A few weeks ago I answered the phone here at Automobile Magazine and ended up speaking with a local Ann Arbor retailer who has owned a Lexus GS450h for about six months. He wanted to know why he wasn't getting fuel economy that matched the EPA ratings. I didn't really have an answer but suggested that it must be due to his particular driving style and the driving conditions he finds himself in. He was annoyed that his $60,000 rolling environmental statement wasn't allowing him to make much of an environmental statement. As Rusty Blackwell points out, this hybrid powertrain serves up the torque in spades with only the slightest application of the accelerator pedal, so maybe our friend on the phone has a heavier foot than he thinks.
Joe DeMatio, Deputy Editor