Bought one solely due to the reliability, drive it for over 2 years and 60'000 miles (100'000 km) and never thought it was a mistake. This car is very well built, has a great quality interior, fantastic audio and good levels of noise. Not as quiet as bigger models when accelerating, but fantastic in town. The only change I did was the tires. I gladly "suffer" a bit of additional fuel consumption, as a price for truly great handling. I put Conti Premium Contact 6 tires on it and it flies thru the corners in a true GTI fashion. As long as it is downhill. :D To be truly a driver's choice it must have been a model-that-never-was - a CT200t (for turbo). With the 242bhp engine from the IS200t / IS300, it would be a fantastic GTI. The suspension and steering are up to the job. Buying the CT was a great decision.

I owned F sports version of CT 200h for a year and half, absolutely loved it. I didn't mind about its acceleration, however if you're on highway it will cruise easily at 80 mph without much stress on engine. we did trip to Utah from San Jose, trip was just smooth and tirelessly. if someone is considering this among other cars, I would strongly suggest this.

If you're a thinking man/woman, you know that there's no competition from the likes of Audi or Mercedes. Lexus quality is second to none and that will pay dividends as the car ages. The German competitions will hemorrhage money as they age and are only worth leasing, whereas the Lexus and Acuras are real keepers.

If I were buying a brand new luxury car I would absolutely buy one that was fast. When spending 40k on a car one does not get their money back in fuel economy. However, buying this car used at cloer to 15k with some miles on it, even aware that the engines can have head gasket problems at over 100k miles, this car is reliable and fuel efficient enough to be a real contender.

I'm not too crazy about hybrids or Lexus, but I like this car.

I recently bought a CT200h and have to say that it is the best car I have ever owned. I have always driven 'luxury' cars, with my car prior to this being a BMW 7 series. This car handles better, feels more comfortable and is smoother on the road. It doesn't have the same 'speed on demand' as the 7 series, but once you get used to this and think ahead when driving, it really is a joy to drive. Funnily enough, the acceleration and road feel are very similar to my 2.7 Discovery 3.

Coming down from LONDON TO MALTA I have seen 60mph with my lexus CT Sport - against reviews for 40mph - you have to experience this car for a smooth running drive and such economical in Fuel - I had so many other different cars but this is astonishing -

its a perfect car for what it is, mpg goodness and luxury! good and informative review my friend

Drove 2016 ct 200h for 2 years and switched over to Lexus nx becasue I needed a bigger cargo space. I absolutely loved the car. Great fuel economy, amazing handling, great reliability. Only downside would be the noise level, but it's still way better than other models like prius. I will miss this car so much.

I don't know what happened but I feel like after being more educated in EVs and Hybrids, I begin to see this car in a new light. I previously went in with the connotation of performance, this car's weakest link. However I ask myself how often to I full throttle from a stop light or use all 300+hp on a IS350? On the other hand, I will always be able to benefit from braking & not full guilty for doing so and enjoy benefits in stop & go traffic with full A/C and EV drive capability during this time. I don't want a Prius: that car makes too much sacrifices (styling, build quality, chassis dynamics, suspension setup, and even weaker performance in the gen.4) in the name of MPG. Yes the Ford C-max is faster but it lacks the reliability of any Toyota or Lexus product. I love the Volt but I'm not sure if I'm ready for plug-in cars. The perfect car would be, ironically, the CT200h F-sport. A car I lambasted a year prior now becomes a very attractive proposition. What a world of difference it makes once your priorities & viewpoints change.

I want one of these for City driving in L.A.! Probably gonna try and find a Certified Pre-Owned for around $20k, though.

excellent comprehensive review. thanks!

One of the best reviews. Tnks. Content and high production values. Yes!

Thanks for the review! Am considering buying one today and this review helped a lot.

One of the Best and True Review!!! Thx for the hard work!

Very attractive cat. I hope they make a high powered version in the future because this car looks an aftermarket mod dream

Alex, your reviews are my first choice to find out how one particular car compares to the market. Also your details on trim prices and value with the competition is very insightful. Thank you for always taking the time to pack all these details in your reviews! I am a fan !

Great review, Alex

This car is for people that like the idea of a Prius with its green focus, but still want to look good. It's Prius for the driver that doesn't want to look quirky and weird.

Awesome review

Good comprehensive review.

Excellent video

very nice review... good job...

It's such a good looking car, I just wish it had a manual transmission and turbocharged 4 cylinder engine options.

I own a red 2011 and put custom stainless steel chrome trim at the bottom of the doors and on the top of the rear bumper. It makes the details on the car pop! I have 143,000 on it and it still drives like new. I replaced the Michelins with Conti for a softer ride. I love the way it handles and its fuel economy. Great car. I really love it!

