Practical experience Lexus CT 200h: really the best Prius?

In any case, the economical Prius powertrain did not do any harm to Lexus. Thanks to its low theoretical CO2 emissions, the CT 200h fell into the favorable 14 percent additional tax category for some time, which made it interesting for many business drivers. Partly because of this, this CT is easily the best-selling Lexus in the Netherlands. During its life, which started in 2011, Lexus underwent two facelifts. Once in 2014 and again in 2018. Whatever year of manufacture or version you choose: the appearance may differ, but the drivetrain is always the same.

This is how the CT 200h drives according to owners

Now that we’ve already mentioned the P-word, we might as well continue with it. “The first thing that struck me about this CT 200h is that the handling is much better compared to the Prius,” writes the driver of a Business Line from 2015. “I am no longer a sporty driver and I like the mix between dynamics and comfort. fine. The car goes fast enough around the corner but is still comfortable.” Another comparison, this time by the driver of a 2012 copy. “The first thing I noticed was the car’s directional stability. It drives a lot more confidently and grips the road more tightly than the Prius. It is a quiet car, except for one small point. It was noticeable that the car produced slightly more tire noise than the Prius.”

The chassis is also analyzed by this rider. “With the suspension comfort of the CT, I have the feeling that there is more peace and quiet than with the Prius, although the short bumps can cause some discomfort.” The driver of a 2012 Business Line Pro endorses the latter. “The suspension is on the firm side, but could clearly be a bit more flexible. This car is absolutely no friends with speed bumps.” The rider of a younger example noticed improvement over time. “The biggest inconvenience is that I found the car quite jerky. I say ‘found’, because I already noticed that it was driving more and more smoothly. Now, 10,000 km further, he has really become my friend. It’s just a wonderful travel car.”

A fifth rider acknowledges the stiff chassis, but also sees the advantages of it. “Yes, it is quite hard-sprung. What you do get in return is extremely good handling. I regularly drive through bends with an advisory speed of 50 km/h (Ekkersrijt junction, Eindhoven), and at 100 km/h the car doesn’t budge. It really sits like a rock on the road, and it drives wonderfully.”

What stood out while browsing the reviews is that the CT 200h seems to do well on slippery roads. An owner who partly lives in Sweden describes the following. “The Lexus sits like a rock on the road on the narrow and slippery mountain roads. Particularly in the B-mode of the automatic transmission, we can cope well in extreme conditions.” Time for another comparison? Yes! “We almost slid into the abyss a few times with the Prius III.” An owner who mainly drives in the Netherlands also notes how the car behaves under less favorable conditions. “The behavior on gravel and unpaved roads still surprises me very positively. I have driven long distances without asphalt with the Lexus; It could be a little more comfortable, but in terms of driving behavior the Lexus performs sublime. Very stable, without too much slippage and corrections always come through nicely. That’s something I noticed with the snow and sleet at the beginning of this year.”

And that drivetrain?

Taking over Prius’ drivetrain means that the CT 200h has a transmission with a CVT character. This means that the engine could start to roar under heavy load, a common complaint with this type of drive. The driver of an early CT 200h, from 2011, says the following about this. “In tests you always read stories about the ‘howling’ engine or gearbox. Very exaggerated, you can only hear the engine clearly at full throttle. If you have a little experience with the car, you will learn to release the accelerator a little bit when accelerating hard. The car still accelerates, if necessary, quickly, but the speed and therefore also the noise level decreases considerably.”

Lexus CT 200h

Another rider describes it as follows. “The car requires some getting used to, but after a while you know exactly how far you can press the accelerator pedal to move forward very quickly without hearing the engine. In practice, you press the pedal about 90 percent. Sometimes, that one time when you want to quickly get away from the traffic light or quickly overtake on the provincial/highway, you kick it to the bottom and yes, then you hear it. Is it disturbing? I do not think so.” The owner of a CT 200h Luxury Line is also largely satisfied, although he lacks some involvement. “The CVT transmission, or say a derivative of it, takes away a bit of communicative driving and is particularly focused on relaxed and economical cruising. Every now and then I just miss the feeling of control due to the lack of a kickdown / paddle shifters, etc..”

We conclude with a message from King Nuance, who also drives CT. “Opinions vary about the machine, but I like it very much. However, you have to get used to the dosage of the accelerator pedal. For a balanced assessment, you must first take a long test drive to determine whether a CVT suits you.”

Space offering CT 200h

Now that we know how the Lexus CT 200h drives, we can turn to practical matters. Is it also a bit spacious? “If you often sit in the car with four overgrown adults, then the interior space is actually just not enough,” says the owner of a CT 200h Luxury Line from 2011. “But that also applies to the competitors BMW 1 and Audi A3. For the 3-series and A4 actually too. If the children are not that big yet, it is easy. In any case, you sit like a king in the front.” The driver of a 2012 car also experiences this. “The space in the car is not spacious for this class. I myself am 1.86 and I fit just right. I think the car is too small for people over 1.90. The back is on the tight side for adults and only suitable for short distances.”

