Potential CT200h Owner Ireland

[CorkVilla]

Hi,

 

I am looking around at cars at the moment and am currently considering buying a CT200h. Just wondering how people on here find them.

I currently drive a 2008 Volvo C30 2.0 diesel. I have never owned a hybrid or a Lexus before although my wife does own a Toyota CHR hybrid.

I like the look of the CT200h and for a premium brand it's not outrageously expensive. 

Just wondering if anyone else has one and come from driving something like a manual diesel? In particular I'd be keen to hear from any Irish owners. Especially as I hear the Lexus doesn't fare well on rough roads. My C30 would have quite a harsh ride also, so that would be something I might be used to. 

I'd like one with a sunroof and heated seats although I read that sunroof models don't come with a spare wheel? That is something that would really annoy me! 

[Las Palmas]

CT is a fine little car. We had before a Golf 2.0tdi DSG and in every way except one the CT is better. Premium or Luxury models are so full of extras that they will take first place when compared to most other brands. My favourite is the audio from Mark Levinson. Few much more expensive cars have audio in that class.

[serbarry]

Hi David and welcome to the club. I am not Irish but I live close to Cork. I don't drive a CT but I have owned a Prius (same technology) for nearly 12 years and I have had only one problem to the Power steering module, solved with 150 euros. In 12 years only normal servicing and only once at the Toyota dealer. Now I drive a Lexus GS450H and I am very happy with it. When I was looking to replace the Prius the only condition I firmly put to my choice was that it had to be hybrid Toyota or Lexus and eventually I have actively looked for a GS450H for nearly one year before finding the good one. My suggestion is to test drive the CT before buying. I personally love the HSD technology and the ecvt of Toyota/Lexus. I personally love the CT facelift of 2018 but I don't know about the spare wheel missing if there is a sunroof. Owners of the CT here may be more informed about it.  

[Las Palmas]

A spare wheel is highly overrated. Sealant will seal holes well enough to get you to a place to buy new tyre is needed or to a place where you can have the hole repaired if it is just a nail or something like that. I know, have used it and never had to call help to get me to where I wanted to go. Have been living in Africa several years.

Most holes in tyres are easily fixed and that faster than taking off a wheel and putting on the spare.

You do not plan to go racing in Paris Dakar in a CT? I doubt there will be any flat in the more or less civilized roads we have here in Europe that cannot be fixed with sealant.

Half a litre of sealant will fix nail holes in 2 tyres (1 spare tyre would not help more than 1) and should you be unlucky enough to get 3 flats, you would need assistance even if you had a spare tyre or have extra sealant with you. Where we live roads probably are no better than in UK. Sunroof is nice, good for ventilation, but air-condition in CT is fine also. Never turn it off in any car. If you do not live in a mountain area a CT will be better than any diesel, but where we live our Golf used less fuel than the CT does. Going uphill, engine is using gasoline all the time and going down 3 - 5 minutes the hybrid Battery is full and that is it; the rest of the energy coming from going down is wasted.

We are happy with our CT. Sunroof, excellent gear system, quiet and comfortable car. Unless you want a soft suspension. CT has a suspension that is firmer than needed if you see how much (little) power the engine has.

[Poundy]

Not the most exciting car you will drive but reliability is way better than most cars out there. top marks scored for a few years now.

Lexus services mine which means you get the free 10yr/100kmls warranty and 15yr hybrid Battery covered. My wife's 2014's only ever had service items needed. 3yr package 2 major and a minor service cost me £1100 and a bit, I pay £30 per month interest free, they pick it up and drop it back. Great service and the warranty means they are not picking faults as a potential earner, unlike many other makes. It's tax free and depending on winter or summer returns MPG high 50's - low 60's.

I am on the side of needing a viable spare like the space saver in mine. My Jaguar XF R -Sport was supplied with the gunk kit which I replaced with a spare after a perfectly good tyre was scrapped when tyre repairers said they did  not do puncture repairs on tyres that had the gunk inside them, a very expensive get you home system.

