The entry-level sedan joins the RX450h crossover and GS450h and LS600h sedans in the hybrid fraternity to give Lexus a full-range of vehicles as fuel-economy laws tighten.

HS stands for "harmonious sedan" in bringing together gas and electricity. The 250 stands for engine displacement, though it's powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, not a 2.5-liter. You'd think the HS240 name would be more in harmony. The h, of course, denotes hybrid.

Lexus insists it's not a glorified Prius, the industry's mileage champ with its 50 mpg city rating from a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder with battery pack. Rather it's a luxury sedan about 5 inches shorter than a Camry and about 9 inches longer than a Prius that gets a "mere" 35 mpg in the city while swathing five people in amenities for 700 miles before the need to refill the tank.

Sounds good until you consider the shortcomings that need be addressed at mid-cycle freshening, such as the vanilla design _ no sprinkles _ and the coupe-sloped profile that will tattoo the noggin if not careful.

Front- and rear-seat room is decent, but seat bottoms are too short for ample thigh support and side bolsters too slim to keep you wrapped tightly in corners.

Housing the battery pack within the rear seat sacrifices cabin room but mostly trunk space. You can fit luggage or the clubs, but that's all. Rear seatbacks don't lower to add cargo space, and there's no ski passthrough into the cabin.

The instrument stack in the center of the dash looks like an avalanche over what little there is of the center console, which holds the systems control handle, or maybe you say computer mouse. Jiggle the handle to call up the energy monitor on the large screen at the top of the dash to see when in battery or gas mode or both. There's push-button start, but reaching the button, near the top of the instrument stack, is a stretch.

There are three operating modes: EV for a little over a mile of travel in battery only; ECO, which limits the throttle to keep speed down and mileage up; and POWER, or lead-foot mode.

Unless in power mode, there's not much pop away from the light, obviously why Lexus avoided a 4-cylinder before this. Of course, 35 mpg in stop-and-go city driving while carrying five is more appealing to some than sprinting from the light.

Nice touches in the $3,900 technology package are heated/cooled seats, a finger-size shift lever in the instrument stack for the continuously variable automatic and a head-up display that provides a continuous speed reading in the lower windshield.