To Hull And Back For A New Ct

[Desmond]

Well, just got my CT Luxury. Bought it from Lexus Hull as they've always given me good service and would you believe it, there's no Lexus main dealer anywhere in Norfolk! The downside was having to drive 120 miles for the car. The upside was instant comparison with my IS250 Advance. The trip takes in a few miles of dual carriageway to the Humber Bridge and A & B roads through Lincolnshire, so it is a reasonable test.

The cerulean blue on the IS is a lovely colour and I would have had the same on the CT but it's discontinued. My compromise is satin silver which looks great I must say and shouldn't show the muck too badly.

The ride is at least as good on 17" wheels as the IS250's on 18" which can be quite unsettled on rough surfaces. The seats are definitely more comfortable and it is easy to find a good driving position. Losing the electric seat adjustment doesn't bother me as sole driver and in any case the electric adjustment can be a pain as it is easily touched and altered inadvertently.

Handling is fine. Cornering is good. My ear 'oling days are behind me, so I don't think I will miss the IS rear wheel drift round the bends too much. Roadholding is very good, very little diving into corners for a fwd motor.

Performance is what you make it. I didn't find any problem is getting past tractors in the CT and if it doesn't do 40 to 80 at the speed of light it is fast enough for me. As yet I haven't checked the fuel consumption fully. It was around 52 compared to about 36 from the IS which much preferred premium fuel as well. I just drove the same both ways, no special efforts at economy. I'm not especially green and hybrid was not my reason for buying the car though I am obviously happy with the road tax! I just wanted something a bit smaller and a bit more economical to run, with a hatch and a Lexus badge and the CT is the only one to fit the bill.

Lots of goodies to play with. I opted for premium navigation which looks like fun. By the time the warranty runs out I should have read the manual. Like the IS the CT sat nav abjectly failed to choose the best route from Horncastle to Kings Lynn. Hope it does better elsewhere.

The stereo sounds very nice, the equal of the IS, the only problem being that even a mini usb will not let me close the lid on the sockets. On the usb thread people have said that would work. May have to investigate that because the IS had sockets sensibly tucked inside the centre armrest console and I used an iPod. I wonder if it is possible to re-route or extend the usb in some way? I used a 16mb stick and it worked quickly and there were no problems in finding folders and tracks.

So, after a day with my new motor I am chuffed to bits with it. It's smart, comfy and if it behaves as well as my previous Lexuses I shall be highly satisfied.

[jamesm182]

Congratulations on the purchase and a nice write up :)

[Abbo07]

Nice write up. As a ex IS250 owner & now a new ct owner agree with all your points. I also have the Luxury with the addition of the Lexus Sat nav which compared to the old touch screen model is a big step backwards, trying to dial it up by the centre consul is a nightmare. Out of interest the route guidance must have something against Norfolk / Cambs. I cannot get into Wisbech from Peterborough without doing a 3 mile bypass detour no matter what route I put in. As comfort is now top of my agenda I fitted the 16 inch rims which do give you a softer/quieter ride. I would have thought Lexus Cambridge would have been your local. I have used them for quite a few years & overall have no complaints. Nice pic, I chose Artic Pearl/Black leather. At the time I would have liked the smoked hubs but the 2014 model was still on the drawing board & this option wasn't available when ordered. Still with zero road tax & my insurance cut in half can't complain.

[adnewton]

I bought my CT from Cambridge Lexus & can honestly say they were very poor.

Sales were OK, however, they messed up some paint repairs and never re-fitted anti-squeal shims to brakes. I took it to my local Dealer in Brum & they fixed all the issues without any problems. Cambridge paid for it all though.

Later found the rear bumper had been left loose and incorrectly fitted.

[Wass]

I bought my CT from Cambridge Lexus & can honestly say they were very poor.

Sales were OK, however, they messed up some paint repairs and never re-fitted anti-squeal shims to brakes. I took it to my local Dealer in Brum & they fixed all the issues without any problems. Cambridge paid for it all though.

