Does anyone have any experiences or thoughts on it? I've gotten to a point where the gas prices on the TL are getting annoying (I drive a lot, about 18k miles per year) and while it's not unbearable, the idea of having a car with better fuel economy is enticing.

I test drove a CPO 2011 with the premium and navigation packages, and while the car is admittedly very slow, it was still nice overall. It has the trademark Lexus quality build, it was entertaining on twisty roads and handled very well, and has a lot of utility with the hatchback design. I'm a single guy, no real need for something fast, but still want something with luxury. I've considered the Audi A3 diesel and BMW 3-series diesels as well. They don't get as good of fuel economy, but definitely more performance oriented. My concern is the long-term reliability, as I'd like to keep whatever car I get next for about 5 years.

I know it's ultimately what works for me, but hoping to see if anyone has driven one or knows more about it than I do, or maybe even a real reason why it's not a good car that I'm not aware of. i.e. I owned one and it blew up on the freeway.

Thanks!

 

The CT is, IMO, not worth what they are asking for it. What are your requirements in a car? Maybe look into the Golf Sportwagen TDI? Same or better mileage, easy to tune for performance and easy to go back to economy, cheap to maintain, run forever, and cheaper to buy.

 

Go for it if you want to get laughed at.

 

My female friend has one.

I personally think the new Mazda 3 looks better.

If you are craving for something that is remotely performance-oriented, this car is not for you.

 

Yeah, that is my main concern. That after a short while I'd regret the very slow performance. I'll take a look at some of the other diesels out there, which is my preferred drivetrain over a hybrid, but the German offerings I've heard horrible reliability stories about, which is what is holding me back.

 

i almost pulled the trigger on one last year. found a lease for 279/mo, $0 down, prior to the refresh release. I didnt get it because i couldnt find a lot nearby that was less than the lease payment, but thats a different story...

looking back on it, you really might as well go prius. the ct is basically a prius in lexus clothing, however, the CT could get a bit claustrophobic, especially if youre going to be practically living in it. the two toyota prius variants are significantly roomier. heck, the prius back seat could accomodate a taxi partition with ample legroom in the back. do that with a lexus ct, and there would be zero legroom.

i would also strongly consider searching for a new gen Mazda3 skyactiv, if any have hit the used market yet.

 

I had one as a loaner for the day when my 08 IS250 AWD was in the shop for some Warranty work.

On paper, I was pretty excited, had the latest tech, it was a hatch, which I love, and I thought it looked very nice as well.

When I drove it, it was underpowered, cramped, harsh ride, lots of road noise and not very inspiring to drive (and I'm coming from a IS250, the posterchild of underpowerm small cabin and harsh rides!). It was so underpowered that I never really took advantage of the Electric drive, since I had to have RPM's so high just to keep up with the flow of traffic. Gas mileage was only slightly better than my IS.

The nave set up with the "mouse pad" was nice though, and like I said, it looks nice on the outside. I would proably never buyt this car. If you need a hatch, like others have said, the Golf diesel is an option. Otherwise, I'd rather get a Civic for less money.

 

Let's start with what kind of fuel economy you're getting with the TL and work up from there?

 

My test drive was about 10 minutes, so definitely not to the point where I'd feel like I got a good enough impression of the car to buy it. I like the looks, the fuel economy (it averaged 46mpg in those 10 minutes...), the utility, and it was a very good price. About $4k cheaper than the closest competitor for the same car. But like I mentioned, it's not that I need to get something different, just that the TL is a pretty big gas hog. I'm averaging about 19mpg in mixed driving. I did better in my G35, and I drove that harder.

I'd like to stick with a luxury brand, even if that seems superficial , and I don't really like VW. So any other ideas are more than welcome.

 

Get a Prius.

 

Wait a year. The IS250 is coming with a 2 liter inline 4 that will be turbocharged. It won't be as economic as the CT (since Lexus' Hybrid line is designed around this concept), but it should still be much easier on gas than the TL & allow you some potential to have fun with it.

Or, you can wait on the RC300h, if we get it. Not going to be much faster, but it will have all the comforts of the RC-line up.

Do you have a particular budget?

 

If MPG is your concern, then maybe check out volt? it has everything you are looking for and it is not slow.

first 40ish miles requires no gas which will make up for whatever hybrid or diesel is claiming.

of course it is a Chevy, so depends on how important the brand is to you.

 

OP,
You lost me at "slow."

 

Trust me, if you are at all interested in any type of driving enjoyment, or derive any type of satisfaction from fine machinery working in harmony, you will be extremely disappointed in the Lexus Prius. How do I know? I owned a 2011 Prius Five that was totalled, then upgraded to a 2013 TL SHAWD.