I have a '14 Lexus CT with 200k miles now in 2023. Great car, no regrets. Sleek interior, awesome gas mileage, and much better than the ugly Prius in similar years. I did have to do the head gasket replacement($3k) at 158k miles, and it's been perfect since. From what I hear, that's the only major issue you might run into, and once you have it done they'll go 3-400k+.

Nice review

also, very nice review. very professional

beautiful car, might be my next buy.

Great review Alex. I received a '14 CT loaner from Lexus last month and also enjoyed driving it but shared many of the negatives that you brought up in this video. Im surprised you didn't bring up the sport mode dial and how it changes throttle behavior. I was (pleasantly) surprised that sport mode actually felt like it made a difference. Initial tip in was much more immediate in the throttle response, and it also felt like the car also gave an initial electric boost at tip in. Of course, it doesn't change the 0-60 time but I still felt a difference

Love this car!!

Forgot to tell us road comfort and sound proofing; Alex your excellent man. Your so detailed and I'm a FAN! But please never forget to let us know noise level. Live here in Miami, and between 12 months of A/C use, and rough roads and allot of traffic. I appreciate a quiet car. I know this car in particular may not be so quiet, but is it better then the Prius , Mercedes, Audi ? How do you size it up in comfort as Lexus is known for... Best Wishes

This car is leaps ahead of the poverty pack A3 and that shitbox CLA. The CT will get better fuel economy, run on regular, more features for the money, Japanese build quality and much better reliability then the Germans. CT all the way.

I am such a fan of how these look. I prefer hatchbacks in general, but this is just so sharp in person. I wish they were a little more fun to drive and came with a manual transmission.

My dad has one of these, I really like it but ai would;kt more softer suspension it’s pretty damn firm! And rear passenger are very cramped apart from that it’s brilliant

It's a very nice Prius. Face the facts, same hybrid powertrain. Nothing to be ashamed of since the Prius hybrid system is the best hybrid system on the face of this planet. I am getting a CT myself very soon.

Alex is the MKBHD of cars

Alex...waiting on this for a while now...

Thank you for getting in the back! I have been trying to figure out if this car will fit a 65lb dog without the seats down (short trips only). Since you have first-hand experience with the cargo area, what do you think?

In sport mode the CT is damn quick!

Alex, hows the highway road noise of Lexus CT compare to CLA 250 or A3? Also, do you prefer F-sport or normal suspension for high way with bad surface in LA? Thanks. Alex on Autos

Actually not a bad review. Lots of info and points that were interesting and accurate. I currently own a 2010 Prius which has served me extremely well over the years. I'm looking to upgrade to another hybrid car, but there aren't that many choices out there. Do I buy another Prius or change? I'm thinking that the Lexus is a good move, even though it costs a bit more. Thanks. Great review.

I knew I liked this guy. I spotted that Taco Bell cup

Alex, have you thought of comparing the CT200h and the Audi A3 TDI now that the TDI is out?

Why couldn't the is250 2014 / 2015 front styling look like this? I love everything about the lexus is250 except the swoosh nike logo on each side of the car

Gr8 review m8 I r8 8/8

Alright, alex. One of these with 40k mi or a 2018 Toyota iM?

Somebody explain to me why anybody would spend extra money on built in navigation systems? My experience is that these devices are inferior to even the cheapest portable unit. Not to hype the manufacturer but most Garmins also provide lifetime map updates: A feature that most dealers charge hundreds of dollars for. Automakers could do us all a big solid by just providing a cubbie and an adjacent USB port.

Where can I find one of those in Manitoba?

Most fun cars lexus and toyota have ever produced are this and the gs450 hybrid? I think you're forgetting about the Toyota Supra and the Lexus LFA

9.7 acceleration for a hybrid is pretty good. The cvt sedans nowadays are about that range. I would give it 5/10 is a poor score

The back is nice

Great review again. The CT has been consistently surpassing sales targets of 14K units per year, with actual sales of 17-19K units per year since 2011. One small correction. The CT is not "a good 33% better than the CLA". It's actually 40%. The math is 42 (CT) - 30 (CLA) / 30 (CLA) * 100% = 40%

Good review. I have a 2013 Autobahn DSG VW GTI. The GTI is fun but it squeaks a lot on rough roads. Using lots of cruise control I get 27 MPG in mostly city driving. But I'm ready to walk away. For my next car I want a fun, luxury vehicle that is practical (hatch) and decent MPG. I was looking at a 2015 4 cyc Outback, how you review it soon. How is the road noise on this CT vs the Mk 6 GTI?

Lately I only drive in B mode. My mpg went from 40 to 44. B mode also saves your brakes.

I want one, but I don't like the engine, cvt and hybrid. Please Lexus make one model with more power and 6 speed automatic transmission. Thx.

