2012 Lexus HS 250h Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Lexus HS 250h review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 HS 250h, and includes Lexus HS 250h safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The 2012 Lexus HS 250h is a front-wheel-drive, five-passenger sedan available only as a hybrid-powered model. Given its starting price of roughly $38,000, the HS 250h competes with a variety of alternatively powered vehicles, including the Audi A3 TDI, the Chevrolet Volt, and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

Another year, another nearly identical Lexus HS 250h. For 2012, updates are limited to an exterior color change, with Nebula Gray Pearl replacing Smoky Granite Mica. The four-cylinder hybrid powertrain remains unchanged, and buyers can continue to select between two well-equipped trims.

In typical Lexus fashion, the base HS 250h model is delivered with an abundance of standard features. Among them are 17-inch alloy wheels, a power moonroof, leather upholstery and interior trim, power-adjustable front seats, and an automatic dual-zone climate control system. The parade of creature comforts rolls on with a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with audio controls, heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, a keyless entry and push-button ignition system, Bluetooth hands-free calling capability, and a 10-speaker sound system that features a USB port, six-disc CD changer, and three months of complimentary satellite radio service.

A number of desirable options are available to buyers who wish to boost the 2012 HS 250h’s overall appeal. A quick and simple approach would be to add a set of 18-inch alloy wheels, which can be ordered separately or as part of a Touring Package. Check the order box for the latter and you’ll also get illuminated door sills, a performance-tuned suspension, a two-tone interior, heated front seats, and a rear spoiler. Lexus also offers a 330-watt Mark Levinson surround sound system boasting 15 speakers and DVD audio, and a voice-controlled Navigation Package comprised of the company’s Enform telematics technology as well as real-time traffic and weather information.

For a more upscale experience, Lexus asks shoppers to consider the HS 250h Premium model, which serves as host to heated and cooled front seats with driver-side memory, auto-dimming exterior mirrors with a reverse tilt-down feature, a power-adjustable steering wheel, upgraded leather upholstery, and wood interior accents. On top of that, the HS 250h Premium is available with many of the aforementioned options, plus two that you won’t find on the base HS 250h. First is a Park Assist Package, which features Lexus’ Intuitive Park Assist system, a rearview camera, and a wide-angle front camera. Second is a Technology Package, designed to aid drivers by bundling the Park Assist Package with a heads-up windshield display, a lane departure warning system, and intelligent cruise control.

While all-new and redesigned hybrids are gradually moving to relatively lightweight and fast-charging lithium-ion battery packs, the 2012 Lexus HS 250h continues to use a nickel-metal hydride battery. Though not the most advanced hybrid technology on the planet, the latter has been working reliably for more than a decade, since the days of the first Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.

Joined with the HS 250h’s battery pack are two electric motors, an efficient continuously variable transmission (CVT) that directs output to the front wheels, and a regenerative braking system tasked with capturing energy wasted during deceleration. Of course, this Lexus wouldn’t be a hybrid without a gas engine, which, in this case, is a 2.4-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder. Total output comes in at 187 horsepower and, more importantly, EPA-rated fuel economy measures 35 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.

If fuel economy were the only criterion on the minds of car buyers, we’d all be driving 1968 Volkswagen Beetles and motorcycles. Fortunately, we’ve developed an immense appreciate for vehicle safety over the years, the culmination of which can be seen in models like the 2012 Lexus HS 250h. Look beyond the hybrid drivetrain components and standard leather seats and you’ll discover four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, stability and traction control systems, eight airbags, and a Safety Connect emergency response telematics feature, as well as the Premium model’s lane-departure warning and intelligent cruise control options.

With that bounty of life-saving goodness, one would expect the HS 250h to survive crash tests relatively unscathed, at least figuratively. Based on scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), that proves to be true, with top marks for front- and side-impact protection. Roof strength earned an Acceptable rating, one step down from the best rating of Good. Unfortunately, the HS 250h’s front seats aren’t very good at limiting injury if another motorist crashes into the back of this hybrid. The car gets a Marginal rating from the IIHS for rear-impact injury protection.

If you’re looking to see how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates the HS 250h, don’t spend much time seeking the information. As this review is written, the NHTSA had not performed tests on this model.

Though the Lexus HS 250h might not do the best job of protecting occupants in a collision, it certainly does its best to maintain the health of your wallet. The experts at Consumer Reports predict above average reliability from the 2012 Lexus HS 250h, and have even added it to their list of Recommended vehicles. Wallet carnage avoided.

Some hybrid shoppers may be blown away by the fact that a Lexus hybrid sedan can reach 60 mph in only 5.5 seconds. Unfortunately for HS 250h fans, that level of performance comes from the larger and significantly more powerful and expensive LS 600h L. The apple of your eye – the HS 250h – requires 8.4 seconds to accomplish the same task.

Given its bevy of high-end equipment and commendable refinement, the 2012 Lexus HS 250h deserves a certain level of praise. Problem is, with its relatively high price tag, non-descript styling, fuel economy that borders on worst-in-class, mediocre crash-test performance, and yester-tech hybrid system, we don’t think that level is very high.

By Thom Blackett