Lexus CT hatchback 2020 review

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An excellent car which seems to be unliked by the professional reviewers. Most owners disagree with their claims that it is noisy, slow and stiffly sprung. The only noise I hear is the noise of tyres on the road. All cars produce this. The performance is on par with all the automatic versions of the rivals. The ride is great om the 15" wheels I have. I don't understand why the anti-Lexus stance. Given the superb service and attention given by Lexus dealers (mine being LeicesterLexus), and the brilliant build quality, the ct200h is a brilliant buy for anyone considering the purchase of a modern hatchback.

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Owned the car for 2 years, excellent economy extremely smooth gear box. Brilliant economy I average 50 in town, and 57 on the motorway. Took time to learn best way to drive a hybrid, economy got better, best being 72 mpg. Well equipped the tabara trimmed seats are comfy and practical, reversing camera has excellent picture even at night. The 3 modes of driving are good, enabling sports for overtaking, economy for town and normal for motorway. Just a brilliant little car

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Having recently retired my car usage was going to drop substantially and with the kids grown up, a small, economical car was needed. I decided to leave Volvo behind (cars had been V70 and S60) and I looked at Ford Focus, Audi A3 and the Lexus (VW salesman was appalling). It's been very good; I like the car, and I'm beginning to get used to the lack of boot space which is cramped, especially coming from Volvos! The noise that professional reviewers go on about is minor; if you push it, it whines a bit, but normally it's not worth comment. Service from Lexus has been excellent except for an occasional door window rattle which they won't take my word for! MPG quoted is ridiculous; the best I've ever managed is 61 but generally it's around 40 around town and maybe 50 on a longer trip. My only bugbear is the software for the SatNav/Media offer. It's awful. Truly a mess of bad design from the user experience to the functionality, it's as ugly as it is poor. I recently had a RX450h FSport as a courtesy car and it had, pretty much, the same software. Lexus need to improve this aspect; I've seen better free software on a smartphone and this package, bought separately, is around £1,000. Entering a destination is many, many clunky moves with a spin wheel; you have to exit the sat nav screen to adjust the navigation audio, and the satnav doesn't even tell you what speed you're doing, which I really miss. A salesman actually tapped his iPhone with TomTom when I told him I wasn't impressed - none of them are either! Apart form that - and if you're not bothered about the software offering, it's a good little car. Ride quality, steering and performance are all as I'd hoped and it's comfortable.

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Having recently traded in my Lexus IS250 for the CT200h the difference in fuel economy is astounding. I recently did a round trip from my home address to Edinburgh which cost me about £30 in petrol - amazing. Make no doubt about it this is a luxury car, the spec on my particular car goes on forever and the finish feels luxurious. The cabin feels very futuristic with the sloping centre console and the driving mode selector switch. I've read some negative reviews on the ride quality of the CT, personally I quite like the firm ride, it reminds me of the BMW 320d I once owned. The CVT gearbox is quite noisy, but only if revved very hard. When driving 'normally' it's perfectly fine and is not noisy at all. I use my car daily for A road and motorway journeys and the car is beautiful to drive. To summarise, if you're thinking about buying one and have never driven a hybrid do an extended test-drive until you get used to the dynamics of the vehicle. I guarantee you'll love it.

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Well its a Toyota built car with Lexus luxury, do I need to say more

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Its a Lexus!

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Good looking small car, good quality and durable. No problems at all and now on 144158 miles.

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Aside from my disappointment with the condition of the car as supplied used by Lexus, the car isn't actually bad. The interior is very well built and the info available is quite interesting ie energy display. I think the car handles very well and the ride certainly isn't over-firm. I must say that I recently did a 100 mile each way journey and could barely walk at the destination. Seats seem fine on commute but I was hobbling when I got out of the Lexus. There's plenty of adjustment too so don't know why it's so painful. Will keep tweaking the settings and see if it gets better. I think it may be due to the pedal layout. Road noise isn't bad and acceleration is adequate to get you around. In fact from roundabouts and junctions it seems quite sprightly. I think as a town/city car, it's a great little device. I have already reduced my monthly fuel bill.