[Las Palmas]

27 minutes ago, Poundy said:

I am on the side of needing a viable spare like the space saver in mine. My Jaguar XF R -Sport was supplied with the gunk kit which I replaced with a spare after a perfectly good tyre was scrapped when tyre repairers said they did  not do puncture repairs on tyres that had the gunk inside them, a very expensive get you home system.

Do not know what kind of sealant Lexus is using. I use Quadboss sealant since 2000 on bikes and unlike all sealants (most are latex based) Quadboss does not dry out and when coming home (thanks to the sealant), you can take off the tyre and wash away the sealant with lukewarm water. I just continued using the tyres till worn out.

Many tyre centres will not repair tyres with sealant inside. Why: if latex come on their machines, it is close to impossible to wash off.

Several other sealants are now away from latex in the sealants. On a bike in a hot climate as here, latex will seal the punctures and dry out within 3 - 4 months, then no longer able to seal a new puncture, meaning that tyres get heavier with each new filling in order to be of any use, holes come faster than tyres are worn out. Here with lava rubbles, sharp as glass splinters and thorns from beautiful looking and dangerously pointed cacti, off road driving make many take off the wheels and repair punctures, while I rarely noticed a hole as holes would be sealed so quick that little air was lost and I first noticed when washing the bike and seeing a little white bubble on the tyre.

It is on mountain-bike and not a car, but a puncture is a puncture letting air out and end up with a flat. Quadboss was not made for mountain-bikes, but for buggies racing in deserts, and I found it searching for a sealant not based on latex.

[LenT]

7 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

A spare wheel is highly overrated. Sealant will seal holes well enough to get you to a place to buy new tyre is needed or to a place where you can have the hole repaired if it is just a nail or something like that. I know, have used it and never had to call help to get me to where I wanted to go. Have been living in Africa several years.

While I agree that in certain conditions, a tyre sealant kit may well get you out of trouble - and has the advantage that you don’t have to remove the wheel - it comes with conditions.

Firstly, in reality, few tyre repairers will plug a tyre in which sealant has been used.  The reasons include the need to remove the sealant from inside the carcass in order to check if any other damage has occurred.  Secondly, plugged tyre repairs in the UK can only be carried out on punctures less than 6mm in diameter and within two thirds of the central tread area.

So, unlike the US off road video, repairs in the sidewall would be illegal.  

Thirdly, if the tyre failure is caused by damage to the valve,  (as happened to me) then the sealant kit is useless.

In my case, it was the use of my SpaceSaver tyre that saved the day.  However the circumstances and my own ability to change a tyre were in my favour.  Another option, if you have a mobile phone and belong to a motoring organisation, is to call them!

With regard to manual diesels, my previous car was a Honda Accord diesel purchased new.  That came with a tyre sealant kit and I made it clear that it had to come with a SpaceSaver instead.  

I had it for some years until it was written off by an Iveco truck.  I would have replaced it with another diesel Accord - except Honda had stop selling them in the UK.  It was purely by chance that I stumbled across the Lexus and would say that in most respects it is slightly superior to the Accord.

I appreciate the extra performance of the V6 engine and the greater refinement of the (newer) Lexus.  I also discover that I now prefer an automatic to a manual - which is probably an age-related thing.  In fuel economy terms, the diesel Accord gave almost exactly twice the mileage as the Lexus.  However, this is now less important to me as I’m not doing the same kind of mileage.

Also, of course, diesels have now fallen out of favour!

In terms of reliability and quality of service, I think both Honda and Lexus rate highly - although again I think Lexus just shades it.  Curiously, if I wanted to replace the Accord or my current IS250, neither can offer a new equivalent.

I’ve never driven a CT200h, but if it’s as good as my automatic IS250 than I’m sure it will be a sound purchase.

[Las Palmas]

2 hours ago, LenT said:

While I agree that in certain conditions, a tyre sealant kit may well get you out of trouble - and has the advantage that you don’t have to remove the wheel - it comes with conditions.

Firstly, in reality, few tyre repairers will plug a tyre in which sealant has been used.  The reasons include the need to remove the sealant from inside the carcass in order to check if any other damage has occurred.  Secondly, plugged tyre repairs in the UK can only be carried out on punctures less than 6mm in diameter and within two thirds of the central tread area.

