So basically,
I have to start commuting 60+ miles a day starting next month. Into the city.
For obvious reasons, i don't think the M3 is the car for that commute. I get stressed out whenever I take it into the city. I have not decided whether I am going to sell it not. Besides gas mileage this is literally (IMO) the best car on the planet. I love it.

Anyways, I have been looking for something more fuel efficient for the commute. I have been all over the place. I have gone from getting a stripper beater to diesel vehicles and stumbled onto the CT200h. It gets good reviews and has a beautiful interior. I don't think I can handle spending time in a stripper car since I will be spending a lot of "quality time" in the car.

I am open to suggestions! Volt?

I went to a dealer today and they don't have any in stock. I can't buy a car until i try it. I don't know how people do that.

pics:


I love that interior pic

 

I actually like this car a lot, granted I have not driven one.

I'm sure a lot of people on here will bash it. But I like the design in and out.

I would also check out a prius, I like mine a lot for what it is.

If you want something funky and new the Fiat 500 should be a blast in a small package.

 

I love it.

But I would choose the CRZ in your situation though. Save a lot of $$.

 

i commute about a 100 miles a day, so about 600 a week. i have been racking up miles in my car. like you have i have been all over the map about potentially picking up a beeter car, but idk if i could handle spending quality time in it.

unlike you though i am looking into getting an M3 and keeping my current car and it become my daily....fml

i like the Ct200h for what it is. the interior is very nice, but idk if i could drop that much money for a "beater car" essentially

however my suggestion is to go used, if your planning on keeping the M3. maybe a used Is250. i have 94K on mine and no issues with the car what soever, except for leaky CV boots but that's expected and is a relatively cheep fix. still gets 25mpg on average, and i have a hilly commute, very little flat land.

good luck though!

 

I'm not completely sold on styling and it's quite slow (obviously). However, the interior does seem very nice and I've heard that it does handle and drive well. If you already have an M3, this seems like the ideal commuter if you can afford both. It's essentially a very dressed up, handsome looking Prius at the heart. How much do the CTs start at?

 

I didn't know you had a Prius. I gotta pay more attention! So the Challenger is a weekend car now? Do you mind owning two cars?

I have sat in a Prius once. I don't know what year or anything. It was a cab to the airport and the interior was 80's american plastic inside. Are the new ones better? I have been reluctant to be a Prius guy. I know that's bad but...

 

I like Is's (!) are there good prices used.
The only reason i am looking at hybrids is because my commute is into the city.

 

I don't wanna get stick and I heard the CVT is a pooch. But, i havent driven one myself yet.

 

the guys on the CT200h forums are hitting 50mpg in these things!

the price is @35k for a nice one.

 

Prius works, only if you have a second car like Challenger and M3.

Do it.

 

I personally like the CT hybrid, but I don't think I would ever pay $35k for it.

Get a Prius and mod your M3 with the rest?

 

I think the CTh is a great car design wise. The price is a bit much and I have not driven one yet. I have actually talked my local dealer into letting me take the demo one out as my loaner when I get the F serviced next in about another 2 weeks.

I also agree with some other in your position the CR-Z might be a good thing to consider as well since it is so much cheaper if you do not need 4 seats for your daily.

I definitely would not get rid of the M3 though for sure.

 

you can get 25-20mpg with an IS, they go for roughly 20-25K for a car with less then 50K on it.

50mpg is crazy good actually....you would be going through a gallaon of gas a day roughly.....no filling up for 2 weeks would be nice.....

 

The Challenger has always been a weekend/fun car. I've had its for over 18 months (cant believe it) and its only got 7500 miles I leased the Prius (got a steal on it) when my Pathfinder was needing maintenance that I felt was more than the truck was worth.

Yes the interior of the Prius is pure plastic, but I'm guessing you were in a 2nd gen. The 3rd gen has a much nicer/futuristic design like the CTh, but yeah its not the lap of luxury. It gets the job done...but it does suck when I see other fast cars on the road and I want to play I drive the Prius more like an old man, which is probably a good thing.

The car is also the baby hauler for my twins...so I often switch off and drive my wife's 2000 civic or my FIL's 97 Grand Cherokee....

So, no I dont find it hard dealing with multiple cars


The other thing to think about is if your doing more highway miles than city...a hybrid isnt the best choice.

My father bought a certified pre-owned IS250 AWD a year ago for about 27k I think...fairly loaded, no nav...he gets about 25-30mpg on the freeway. I cant remember the year...2008 maybe?

Yeah, I might push you towards used as well...but I very much understand spending LOTS of time in your car and you want it to be what you want, not something that is going to drive you nuts every time you get inside.

So, look at some options and see whats out there.

I still say try a Fiat 500 for shits and giggles, they seem to be great little commuters, nice inside, too.

 

Who gives a fuck what other people think. If they're going to stereotype you based on the car you drive, they don't matter. Would you ask them for their opinion on what car to get? They're the same people who probably think you're a douchebag just because you own an M3/BMW.

Personally though, I'm not a fan of the CT200h so that from it what you will the rear has grown on me but the front is still incredibly awkward looking. That grill treatment still isn't 4G TL pre-facelift bad, but still weird looking.