Later found the rear bumper had been left loose and incorrectly fitted.

Cambridge Lexus are my local dealer... I go to Lookers in Hatfield. I went to Cambridge Lexus to look at an ex demo which they wanted top dollar and minimal P/ex. The sales man spouted a few inaccuracies which erred on the side of the dealer and made us feel like unwelcome tyre kicking wastes of time. I bought my car from Tunbridge Lexus. they were far more genuine, knew their product as did HatfieldLexus however Hatfield only had a blue one whilst Tunbridge had the white ex demo i wanted.

[Desmond]

A short update. Still very pleased with the car. MPG has stayed at around 58 over the 1500 miles done so far on a mix of country, urban and A roads (no motorways in Norfolk!).

The performance, handling, finish, comfort are excellent. The car is a pleasure to drive.

The only snag I've found is the rear windscreen. It's been a while since I had a hatchback and I'd forgotten how filthy they can get. Haven't bothered with mudflaps for years either. Would any particular type help to keep the rear screen cleaner?

Alternatively, anyone know of a spray on solution that stops the muck from sticking? That poor little tiny wiper has to work overtime in the wet!

[adnewton]

Its good to hear that is the only complaint you have. It is a testament to the car and brand.

Lexus are in my opinion, the best cars out there.

[Wass]

A short update. Still very pleased with the car. MPG has stayed at around 58 over the 1500 miles done so far on a mix of country, urban and A roads (no motorways in Norfolk!).

The performance, handling, finish, comfort are excellent. The car is a pleasure to drive.

The only snag I've found is the rear windscreen. It's been a while since I had a hatchback and I'd forgotten how filthy they can get. Haven't bothered with mudflaps for years either. Would any particular type help to keep the rear screen cleaner?

Alternatively, anyone know of a spray on solution that stops the muck from sticking? That poor little tiny wiper has to work overtime in the wet!

Rainx works better than nothing on the rear window but it still isn't as good as a wiper. I am guessing that mud flaps increase the drag coefficient, hence their absence on CTs ( and a lot of other cars too).

[Desmond]

A short update. Still very pleased with the car. MPG has stayed at around 58 over the 1500 miles done so far on a mix of country, urban and A roads (no motorways in Norfolk!).

The performance, handling, finish, comfort are excellent. The car is a pleasure to drive.

The only snag I've found is the rear windscreen. It's been a while since I had a hatchback and I'd forgotten how filthy they can get. Haven't bothered with mudflaps for years either. Would any particular type help to keep the rear screen cleaner?

Alternatively, anyone know of a spray on solution that stops the muck from sticking? That poor little tiny wiper has to work overtime in the wet!

Rainx works better than nothing on the rear window but it still isn't as good as a wiper. I am guessing that mud flaps increase the drag coefficient, hence their absence on CTs ( and a lot of other cars too).

Yes, I thought about Rainx. Just wondered if anything else had come on the market lately. Mud flaps are an option but like you say they probably do alter the drag. It did occur to me that the rear spoiler may not be too helpful with the mud problem. When you look through the mirror in the wet the spray is definitely dragged into the space behind the car.

[Desmond]

The CT has now done a few miles and a winter, albeit not a bad winter, and I have to say how good it is. The car is comfy, dead easy to drive, holds the road nicely and has much better performance than I expected having moved from a 6 cylinder IS. Economy has been well over 50 all the way through the winter and currently sits at 54 overall with warmer weather still to come.

Downsides? Maybe the boot is a bit on the small side but the flat floor makes loading a doddle and it's easy enough to remove the luggage cover or drop a seat. Other than that the little motor is a real pleasure.

[Wass]

There are just two of us with occasional needs to carry additional passengers. Our CT ticks all the boxes for us ,however, I imagine that if we had a larger dog or a child, I believe that we would very soon be found wanting for more space.

[DanD]

Rather than a mini USB memory stick, try a micro USB memory stick such as the Kingston Technology Data Traveler Micro USB.

(sorry, for some reason I am still unable to paste links... not too sure why).