The Prius is an excellent appliance built entirely for fuel economy. Everything is sacrificed for the sake of that one extra MPG. When you go up the slightest incline, the engine will howl like a banshee, and your speed will start to drop. If you gas the car, the tin can noises and drone of the engine will make you feel like your riding inside a Dustbuster vacuum cleaner.

To achieve 50mpg, you need to drive abnormally slow, especially when you accelerate. Big rigs will pass you, and you'll frequently get dirty looks from other drivers. You'll experience a phenomenon called Prius hate. If you decide to drive faster, you'll find that the Prius is completely out of its character when you push it, both in refinement, handling, and power. I

The Lexus Prius is really meant for people who either need an excellent appliance only, or a geek who derives extreme enjoyment out of staring at the gauges showing MPG during driving.

Good car otherwise. Will be very reliable, and built by a first rate manufacturer. Just be sure you are ready to accept the extreme trade offs required, though.

 

I like the CT but I wouldn't own one. Like others have said, the ride is harsh and it's cramped. The MPG is impressive but I don't want to sacrifice fun and speed for a few extra MPG.

It's great for someone who just putt-putts around town a few miles at a time, but that's about it

 

There really isn't anything that I can think of that meets all your criteria.

The Fiesta ST drives great, gets good overall economy but isn't in the class of a Lexus.

A diesel Golf gets good economy and has decent performance but isn't s nice as the Lexus.

A hybrid GS gets better economy, is nice inside but is more expensive.

You may have to decide what is more important: Performance or Cost.

19mpg is pretty bad. However, you may be able to assist your driving style to improve that number. I can increase my average economy per tank of gas by four mpg just by being lighter on the throttle.

But if you want to see a big leap, you probably need a different car.

 

OP you will not find luxury and high MPG in your budget sector. What is your budget by the way? Why do you have to have a luxury brand?

If you take a look elsewhere, as charliemike has mentioned, you can easily find a fun to drive car with good MPG.

 

Actually, I hate to say it, but I'm afraid that the Toyota Camry Hybrid might be the car that best can replace the Acura TL he currently owns. It drives MUCH better than the CT200 and is as, if not more, practical than the TL. The price is also extremely reasonable at $30k.

The only problem might be the stigma of owning a Camry (retirement age), which not everyone is prepared to burden.

 

I had my reservations, hence why I posted on here, kind of expecting people to talk me out of it. It seems I'm probably not going to find something that meets all my criteria. I don't have a budget in mind per se, other than not very expensive (the Lexus GS hybrid would be very expensive). I have a weekend car that I drive for fun when I need performance, so this is going to be my DD. That being said, I also don't want to sacrifice all my driving pleasure since my DD gets about 90% of my use.

Alright, thanks for the input guys. I'll need to expand my criteria and figure out what are the most important factors for me. I would prefer a good mix of reliability, performance, and fuel economy, though I don't expect 40mpg either (that was just a really nice bonus). I like the utility too since my weekend car has no room for anything, and the hatch style of the CT would be very handy, I had a VW GTI that was very useful in that regard. Most of my driving is city, about 70/30, but I don't drive hard and my TL is getting 19mpg on average. I'll try to go lighter on the throttle to see if that helps any.

And yeah, the Camry hybrid screams 'old dude'...I'm 30, so probably not my cup of tea right now. Haha.

 

When I was car shopping I considered CT200h figuring it looks decent, gets good mileage and seemed like it could be fun to drive.

... Then I test drove one and te3point5's comments almost exactly match my reaction.


As for MPGs, the ES300h gas mileage isn't too different than the CT200h. Perhaps consider the ES300h?

Another option to consider is the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
And doesn't Acura make an ILX Hybrid?


I'm curious, how many miles do you drive per year?

 

Honda Accord plug-in hybrid is also another option. It gets something like 100mpg-e. Looks great, probably drives fine, good tech but you'll need to get a charge port installed in your home.

 

I'll be honest, I would go test drive a new 2015 Volkswagen Golf Diesel. The MQB is a great new chassis, the TDi SEL comes with push button start, sport seats, navigation, the Fender Audio, a backup camera, and the lighting package ... All under $30k. If you want less expensive, you can look at the TDI S or TDI SE.

I read a review of the new TDI and the guys that used it as a support vehicle for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb said they hit 49.7mpg over 477 miles of mostly highway driving.

I don't know what your driving is like, but if you do 19k a year and can double your TL's fuel economy, the TDI will halve your annual fuel costs ($2,000 a year) if you had to use Premium in the TL (which I'm not sure about).

