JRBZ

Hey y'all! I'm currently driving around a 2016 WRX that i like but there are a couple things that are just killing me about the car and am looking to trade it in on a CPO Lexus. I am looking between a IS250 or the CT200h. But I have a couple questions before I make this decision.
1.) I know this is a enthusiasts forum but do you really LOVE the CT?
2.) Are there any known flaws that I need to be on the lookout for while buying or in the future after buying?
3.) Does the lack of power drive you crazy?
4.) I make trips from Ft Worth to Corpus (500ish miles one way) for military drill weekends, how are long highway drives in the CT?
These are my 3 main concerns. Otherwise its the perfect eco-hatch that I've wanted since I got rid of my old '07 Mazda 3. Let me know!!! THX!!!
-JJ

lexusrus

I have a 2013 CT200h since brand new. So I'll some insights. Keep in mind I maybe biased since my wife and I also have 2013 RX450h, 2013 LX570, and 2015 RCF.

1. I really like it for what it is designed for, a commuter car (not a Grand Touring vehicle. I have the RCF for that purpose). I'm the primary driver on the CT200h. I primarily drive it to the airport in stop and go traffic and park for about a week at a time. The trip to the LAX airport is about 90 miles. First 45 miles or so is highway driving at around 75 mph, then the last 45 miles or so is stop and go depending on time of day. Combined mix driving is about 39 mpg. Stop and go the little CT200h really shines and can get 44 mpg. Wide open throttle EXTENDED highway driving greater than 85++ mph greatly decreases the mpg to around 27 mpg. Keep it reasonable it will still get at least 37++ mpg.

2. The only potential flaw I know of is what's called "cold soak" in very cold freezing temperatures. Since my car is in SoCal, this is not a problem. Evidently there is a recall for this if you experience this where in freezing temperatures, when you first start the car, there's a very loud banging noise indicating something had "cracked", most likely the engine block or something. This is a major problem if it happens to you. It is covered under the recall, but I believe there is both a time and mileage limit.

3. The CT200h is not a race car. In city traffic I have no problems keeping up with traffic. Sure I can not beat 80% ir more of the car's on the road today, but it is very stylish an excellent car. The suspension and the feel is much better than the Toyo Pruis. Compared to other Lexus vehicles it is definitely at least a notch below interior wise. But then again, some if the other Lexus vehicles cost 3X more and has less than 1/3 the mpg. I've taken the CT200h from SoCal up through the "Grape Vine" (I-5) to Central California through very steep mountains and still keep it going at 70+ mph through out the entire Grape Vine I-5 route going up the mountains. The key (due to it's CVT transmission) is to keep the pedal to the metal and look way ahead to anticipate traffic ahead and keep pushing forward. In other words at the steep mountains if the traffic comes to an absolute stand still and you have to start from ZERO mph,.........Even with pedal to the metal with Sport mode, EVERYONE WILL START TO PASS YOU until you catch up to highway speeds. But on flat highways, not a problem.
Since you are in TX pretty much sea level and flat, so not a problem.

4. The driver seat is one of the best in the house (except for the RCF which is way better. But RCF is a completely different car). I'm about 5-10. One thing I find is that the left foot well is not "forward" enough to give enough leg room. I had to move the driver's seat back substantially​ and move the steering wheel toward me to make it work. Since I'm the only person in the car 90% of the time, so the back seat passenger is not a problem. Otherwise the backseat passenger behind me will not have much leg room at all, if any. The passenger seat is set a little higher than the driver's seat. I have pretty much all options, except F Sport and HUD. So I have electric adjustable front passenger seat (otherwise the usual passenger front passenger front seat is not really "adjustable". Tall passengers in the front passenger seat will be problematic (for me, 5-10, is still ok. But I think 6-0 could have problems).

I've taken the CT200h on cross country long trips when I got it new (2000k mile cross country driver, no passengers). Very comfortable (except for the potential problem with the front driver's left foot well for VERY TALL OR LONG LEGS).

Maintenance is very reasonable. Toyo dealers can do it since it shares the exact same drive train and hybrid battery as the Toyo Pruis. Or any reputable foreign Japanese import Indy shop can do it.