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Having recently had an Auris Hybrid as a company car, I first went to the Toyota garage when it came to buying my own car (to look at their larger hybrids - Auris, CHR and RAV4). Not too impressed with the prices, I popped into the Lexus dealership next door. I was astonished by how the CT200h was only £2500 dearer than the Auris Hybrid, and SO much better (interior quality, attention to detail, exterior quality) so I didn't hesitate to make a purchase. In fact, I bought the one they had in the showroom there and then and collected it the following week. So far (from new, having covered 3500 miles in two months) the trip computer indicates that I am getting 56.2 MPG (however real figures are 53.7). That's under 10 pence per mile average fuel cost (and it's getting better with mileage). I get reimbursed at 14ppm, so I'm making £80 a month on fuel for work. NO petrol or diesel car has ever made me a few ££ on fuel reimbursement. If anything, I used to lose 0.5ppm on 1.5d, 1.5ppm on 2.0D, and 1.5ppm on 2.0 petrol cars that I have run in the past. trust me, I've done this for 12 years so I know when I'm out of pocket, or when I'm quids in! MPG seems to improve if you're not too gentle with the throttle on country lanes (try to stick between 50-60MPH: too slow, and MPG will suffer). In slow traffic, however, look ahead and you'll be able to maximise the use of the battery without holding anyone up (so yes, be gentle with the throttle in town/slow moving traffic). Over 62 MPG is achievable using the adaptive cruise control set to 60MPH on the motorway (yes, I've done it - 430 miles on 31 litres of petrol). Bear in mind, mine is the Luxury model with 17" wheels - those with 16" wheels will do even better. Unfortunately, Luxury models come with 17" wheels as standard. One can spec 16" wheels (factory order) if they choose, however these care are made in Japan (not the midlands like Toyotas) so there's a long wait if you choose to do so (dealers tend to order 'stock' as they come. I'd have preferred 16" wheels due to the fact that there's better cushioning with smaller wheels, and they are 205mm wide (as opposed to the 17" 215mm width) which means that one would get better economy with them (as well as cheaper tyres). As for tyre noise/comfort (which professional reviews LOVE to talk about when it comes to the CT - it's not necessarily a problem with the car, but more due to the tyre choice. The cars are made in Japan, so Yokohamas are fitted as standard which aren't the comfiest, quietest or most economical tyre out there. Do some research and you'll be able to get the wheels shod with something better (perhaps even fitting 205/50 tyres if you're running 17" wheels). What are you getting for your £2500 over an above the price of an Auris? A car that's made in JAPAN (QC is just that little bit better), FAR better interior, better looks, thicker paint (70% thicker), better customer service (Toyota are already excellent in this respect - but Lexus have the edge), better handling (the CT can corner better than an Auris - so one can hold their speed better and perhaps save a bit of fuel) and better residuals (which means that you'll get some of your money back if you choose to hand it back at the end of your PCP). I can't wait to see what the new model will be like in 2019/2020 and as long as it's not some silly SUV type car, I'll be chopping this in for another Lexus.

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This is a company car and the worst I have ever had the pleasure in driving. There's no space whatsoever, it has a bumpy ride, and it's terribly noisy with the silly CVT box. It's very sluggish with no guts for overtaking. Aesthetically, though subjective, I think it's seriously ugly. If you are retired and want a car for pottering about in then I guess it's okay, but if you are doing reasonable mileage buy a Golf/Audi or BMW - far better in every respect.

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Just plain brilliant in every department.