So, unlike the US off road video, repairs in the sidewall would be illegal.  

Thirdly, if the tyre failure is caused by damage to the valve,  (as happened to me) then the sealant kit is useless.

In my case, it was the use of my SpaceSaver tyre that saved the day.  However the circumstances and my own ability to change a tyre were in my favour.  Another option, if you have a mobile phone and belong to a motoring organisation, is to call them!

With regard to manual diesels, my previous car was a Honda Accord diesel purchased new.  That came with a tyre sealant kit and I made it clear that it had to come with a SpaceSaver instead.  

I had it for some years until it was written off by an Iveco truck.  I would have replaced it with another diesel Accord - except Honda had stop selling them in the UK.  It was purely by chance that I stumbled across the Lexus and would say that in most respects it is slightly superior to the Accord.

I appreciate the extra performance of the V6 engine and the greater refinement of the (newer) Lexus.  I also discover that I now prefer an automatic to a manual - which is probably an age-related thing.  In fuel economy terms, the diesel Accord gave almost exactly twice the mileage as the Lexus.  However, this is now less important to me as I’m not doing the same kind of mileage.

Also, of course, diesels have now fallen out of favour!

In terms of reliability and quality of service, I think both Honda and Lexus rate highly - although again I think Lexus just shades it.  Curiously, if I wanted to replace the Accord or my current IS250, neither can offer a new equivalent.

I’ve never driven a CT200h, but if it’s as good as my automatic IS250 than I’m sure it will be a sound purchase.

While I agree that in certain conditions, a tyre sealant kit may well get you out of trouble - and has the advantage that you don’t have to remove the wheel - it comes with conditions.

You have either not read what I know about latex-based sealants or do not believe that I know what I write.

When having inserted sealant, it is done to take the car to tyre repair shop, just like when having a spare tyre on the car. Only drive slowly, just like when having a space saver replacement wheel.

Sidewall cannot be repaired well enough to drive anywhere in the world, so if that happened you need either assistance or a spare wheel.

If damage is poor sealing between valve and wheel, I suppose that happens when standing still touching the valve, as how it would happen when driving I cannot understand. Happened to you while driving?

Mobile phones are common these days.

Honda diesel engines are first class engines. Honda make cars of equal quality with Lexus. The Accord Coupé we had was in no way less quality than what Lexus make. Less extras in it, but at the time it was a fantastic car.

 Automatic is more convenient than manual gear, and today with the better automatic gearboxes at least as good as manual.

I had it for some years until it was written off by an Iveco truck.  I would have replaced it with another diesel Accord - except Honda had stop selling them in the UK.  It was purely by chance that I stumbled across the Lexus and would say that in most respects it is slightly superior to the Accord.

Diesels are for now out of favour, but wait, it could happen that politicians have relapses again and again. Happened before.

Also, of course, diesels have now fallen out of favour!

A CT is a nice little car that fit in the place we have in the garage, brings us where we want rather comfortably and just look in the forums here, most errors or problems with CT’s are either minor or owner error related.

[LenT]

38 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

You have either not read what I know about latex-based sealants or do not believe that I know what I write.

My comments were actually prompted by the opening claims in the video you provided, John.  This included the statement that the tyre sealant could repair holes “up to a quarter inch in the sidewall.”

While this might be acceptable for a U S off-road quad bike, my point was that a sidewall repair would not be acceptable under UK law on UK roads.

The valve damage to which I refer, which would have rendered a sealant impotent, happened while the car was stationary.  I was at a BP station checking the tyre pressures and was having trouble removing a dust cap.

A helpful young lad - seeing this old bloke struggling - went to his van and returned with the correct sized spanner which he applied to the dust cap.  With one quick twist, he sheared the entire valve clear out of the tyre!

Fortunately, I had the SpaceSaver which I was happy for him to fit - and which allowed me to limp up the road to a large tyre retailer who replaced the TPMS valve for £65.

The moral of this story is to replace metal dust caps with plastic ones - or heavily grease them - because metal ones can corrode onto the valve stem!

