flipside909

September 28, 2010 - Paris, France - Lexus has come a long way since the inception of the world's first premium luxury hybrid vehicle five years ago. Being the front-runner in hybrid technology, Lexus is the only luxury carmaker to offer a wide array of premium hybrid vehicles ranging from a crossover, an entry-level dedicated hybrid sedan, a performance-oriented midsize luxury sedan and an ultra-luxury flagship sedan which represents the pinnacle of the Lexus Hybrid lineup. The 2006 RX 400h was the first hybrid to start it off. Most recently, the 2010 HS 250h a.k.a. Harmonious Sedan was introduced as the most fuel-efficient Lexus and the most fuel-efficient luxury vehicle in the United States, until now...

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Thanks!
Ryan
CL Ed.

spwolf

so tell us about ride compliance and cloth/nuluxe? i want to know more personal opinion and comparo between normal leather and normal toyota cloth...

knihc2008

iTrader: (1)

Why do some fobs have the panic button and some don't?

spwolf

i would guess different equipment...

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I like the CT a lot and would consider buying one but it seems a bit underpowered on paper.
Could Lexus squeeze a 2.4L set up in that engine bay?

Mister Two

Interesting, since all the panic button requires is for the car to have a horn, does this mean those cars without a panic button on the key fob are equipped with no horn?

Mister Two

Two words: Blade Master.

I'm sure they can, but it's only a matter of whether they see enough demand in the market to justify doing it.

I bet they're losing money on the LS600hL and the GS450h with the current sales volumes, but these can be justified by being the halo cars of luxury hybrid and performance hybrid, respectively. A CT300h (again, hopefully with a 2.5L and not 2.4L) on the other hand will actually have to make money to be justified.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Good point.
Although,the 2.4L should be an option choice.

Sens4Miles

That's actually a completely inaccurate statement. The Lincoln MKZ hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury vehicle in the United States.

spwolf

Nobody would care about CT300h in Europe despite what pampered media says. People these days buy 4cly BMWs and MBs (always did Audis). V6 and V8 resale value is a lot lower than for 4cly engines.

flipside909

The ride in the CT is very smooth. Of course it's no vault like the LS, but it is quiet. The ride is very smooth and taut. There is some body roll in hard cornering, but it's not horrible. The CT soaks up road imperfections pretty well despite the sport biased suspension. If I had to compare it to other Lexus cars, it's better than the CT, just about if not better than a regular IS.

I am a huge fan of cloth interiors. I actually like the Black and Black/Red cloth interiors in the CT. It's a nice plush feeling material. It definitely isn't the velour interiors of the 80's that's for sure. One gripe I have with the cloth is that the pile is a bit long. It behaves like suede, see below:



The smart key fobs with the panic buttons are the US Spec CTs. The missing
panic button fobs belong to the Euro Spec CTs. Apparently in Europe, there is no need for a panic alarm.

It is underpowered for some, but i've come to the conclusion you don't need all the horsepower in the world to have a fun car to drive. It's a give and take situation. The engine bay is a little tight but I think they can fit the 4GR-FSE 2.5L V6 from the IS250 in there.

Well it was a true fact earlier this year. True, the Lincoln MKZ may have been rated for 41MPG just recently, but it won't hold the title for very long.

Very true. European and American mindset for buying cars are completely different. What I learned first hand in Europe, they care about low CO2 emissions ratings, smaller cars with larger capacity and value. If it wasn't for the taxation rules in the EU, and the cost for a liter of petrol, the mentality and demand would be totally different. As you know here in the US, a gallon of gas is cheaper than an equivalent liter in Europe, but people here prefer to have a more powerful gas V6 or V8 over a 4cyl any day. I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to afford driving, let alone owning an IS F in Europe. I'd opt for that 6spd MT IS200d instead.

Mister Two

The rear seat legroom is a serious joke in the CT, a far cry from the Prius. Any family looking to trade up will be quite disappointed. Lexus still can't seem to get the packaging right and this will continue to hurt them.

flipside909

I don't think the CT was ever meant to be a family car replacement. As far as rear seat legroom, it's very acceptable.Even more so than my IS F's back seat legroom. Remember, this car was made for the European market in mind. A Prius is a huge vehicle compared to many of the subcompacts roaming the streets of France.

Mister Two

Well the Prius takes on the job of a family car and even of an adult-seating taxicab just fine while the CT's rear legroom looks comparable to that of a typical 2-door 2+2 sports coupe (barely better than the 1-series, for example, and quite a bit worse than the A3). Unlike many of us Americans, who use these cars as personal transports, the Europeans use these hatchbacks as family cars, so the rear legroom, particularly for a 4-door car, should be quite an important factor.

LexFather

Thats's actually an inaccurate post. THe key word is "introduced", they are not claiming it is the most fuel efficient luxury sedan currently. The bridge is obvious, the RX 400h was first, the HS was first and now the CT is another first.

No one has sat in the competition and the CT here at the same time so how can we conclude that by a pic? All these vehicles have small backseats and most are not family cars.

I'm on PriusChat, many members have only a spouse or no kids or no spouse. Rear seat room is not the determining factor, MPG is.

I don't think rear seat room is a priority here. What is a priority is the drive over the Prius, the luxury materials to the Prius and the image.