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No problems at all

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No faults at all

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No issues

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Having read all the main review sites I was dubious when searching for a used car at even looking at this car , but after first driving a C-class Mercedes, Audis, Volvos etc, I I then drove this not expecting it to be any good, well I'm glad I did , it's not the car that you expect after reading professionals opinions,i t's really one of the nicest cars I've driven, used with 90,000 odd miles it had a full Lexus service history, so I still had confidence that it had been looked after. After always having a manual I thought diving an auto would take some adjustment but after 5 mins I'm wondering why I hadn't bought auto before!!, I think I was scarred by an old Vauxhall Omega yrs ago.... I really recommend driving it, it's so smooth, and the build quality and ride are great, I have the premium level with the Mark Levinson media package which sounds great too, it has so much tech and it all works so well, the cabin is excellent quality and gives a real nice driving position., the rear seats fold to give more than adequate boot space The safety features are fantastic , and with the sat nav screen it automatically gets all contacts from your phone, calls through voice recognition without taking your hands from the wheel. And of course there's the mpg, most of the time these days your sat in traffic, so can be run in just EV mode so no fuel being used, sport mode lets you shift , I think there's more than enough power there,it's not a track car, and it beats the Merc and Audis hands down with its luxury, smoothness, and build. Mine is silver with 17" wheels and I love the looks, it is a premium car no doubt, don't be swayed by the magazine reviews get out and drive one, I'm sure you'll be impressed.

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Purchased this car last year and I could not be happier. I was quite nervous before buying as many of the review websites consider the model to be average at best but looking through reviews written by actual owners I got convinced. This car is quite , has very decent acceleration for this type of car (i am not the person who will slow you down on a motorway, on no), is extremely comfortable for the driver and front passenger (seats are superb), suspension is fantastic (never thought I would compliment a car on its suspension!), everything inside feels very well finished and much more luxurious than any middle range brands (or even audis and mercedes, which i rented on holiday). This is not however a family car as the space in the back is rather limited, same goes for the boot. In terms of lexus itself, I am so happy with the customer service and I would say it is decently priced! Sure you need to pay for one thing or another, but you get a lot back e.g. i paid more for servicing my previous french car (i know, i know) as servicing garages would have lower base price and then everything else is an extra! plus something would be constantly broken. I have extended warranty until 150k miles or 10 years, which is remarkable plus road assistant for free (aa would qoute me the same package at around £160 year). Certainly recommend, I hope to try other lexuses in the future. I always think that they should ask people what they drove in the past as part of a review, a guy who changed to CT from aston martin is likely to prefer the latter. I mainly drove fiat, Peugeot, VW, ford, mercedes a class, audi (an old model), vauxhall and nissan juke - CT beats them all by million points.

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I have only done 1400 miles so far

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No problems at all with the car since I took delivery 18 months ago

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Absolutely superb = no problems at all

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totally reliable

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Brilliant. It gets more use than my SLK320 but is road tax exempt – usually returns 59 mpg but has managed 72 mpg. It's a no- brainer, Lexus customer service is second to none, and servicing is cheaper than the Mercedes. I'm glad I tried it and dismissed the writeups, this ones a keeper!

