SAFETY | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
'Good,' frontal offset; 'good,' side impact; 'marginal,' rear impact; 'acceptable,' roof strength
IIHS
Not yet tested
NHTSA
Lane Keep Assist system not only vibrates the steering wheel and emits an audible alert when you've gone astray, but also pulls the car back on course
Popular Mechanics
Lexus' Wide-view Front Monitor...can give the driver a better view around blind corners and also show how close objects are to the front bumper.
Cars.com
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has tested the HS 250h and given it top 'good' ratings for frontal and side impact. But in the seat-based rear-impact test the HS 250h scored only 'marginal,' and in the new roof strength test it scored a lackluster 'acceptable.'
But Lexus doesn't hold anything back with respect to safety features in the HS 250h, including a class-leading 10 airbags, with the expected front, side, and side-curtain bags, plus several features—rear side seat-mounted bags and knee bags for both the driver and passenger—that are rare even among the most technologically exclusive vehicles. Electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, brake assist, and hill-start assist are also included, and a Pre-Collision system—which alerts the driver of an impending collision and primes the braking and safety systems—is included with the optional Dynamic Radar Cruise control.
Rearward visibility from inside the HS 250h is better than that of most small sedans, although the rather thick rear pillar can get in the way.
Conclusion
The 2011 Lexus HS 250h doesn't have particularly impressive crash-test ratings, but its feature list is strong.