The disadvantage of small children is that they usually require large items, and that is where the problem arises, according to several riders. “After more than 4 years and almost 100,000 km, we will soon say goodbye to the Lexus,” writes the driver of a Business Line Pro. “We have had a daughter for 3 months now and with the stroller, travel cot and all the things you carry with you as new parents, the Lexus became a bit small.” The driver of a similarly equipped car says about the same thing. “Cons: too small for a C-segment. Great for a family car. This is also the main reason for trade-in, it is all just a bit too tight with 2 children.”

As children grow up, the need for space usually decreases somewhat, after all, with a large smartphone, the adolescent hand is well filled. The disadvantage of older children is that they sometimes want to grow quickly, and even then the CT is not ideal. “Going on holiday with two adults and two teenagers is a bit of a challenge,” writes a third Business Line Pro rider. “Especially for the rear passengers. But not dramatically (I was behind the wheel after all ;-). There is no room for luggage. That is really somewhat limited by the high loading floor.”

A driver who is largely alone in the car concludes: “The trunk space is more than sufficient for the things I use it for, the weekly shopping. A handy storage compartment and folding benches under the floor provide a flat loading floor in a short time. But here too, I’m guessing that installing Bugaboos etc. will be a challenge.”

And the chairs?

A fairly tall driver writes: “The seating position behind the wheel is good, with my height of over 1.90 metres, the seat is in the rearmost and lowest position and because this version contains electric seats, the seat can be raised slightly to support the legs. Lumbar support is also present. I don’t think I should have been an inch taller, but for now I’m sitting just right.” Another rider, who does not mention his height, also just fits. “First adjust the seating position. This works excellently, with the head almost touching the roof. The seats provide excellent support, especially because the front can be adjusted upwards (optional). The lumbar support is also nice (optional) and there is sufficient lateral support. There is also plenty of room for the feet and legs.” The driver of a 2014 CT is short about it: “The front seats are wonderful!”

Lexus offers several types of seats, for example the CT 200h F Sport has slightly sportier furniture. That turns out to be something other than tight. “We like the seats,” writes a driver who opted for such a sporty car. “It took me quite a while to find exactly the right seating position, but I now sit very comfortably, even on long journeys. I should also note that I am a big guy (130 kg), but therefore no problem in the F-Sport seats for someone with my stature.”

Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations

Finally, a brief summary of the reliability and quality: it appears to be excellent. After five years of driving, the driver of a Luxury Line writes the following: “The mileage is now quite impressive, especially if you take into account the relatively young age: 197,000! The car is still completely problem-free, there has never really been anything wrong with it other than regular maintenance. Actually, it still drives like new and it looks that way too. Top!” A used car driver shares his experiences with a mileage of 223,050 km: “This Lexus does require regular maintenance, has needed NO, NO repairs and I think that is very special!”

Another used car driver bought the car with 104,000 kilometers and it has now traveled almost 140,000 km. That went well, but not completely smoothly. The most striking: “There was a fault in the hybrid battery, discovered during the health check. The fault could not be reset at that time. On the advice of the dealer, I drove 500 km and returned for a new check, now everything is fine again. Seems to happen more often, but according to the dealer it is not alarming.” The noise from the heater motor is potentially expensive. “My heater fan beeps in position 1, above that it is gone. There is play on the shaft of the fan and replacement costs 1,000 euros. The dealer’s advice: keep driving it until it starts to rattle, then you really need to replace it.” A little later it turns out that the engine has already been replaced. “Although thanks to a second-hand one for 150 euros,” reports the owner, “it now works again without any noise.” Finally, another point of attention that we see with several hybrids. “A short update, because there really isn’t that much special. Only the 12V battery was replaced after it was empty twice in the cold after several days of standstill,” reports the owner of a 2011 CT. “The car left me parked once with a defective battery, the ANWB has an on-site repair service. new one put in, cost: 70 euros,” writes the second rider who had to deal with this. Please note: these are cars that have already exceeded the 200,000 kilometer mark.

Is such a Lexus CT 200h the best Prius? That might just be possible. Even though the chassis is on the firm side according to a number of drivers, the handling is praised. Even the economy-oriented drivetrain is at least sufficiently convincing for most drivers. The biggest problem is the limited space on board, which means that the CT 200h is not equally suitable for every use and every user. But what sticks most of all is the number of reviews of CT 200hs with well over 200,000 kilometers that reportedly drive like new.