[Keestoff]

Hello Everyone!

I am very excited to have joined the forum!

I just discovered the CT200H last week and INSTANTLY fell in love. For the last three years I have been racking my brain on how to get a good mix of the two things I love most, sporty hatchbacks and great fuel mileage. My current car is a '96 Golf GTI.... and while it's a great little car, it has seen better days. I also haved owned a 2005 Prius, and while I loved the fuel economy and "techy" feel of the cabin, I hated getting made fun of for the nerdiness of the car at every turn.

One night of insomnia and computer surfing lead me to this beautiful car.... an amzing mix of everything I like in both the New Prius and New GTI. Granted, I understand I will not be able to get the same rush in this car as in the GTI, and I won't be able to get quite the MPGs as the Prius. But the small things I would be giving up by getting those two cars have not even come close to hindering my insant attraction to this beauty.

The F Sport edition look killer, but I'm worried that the tires and slightly lower body might not hold up in the winter... anyone have any experience with this? I also wonder how the hybrid battery performs in below 0 weather....


Again, I'm from Central Montana..... and there are no Lexus dealers to be seen. The closest one to me is Spokane, WA, and that's a 6 hour drive. I've test driven the new GTI's and Golf TDIs (as I was leaning towards these or my next car) and I've also test driven the new Prius. If anyone can give me any newb advice as to how this car matches up to either of them I would be very greatful.

I also have one child and a wife..... I'm 6' tall. We might at some point have another child, but we have an SUV for toting them around, this would mostly be my commuter and would have to handle the Montana weathers decently.

I look forward to hearing back from everyone and also to being an active participant on the site. Oh, one last question..... Is there any news of Lexus coming out with a major update to the CT200h within the next couple years that I should maybe hold off for, or would you suggest I by it new now?



Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!



-Keestoff

 

[GenYLexus]

Hello Keestoff and welcome to the forums! I think the CT200 would be a perfect match for you. The ride and handling is firm and sporty, however you will get great fuel economy. Seing that you are 6' tall, I believe that you would fit quite well, though there may not be much room for the passenger sitting behind you. The seats are well bolstered, very supportive, and the Nuluxe seat covering is really nice.

As for colder temperatures, I must say that it has been hovering around the freezing point in Montreal and I have not noticed any significant changes to battery performance, though the gas engine fires up more frequently.

Snow performance is yet to be determined for me.....though I just purchased a set of Nokian Hakkapeliita R winter tires (it is the law in the province of Quebec). Keep in mind, there is no way to disable the traction control, so if you are accelerating on snow/ice with the stock tires, your forward motion will be significantly impaired.

Lastly, I don't think they will redisgn the CT200 anytime soon, as it just came out last year and it seems to be the car that pioneered Lexus' new styling!

 

[Keestoff]

Fantastic! That's a ton of help... I'd love to be able to drive it up to Montreal one of these days and shake your hand . Any more opinions are very welcome.... I'll be sure to put up a picture of the CT200H as soon as I pick it up. I think I'm definitely going to get snow tires.... sounds like a must for sure (unless I want to get a truck.... eh ).....

 

[prosperity]

Keestoff: I'm six feet tall and very comfortable in my CT. There are rumours about CT variants including a CT300h, some sort of crossover vehicle and others, but they would almost certainly become part of a CT range rather than replacing the CT200h. Remember that Europe and Asian markets are not pressing for an increase in engine size. So apart from some paint and trim updates, I think the CT200h is with us for a while yet. In any case I wouldn't change mine - I love it and I'm having too much fun.