rondocap

So I have a 2012 Prius Plugin, that I got recently.

To preface, I also have a BMW 335i; that's my fun car. The Prius is my work car - I drive a lot for my business so I can go anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 miles a month.

To summarize, the Prius is amazingly efficient - I consistently get 50-55MPG without trying, and if I plug it in, the sky's the limit. So it has that end covered, and mine is nicely equipped with Nav, bluetooth, Satellite radio, etc - so that is also covered.

Now, here are the downsides to it that I hope the Lexus can fix.

Primarily, the Prius can be fairly uncomfortable after a very long drive, say 200 miles in a day. For comparison my BMW makes me much more comfortable for that length. The seats are hard, and don't have much plushness to them.

Would the Lexus solve this issue? The seats seem much softer, but how are they for long daily, constant trips?

Secondly, while I do like the entunes/Navigation interface in the Prius, I feel it is very poorly implemented. It seems amateurish compared to the iDrive in the BMW.

Case in point: When making a call, the Nav screen disappears, entering addresses with the touch screen can be finicky, the screen gets glare constantly, etc.

Does the system in the Lexus address these issues? I know the mousepad certainly makes it smoother. Can you keep the navigation going when making a call, or do you have to manually switch to it?

I know the Lexus is a bit of a downgrade in terms of the MPG, but if I could get more comfort and a more refined ride and tech package I'd be a bit happier.

Any ideas? Thanks guys!

m R g S r

50-55mpg is much higher than the ct will get. Now that they switched to a winter blend (I believe) in NY im getting only 38mpg combined when before I would see 40mpg. Same commute everyday.
Unless its just the cold air itself. But I have deff noticed a drop.

ArmyofOne

Cold air is better for an engine, but only to a certain point. LOL.

Why not look into upgrading your seats in the prius? My mom has a Plug-in prius she uses for work and she had her dealer put in Camry front seats. I think for matching leather it came out to around a grand. She drives about 120k a year, maybe more.

lexuslover

i'm not sure you'd notice too much of a difference in the navigation system. the mouse control is pretty slow in my opinion. like if you are punching in a word, it feels like a long time between letters because the system is trying to narrow down its search with each letter you select. i can type a lot faster than it will allow me to!! of course you can use voice navigation, but that is hit or miss as well.

you can go back to nav i believe at any time, even if on a call. you just press the map/voice button above the mouse. i'm surprised the toyota isn't the same. the lexus defaults to the phone screen during a call, but if you press map it goes back.

i've been driving in ECO mode and get 41-42 mpg pretty easily now, even with 80% highway driving. spirited driving only gets me 38-39 mpg.

rondocap

Thanks for the responses.

When is the next refresh of the CT200H likely? Perhaps better MPG or updated electronics? Is it every 3 years like most cars? I assume the 2013 is similar to the others, so would the 2014 model perhaps have some updates?

Trexus

Most likely 2014, 2015 would there be any model changes/refreshes for the CT. The CT is fairly new just coming out 2011. We'll just have to wait and see.

rondocap

Any idea when the navigation/infotainment system will be updated? The one in there currently seems to date back to 2010, while the GS350 seems to have the new system now.

Any ideas what changes to expect in 2014? What's on the list?

RTIS250

iTrader: (9)

The 2013 CT got updated NAV with the app suite... and a few other minor changes, but nothing noteworthy.

rondocap

I know it got an update - but I meant when the entire system will change over. Isn't the new GS system updated and much different? The system in the CT200h seems like the infotainment unit that premiered in the HS250H.

On another note - back to the comfort and ride. Do you guys think that I will encounter a better long distance comfort experience with the CT over my Prius? The seats do seem better and the driving position as well.

RTIS250

iTrader: (9)

The NAV in the 2013 is updated like the new GS. With HD radio and everything...

FLYCT

We went from a 2005 Prius to a 2012 CT. The main reason was the Prius seats caused me to get back aches after about 1 hour on a trip.

I actually ordered a 2012 Prius fully loaded with tech package, leather etc. 3 days before it arrived we bought the CT primarily based on seat comfort. The CT is much more comfortable yet it is smaller than the Prius.

The leather seat option has power memory seats. I'm 100 pounds heavier and 10" taller than my wife. The memory seats are great. The Prius power seats did not have memory.

The CT seats do initially seem to have narrow bottoms due to the side bolsters but I have to say they are very comfortable on long rides.

As far as using phone and map goes, yes it switches to phone display when phone is active but a single click on the right map button on the joystick puts it back into map mode. You also can enter new map destinations via voice command when driving. It also comes with destination assist where you can have a live person find a location for you and download it to the Nav when driving.

Real world MPG in our CT runs about 40 mpg. That's about 8 less than a new Prius but about the same as our older 2005 Prius. The MPG display exaggerates by about 2 MPG http://www.fuelly.com/driver/flyct/ct200h

JR

rondocap

Thanks for the responses - the seats did feel snug on the test drive on the CT, so good to hear they are comfortable over a longer drive.

I know the 2013 has an updated navigation, but it still looks a bit different than the one I saw in the GS - specifically the menu. I know the larger screen probably won't come in the CT.

tahiles

I just came to the CT after two Prius models. A 2007 and a 2012.

Happened to be at the Lexus dealership picking up some parts for my older LS and stumbled across the CT. Traded a 3 month old Prius plus a little cash for the CT. So far I love the CT except for a few items.

The Call History does NOT update. If I miss a call because I'm on another one, in the Prius I just scrolled to the call history and selected the last missed call.

I don't know how often the CT updates call history but it seems as though only the calls from several days ago show up in the history.

This sucks! FWIW I'm using an iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.4

Any advice from you long-term CT drivers?


Forgot to add: The seats and driving position are 100% better than on the Prius. I'm driving this car to Florida in a couple of weeks and would have NEVER taken the Prius. Always took the LS and used a lot of Premium Fuel......

Billisme

I bought my CT in Alabama then drove it home to Florida, about a 7 hour drive, that was a good test and the seats felt very snug and comfortable. I'm a tall guy (6'5") and I didn't get any leg fatigue. I feel like I'm in a cockpit of a fighter jet sitting in the seats.

nabbun

Rondo! The Lexus Enform system is miles ahead of Toyota's Entune. I hate Entune with a passion. I've used it in my 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE. One day, I was having a very bad day. Entune pushed me over the edge. I ended up with a broken nav screen . . . (not one of my proudest moments.) However, I use my CT200h's entune and navi often and no complaints from me! Except, Toyota seriously needs to stop listening to it's lawyers and allow us to input addresses and phone numbers while driving. Most of the competitors allow this! Or at least unlock it when there is a passenger so they can program the navi!