Test drive CT next week

[floggit]

So hello, been a few years since i sold my ls400 and now find myself possibly returning to lexus. Car im about to test drive is a ct200h sport. Just looking for advice really ... Any niggles /issues, how do owners like it? Read all the online reviews and the only thing seems to be a firm ride?. Car will be new so not looking for 2nd hand issues. Do owners recommend it?. How does the hybrid system perform day to day? Benefit or annoyance.

 

cherrs steve.

[200h]

hi steve

firm ride if on 17" wheels but not uncomfortable and a softer ride on 16" wheels

wether the ride is firm depends where you are coming from if from a bentley yes its firm if its from a chavved up corsa then its soft

hybrid system benefit or annoyance .....umm  well you dont know its working so no annoyance and only benefits are gains in mpg

you should be able to get 55'ish mpg without trying.

 

[floggit]

Thanks ,yes it will be 17"s. coming from a vw polo so it should be a better ride anyway. Wish i could have booked it earlier than next friday but it gives me time to research i suppose. 

[AlanCC]

Hi

love my ct f sport. Had the upgrade to get reversing camera and would not be without it. Yes, fairly hard ride but you get used to it. Went in for a re-call last week and had an IS for the day. Glad to get my CT back! Do not like the black roof option but that's a matter of preference. Car just goes and very reliable. Going to leave it in the garage for 2 months soon and am told it will not start on my return so will be disconnecting the Battery in the boot. Would highly recommend.

alancc

[floggit]

Thanks, glad its getting good feedback, i know nothing about the hybrid side of things so thats to learn. Hmm black roof, we prob be ordering either black or red so i think with the black wheels and mirror caps it will tie in if its red. Ive researched online and sat in one at the dealers and booked my test drive yesterday so just need to have a good test drive.

i cant get from the manual the parking brake. Theres a foot pedal like my old Ls ? But cant see reference to a releaselever?

also the electric park button surle youd just knock it into 'n' and keep foot on brake?

is the button used while in 'd' say at lights then you just pull away?

 

 

 

[IS200D]

I'd definitely recommend at least a 24 hr test drive, driving in as many different conditions as possible, to really get a feel for the car - to distinquish between what you'd simply get used to, and what would really bother you over time. Having driven both the ct and the is300h I found the ct was far too harsh a ride in comparison, although this is very much personal taste, so further reason to spend as much time in that test car as possible.

[rayaans]

15 hours ago, floggit said:

Thanks ,yes it will be 17"s. coming from a vw polo so it should be a better ride anyway. Wish i could have booked it earlier than next friday but it gives me time to research i suppose. 

Its a harder ride than a VW Polo for sure! My son's VW polo has 14" wheels on it and rides better than the CT.

[floggit]

Hmm, i dont mind a sporty ride but will definately be concentrating on how it suits me.

[Wass]

So long as you have a test drive, you can judge the ride quality for yourself. As regards the other things you need to look out for: erm.... there's the boredom of waiting for something to go wrong, there's the sport model which has exactly the same performance as the base model, there's the sat nav which never is to anyones liking in that it takes an age to update to 3 year old data and is easily outperformed by stand alone Tomtoms, Garmins etc. There's hours of happy confusion caused by your own telephone and its interactivity with the car. There's the nasty pedestrians and road workers who make such a noise that you wont fully appreciate how good the standard sound system is.Oh yes... the other problem is that the engine and gearbox are so quiet you start to hear creaks and groans from your own self and mistake them for a fault with the car.

[floggit]

Well i cant wait to test drive it now, will be interesting to compare the quietness against my old ls400. The v8 was quiet but cant compete with Battery so It will be much you can hear the engine/cvt. Reliabity is one reason id like to return. While i had 5yrs of vw now they just arnt the same finish / quality. Tbh i dont use satnav often so it wont bother me and never had a car with phone capability so even if awkward to use its still an extra feature!. Be interesting how the soundsystem compares as that is important to me, the ls had a sub. i like the fact theres only one engine option, keeps the playing field level lol. Is the fsport no different then?

[stormchaser]

If it has the Mark Levinson sound system you won't be disappointed.

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[floggit]

19 minutes ago, stormchaser said:

If it has the Mark Levinson sound system you won't be disappointed.

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Sadly no, its the 6speaker standard setup. However my current car is an vw up with 2x dual cones in doors so anything will be better ! Test drive is 10am on friday, cant wait. Been missing a lexus since i sold my last one.

[Rednotdead]

Just moved into a CT from a 2011 Merc C Class.  Lexus is far more refined and the notorious firm ride hasn't made an appearance yet, it's certainly no firmer than any of the big 3 German manufacturers.  Mine runs on 16" wheels.  It's no sports car (regardless of designation) but it does encourage a relaxed mode of driving. The hybrid stuff is witchcraft, just let it do its thing.  The standard sound system is more than adequate although I'm struggling to deal with the DAB setup.  Fit and finish of the cabin is certainly on a par, if not slightly better, than the Merc.  It's only when you look low down in the cabin do you see the slightly cheaper plastics and toyota switchgear.  The leather trim is lovely and so much better than the velour or velour/vinyl options.

