My Four And A Half Year Review.

Goggy · October 5, 2015

Before you read this. This is just my opinion, which you may or may not agree with.

Lexus CT200h Petrol/Hybrid.

Style. *****

Interior and Comfort. *****

Practicality and boot space. ****

Engines, and performance. ****

Ride ***

MPG. ****

Reliability. *****

Verdict. ****

Style.

The CT looks brilliant. It is a hatchback, but a fine looking one, sleek and sporty from any angle.

Interior and Comfort.

The interior is one of the best in its class. The seats are superb in either cloth or leather. The driving position is easy to get right. The cabin is well laid out and in general it's a nice place to be.

Practicality and boot space.

Compared to others in this class, the CT is smaller, but not by much. The back seat legroom could be better, especially if you have a tall person in the front seat. The boot is not huge either, but enough for normal daily use of shopping etc. The back seats fold down very easily and the loading space is then a good size and completely flat.

Engines, and performance.

If you want to race other cars at the traffic lights, this car is not for you, buy a Golf GTI instead. Other than that the 1.7 Petrol/Hybrid engine copes well most of the time. There are three driving modes to choose from. 'Normal' is what I used mostly and I found it was not lacking other than if you needed to overtake really quickly, in which case I selected 'Sport mode' which makes the throttle more responsive and in my opinion gives plenty of poke. 'Eco' is there for those who are not in a hurry and want to save petrol, although to be honest I hardly noticed the difference in petrol and found it a bit sluggish to boot. 'EV mode' is when the electric motor takes over and this mainly clicks in at low speeds up to about 25mph, although on a downward slope it will come on at a higher speed. When in 'EV mode' the car is silent except for road noise, so be careful in car parks as pedestrians don't hear you coming.

Ride.

This is the one area I was disappointed in. Lexus gave the CT a sporty ride, which means it is quite firm. Some like this, others, myself included, do not. This is a luxury premium car, so in my opinion it should have a luxurious ride but sadly has an unsettled ride at low speeds and crashes over pot holes. This is a great shame as on most other accounts the car is wonderful. To a degree Lexus has addressed this issue, with newer CT's having a slightly softer ride, but still not enough for me. What a shame.

MPG.

The official government figures published by Lexus and used in all the advertising states this car achieves 68.9mpg. This is not possible in real world driving. My average was 48mpg (45mpg in winter and 51mpg in summer) over a four and a half year period. On some long journeys I did reach the high 50's but most were low to mid 50's. The national average is slightly higher.

Still not bad for a car of this size and comparable to diesels on short journeys but lower than diesels on long journeys.

Reliability.

In my four and a half year ownership, covering 40k miles, I never had a need to take it to back for any fault. Says it all really. Lexus dealerships are the best.

Verdict.

This car has been a dream to own. I loved it, other than the firm ride. I was really reluctant to let it go, but my desire for a smoother ride and something easier to get in and out of, forced my hand. My wife was very reluctant to see it go and did not have an issue with the ride. So, if you want a reliable, economic, comfortable, practical and cool looking car, then look no further. Just make sure the ride suits you.

I now own a Lexus NX SUV, as I am happy with the whole Lexus thing. The ride is smoother and I don't have to bend to get in and out. The mpg is less than the CT, but that is not an issue with me. Just like a bigger, smoother, high up CT really I suppose. :)

Spacewagon52 · October 5, 2015

I have never lliked the styling of the CT - so would not consider buying one. The IS I do like, along with the LS and RX, I am also warmimg to the NX. I have always liked the SC convertible styling.

Wass · October 5, 2015

Nice write up. Very accurate comments. People either like or don't like the styling: there isn't a right or wrong. My view on the harsh ride is that Lexus sacrificed the ride quality for the looks of low profile tyres on the first versions. Newer cars on softer suspension and on higher profile tyres if necessary should solve most concerns about harsh ride.

royoftherovers · October 5, 2015

Nice review.Thanks for the honest comments. Enjoy the NX and please provide comments when appropriate.

Regards

John

bennettse2025 · October 6, 2015

I've owned CT for a few months and agree pretty much entirely with this. I love my CT. The stiff ride doesn't bother me so much but that's personal preference. I'm very impressed with the sport mode. If you ever are in a mood to race a teenager in a Mk4 Golf at the lights, the CT handles itself pretty well when in Sport. Though I must say, if this is what you want from your hatchback then buying a hybrid lexus luxury compact isn't the way to go as the OP correctly states.