2010 Audi A3 Tdi vs Lexus Hs250h
There was a time when buying a luxury car meant you had a V8 out front that pushed power to the rear wheels. Horsepower ratings were high and fuel economy figures were utterly irrelevant so long as you didn’t have to pay the “gas-guzzler” tax. Back then if you asked someone what green meant they would tell you that it was the color of Kermit the Frog.
Nowadays, however, it seems that reducing our dependence on foreign oil and saving the planet is on every American’s mind. It is funny, however, that two of the first luxury cars with a green conscience come from Japan and Germany in the form of the Lexus HS250h and Audi A3 TDI. I guess we will have to wait until Cadillac gets its rumored version of the Volt for an American reply to this global problem.
Not only are these two vehicles very easy on gas (or diesel), these cars are also available with all the luxury gadgets you could ask for in 2010. While Lexus has gone with a hybrid powertrain much like the one in the Prius, the big difference is that it uses a larger 4 cylinder engine (2.4 liters instead of 1.8 in the 2010 Prius). The Audi A3 has a 2.0 liter turbocharged diesel engine that is highly fuel efficient but is also available in the much less expensive 2010 VW Golf. Will that hurt its sales chances?
Although no one ever “needs” to buy a luxury car sometimes it is nice to have a sporty and luxurious vehicle to help you get through commutes, running errands and those occasional pleasure drives. These two alternatively powered luxury cars are just harbingers of changing times ahead yet are powered with technology that is reliable and highly proven. Now, which one is better for the luxury car buyer with a “green” conscience?
Audi A3 TDI
(Starting at $29,950)-(30 city/42 highway)
The best part about the remarkable fuel efficiency of the A3 TDI is the fact that it drives so much like a normal car. The days of smelly diesel exhaust fumes and clattery engine noises are long gone. What is left is a driving experience much like that in a normal A3 with the 2.0 liter turbocharged gas engine. Thanks to the clever standard DSG double clutch automatic transmission the A3 TDI’s engine is always kept on boost as to keep turbo lag to a minimum.
While the gas A3 may beat the diesel in horsepower (197 to 140), the diesel counters that with a sports car worthy 236 pound feet of torque. The TDI may not be as fast as the A3 with a gas motor but it feels much quicker than the Lexus thanks to all that torque. Also, the TDI version of the A3 gets 11 miles per gallon more out of a gallon of gas on the highway than the regular A3 turbo model. It also even beats the Lexus by some margin in highway mileage. Imagine how much money that means you can save over the time you own the car.
Besides all that the rest is standard Audi A3 fare meaning stellar build quality, a cavernous cargo area and fashionably stylish European design inside and out. The A3 works so well because it is practical yet also manages to be elegant. And as diesel engines can easily handle huge mileages you can probably keep it for quite a long time and still have a lot of your residual left at resale.
Be careful, though, as options can get expensive. Do, however, check out the Titanium Sport package which adds sport suspension, sport seats, titanium cast 18 inch alloy wheels, piano black trim in the interior and a blacked out grille. The result is a fuel sipping diesel so cool looking that even Darth Vader would drive it.
Lexus HS250h
(Starting at $34,650)-(35 city/34 highway)
Although this Lexus should be lauded as the first luxury hybrid aimed at improving fuel mileage, this engine/battery combo has a projected output of 187 horsepower so it is by no means a fast car. Pickup feels good off the line thanks to the electric batteries but the 2.4 liter engine is rougher than the smaller 4 cylinder in the Prius. Shouldn’t that be the other way around?
Another issue is with the styling. The Prius has a sort of goofy, oddball charm much like the original VW Beetle. People love them. The Lexus HS250h on the other hand is a frumpy mishmash of clashing design themes that culminate in an appearance so homely that you almost want to make it a bowl of soup and tell it, “of course new car buyers will like you just for your personality.”
The interior is also very un-Lexus like in its use of cheap feeling plastics and leather which is allegedly due to the fact that much of it is either recyclable, biodegradable or made from post-consumer waste. So while the interior is utterly devoid of any style, feelings of luxury or sturdiness you can always take heart knowing it is made with Mother Earth in mind. Apologies but if I am going to spend $35,000 on a car I want some soft touch plastics and a dashboard that is sturdier than the one in the Kia Rio. (Sorry low blow. To the Kia Rio.)
Who Wins?
Do you really have to ask? The A3 TDI is cheaper, more efficient and will maintain its value better than the Lexus hybrid. If you want a fancy, fuel efficient hybrid buy yourself a top of the line Prius and you will be much happier.
