CT200h for commuting

elmexicano · August 6, 2022

Dear all,

during spring 2023, I will be relocating to Soham/Ely. But I will be working in Cambridge Science Park. This will give me 11 miles of commuting both ways everyday, totalling to 22 miles a day.

I am currently driving a 2013 CT200h and I never had any trouble with the car. I wanted to ask your experiences and opinions on how reliable Ct200h are when it comes to daily commuting. This is now a 9 years old car and I have 64000 miles on it. Do you think it will last for another 5 years if I maintain as usual.

best

a.can

Boeryeoes · August 6, 2022

The CT (and Prius) is built like a tank. Indestructible. I have owned 3 over the course of 10 years for daily commuting and had 0 issues (drove approximately 250k kms) though there have been reports of rare head casket failures.

Over the last 4 years (bar corona lock downs) my commute was 2x16 km.

Las Palmas · August 6, 2022

The one we have has 80K km and is 5½ years old. More or less the same. Expect it to last till we can get a combustion engine running on hydrogen and there will be refill places enough to use the possibly cleanest fuel for combustion engines.

Answer to your question: Maintain it and it will last at least the 5 years you ask.

Batteries are supposedly lasting 15 years or more so you should be covered. We service with Lexus, even though they are stupidly expensive, but on top of service we only have spend money on fuel, wind-shield-washer-fluid, wipers and tyres. And if built like the Prius it will last. So many former taxis (Prius) are driving around even though several of these do not look maintained and never saw one on the side of the road looking like it was having trouble.

diabolik · August 6, 2022

Get your oil changed every 5k or 7-8k at most and you will be fine.

elmexicano · August 7, 2022

2 hours ago, diabolik said:

Get your oil changed every 5k or 7-8k at most and you will be fine.

I do the annual service, generally at 10k miles. is it too late for an oil change?

DarkoDarko · August 7, 2022

I normally do 17k miles a year and its all commuting, I use a good oil and change oil every 12k miles, Due to the low revs when bumbling around a motorway oil degradation is minimal.

A good modern oil should last a lot longer than 5k.

Obviously this is totally down to the owner and can depend on your annual mileage, at 5k service intervals I would need 4 services a year.

To the question, yes the ct is pretty much designed for commuting, its comfortable and smooth on a motorway and with careful driving you should get 55-58mpg (that's what I get)

Cheers Darko

serbarry · August 7, 2022

Before buying the GS I have had a V2 Prius for nearly 12 years and when I sold it last December it was 18 years-old and had 267,000 kms. I used to drive it every day for commuting to work about 25kms per day and some days even 50-60 kms. In 12 years only one problem: I had to replace the power steering module found from eBay at 40 euros. If you treat your CT well, it will last another 10 years at least.

Las Palmas · August 7, 2022

18 hours ago, elmexicano said:

I do the annual service, generally at 10k miles. is it too late for an oil change?

Our car is almost 6 years and has run 80K km. Service once a year. Never had oil lamp or any other warning lamps lighting up.

diabolik · August 7, 2022

20 hours ago, elmexicano said:

I do the annual service, generally at 10k miles. is it too late for an oil change?

If you plan to keep the car until it reaches 100k miles, do the normal 10k miles.

If you plan for more than 100k, 5k if you mainly do 60mph on highways or city driving, 7-8k if you do 70-80mph highways.

I also recommend every 60k an EGR and intake manifold clean up as gen 3 hybrid is notorious for getting them clogged.

Poundy · August 8, 2022

Although my car is low mileage and serviced yearly, the changing of modern day engine oils is unnecessary at low mileage.

The "oils ain't oils" day are long gone, with oil companies stating their oils are now good for 30,000 miles or more and why high end makers like Jaguar etc now have 2 year or 24,000 mls service intervals.

Unless there is a mechanical issue, recommending 5,000ml routine oil changes is just a cash grab for techs, with no benefit, unnecessary expense and a perfectly good oil turned into a waste product that we are leaving our kids to deal with 😗

DarkoDarko · August 8, 2022

1 hour ago, Poundy said:

Although my car is low mileage and serviced yearly, the changing of modern day engine oils is unnecessary at low mileage.