BTW, if it is from A Lexus dealer as a CPO, then it will come with UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY with the LEXUS "L" certified status (there is a "time limit, I think it is a total of 6years from date of service?").

Gas is cheap NOW, so not too many people are looking at the CT200h. So you can get a better price versus the IS. Gas WILL GO UP SOON ENOUGH. So you will be in a good position later when the gas DOES GO UP.

Go for the CT200h. Enjoy 😁😀😁

tofuprod

1.) I know this is a enthusiasts forum but do you really LOVE the CT?
Yes, I own a s2000 and it's apples to oranges in comparison, out of the nine cars I've owned, this may have been one of my favorite cars since it provides 5 doors, it's not too big or too small for me (5 ft 6in - athletic build), and gets amazing gas mileage. It's also quite comfortable, handles well (F sport special edition with springs and sway bars and bracing). In my opinion, it also looks great (TOMS rep lip kit). It's a Prius with a lexus skin and interior revamping. If you can get over how "slow" it it, you'll do just fine, which leads me to answer for you in question 3.


2.) Are there any known flaws that I need to be on the lookout for while buying or in the future after buying?
There are a few TSBs that can be done at your local lexus dealership but in my personal time of ownership, I've had zero issues, I just had to replace the 5 year old 12V battery. Other than that, no problems whatsoever.


3.) Does the lack of power drive you crazy?
No, it does not. In Car and Driver and Road and Track, all the critics complain about how "slow" the car is, yet none are said about the Beetle, a base Sentra, etc. This is not a performance car, but it handles very well for its size and weight and I have zero issues merging onto the freeway, passing traffic, etc. The "Sport" mode in this car helps a little with throttle response as well. Again, it's no sports car but this thing is more than enough to get you around town and across town safely.


4.) I make trips from Ft Worth to Corpus (500ish miles one way) for military drill weekends, how are long highway drives in the CT?
Depends on how fast you want to drive. When I have 'drill' (roll call, for us), I sometimes commute 200 miles across state lines and I have had zero issues. In fact the seats in the CT are one of the most comfortable I've ever sat in. The cargo space is adequate enough to hold in all my supplies, uniform(s), EMS gear, firearm(s) and some roadside assistance tools if needed.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Coming out of a WRX and getting with a 0-60 10.6 second CT200 will gnaw at you.
I've had a CT loaner a couple of times.Nice around town but a slug pulling on to highway and passing.

JRBZ

Thx for the quick responses.
@Joeb, that is my main worry that it will indeed gnaw at me but there is something to be said for turning 30 and not wanting a "sport car" on the daily. I'm going to go test drive another one to see how it feels again.
@Tofuprod, I agree it does look amazing. What kind of fuel economy am i looking at on relative flat interstate @75 constantly?
@Lexusrus, What an amazing in depth response. The only thing that makes me wonder is the "pedal to the metal". At 75, am I at high RPM constantly? Worried about wearing out the engine due to constant high RPM.

Miamiboy87

1.I love it, but wish it was faster
2. I don't know of any. Maybe hybrid battery later down the road, my bro in law mentioned something about his toyo highlander hybrid battery, but can be any hybrid vehicle . He has 90k
3. Not crazy, but do wish it was there. Having it in Sport mode might calm this itch, compared to it being in eco.
4.1000 miles on a weekend is a lot. Would save you gas. I travel about only 15miles highway and its pretty good for me, comfortable, I use sport mode when merging then back to eco when cruising

ps. I wanted an IS F-sport, but the price difference is about 9k or so. I have a 14 CT and wouldve gotten a same year IS. I added the factors of mpg and my budget. My intent in the first place was to get a gas saver, so the CT seemed a smarter option.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

The CT is actually fun to zip around town.
It does have bulletproof reliability and nice MPGs.

tofuprod

I've been averaging 43mpg on the highway at 75MPH


FYI, I'm nearly 30 myself (turning big 3 0 in may) I too got sick of daily-ing sports cars, hence the S2000 sits in the garage for weekends and nice days only, no winters. the CT makes a perfect daily.

