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FEATURES | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The computer-mouse-style interface works well, especially while driving.
Consumer Guide
The nav system also has a comprehensive traffic feature, which not only shows where the jam-up is, but audibly tells you how far ahead it is and how long it is.
Edmunds
If you hunger for technology, the HS 250h will feed your boiler
Motor Trend
could be the best haptic controller built to date...Its intuitive interface simply blows away systems from many of Lexus's German luxury competitors
Popular Mechanics
Remote Touch is easy to use when the HS 250h is stationary, but I'm less comfortable using it while moving than I would be a touch-screen setup.
Cars.com
Like any Lexus, the 2012 HS 250h offers a good array of standard features. But the options list is a wonder to behold, with an impressive number of high-tech features that will gladden the heart of gadget fiends and luxury lovers alike. Lexus says its all-LED headlamps are the first in the segment, and come packaged together with Intelligent High Beam, Adaptive Front Lighting, and washers for the lamps themselves. Then there's a new heads-up display, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, front- and rear-view monitors, Lane-Keeping Assist--which not only alerts drivers who drift out of their lane but also applies a steering correction--and Intuitive Park Assist.
The optional multi-speaker 330-Watt audio surround-sound system comes from Mark Levinson, and XM Satellite radio is included even on standard models, as is Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port.
A further option is the "Enform with Safety Connect" system. This pairs subscription-based safety and information services, including roadside assistance and crash notification with an enhanced navigation system that includes XM real-time traffic and weather data, as well as sports and stock information delivered to your car. Access is via voice commands or through the fixed Remote Touch mouse-like controller on the console, which requires drivers to take their eyes off the road to maneuver a cursor on the central display screen.
The challenge for buyers may be the cost of multiple options. While the starting price of the 2012 HS 250h is about $37,000, but adding in those high-tech options may require specifying several bundles of packaged features that can add more than $10,000 to the total. A fully loaded HS 250h Premium model approaches $50,000.
Conclusion
The 2012 Lexus HS 250h has a large suite of technology features, but costs can add up quickly, with a fully loaded HS more than $10,000 pricier than the base model.
