BMW 318? We haven't had one in the US for a while. IMHO, that's a total joke of a BMW, esp. the hatchback which supposedly BMW is embarrassed to have brought to the US (Is the U.S. Ready for Four-Cylinder BMWs? - BusinessWeek).
You're thinking of the 318ti. My friend's grandparents drive a 318i sedan... maybe it was only sold in Canada? Our lineup back then was 318i, 323i, 328i, 318ti, 323ci, 328ci and their respective convertible counterparts.
Lexus has had a crossover hybrid (400h?) the past few years. Pretty fast 0-60 in 7 secs, but gas mileage disappointing -mid 20s mpg. Takes premium gas, which is like taking a 15-20% mpg penalty right now. Crossovers aren't fuel efficient. I've never seen a good reason for choosing a Lexus over a cheaper Toyota, except for snob appeal. And if you want to be a real snob, buy a Porsche or BMW or Mercedes.
I believe it takes regular because the regular RX330/350 takes regular (one of the rare Lexus that runs on regular fuel). The Nissan Murano is pretty fuel efficient given its size and 3.5 litre V6 power. The RAV4 4 cylinder and V6 models are pretty darn fuel efficient too. The 4 cylinder 4WD model gets better mileage than our '02 Camry with the same engine! Why? Because there are details in a Lexus that'll you'll never find in a Toyota.
I've owned multiple Lexus over ten years and I beg to differ. The RX 400h is incredible, getting mid to high 20s for a SUV. It also is very quick and has great passing power while keeping the luxury. The new 450h incredibly extends this to another level. What you think is disappointing MPG is actually incredible for a luxury vehicle.
Is it just me or does that Lexus HS look like a Corolla? Either way, there's no way someone should splash $40k on that. We were looking at the GS 450 hybrid at one point, which at least looks much better than the HS, but the miserable MPG killed that. I mean, what's the point of paying significantly more for a car that only gets 22 MPG (actually worse than my non-hybrid Maxima!)
I Europe they sell them in 316, 318, 320, 325, 330, and 335 diesel and the same (except the 316) gasoline. Most of them in sedan, coupe, station wagon and convertible... and some of them in AWD... The choices are enormous!:mod:
I know a dyed-in-the-wool Lexus owner, a very loyal customer. She's also a big fan of the Prius. She wouldn't buy the HS, and here's the simple fact... the grille looks too much like a Ford Fusion to her. I disagree but she thinks the grille is just butt ugly and she won't drive a car that looks remotely like a Ford.
:doh: So I guess if you have that much money to buy a Lexus, you can afford to simply dimiss it based of a simple grille looks.
I'll be curious to see real world milages. This is the same rating of the TCH and it has upgraded components. I could easily get over 40 mpg in the TCH and averaged 37+ over 67,000 miles. I can't see why I coulnd't average 40 mpg in a 250h. I have not seen the 250h yet, but would have considered it if it was a little larger than the Prius, OR if it is significantly quieter, which it should be. Quiet + Power Seats would sell me as long as I didn't have to buy the ATP features
I will agree with her that the HS250 lacks the futuristic look of the Prius and is nowhere near as handsome as the Lexus IS.