On a well surfaced road the refinement of the CT is remarkable, it's so quiet.  On our usual surfaces it's fine albeit firm but I certainly don't find it uncomfortable.  I haven't regretted the move from Merc at all.

[floggit]

Thats just beautiful!, the showroom car was black also and i think it will be my preferred choice.

[Rednotdead]

Black and ivory leather - you know it makes sense 

[thar]

Black and ivory leather - you know it makes sense 

That's what i have, obsidian black and cream leather, a perfect combination!

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[floggit]

So, test drive completed. 

Verdict, i love it. Pulling away for the first time in near silence put a smile on my face. I found the changover between battery/engine and both to be seamless at all times. The cvt box was the best of all my recent tests from other brands and yes while a little noisy if pushed thats not what the lexus for me is about and it wouldnt be pushed. The ride, yes it could be a little softer but coming from an vw up it is an improvement for me. Being a smooth driver i dont think the ride would unsettle me to often. Needed a little more throttle than id have though to move on batteries but its a style you get used to. In normal fine. And sport has enough pull for me. The brakes seemed a little wooly but i appriciate their charging the system so you learn what works. Considering a few cars at the moment and the ct is now the front runner. Will prob test drive again on sunday with the mrs and go from there.

ct is certainly a different style of drive and life is about trying different things so i think id enjoy it. 

[Rednotdead]

I've had mine just over a week now and I've found that it encourages a smooth method of driving and this seems to get the best out of it.  It's not a 'mash the pedal to the floor' kind of vehicle.  I've found smooth and gentle throttle inputs work best and the car just seems to gather pace with not much effort.   Sport mode is fun and useful when you need a bit of extra shove.

I did a 100mile round trip yesterday that included local A roads, the M4 and the A34 (with its hills) and the car was fine, it maintained speed no problem on uphill sections.  Returned an average of 55mpg (according to the trip computer) and I found if you use the cruise control economy seems to improve.  

My Merc was a C250 petrol (with 205BHP) and lots of grunt and I must say I'm not missing it.  The Lexus just seems to cosset and reward you with a more relaxed driving style.  

[floggit]

Ahh perfect, im right at the deciding stage and good feedback is always helpful. It definately requires a different style of driving. May go again for another test with mrs tommorow and see if i can improve the offer. i have a test drive booked for a honda civic which after the ct roadtest im thinking wont be worth the trouble so may cancel that.

[200h]

if you drive it in the manner you where taught to drive then there is no major change to your style

when you learnt to drive you where taught to do the following:-

1) avoid hard acceleration

2) avoid late braking

3) anticipate where you may need to stop / slow down and ease of the accelerator.

as long as you do the above then your milage will be good

[floggit]

Thats so true, years of picking up bad habits, i want to get back to enjoying the drive and not just getting there as quick as you can. 

[stormchaser]

Agree. I used to drive my Suzuki Swift Sport like I stole it. The CT has certainly calmed me down and I enjoy a quiet luxury drive now.

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[floggit]

Had a few conversations with the sales exec working a deal out. May get there. The one thing that bugs me is whatever car dealership its the sale story... Sign up today the offer wont be there in a week. Every single car ive looked at its the same story. At the end of the day buying a new car should be a pleasurable experience not a omg if i dont sign today ill never Get the same deal again. I wont be rushed. I buy a car on my timescale.

on another note the service plan is £750! For 3yrs. Does that sound right? I was budgeting £500 or less

[colin79666]

On 17/09/2016 at 11:31 PM, stormchaser said:

Agree. I used to drive my Suzuki Swift Sport like I stole it. The CT has certainly calmed me down and I enjoy a quiet luxury drive now.

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Funny I made the same move!

1 hour ago, floggit said:

Had a few conversations with the sales exec working a deal out. May get there. The one thing that bugs me is whatever car dealership its the sale story... Sign up today the offer wont be there in a week. Every single car ive looked at its the same story. At the end of the day buying a new car should be a pleasurable experience not a omg if i dont sign today ill never Get the same deal again. I wont be rushed. I buy a car on my timescale.

on another note the service plan is £750! For 3yrs. Does that sound right? I was budgeting £500 or less

Yup it isn't cheap. Costs are published on the Lexus website:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/#ServicingYourLexus

Don't be rushed.  There are loads about if you are looking 2nd hand and even new there are always deals the be had.

Interesting you didn't like the Advance trim.  I actually prefer it over the others as it has all the main toys without leather, which I'm not a fan of.

 

[floggit]

8 minutes ago, colin79666 said:

Funny I made the same move!

Yup it isn't cheap. Costs are published on the Lexus website:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/#ServicingYourLexus

Don't be rushed.  There are loads about if you are looking 2nd hand and even new there are always deals the be had.

Interesting you didn't like the Advance trim.  I actually prefer it over the others as it has all the main toys without leather, which I'm not a fan of.

 

Yeah just goin to suck the service costs up, ill pay up front n get it done.

where did i say i didnt like the advance trim? Im looking at the sport because it mostly has the features i would like and thats my price point. Id love a higher model but would make my monthlies to high.