficiency being the 'deal' ... well then style / shape becomes restrictive, if you base MPG as a priority. If Lexus is going the route of the Prius, then it's stricly because they see the 'writing-on-the-wall' ... that gas will continue its ever upward spiral ... so that even the "I don't care if gas hits $10/gallon" folks will be forced to think mpg. Most of the Lexus crowd won't stoop to a sub compact, as the upward gas price continues. I'm guessing that most of the Lexus folks will be looking to get as far as they can, as cheep as they can per gallon, but STILL, they'll avoid cracker boxes, if they can get more interior space AND higher MPG's. And that's why Lexus may be diving into the Prius aspect.

[SW03ES]

I agree the Yaris and Fit aren't comparable to the Prius sizewise. However, if one's goal is simply a commuter car with strong MPG...they fit the bill as well and for a lot less money. Both the Yaris and Fit are built well and are solid, and I find the driving positions in both more comfortable than in the Prius.

if its just two people commuting who needs the extra space?

[RX400h]

Regarding mileage, isn't the average mileage of the Prius quite a bit higher than that of the Yaris? maybe 8-10 MPG higher?

Also, Consumer Reports doesn't recommend the Yaris - not sure why, but I believe the Corolla is quite a bit quieter than either the Yaris or Fit.

[SW03ES]

We get about 35MPG with our Prius in our combined driving, on the highway we get about 42. If you have a highway commute and you're getting 35 in a Yaris...or even a Corolla. With a 40 mile commute one way, thats 80 miles a day, or 400 miles a week. Thats 11 gallons of fuel in a Corolla or Yaris, 10 in a Prius. That one gallon a week, even at $10 a gallon is only a savings of $40 a month, the cost of the Prius vs the other car is going to equal a lot more than that in payment...