Lexus CT 200h F Sport 2011 Review

Also consider: BMW 1 Series, Audi A3

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

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It takes just a few moments inside Lexus' new entry level model to appreciate that the Toyota-owned luxury brand has nailed important parts of the prestige hatch formula. Perhaps better than any other brand…

Where some cars with pricetags close to six figures struggle to demonstrated an impression of that intangible favoured by marketers 'premiumness', the littlest Lexus has no such trouble.

The stitched leather covering on the instrument binnacle is beautifully executed, as is the hide detailing on the centre console. There's an alloy flourish that runs across the dash that adds just enough sparkle and the big-car haptic audio/nav controller feels solid in your hand. The centre stack is classy and the heated perforated leather seats resemble closely those we liked so much in our long-term IS350 F Sport.

In the face of the spartan interiors in some of the vaunted German brands' entry-level models, the CT200h
is a luxurious breath of fresh air. It feels, well, special…

Even the external detailing and controversial styling works – at least once you gain some familiarity with the car. No, it's not as well drawn as the original concept but on the road it works in a cobby, out of the ordinary manner. There's a depth to the car's chrome that says quality and the shut lines are perfect -- a Lexus signature. It didn't hurt that our F Sport CT200h tester wore the hero Ultra Blue metallic paint, body kit and seriously matte grey wheels. It looked the part...

Which somehow makes it all the more disappointing that the car's on road performance is so pedestrian…

Underneath the CT200h's vulpine clothes is a thoroughly sheepish powertrain. It comes straight from Toyota's Prius (http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2009/small-passenger/toyota/prius/toyota-prius-and-prius-itech-15913) where it does sterling service convincing its owners that they are contributing to saving the world. In the CT200h, and in particularly the pumped up F Sport variant, is it is smooth, predictable and relatively economical but oh so slow...

Acceleration off the line is okay, but things go downhill from there -- especially if you're going uphill. Even at wide open throttle there's little of the push in the back or verve that you'd experience in even modestly engined turbodiesel and petrol equivalents from the Germans. Overtaking performance on the open road is frankly disappointing.

Perhaps this writer is too old school to understand why Lexus has handicapped the CT with its current engineroom. If this is the future of sporting green hatches then I'm not happy.

There's an expectation that with a prestige badge comes as better than average performance. The CT struggles in this department. We can only wonder how different it might drive with the 2.4-litre hybrid powertrain used in Lexus' US-only HS250h and the locally assembled Camry Hybrid under the bonnet. Or better still, a muscular 2.0-litre turbodiesel and twin-clutch gearbox.

We'd suggest the onroad performance would be in a totally different class in both cases. And the extra cost at the pump or CO2 meter would be marginal.

Though Lexus claims a combined economy figure of 4.0L/100km for the CT, our average over a typical week's use was 5.7. That's not too bad given the traffic conditions Melbourne's experienced of late. However, driving significantly more accelerative turbodiesel hatches in similar conditions, we've matched this stat on more than one occasion. Indeed, our longterm Volvo C30 DRIVe turbodiesel regularly averaged low 5.0s.

Officially the CT is 1sec faster from 0-100km/h than the C30 (10.3 v 11.3sec) but we'd suggest this is a measure of the better 'step-off' acceleration of the CVT-equipped hybrid. In a rolling start drag race we'd be surprised if the little Ovlov wouldn't show the CT a clean set of Birkenstocks. A baby BMW diesel would trounce the Lexus.

The drivetrain simply doesn't match the expectations, and promise, the rest of the car creates. And it's a damn shame.

Though initials reports from Europe suggested the car was noisy and not all that well behaved, in its F Sport local trim there's a reasonable fluency to the ride and the handling is sharp enough to be engaging. A quickish punt down a local set of twisties suggests that with the right powertrain it could be a lot of fun.

Around town the ride isn’t nearly as sharp as, say, a BMW 1 Series on similar low profile rubber so comfort is overall better. It’s also commendably quiet. It's here too that the hybrid drivetrain comes into its own operating for short distances on battery alone.

We found the selectable EV mode was good for carpark work and little else, however. Even in heavy traffic you’re soon above the (approximate) 40km/h top limit of the mode at which it's switches back to normal hybrid operation.

We used ECO mode for much of our commute. The difference when we switched to Sport mode was not really enough to justify the label. Plus the electronic dash only sporadically displayed the tachometer that replaces the standard power meter in Sport. At least the 'fast' red backlighting appeared on cue.

So back to that interior we liked so much. There's a goodly amount of room in the back for two adults – for short trips at least. In this regard the car is better than, say, a 1 Series. With the batteries et al raising the height of the luggage are floor, space is at a premium but its still ample. And the CT200h easily passed my own hatch amentity test. With the rear seats dropped I was able to carry two pushbikes with only their front wheels removed.

Have I been too harsh on the lackluster performance of the CT200h given its hybrid 'pluses'? I don't think so. Lexus purports to offer a mix of luxury, environmental responsibility and performance. The fact is the CT200h delivers on the luxury and the environment, but is sadly lacking in final, important, measure.

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