[Las Palmas]

3 hours ago, LenT said:

My comments were actually prompted by the opening claims in the video you provided, John.  This included the statement that the tyre sealant could repair holes “up to a quarter inch in the sidewall.”

While this might be acceptable for a U S off-road quad bike, my point was that a sidewall repair would not be acceptable under UK law on UK roads.

The moral of this story is to replace metal dust caps with plastic ones - or heavily grease them - because metal ones can corrode onto the valve stem!

Any tear of a sidewall will require a new tyre. Absolutely. Limping home with a sealed hole if out in nowhere is what I would do, but having been in car business very many years and so far never saw a tear on the sidewall of a car tyre, I consider that close to unlikely to ever happen. Most flats / holes come from screws and pins on the road. A tear in the sidewall would likely come from hitting a sharp rock, which is rare on the roads we normally drive on, and it would be much larger than any sealant could block. Plus, Lexus is not making Land Rover type cars. I use the sealant in mountain bike tyres but have a couple of bottles that can be used in our car. Still do not know if there is latex in the sealant in our cars, and if not informed that the Lexus sealant has no latex in it, I will use my own Quadboss sealant instead of the one from Lexus. Latex is for doctor's gloves.

About the plastic caps Lexus here told me that they do not sell the original Lexus metal caps. Never have done that. When looking at mine asked from where I have them and if I wanted some plastic caps, absolutely free. I have silicone grease on mine and they look better but maybe they will be replaced with the common plastic caps one day, if starting to be difficult to get them off, any place where pressurised air is available plastic caps are like to be available. Wonder why Lexus sell metal caps, Lexus have people knowing about corrosion. Maybe some special kind of non-corroding caps.

Maybe Colin will tell.

[LenT]

44 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

and so far never saw a tear on the sidewall of a car tyre, I consider that close to unlikely to ever happen.

Somewhat to my embarrassment, I admit that I have!

I managed to kerb a front tyre on the Lexus with sufficient force to peel open a flap of sidewall about the size of my thumbnail.  😡

Fortunately there was no air leakage…but it did mean a very gentle drive to the tyre shop to replace it!

As for the Lexus branded dust caps…the car was only two years old when I bought it and - strangely - only one of the dust caps was metal.  No idea how that happened.

 

[Las Palmas]

2 hours ago, LenT said:

Somewhat to my embarrassment, I admit that I have!

I managed to kerb a front tyre on the Lexus with sufficient force to peel open a flap of sidewall about the size of my thumbnail.  😡

Fortunately there was no air leakage…but it did mean a very gentle drive to the tyre shop to replace it!

As for the Lexus branded dust caps…the car was only two years old when I bought it and - strangely - only one of the dust caps was metal.  No idea how that happened.

 

https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/product/lexus-tyre-valve-dust-cap/    

These are the caps on our CT. They were on the car. Lexus claim they have never seen such dust caps, but if eyes are closed it is limited what to see.

In maybe more than 20K Km mountain biking here I have not had a sidewall torn. For hard riding in mountains always Schwalbe and they seem to be able to take anything.

https://www.continental-reifen.de/autoreifen/reifen/contisportcontact5

    

Would not help with torn sidewall, but be good preventing most flats.

[Poundy]

Regardless of what is the norm for other countries, in the UK you will not get a puncture repaired once a sealant has been used to repair the tyre. So be prepared to add that to your running costs and avoid building sites like the plague.

Believe me I really tried, when told a near new tyre costing close to £300 fitted needed replacing because of using the gunk (junk) kit.

Of course it's Murphy's law, and since I invested in a spare wheel I have never had another puncture. 😄

[Las Palmas]

2 hours ago, Poundy said:

Regardless of what is the norm for other countries, in the UK you will not get a puncture repaired once a sealant has been used to repair the tyre. So be prepared to add that to your running costs and avoid building sites like the plague.

Believe me I really tried, when told a near new tyre costing close to £300 fitted needed replacing because of using the gunk (junk) kit.

