Tranquil motoring in Lexus GS 300h

The Lexus GS 300h is a handsome looking car

Classic luxury meets modern utility in the Lexus GS 300h executive hybrid.

With head turning looks, its angry exterior belies a serene personality and a classy interior.

Full of creature comforts, the cabin in our Dynamic trim test model was almost all leather, with cream seats, a padded leather dash with wooden inlays and a discreet, vintage looking analog clock on the centre console.

This classic touch was countered with an extremely modern split screen infotainment unit.

A joystick in the centre console controls the Sat Nav, audio, phone, car settings and car information. I found this a little bit fiddly as it moved too fast sometimes.

The Sat Nav in this car was excellent, however, very easy to set up and to follow.

Entertainment was provided for via DAB radio/CD/DVD and Bluetooth streaming and the very visible 12-speaker Dolby sound system was another excellent feature.

There are lots of storage cubbies in the GS 300h, including a decent sized centre console storage box, which doubles as a well placed armrest. It also houses a USB port and a 12 volt socket.

The cabin in the Lexus GS 300h is spacious and comfortable

The glove box too is a decent size, as is the boot, which has waterproof flooring.

I was disappointed with the lack of bottle holders on the front door bins though. These aren’t moulded, so the bottles fall over and move around.

The cabin in this car is spacious, with good legroom back and front. Both front seat occupants are treated to heated and ventilated seats and the driver gets electric memory settings.

The seat and steering wheel slide to your presets once you sit in and push the button to start the engine and they pull back when you switch off.

The wing mirrors also adjust when you put the car in reverse. This action also activates an excellent high definition rear view camera. Front and rear parking sensors are standard.

Our test car was a four-door 2.5-litre 223HP petrol hybrid and our route took us around the city, on motorway, country roads and mountains.

The automatic hybrid system offered a choice of drive modes – EV, Eco, Normal and Sport – and the car provided a lovely relaxing drive.

The SatNav in the Lexus GS 300h is excellent

I found that it had plenty of power but I never felt the engine was being pushed.

EV or electric vehicle mode was great for urban driving, silently coasting along the streets of Dublin.

I found that Normal was powerful enough for everyday driving but I really did need Sport for that extra kick.

The Lexus GS 300h was quick at the lights, and very fast from 0-120kph on the motorway.

It does, however, have an electric parking brake, with my old bugbear – I feel the light doesn’t stay on long enough to reassure you that it has engaged when you’re leaving the car.

Overall, the Lexus GS 300h is a beautiful, comfortable, luxurious executive saloon.

The Lexus GS 300h is available now, with prices starting from €49,950. Prices for the Dynamic model I was driving start from €54,950.

Tech Spec
Engine: 2.5-litre 223hp petrol hybrid
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 9.2seconds
Maximum Speed: 190kph
CO2 emissions: 110g/km
Combined fuel economy: 4.8l/100km
Annual road tax: €190

Visit the Lexus Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.