lexusrus

Not to worry about pedal to the metal. This only applies when you are at a steep incline as in going up a steep mountain grade for an extended period (or just wanted to pass on any road conditions). Due to it's CVT transmission, this is how this car should be driven since the CVT transmission does not "shift" in the traditional sense as we are all used to as in automatic transmission where the engine rpm will decrease as the automatic transmission shifts to higher gears. This does not happen in the CVT transmission in the CT200h. To go faster you just mash on the gas pedal and often the engine will go close to redline (I believe the Toyo/Lexus engineers had a built in RPM limiter so you will not hurt the engine. I once tried to go up a slight incline in an ice covered parking lot. No matter what I did with the gas pedal, the front tires will not "spin out" as in any other non-hybrid vehicles. Somehow after a few free spin revolutions, the system knows it is spinning and will not let it continue uncontrollably).

So to answer your question when you reached a cruising speed of 75 mph............ NO YOU WILL NOT STAY AT REDLINE UNLESS YOU ARE AT A STEEP MOUNTAIN GRADE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC. If you are at relatively flat terrain, the rpm will normalize to around 3.5k rpm as I recall. There is a "pulse glide technique" people use in hybrids where they let off the gas pedal once reached cruising speed and you will see on the display the hybrid system changes from burning gas to generating electricity to charge the hybrid batteries via it's regenerative system. This is how some people get really amazing high mpg, especially going down on a slight down hill. I don't have the patience for this, hence my mpg is not as good as it could have been.

Also in stop and go traffic and in parking lot speeds, try to keep it low (below 40 mph) and if the hybrid batteries are charged, the gas engine WILL NOT EVEN KICK IN AND REMAINING OFF UNTIL THERE IS A LOAD ON THE CAR OR THE HYBRID BATTERIES ARE DEPLETED TO ALMOST EMPTY. During this phase the car is totally (almost) silent. Many times I sneak up on the parking lot cashier booth and startled the cashier bc she did not hear me coming as she is on the phone talking. Sometimes I will be there silently​ for a minute or two and she will not be aware I was there so I had to honk. LOL....


The CT200h and the Toyo Pruis / other Toyo/Lexus hybrids are truly an engineering​ marvel. Other car manufacturers come close, but none are better. The Toyo/Lexus hybrids are proven to be reliable and low cost maintenance. Just ask any taxi drivers in major metropolitan areas. I asked many taxi drivers in the LAX airport area.... Many are driving Pruis taxis with 250K+ miles on the original hybrid batteries!!!

Lastly, just make sure to change your oil and filters around 7k to 10k miles. Lexus says 10k miles, but I do it at around 7k due to my driving habits.

Update:. I forget to mention that I was stopped a total of three times by various LEOs while driving on relatively flat terrain on the interstate. Can't mention how fast, but it was too fast evidently. So once you get it up to speed, it can really scoot.

gshadow325

1: love? Yes, I have 4 cars total just for me. They all vary. I have a lifted Toyo previa alltrac SC, lifted V8 4 runner, and a lowered stanced Volvo convertible with tons of power and mods.

I only started to love it after I modded it to my tastes. First was tons of sound deadening, then real good stereo(Kenwood nav, speakers, amps and JL sub), then speed measuring counter measures (AL priority and k40 expert), finally security/remote start. After this it made long drive awesome, it became super quiet, then you doing 15-20 over posted limit!!

I suggest a long long test drive. I was lucky to get a 16 Prius loaner for 500 miles and that pushed me over the edge to buy one.

2: sellers want tons of money for one or they go real cheap. It depends on area. Seems like Northern states cost more and southern ones are cheaper.

3: lack of power is all relative, go drive a lifted mini van with 7 people in it with AC on while driving thru the twistiest Smokey mountains road, like tail of the dragon by accident. Then we'll talk about lack of power.

It helps if you have another car to make this car feel fast and then another car to make it feel slow.

4: I'm driving family around this whole week and I miss my Lexus Everytime I'm at the pump. $40 for 17 gallons of 250 miles of pure, ugh don't know how to make driving my Tali-Van glamorous. It does get thumbs up all the time.