Of course it's Murphy's law, and since I invested in a spare wheel I have never had another puncture. 😄

Then it is strange that more and more car companies use sealant instead of spare wheels.

Our Lexus cars come with that. Are the sealants not supposed to be used? Is Lexus crazy or UK tyre shops?

[Bluemarlin]

3 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Then it is strange that more and more car companies use sealant instead of spare wheels.

Our Lexus cars come with that. Are the sealants not supposed to be used? Is Lexus crazy or UK tyre shops?

I think it's because in many cases the car is fitted with runflats, which often can't be repaired anyway.

Probably less about being crazy though,  and more about thinking it's not their problem if you have to buy a new tyre rather than fix a punctured one.

[LenT]

43 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

I think it's because in many cases the car is fitted with runflats, which often can't be repaired anyway.

Probably less about being crazy though,  and more about thinking it's not their problem if you have to buy a new tyre rather than fix a punctured one.

I have also read that the weight saved by ditching the spare produces a significant benefit in improved mileage.

 I also suspect that the ‘it’s not our problem’ factor that you mention may also play a part.  After all, it reflects the same thinking that has so far resulted in less than effective safeguards against cat theft and ‘relay’ car theft.

[DavidCM]

19 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

but if eyes are closed it is limited what to see.

 

Very wise words John

Edited January 2, 2023 by DavidCM
Brevity and clarity and get his name right..

[Las Palmas]

3 hours ago, Bluemarlin said:

I think it's because in many cases the car is fitted with runflats, which often can't be repaired anyway.

Probably less about being crazy though,  and more about thinking it's not their problem if you have to buy a new tyre rather than fix a punctured one.

Around 15% of new cars are now delivered with run-flat tyres and that is only since a short time, so more than 90 - 95% of cars driving today still do not have run-flats. Not all people change cars every year. Most keep cars longer. Just look at what is driving around.

A good tyre repair shop can fix a tiny leak in very short time and if the tyre has more than 50% thread it is stupid to throw it away.

[SB3]

On 12/31/2022 at 9:10 PM, CorkVilla said:

Hi,

 

I am looking around at cars at the moment and am currently considering buying a CT200h. Just wondering how people on here find them.

I currently drive a 2008 Volvo C30 2.0 diesel. I have never owned a hybrid or a Lexus before although my wife does own a Toyota CHR hybrid.

I like the look of the CT200h and for a premium brand it's not outrageously expensive. 

Just wondering if anyone else has one and come from driving something like a manual diesel? In particular I'd be keen to hear from any Irish owners. Especially as I hear the Lexus doesn't fare well on rough roads. My C30 would have quite a harsh ride also, so that would be something I might be used to. 

I'd like one with a sunroof and heated seats although I read that sunroof models don't come with a spare wheel? That is something that would really annoy me! 

Go for the post 2014 model as they improved the ride quality. Haven't driven the earlier model, but my 2017 one still has a little firmer ride than the 2006 Prius it replaced.

They have Toyota reliability, and styling that appeals to many. I don't have a sunroof, so do have a spare. Never needed to use it, but it's comforting to have it there. The infotainment system and general controls are unintuitive and disappointing for a "luxury" car. The Satnav on mine is HDD based, and can only be updated by Lexus at great expense, although I did manage to buy an update on USB for £60 online, and it has loaded up just fine. It doesn't have screen mirroring that works either, so you can't easily just use your mobile phone for navigation. The Bluetooth link to the phone is good and works well for calls.

The heated seats are nice in the winter and something I consider essential with leather. However, the controls for them are a joke - two tiny spring loaded buttons so close to each other that only one can be raised at a time if you are to rotate it, which you have to do to switch it on or off. Simply pushing the button doesn't do that. And don't get me onto the "mouse type" knob for controlling the system. When you are in navigation and want to zoom in, which way do you turn it? Clockwise zooms OUT and anti-clockwise zooms IN!

It is quite a pleasant car to drive though, even if I wouldn't buy another. They've stopped producing it anyway...

[CorkVilla]

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-ct-2015-1-8-auto-hybrid-luxury-sport-extras/33963002?campaign=23

 

Thinking of going to have a look at this. Any advice? 

