Lexus' 2010 HS250h hybrid has so many high tech options and features it seems as if the car should be able to drive itself. At a starting price of $34,000 you'd expect features like glowing gauges, leather trim and power seats. But there's also some pretty impressive new technology as well. The HS250 essentially debuts the new Lexus Enform system - it works kind of like OnStar. Command center agents will help you with locating destinations and send the directions to your nav system. eDestination allows you to store and send locations via your home computer (iPhone or laptop with a wi-fi connection will work too).
Lane Keep Assist is marked by a "LKA" button on the steering wheel. This safety option will alert the driver if they stray from the current marked lane. Radar based cruise control sees cars ahead and matches their speed (at a safe distance) no matter what speed you have your cruise control set to. Set it to 80 and you'll go 80. If you come up on a slower car, the system automatically slows to match the speed of the car ahead, then kicks back up to 80 when the car moves or you change lanes. Dynamic Radar Cruise also gets you a pre-collision system that will ring a warning bell and add brake pressure if it doesn't detect you're pressing the brake hard enough. If your HS250 does hit another car, you'll be protected by 10 airbags. There's also an available heads up display that projects vehicle speed, audio information and navigation commands onto the windshield.
The HS250h also has a feature called "casual voice command" which means you can say something like "Make it warmer" and the car will boost the heat. But the real amazing thing about all this technology is that the remote touch control is the near perfect human/machine interface. It works like a computer mouse, is perfectly placed and eliminates the need to lean forward and touch the nav/computer screen. Hard buttons for menu, map and zoon futher simplify operation making this Lexus' complex tech super simply to use - Brian Moody
EMAIL: Brian: SoMoody7@gmail.com or Harry: harry@carconcerns.com
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