The lack of that rear seat center arm rest thing on this car is really bugging me.

I will take superior fuel economy over superior driving dynamics. Where I live, even if one is driving an entry level luxury import like the BMW 3 series, the driver would still have to check his or her surrounding constantly because it already lost the edge that it used to have. Time changed. It's not like the late 80s/ early 90s anymore, where hypothetically I am driving an E35 and the other guy is driving a Ford Tempo and I can tell annihilate him. To do so, I would have to break the bank in which case I would rather be on my bike because it's literally no contest in most cases.

I'll go for accord hybrid although they are not on the cross shop list. But Price wise, you can get a bigger, faster, and better MPG in the accord hybrid.

What about the sunglasses dude?

I'm not sure if I want one of these or the 4th gen Prius. I currently have a 2016 Toyota Corolla with pretty decent gas but I want amazing gas on my next car. I also plan on keeping my next car longer than 2 years, only reason I'm getting a new one is because my dad wants to buy my car for work. I'm also not sure if the Lexus is as reliable as the Prius.

Did u run a stop sign?

Interesting car because of its potential but doesn't cut it. It's slow, the revs behaved weird when entering the highway (I drove a 2012 model from a colleague one time) . My colleague tried to explain why, but I didn't get it. The centerstack is ergonomic for sure but there's too much plastic between the buttons. Some exclusive material, such as wood, could be fancy to look at. but this black plastic isn't inspiring. Looks more like a Hewlett Packard calculator of some sorts. Nav screen interface is good. Worthy of Lexus for sure. Don't know the 2014 model. What I was missing compared with my Golf, is that extra luxurious sophistication, beyond the decent stitching and details inside. The Volkwagen Golf already is minding details, although it's borderline boring on the inside. From a lexus I expect more when I'd pay €37k. Edit: I addressed the CT200h once again with another colleague as I'm looking for a luxury replacement, and he said something interesting. Some companies compensate you for driven kilometers per month. If you drive a lot and far, such as a consultant like me, you can actually earn money with this car! Now that's an interesting angle isn't it?

Run and buy a 2018 Corolla iM while you still can! It’s obviously this car value packaged!

LETS SEE THE 2015 HYUNDAI GENESIS SEDAN LONG AND IN DEPTH THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR

Another great review. The CT is a weird but interesting car. From my point of view though, ANY auto journalism that concentrates on handling is misguided. Nobody actually cares about handling, though few admit it. How often do you approach a 30mph corner at 90mph? It's the same as top speed. Who really cares about top speed. I care about acceleration, but to me the difference between a 5 second and a 4.5 second car is minute. What? So I can get arrested a half second sooner. Alex's mountain commute road should be the place where you'd want a Porsche or a Vette, but ANY of those sports cars will shatter the speed limit on that road, and be recklessly unsafe. Want to be the jackass that plows into a minivan full of kids on a residential road? Me neither. Looked at from the perspective of how often you use it, ALL cars handle equally well. Anyone that really cares about handling should be on a track. Otherwise, it's just useless bragging rights.

best car in the world

Why wouldn't they offer a sedan version in the US? Americans find hatchbacks bleh and opt for SUVs instead or a sedan. A sedan version would look better and be lighter getting better mpg and the chrome around the windows could be made to look more aerodynamic like on the es/is, oh well

Comparing Vehicles you missed -2014 Mazda 3 Hatch -2014/2015 Mercedes Benz GLA I looked at this CT 200h and didn't have enough cargo space comparing the Mazda.

Put it Prius’s engine in the way of making Lexus hybrid

Looking at fuelly results, the CT200h is about 1.5 mpg better than a Fusion hybrid and 2ish better than the CMax. That's around 50-60 dollars/year over 15,000 miles. For me, I'd rather have the Fords for that small penalty. I'd take a Volt too (and save lots of money vs all of the above). Just my humble opinion.

"It's not a Lexus Prius." "Shares the same drivetrain and transmission as the Prius." It's a Lexus Prius. Not bashing, just saying. I own a Prius.

Even less total HP than the Subaru XV Hybrid. Too bad it's not even half as sporty as it looks.

The cla is not attractive you damn fish, the CT looks way better! Anyway, once this gets the turbo engine the sales will increase even more.

Why do people who pay this much for a car care about fuel economy... Don't say the environment because your buying a new car.... please explain this to me

compaired to cars worth how much more just stupid come on really ?

Nice review. You made the most of what appears to be a very unappealingly slow car. Better handling aside, I don't want to pay more for a car that's slower than a Prius.

$40,000 in debt for what. Not worth it in my eyes.

Same engine as a prius but only half as ugly.

It's grill is hideous... Lol. That's a fact not based on opinion. There's something called, "principles of design."