[SB3]

34 minutes ago, CorkVilla said:

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/lexus-ct-2015-1-8-auto-hybrid-luxury-sport-extras/33963002?campaign=23

 

Thinking of going to have a look at this. Any advice? 

Don't know what prices are like in Ireland, but it seems a bit expensive for what it is. I'd want full Lexus service history for that price and mileage.

Take it for a test drive and thoroughly try all the controls and systems. There's no way it will return 120km/gallon, as the details state.

It's not "LED lamps all round" either.

[CorkVilla]

2 hours ago, SB3 said:

Don't know what prices are like in Ireland, but it seems a bit expensive for what it is. I'd want full Lexus service history for that price and mileage.

Take it for a test drive and thoroughly try all the controls and systems. There's no way it will return 120km/gallon, as the details state.

It's not "LED lamps all round" either.

Unfortunately the price is quite reasonable for Ireland. I'm looking for a sunroof model which is hard to find here also. Thanks for the input. 

[Las Palmas]

If you look at the CT forum and the other forums, you will see that many of the things talked about in the CT forum are minor problems (except for those having them) compared to the other forums.

One good thing about the CT is that is a model that has been around since many years and the revisions have ironed out the little starting problems. If you look at other newer models, you will find that starting problems are common and getting an updated CT is mostly more reliable than first shot at a completely new model.

This is not just so for Lexus, but latest models of all cars having all the newest features, sometimes come around with new problems.

[Guest]

On 12/31/2022 at 9:10 PM, CorkVilla said:

Hi,

 

I am looking around at cars at the moment and am currently considering buying a CT200h. Just wondering how people on here find them.

I currently drive a 2008 Volvo C30 2.0 diesel. I have never owned a hybrid or a Lexus before although my wife does own a Toyota CHR hybrid.

I like the look of the CT200h and for a premium brand it's not outrageously expensive. 

Just wondering if anyone else has one and come from driving something like a manual diesel? In particular I'd be keen to hear from any Irish owners. Especially as I hear the Lexus doesn't fare well on rough roads. My C30 would have quite a harsh ride also, so that would be something I might be used to. 

I'd like one with a sunroof and heated seats although I read that sunroof models don't come with a spare wheel? That is something that would really annoy me! 

David, just thought I'd say I came to Lexus CT ownership slightly haphazardly, I was a Volvo (S60R) driver for 11 years, Saabs before that, I was getting fed up with various electronic bits failing on the Volvo, they all seemed to be £350 each (minimum) with one part (the phone module) being £1200!

It took me a little while to get used to my car (a F Sport with slightly harsh shock absorption) but after a year/6k miles, and NOTHING going wrong, and no prospect of a cam belt or clutch change bill on the horizon, and 60mpg in the summer (been 50 over the winter) I will find it very hard to change car now! The two Lexus dealers I have encountered here (Stockton on Tees and Twickenham) have both been very good, they stand by their reputation, and are every bit as reliable as you read everywhere. 

They are not sports cars, but then nor is the C30 2.0D, but they are nice places to be, I drive mainly urban/city commutes, with a few long journeys, it handles both with ease. The seats I find even more comfortable than Volvo's, something I never thought I would say.

I would say, particularly if you are looking at an older one, check the car carefully for rust, I found a bit in my engine bay, which I guess in time will be an issue, and also if you can, get one with full Lexus history, from a main dealer (stating the obvious). 

Sunroof models are quite rare, I can see spare tyres are being discussed at length, I think breakdown recovery is included in Lexus Relax (cars under 10 years old wih full main dealer service) warranty, and if not, it's cheap to buy (AA/Green Flag/whatever), so no real need to worry about a flat/carrying a spare IMHO. 

[DavidCM]

53 minutes ago, Nick0 said:

hink breakdown recovery is included in Lexus Relax (cars under 10 years old wih full main dealer service) warranty, and if not, it's cheap to buy (AA/Green Flag/whatever), so no real need to worry about a flat/carrying a spare IMHO. 

Nick.. unfortunately Relax doesn't include breakdown cover.It is available,for £155 pa.