I don't decide in advance to dislike a car. Indeed, as often as not, the cars I feel certain I will like instead leave me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. But if the information which I possess aforetime causes me to start the week with the assumption that I might not favour a car, I don't robotically cast that notion aside.
| THE GOOD • Fuel efficiency • Unique among premium brands • Terrific seats • Lots of style • Mostly well built | THE BAD • It's quite slow • The brakes of a hybrid • Doesn't feel completely upmarket • Hateful shifter • Not that much cargo capacity |
I am not capable of doing so, just as I am not capable of saying, "I will be completely open-minded about this meal of battered catfish served on a bed of refried beans with a side of grits and an extra-large helping of black pudding."
The restyled 2014 Lexus CT200h didn't completely change my mind. I assumed it would be terribly slow, and it was. I assumed it wouldn't be completely worthy of a premium badge, and it wasn't. I figured its cargo area would be too small, and I was correct.
The CT's front seats are among the best I've sat in, good enough for me to see the overall appeal of the small Lexus, even without an up-down function for the power lumbar support.
2014 LEXUS CT200h Base Price * (CDN): $32,945 As-Tested Price * (CDN): $39,745 Engine: 1.8L DOHC 16-valve I-4 (Atkinson) Transmission: continuously variable Horsepower: 98 @ 5200 rpm Torque: 105 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Battery: 1.3 kWh NiMH Total System Horsepower: 134 Curb Weight: 3130 pounds Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Length: 171.2 inches Width: 69.5 inches Height: 57.3 inches Wheelbase: 102.4 inches Passenger Volume: 2435 litres Cargo Volume: 404 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 915 litres Glove Compartment: 18 tennis balls Centre Console: 12 tennis balls EPA City: 43 mpg EPA Highway: 40 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 5.5 L/100 km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 5.8 L/100 km Observed: 46.1 mpg Observed: 5.1 L/100 km * includes destination/delivery. MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles. |
Outside, the CT provides onlookers with lots to see. It's not conventionally pretty, nor is this specific car (a $39,745 Premium Package CT200h in Canadian parlance, similar to a $37,704 CT200h in the U.S.) as aggressive as the F Sport models. You may not think it's a cohesive effort, as the new spindle grille is not as effectively integrated as it is on the IS. But from the tailgate's bizarre shelf to the conspicuous hybrid badging to the wrap-around rear glass and the shapely hood, there's something to look at. The CT is not boring, which from a company that formerly used car styling as anesthesia, is a good thing.
For the moment, the CT200h is also unique among premium brands in that it's an entry-level hatchback. No, there's not a lot of space behind the rear seats – we'll get to that later – but it's a flexible layout, and space for four or five occupants is better than decent.
Perhaps the greatest surprise to me was the CT200h's handling. Yes, the car rides rather stiffly, so we expect a compensating degree of handling prowess. The electric assist steering, which doesn't feel as artificial as so many modern systems, and the comfort with which the CT adopts and maintains a position when hustling down my favourite local roads, combine to make for a car that's at ease with fast driving. (Once you eventually get up to speed.) The Lexus lacks the enthusiasm of Mercedes-Benz's CLA whether the CT's prominently-mounted knob is turned to Eco, left in Normal, or moved to Sport, which definitely upgrades the car's personality and takes away some of the most drastic slow sensations.
Then again, isn't there always (often? sometimes? every now and then?) something a little bit charming about a slow car being driven quickly? And me oh my, is it ever slow. Instrumented tests say 100 kph arrives in under ten seconds, but I'm not sure what kinds of seconds those are. The CVT just eats up so many of the 134 Prius-donated horsepower. Because you must work the CT hard when trying to keep a gently-driven Pontiac G3 in sight, half the slowness-related problem originates with the accompanying racket of a hybrid powerplant whose revs periodically head in a different direction than you expected. Perhaps with a conventional V6 the CT would be quiet like a Lexus is supposed to be. With this mode of propulsion, with some disappointing tire hum and a speck too much wind noise, it's not.
It's a bit like the family reunion of mostly successful siblings, most of whom run half marathons and attend PTA meetings and eat goat cheese and grow high bush blueberries along their white picket fences, where that one younger brother who's kind of chubby showed up wearing a WWE t-shirt, actually sprayed his hamburger with Cheez Whiz, and started singing, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," after the grandchildren sang, "The Wheels On The Bus," at the evening campfire. Maybe it's not exactly like that. But it's a little like that. There's an awful lot of obviously shared DNA: the hybrid addiction and the spindle grille and the love of cheese and the affinity for music. But there are notable differences.
 |
| All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net Click Any Of These iPhone Images For A Larger Slideshow View |
I'm pretty sure I just used a foot-operated parking brake. And with 14.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the rear seats, the CT is way down from the Mazda 3 hatchback's 20.2 cubic feet and even farther away from the new Volkswagen Golf's 22.8 cubic feet. These are huge gaps in load-lugging ability, gaps we weren't very willing to disregard when the CT was maxed out by one large load of groceries.
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Lexus CT Sales Figures
• 2014 Kia Soul SX Luxury Driven Review
• 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Driven Review
• 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE Driven Review
• 2014 Mazda 3 Sport GT Driven Review
I couldn't overlook the CT200h's lack of urge, its handful of non-premium missteps, or its ineffective cargo hold. I'd be happier in a fully-equipped Mazda 3 or a diesel-powered Golf, and I suspect most Lexus CT buyers would prefer to drive an A3 or CLA.
Even though it does boast an unexpectedly tiny fuel bill, a Lexus badge, a long standard equipment list, a sense of style, and surprisingly decent handling.