 

This is way cheaper than $35k.



It what I would do, hell i actually do when i go into the city. No need to deal with the traffic or parking. Love it.

I do like the CT200h, saw one on the road and catch my eye.

 

Did a search, theres a CT200H at Woodfield lexus and westmont lexus. No idea if they will let you test drive them though.

 

to the CT200h. The exterior look is so bad (to me) that I don't care that it gets 50 mpg. Frankly, I would rather own a Prius. Or a Volt, honestly. Volt isn't a good solution for the OP because of limited availability and dealers raping the innocent by adding on "market value adjustments".

I say, keep the M3 and get a Prius. Or do what Crazy Acura said, take the train. You should be thankful you live in a city where you can do that easily, unlike here in Clevelad.

 

 

Isn't the CT basically a luxury prius?

OP- I would suggest sending a private message to NAiL05, he works at a Lexus dealership and would be able to answer most to all of your questions in detail. I recall him telling me they are highly under powered for what they are and he sees them in the shop more often than a Lexus should be. I would suggest a CRZ or even a Fiat 500.

 

He did say he doesn't want a manual transmission and CVT.

A Fiat 500 on the other hand... sounds great actually.

 

CRZ or Golf TDI...the only two long range cars I would consider

Or if you have balls of steel, and a spine of steel, you can get a base model elise for around 23k and get almost 30mpg on the highway

 

Over here, they sell the same car as the Toyota Sai:




Toyota / Lexus cars are just so bland. There are one or two that catch my eye, but those are rare.


And I like the Golf TDI idea, plus the car would be fun to drive, instead of "posing" by having a hybrid (which, once you're done with the battery, have a worse ecological nightmare than the dinosaur bones were burning now).

 

Public transport is not an option, unfortunately. I have to be able to be mobile.
As far as Lexus and Toyota are concerned, trust me when I tell you I don't wanna own any of them. I have an aversion to anything Toyota. except for FJ's or LFA's, both of which i will not be looking at anytime soon.:p

 

I haven't really looked at the car prior to this thread, but it has certainly gotten my attention.

I say do it.

 

These make the most sense...CRZ - provided you only need 2 seats. TDI would probably be most fun and you'd have decent utility with it as well. Plus, 42mpg isn't too shabby either.

Both are also smaller than the CT200 too, aren't they? That would be better for city driving.

 

Love TDI!

 

 

godspeed finding one!

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ct-2...inventory.html

 

TDI! For the price, you get great refinement since you're going to be spending quality time inside.

I think it's a better bang for your buck than the Lexus.

 

The TDI is only worth it IF the area you are living in sells deisel for less than normal gasoline.

In LA I find it laughable to see people driving diesel when prices are always MORE than the cost of premium. It completely negates the point.

If diesel is cheaper in Chicago, I say that's a great choice as well.

 

I think it's going to take a lot longer than you think to make up for the extra money you're paying for the hybrid technology relative to the $$ in gas you'll cumulatively save. IMO, you're better off in a diesel (still paying for the premium, but at least you won't be driving a car that's dull in excitement) or a fuel efficient 4 cylinder. The Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, etc...all good cars and fuel efficient, too.

 

i like the lexus.

 

I like the looks of the lexus. I havent really read anything about it, but my initial assumptions was that its trying to do what the crz is, but probably wont succeed just like the crz. A luxury sport hybrid thats only good at luxury.

Thats what I thought when I heard about this car lexus is gonna be releasing.

Looking at the epa numbers and what you said about people on your forums getting 50mpg, then well maybe its good at the hybrid part too? Although those people are probably hyper-miling it.

The interior looks nice from what you showed.

I would say drive it, and the golf tdi, see what you want

 

stop talking

 

Well, with the increase in MPG, there may be a cost benefit. So if the regular car gets 30 MPG and the TDI gets 42, then the cost may be negated by the savings.

The 30 MPG number was a swag, no research. But you see my point?

 

Not when you have a car note on top of that. Or even if you pay cash for a new one, its still going to take longer to make itself pay off (all this assuming the cost of diesel is as high as it in LA.)

Its like people saying turbos are better because they have better mpg....yes, but how many turbos take regular unleaded gas?

The increased mpg is a wash or potentially slightly more expensive.

 

ok yea maybe you dont need to do that to get above epa numbers

 

i love you guys :grouphug:

 

The friends I know are averaging 52-56 mpg to and from work with the tdi golf and tdi jetta, 37 miles one way.

Its a mix of 70mph limit on I-20, down to 45mph limit on Oates Highway (403), and bouncing around between 45-60 mph on Highway 15 (Bobo Newsome in Hartsville).

We are all Nuclear Operators and can afford the gas, but doesn't mean we want to.

If you can find somewhere to get bio diesel you will pay less for fuel and go farther and have more fun. Period.

If your forced to buy diesel, by sulfur additives and you will get even more miles per tank.

What part of 236ft lbs of torque didn't you see?

The Crz looks dam good, has some light mods out there that don't effect its mpg at all, and in eco mode some people have been reporting high 50's to low 60's on the highway. Not bad if you ask me. And starting at 19k, you have plenty of room to put your money some where else. Ask honda for an overnight test drive with one, they will comply.