"Assuming 12,000 miles per year, the Accord hybrid saves 72 gallons. The hybrid has a combined 28 mpg, while the nonhybrid has a combined 24 mpg."

I'd really not belabor this further, but the automatic version of the non-hybrid Accord gets 23 MPG, not 24 MPG, and standard yearly mileage assumptions for a new vehicle are 15,000 miles, not 12,000.

Hybrids are still a developing technology, so I'm really unclear why anyone would split hairs and worry about which vehicles are getting hybrid options at this point. It's even stranger to get upset with Honda, when they have the highest average MPG of any major auto manufacturer, sell the highest mileage hybrid (the Insight), hybridized the best-selling compact (the Civic) and currently offer three hybrid choices, all while companies like GM offer none.

I also don't see any value in turning this into value judgments about people with money or those who choose to purchase expensive and/or powerful vehicles. I for one would rather see those type of people buy into the technology instead of feel alienated by it.

Money doesn't make anyone bad any more than poverty makes anyone noble.

You may feel offended at people's choices, but there is no way you're ever going to stop that tide by insisting everyone live "simply" and start driving little 4-banger econoboxes. You're welcome to join me on the local bus one day and listen to all the "noble" poor people talk about money, how they wish they had this or that big SUV, etc. The only difference between them and people who have those things is the amount of money they have in their bank accounts. Otherwise, the aspirations are the same.

Try and deny or fight that and you'll only get people fighting that much harder to be able to choose those things.

That's just what my experience has shown me.

I never said anything about the poor being noble. I don't consider the Prius or the Civic to be what used to be called little banger econoboxes. However, I welcome the fact that both Toyota and Honda are bringing back what you might call little 4 banger econoboxes.

Yes, I am making value judgements, but not about people with money. I know plenty of people with enough money to buy anything they want but choose to buy what you call little econoboxes.

I value the future of the planet over the need to consume monster SUVs and massively powered large sedans. People should be free,however, to make consumer choices within an overall context of governmental policy that encourages auto with better gas mileage and discourages the alternative.

I can't insist on people live simply. It wouldn't do any good, anyway, as no one changes their lifestyle unless it comes from within. But I can show people the consequences of their actions, lobby my representatives for changes in policy, and hope for the best.

Yes, it's good that the technology is being spread across the spectrum of vehicles. But that should not take us off the point that these are only interim approaches to what needs to be the overall goal -- to significantly reduce the overall level of fuel consumption.

Further, everyone is not just stuck on one class of vehicles. If they can get better gas mileage staying the same class, then I guess we are a little better off. Better yet, however, is if they downsize their class of vehicle and get a hybrid. I've done it and other people I know personally have done it or are planning to do it. And none of them (including me) did it to save money. We did it because we thought it was the right thing to do.

If these changes are a result of changed values or changed perceptions of the problem, then so be it.

Thus far, things are not getting better in the United States. Last year, we increased our greenhouse emissions once again. It's no wonder since we do not have a national commitment to reduce those gases. We still have an administration that is fighting any attempt to really do something about climate change and is in denial despite their talk about ethanol and plugins.

To those who are complaining about this car, if it was a Benz or BMW, you'd likely all have praise for it. Enough with the unwarranted hate.

The 0 - 60mph in 5.2sec is the conservative Lexus estimate. Expect magazines like Car & Driver to get below 5 sec. Edmunds already reviewed the GS450h; they got 0-60 in 5.5sec, and also the quarter mile in 13.7 sec. Edmunds typically achieves slow times, as their testing methods are conservative. They got an average of 22mpg under a lead foot. Ward's also tested the car, and got 24mpg average.

Can anyone name me a midsize sedan weighting over 4000lbs that gets this kind of performance, fuel economy, and emissions? This car realistically has no competitor, diesel or otherwise.

This is a luxury car, and thus is about bragging rights. Luxury cars offer people something they want or desire, not something they necessarily need.

Even if Benz makes a comparable Bluetec diesel E Class to compete with this GS hybrid, the Blutec will have a drawback, as it's urea solution will need to be replenished every so often at the dealer. Plus, the Bluetec is unlikely to achieve the same sort of emissions as this hybrid.

The Europeans will be closely watching this car.

When will they be delivered to dealerships? Seems like one car you need to drive before you order.

Before the low EPA #s I was interested in the Lexus hybrid, but I believe I'll opt to trade in my "luxury" S-class Mercedes for the Toyota Prius. There's no luxury in ignorance. Hopefully, others will get past the superficial, luxury / NASCAR mentality when oil quickly climbs over $100/barrel.

There is another (more logical?) way to look at this. I currently drive a car that gets 22 mpg. I can get 24 mpg if I really take it easy on the highway, but I get run off the road at 65 mph, so I can't really go any slower than that. If I buy the Lexus GS350H, my gas consumption will decrease fairly significantly. I'll go from 22 mpg to 28 mpg. How is that not a good thing?

Yes, I could do better, but that's not the question.

There are people put there who see the automobile as the only thing in their life that gives them freedom. Pathetic? of course. But reality is reality. Most car buyers are going to buy what they want. Getting them increased mpg in that package is a good thing.

If every car purchased in 2006 achieved a 25% reduction in gas use for that driver, that would be significant, wouldn't it?

(and let's hope that whoever buys the car I sell, is upgrading to it from a car that is getting less than 20 mpg - eventually the low mileage junkers will be in the metal recycler)

Hey people, this is the GS! NOT AN SUV. This is a sedan. A very very very very fast sedan with realisticly the gas milage I get with my 1998 Honda civic lead foot.

i think what Tpyata are trying to do is very exciting,
in the states you are talking of $5 a gallon,
try £5:40p sterling,
how does that sound to you all?

i currently drive a new Toyota Aygo 1.0 litre
in its first 10,000 miles it has delivered a minimum of 53 miles per gallon over a tank,
and a maximum of 65 miles per gallon over a tank.

my other car is an Audi A4 2.5 litre Turbodiesel Cabriolet in its first 6,000 miles in my ownership it has done a minimum of 29 miles per gallon over the tank,
and a maximum of 50 miles per gallon over the tank.
the trouble over here is that diesel is even more expensive than petrol.

once Toyota has shown the world what they can do,
it will stop the gas companies from screwing us (the motorist's) $115 a barrel of crude....thats rediculous.

we really need this to take off.

i personally had been driving a 1990 mercedes benz 2.6 litre sportline auto for 13 years,
it was delivering upto 35 mpg with me driving or upto 25 mpg with my wife at the helm,
also in the household was a 1997 Vauxhall Corsa 1.7 litre diesel.

i had been reading the polution figures for cars but didn't understand them,
as soon as i had been educated and then explained to my wife what was happening she said we cannot afford to stay with these cars,

the Mercedes was pumping 300 grammes of crap into the sky for each km of driving,
that would represent 150 tonnes of crap into the atmosphere for a round trip to London of 300 miles (450 km) from the south west where i am situated...........the fuel used would only weigh 45 kg.
thats why i couldn't understand it at first,
i currently have a Toyota Aygo 1.0 litre.this gives out below 119 grammes per kilometre which is still alot, but unfortunately it doesn't get much better than this in the world of motoring.

i have replaced the Mercedes with an Audi A4 2.5 litre diesel turbo Cabriolet which is an improvement
Merc 25-35 mpg
Audi 29-50 mpg

i couldn't bear to part with the Merc after all these years so i gave it to my father who is now 80 years old and doesn't do alot of driving,
the car had done 282,000 miles and was still sweet as a nut and didn't use a drop of oil between services.
not bad for a petrol engine.