Considering the site’s general tone, Jalopnik’s review of the Lexus HS 250h is surprisingly light on insults and quite heavy with praise:
If you ignore the proclivities of the CVT, the car is actually not a total dud, accelerating to 60 MPH in about 8.7 seconds, handling corners in a way we didn’t think a hybrid could and, when you push it past the point of reason, it doesn’t surprise, just gradually transitions to predictable understeer. Sure it’s sprung for a soft ride over control and it certainly delivers the comfort Lexus is known for, but it’s definitely not fall-asleep soft.
Even more impressive was their real-world MPG results:
We’re not the type to drive 5 MPH under the speed limit and use high-mileage techniques (ever), but our copilot today was and with “ECO” mode engaged, windows up and air conditioning off, he managed an astounding 57.9 MPG…Driving the exact same course as our previous tester and being really bad the whole way ‘round, we could only get down to an embarrassingly decent 30.3 MPG.
Given that the majority of HS 250h reviews don’t seem to be focusing on the exterior styling, I’d say the performance and interior design are making quite an impression.
[Source: Jalopnik]