The "oils ain't oils" day are long gone, with oil companies stating their oils are now good for 30,000 miles or more and why high end makers like Jaguar etc now have 2 year or 24,000 mls service intervals.

Unless there is a mechanical issue, recommending 5,000ml routine oil changes is just a cash grab for techs, with no benefit, unnecessary expense and a perfectly good oil turned into a waste product that we are leaving our kids to deal with 😗

Yup pretty much the case, like I said oil degradation has changed a lot over the years as most oils are synthetic, meaning they can handle higher temps and have a longer life span.

manufacturers from Peugeot to BMW are starting to set a 24000 service intervals due to the particular oils they use.

All that said if you feel as a owner your car needs fresh oil every 5k, that perfectly up to you but to say that if you plan to do over 100k you need to change oil every 5k is a bit misleading.

The M25 is full of Prius's hurtling round with well over 300k on the clock and I cant imagine they are changing oil every 5k.

elmexicano · August 8, 2022

7 hours ago, DarkoDarko said:

Yup pretty much the case, like I said oil degradation has changed a lot over the years as most oils are synthetic, meaning they can handle higher temps and have a longer life span.

manufacturers from Peugeot to BMW are starting to set a 24000 service intervals due to the particular oils they use.

All that said if you feel as a owner your car needs fresh oil every 5k, that perfectly up to you but to say that if you plan to do over 100k you need to change oil every 5k is a bit misleading.

The M25 is full of Prius's hurtling round with well over 300k on the clock and I cant imagine they are changing oil every 5k.

Thank you very much for all the guidance and feedback. I feel much more comfortable now that my car should last long enough till I am financially stronger to upgrade to a UX250h.

Las Palmas · August 9, 2022

14 hours ago, elmexicano said:

Thank you very much for all the guidance and feedback. I feel much more comfortable now that my car should last long enough till I am financially stronger to upgrade to a UX250h.

I would any day prefer the latest update of the CT ( 2018 - ) to first edition of the UX.

All little niggles and whatever have now been ironed out of the CT, whereas the UX is first edition and so far, I have never heard of any new model, from any factory, without some kind of problems, small or great, that would come withing the first years.

serbarry · August 9, 2022

I fully agree with John.

August 12, 2022

have to say in my short time owning one, the CT is pretty much the perfect commuter. Economical, reliable, nippy, and a turning circle tighter than a black cab!

Sled Driver · August 13, 2022

17 hours ago, Nick0 said:

have to say in my short time owning one, the CT is pretty much the perfect commuter. Economical, reliable, nippy, and a turning circle tighter than a black cab!

Agree with you on that Nick! Plus I'd add decent luxury too with a feeling of safety and reassurance.

Andy1974 · August 13, 2022

yes my CT is great for commuting 50-60 mpg which is good happy with that

Las Palmas · August 13, 2022

1 hour ago, Andy1974 said:

yes my CT is great for commuting 50-60 mpg which is good happy with that

That is excellent driving. Neither my wife nor myself get anything near that, but still very happy with the reliability and comfort that come with the little car. Here parking spaces are made for small cars and when we had the Honda Accord Coupé we often had to have the car filling more than one parking space. Never got booked because of that so the people controlling are friendly and understand that not all want a Fiat Uno, Renault 5 or VW lupo. The Toyota IQ would be nice to park here, but do not see many of these, many Smart 2 person cars though.

elmexicano · August 14, 2022

22 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

That is excellent driving. Neither my wife nor myself get anything near that, but still very happy with the reliability and comfort that come with the little car. Here parking spaces are made for small cars and when we had the Honda Accord Coupé we often had to have the car filling more than one parking space. Never got booked because of that so the people controlling are friendly and understand that not all want a Fiat Uno, Renault 5 or VW lupo. The Toyota IQ would be nice to park here, but do not see many of these, many Smart 2 person cars though.

That's why I switched to BP 97 Ultimate petrol. In the city, I make 50-52 mpg. On highways, I reach sometimes to 65 mpg. With 95 petrol or petrol from other brands for some reason gives lower mileage.

DarkoDarko · August 15, 2022

I drive Gillingham to Dartford everyday and back home to surrey on the weekends and I average 56-58mpg and sometimes if I am lazy on the accelerator I will get 62mpg