I drive a little more than you do and that number seriously has me thinking as I'm paying for premium fuel right now. If I saved $200/mo in gas, it certainly makes switching cars less of a financial penalty.

Damn you, OP

 

Avalon Hybrid is really nice. I wasn't expecting to like it that much.

 

I think he said he does about 19K a year.

 

Ahhh, yes I see it now in his original post. 18k per year. I was trying to figure out if his search for better fuel economy was warranted from a return on investment standpoint. With that many miles it probably does make sense since his fuel cost is in the neighborhood of $4000 per year.

 

Yeah, $200/month in gas is pretty substantial savings. I figured the same savings by getting the CT. I test drove a CPO Audi A3 TDI hatch last night and it felt about as slow as the CT did, surprisingly. I figured it would have a bit more jump due to the diesel torque.

I hate this conundrum. I like my TL and could be fine just keeping it for a few more years. But the gas costs...if I didn't drive as much as I do this would be a no brainer. I think I just have to get rid of my requirement for a premium brand and see what's out there. I had the opportunity to drive a 2012 BMW 335d for a week and that thing was simply amazing. But I checked out some Bimmer forums and read some scary stuff with the amount of issues owners were experiencing. I used to have a VW GTI and it gave me nothing but headaches...constantly in the shop, but a very fun car.

ILX does have a hybrid, and I got one for a few days as a loaner car. Honestly drove worse than the CT did. At least the CT had the hatchback. I wish more manufacturers like Lexus or Acura, or hell even Infiniti, would invest more in diesel drivetrains. I much more prefer those to hybrids. If the CT was a diesel or even a turbo four with MGP in the mid-30 range, I'd have that in my garage right now.

 

I guess to add, I'd want an automatic due to the hours of sitting in traffic I enjoy each week on my commute. So I know that already eliminates a few options. And while I had no dollar amount set, the CT was listed for $26k, just for reference. It had 9k miles and seemingly all options (premium package, navigation, leather). I've usually bought cars CPO versus brand new, so I'm not opposed to buying a newer, pre-owned car.

Again, my weekend car satisfies most of my go-fast needs, but would still ideally prefer some performance so my commutes aren't completely dull.

 

Honestly, I don't think you've got many choices. Especially if you want an automatic.

You could probably find something that improved your average fuel economy by 40% and still enjoy it. But to get beyond that you're looking at Hybrids or something like a Passat Diesel.

 

Corolla!

 

Both these guys agree you should be kicked outta this thread:

 

That gif

 

Sonata 2.0T. Should be able to get mid-30's highway.

Or, stick with the A3 Diesel...

 

http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-plug-in/

srs.

 

I'd say if you don't absolutely need a hybrid (or a luxury brand), I'd recommend a newer accord (i4). They get fantastic gas mileage for a non-hybrid and they're enjoyable to drive. The increased gas mileage should be a pretty decent savings for you. Maybe a sport or ex-l, since you're coming from a TL.
I drove a friend's LX last month and it felt very similar to my 1st gen TSX. I think that's a good thing. I was impressed, but it's definitely not an exclusive club. You'll see other accords EVERYWHERE.

 

I've got an Optima 2.0T which is the same drivetrain/chassis as the Sonata 2.0T. He'll might be able to get mid-30s highway, but city mileage will be low 20s if he's getting 19mpg in his TL. Trust me, I know. I came from a TL and my MPGs in the 2.0T are only slightly better. If his main reason to move to a Sonata 2.0T is gas mileage, he'll be disappointed.

Given that the OP does a lot of city driving, I think he'll benefit a lot from a hybrid. The turbo 4 cylinders don't really help much unless you drive like granny and don't make use of the turbo. They probably squeeze out an extra couple of MPGs vs. a bigger non-turbo engine, but that's about it.

 

My next car will either be Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid or Honda Accord Hybrid.

 

I'll buy my first hybrid car maybe when I turn 80.

 

Why not just a regular Accord Hybrid? The plug-in hybrid is

Plus it seems to have solid reviews across the board. It would be my first choice if I ever jump on the hybrid boat.

 

Your gas savings from switching don't seem to justify getting a new car yet. Especially if you still like the TL. I would wait another 2 years and then look around at the market.

The Mazda 3 gets great MPG, but is rather slow but fully loaded has all the techno gadgets like heads up display and shit like that. It also comes in hatch back. I would really look at that. Premium brands at that price are hard to get because most good ones are german and reliability and maintenance for a used one isnt that great.

 

Holy crap, didn't realize that thing was $40k. The base Accord starts at like $21k. You would have to have a cross country commute to see the advantages anytime soon. If the Accord is in the running, 'd have to agree with bsprinker...