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My previous car was a Prius, so, knowing they are essentially the same car, I decided to treat myself to a Lexus once my Prius was due for replacement after 125k miles of trouble-free (apart from the replacement of the 12v battery once) motoring. I am no stranger to EV's and hybrids, having previously owned a Honda Civic IMA prior to the Prius, and my husband has previously owned a Nissan Leaf, and now a Chevrolet Volt (Vauxhall Ampera). First impressions were good. It felt solid, drove nicely, and the interior finish was nice, albeit it looked more basic compared to my Prius, due to no sat nav/screen inside. After a few days of fiddling, no matter what I did, I couldn't get the seat into a comfortable position. I like to sit quite far back, but quite upright. The angle of the headrest meant that to get into a comfy position, the headrest was touching my head, or my head would 'bounce' against it while driving. Best I could do was to lean the seat slightly further back than I wanted. Well, this compounded the discomfort issues... Cue a nice long drive from Basingstoke to Glasgow and back. All in one day. Not what a normal person would do, I know... Well, after 2 hours, the lower back pain was a dull ache. This progressively got worse the longer I was sat in the car. The lumbar support, despite it being present and adjustable, simply isn't enough to stop your back from curving the wrong way. This isn't just a problem for the passenger, as my husband also suffers on long trips, so much so that he now refuses to go in the Lexus for anything over an hour or so. I usually do a couple of long journeys a month, and have come to dread it. Usually, once a year, I drive to visit friends on the Swiss/German border, not far from Zurich. Approximately a 13 hr journey, which I'd done many times in the Prius. I would arrive fresh and comfortable. This year, I wouldn't even consider it. I'd be in pain before I'd even left the UK. I do like the handling on this car. It corners nicely, and doesn't feel like you're going to lose grip when cornering hard and fast. It's nippy, and pulls away from the lights nicely. Not much noticeable lag, and quick to get up to speed. The eco/normal vs. sports mode seem to be a bit of a 'con' though. All the sports mode seems to do is make the accelerator more 'twitchy'. Floor it in either eco/normal or sports, and there seems to be no difference at all in overall acceleration. The MPG quoted is obviously inaccurate, although driven very, very carefully behind lorries (taking advantage of the slipstream) on a long trip I did once manage 69mpg. On average though, 47mpg combined is a more accurate figure, although admittedly I have a heavy right foot. Would I have one again? Nope. Besides the impracticality size-wise, it's too uncomfortable for me. If I was doing a 15min journey to work each day, and that's all, it'd be perfect. I do regret not getting another Prius, or even keeping my old one, which had served me so well for so long. Only 2 days to go before I see the back of this one, by which time I will have owned it for 1 year and 1 day. My overall verdict is that it's probably a great second car, when only used for short journeys.

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Only had my new CT200 Advance for three weeks but overall very impressed and the drive home after a long day at work is a welcome release. Confused by expert reviews who seem to have something against the car or it's concept. Drive and comfort are very good including handling and steering. Have averaged 52mpg and comfort levels for my family including 2 kids (10 & 12) are more than sufficient.

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Terrible car for long distance driving. There's no space in the rear for anybody who is tall and the boot is a joke. It's a noisy car due to the silly CVT gearbox and it's very slow with no mid-range punch. The satellite navigation system is also appalling. I cannot think of any positives.

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Beautiful car with luxurious interior, effortless to drive and silky smooth hybrid automatic drive. Spacious seating with flat folding rear seats and surprisingly useful boot space helped by roll-back load cover and underfloor storage box. My experience does not reflect other reviews regarding the gearbox. After just over 2000 miles my car is almost silent at up to 30mph. Any noise above this speed is entirely due to the low profile 17" tyres fitted to this Advance model. Steering is taut and responsive and handling is good. There is enough power for any situation, I have driven fully loaded with four adults plus luggage on steep winding Derbyshire roads with no compromise. Comments regarding poor engine braking are just wrong. The gearbox has a B selection meant to assist in this respect. I used it once to experience it but have not found it necessary to use it again. Average fuel consumption is around 50 mpg with mixed driving, low 40's doing short trips in cold weather when the petrol engine seems to run more. Best result so far was 63mpg on a motorway journey to York. The manufacturers claims of 70mpg seem very optimistic indeed. The fuel tank is quite small, only holding about £35 before the low fuel warning activates. So, a great car, giving a very different driving experience which makes you feel rather special. Great looks too in my opinion and very practical to own. The interior is on a par with Bentley, I should know after 25 years working there. The Tahara trim is is faultless alternative to leather. Fuel consumption is good, just not as good as Lexus claim. The hybrid drive amazes me on every journey. Downsides are; a disappointing level of road noise, very poor reversing light and the the reversing camera is a necessity rather than a luxury.

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Its a Lexus - nothing breaks or fails!!

