Looking to trade in my Toyota IQ for something bigger now i have a 2nd child on way. I hate being in 'normal' cars, I prefer to drive something a bit rarer. Saying that, one of the cars i like is a vauxhall

With a budget of about £15k plus £5k trade in of my IQ 1.33 i've narrowed my choice to one of 3. Either the Vauxhall Ampera, Chevvy Volt (imo looks nicer) or a CT, probably 2012/13 f sport.

My journey to work is about 3 miles, and ill come home at lunch too, on days it is nice i bike it in, but when raining or i'm hanging i'll drive it.
The volt appeals as i'll never need to use petrol bar the odd weekend, plus it has decent performance. The CT looks stylish and deep down the one i want,and I love the reliability of the IQ and MR2 roadster we have, but i'm worried that the lack of power will annoy me. The IQ is slow from 0-30 mph but quick from 30-80, quicker than most 2.0 turbo diesels, so when joining the motorways i can usually blast past most vehicles. The CT i've read has the opposite problem, where its a bit gutless over 50.

Is it as bad as reviews say or would it 'feel' similar to my iq3 accelerating up to around 80? Could do with a rolling start drag race against someone

 

man if my work is 3 miles away i would get v8 or 10 cylinder vehicle..lol anyway, you can't go wrong with either one but you're in the lexus forum so people will say go with the ct200..hehe

 

The CT will be the smallest and most nimble. As for the Volt/Ampera, I'd go with whatever one you can get a better deal on (unless you have a strong preference for the looks of one over the other) because they're basically the same car. I think all of the above will leave you wanting if you're looking for any kind of acceleration. I'd skip all of the above though, and look into some of the hatches that the Euro companies refuse to bring state side. A lot of them are quick, nimble, functional, and reasonably priced.

Price not a factor, I know Volvo has a Diesel Hybrid R-Design V60 Wagon that I would rock in a hot second. Or in a perfect world the RS6 Avant. BMW is also working on a 1 series hatch right now that looks pretty good.

 

I used to own a CT and had no problem with it's performance. I have no knowledge of the cars your comparing though. I attribute most of "bad reviews" to young sports car enthusiast writers. You should test drive one to see if it meets with your expectations.

 

If you have a place to plug in every night then a volt would mean you may never have to use gas again, but you could if you needed to go far. Some places give electric car users access to car pool lanes or free tolls, so look into that as a perk.
I really wish Toyota would make something like the volt.
As for mileage, I get 29 mpg on my 10 minute drive to work with the CT.

If you like the CT you should also look at the Toyota Corolla S model as the CT body is the same as a corolla. The CT has a better suspension than a corolla, but is a little slower than the corolla.
The CTs interior is nicer than the corolla.

You just need to read reviews and test drive the cars.
You wont have any issues with a toyota or lexus. I dont know how reliable the volts are, but chevy does not have that great of reputation.

 

In the UK the corolla is called the auris I think. Had a drive in one of them as that was the first car I looked at when I wanted to stick with Toyota... was a bit 'boring' (like most other toyotas other than the gt86), and spending £15k / $25k dollars on a car that didn't excite me is a no go.

I'd never have a diesel, partly because of my low mileage and all the problems it will cause, and partly because I hate the sound of diesels and the way they drive - I'm a foot to the floor red line driver as my poor IQ will testify with its 65mph 2nd - 3rd gear changes.

I can charge at my house no problem which is why the volt/ampera appealed to me. The main difference here is the ampera has a 5 year warranty whilst the volt only has a 3, and as you say chevvy can't build cars properly for *****.

Also considering saving for another 6 months and going to the dark side.. quite like the look of the bmw i3.

 

I agree...test drive one. If your number one priority is petal to the metal driving, my guess is the CT won't fit the bill. Please let us know what you decide...

 

Decided upon an IS 300h instead... bizarrely its cheaper to lease than a poverty spec CT lease, even though its residuals are worse For the price I'm keeping the IQ as a 3rd car.

Its the executive edition model so still has plenty of toys, incredibly comfy and spacious, and decent performance too. £219 a month and £1300 up front over 2 years aint bad. Works out only £100 more than what I paid for the IQ!

 

Congratulations on getting an IS 300h. You got a great deal.

I wish Lexus would bring the IS 300h to the United States...