I find long drives great, I have done 8 2000 Mile runs last year and logged 31000 in 12 months. I have at least another 5 2k runs planned for this year. Each and every time I'm at the pump I'm so happy with this little car. Best trip was $37 with 800 miles.

Raidin

There's a lot of threads where people ask more or less the same questions. Here are a few:

General questions about the CT:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...r-ct-200h.html

Someone else deciding between an IS 250 and a CT:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-...-is-250-a.html

Common problems:
http://www.ct200hforum.com/forum/lex...on-issues.html

1. I have to admit, I do love this car. I use it for delivery work and while it isn't the most comfortable car on bad roads, it is excellent in almost every other way.

2. Refer to the third link.

3. It does sometimes, but you learn to plan ahead and then it's something you rarely think about. It's only when someone's being obnoxious on the road when it becomes a problem. You know you can't pass them if they don't let you by blocking you (I guess you can just grab your phone and video them and call the cops?). Generally though, with Sport mode on, you rarely have passing or acceleration issues. I can't comment on hilly terrain though, I'm in Houston.

4. I used to do 500+ miles a day, now 360. Longest trip is 1.5 to 2 hours. As many people have said, the seats in this car are really good. Very comfortable. Passengers usually say the same. Driving position is good for long drives too. On harsh roads, the firm ride might get old, but it will never get jarry. Driving on concrete with annoy you sometimes since the car is not Lexus quiet, but using the sound system at a higher volume can help a lot to drown out the road/tire noise.

I highly recommend driving more in the 60-70 MPH range for best mileage on long trips, and for fewer stops for gas, but to each his/her own.

supergo94

Just turned in my CT200H at the end of its lease...Was a great commuter car just really small in the rear seat area and limited in cargo space for being a hatchback.

gshadow325

that's just because you don't outfit yourself with the proper counter measures, lol.

Georgia is a hot bed for speed measuring technology. They use hand held dragon eye compact laser guns in heavy 6 Lane traffic to measure your speed. Vs up in PA they still using old kustom pro X band fixed window mount radar where the ez pass toll booths have fixed laser speed measuring devices as you stroll thru at questionable speeds. Then there is the Virginia Leo running ka fixed window mount systems that need to be pointed at you as you come at them. Counter measures are illegal in this state. A custom undetectable stealthy install is a must if you plan to play in this state.

All this is from what I have read on various forums of course. In no way am I condoning exceeding the speed limit at all.


i have become apart pro Packer since acquiring this vehicle. My family has invested in soft sided luggage, roof rack and cargo box. I have learned to pack first with the hatch open then I closed it and then pack from the rear seats folded down. Usually can't see out the rear window if it's packed properly. I got at least 3 more 2k plus trips coming up before August. I plan to hit 100k by year's end, I'm at 71 now.

Update on why I love mine...

$48.50 = 900 miles
First tank cruising at 62, never past 65 mph got me calculated via OBC, 52mpg. Via fulley, 50.3. that was 500 miles and ten gallons of fuel. Boring driving. Everyone passing you

Second tank was 400 miles, that was a tank where it was never below 65-70, sometimes higher. Wide awake driving, you passing or keeping up with everyone.

Took me 9.5 hours to kill first tank, 6 for the second tank.

I'm mid way into my 2500 weekend road trip.
day 1, Atlanta to Chattanooga to South Jersey to Philly to Mt Pocono done 1050 miles.

Day 2, Mt Pocono to Philly to North Jersey to Brooklyn NY, to Stamford CT estimate 400

Day 3 Stamford CT to NYC to Philly estimate 300

Day 4 Philly to Washington DC to Virginia Beach to Atlanta 1100

Should be fun.

lexusrus

Yes I did. Had V1 back then. Now Escort MAX360.

Not 100% full proof, but close and still got stopped. But no tickets😁😁😁😁. Professional Courtesy.

gshadow325

​​​​​​
two units that are really defenseless against current speed measuring devices. Escort can only detect 6 out of the 9 current laser guns, plus it's no defense just alerts. Basically telling you, you got a ticket.