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I'm having a really hard time explaining the difference between the "professional" reviews (which, by-and-large, slate the CT) and owner reviews (generally much more positive). I guess this big discrepancy comes down to this being a niche car - and one that might fit your priorities very well. If you want a non-plugin, upmarket, compact hybrid... then this is the only one. It's now later in life for the CT200h and I guess that its competitors have expanded latterly from being just diesels to plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. For some of us, though, there are big downside of the alternatives such as charging or diesel complexity. This makes the CT still relevant and I guess it's why it's still out there on the new market. I was initially drawn to the Prius, but that is a little too large as a city car for us - and I'd argue that the Corolla / Auris / Yaris hybrids are respectively more expensive and / or lower spec. The poor reviews are are mainly focused on an allegedly poor ride and limp acceleration. There are some more mature assessments out there, but there's a pervasive sense of "I've driven this for a day and it doesn't feel or act like the hatchbacks the rest of the market serves up, ergo it has to be pants". I've had many performance cars over the years and, given this, I wouldn't even notice a harsh ride (and I don't). You'd have thought I would have noticed iffy dynamics, but they're absolutely fine. I so rarely bury the throttle these days anyway. After a few months serving as a family car alongside our van, I'd say the strengths are: - Great sense of being on-trend / eco smugness. At least I'm honest about it. Particular to this car, at this stage in its life cycle, there's also a feeling of the long game paying off and "I told you so", given that the Toyota hybrid system was a lone non-diesel eco offer when launched. - It's actually quite addictive to drive. The battery-only range is limited and it's "fun" to drive in a way that maximises it. It uses a shedload less fuel around town than any other car I've had. Completely the other way around from non-hybrids. - Incredible smoothness at low speeds. Literally silent at urban speeds. - Great cabin and overall luxury feel. - In its bright blue, it's pretty eye catching. - Loads of safety and convenience toys (radar cruise etc). There is also some bad stuff, as you'd expect. However, my list is a little different to the reviews: - It's not intuitive. If only the VW Group executed something similar (thereby improving on the usability complaints I have), this car would sell by the absolute bucketload. - As it is, you have to learn to navigate a very complex combination of physical and electronic controls (foot brake, rotary dial infotainment etc)... - ...except for the big LCD clock, which is straight out of 1982 and doesn't deserve a space like that in the middle of the dashboard. I'm not convinced that these aren't the same downsides as with a Prius (which is essentially what this car is). I can live with them either way, as they're quirks you learn to overcome or attune to - rather than ones that grow over time. Other than that, it's worth mentioning that mine's an ex-demo bought with c.7k on the odometer from a Lexus main dealer. I don't have any special affinity with the brand, but the dealer experience was definitely the least nasty I've had over the years.

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Bought car for following reasons: Comfort, bucket seats for "short people", high quality rating with Consumers Reports, space for moving boxes, bikes, etc (hatchback), lasting design style, savings (1/2 my old Infinity), good sound system, navigation system, nice toys, etc. Love the savings. Like the sound system. Peppy when needed. Mostly drive in ECO on cruise control. DVD movies when parked. Nice "toys". Hybrid self generates electricity...so don't have to worry about battery. 2 negatives: Navigation system not set to proper maps so poor until corrected Bit bumpy on "bumpy roads". Overall....great runabout and family trips. Good for 2 to 3 people family. Highly recommended.

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I have the Premier version. It offers bursts of speed when required, drives better than most if not all rivals, has all the tech and gadgets I need and more, handles amazingly well. It's more comfortable than any other hatchback and gets plenty of compliments. What more the 'car enthusiasts' could want is anyone's guess.

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Ignore the professional reviews - most don't get this car. If you want to be different and not join the hoards flocking to the main competition, you want petrol because you do mainly shorter journeys that diesels hate and a quality built, reliable hatchback this is it. Its not supposed to be sporty - it's a hybrid guys and is designed to be driven with that in mind. We want to get reliably from A to B in luxury, comfort and economically. This does that very well. Test drive it yourself and make your own mind up - it's not designed to be a racy car so it shouldn't be reviewed as one.

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No problems whatsoever

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no issues

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No Red thumbs down

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No problems

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Worst car I have ever owned could not recommend under any circumstances. rattles that garage cannot fix, ride is terrible, MPG nowhere near specification. Dealership awful and depreciation the most I have ever suffered.

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No Red thumbs down