What Do We Think?

"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/04/2014 at 18:40 • Filed to: None

I read a lot of automotive blogs. My lunchtime surfing is usually done here. Despite this, I had no idea this car existed. I just saw one in front of my building.

Unlike many of you, I do not hate Priiiii. It's not a bad car for errands, and I will gladly drive one when we take a trip to Tenafly (friends there). But this? Sure, it's not as silly as putting Aston badges on a Toyota, but really.

DISCUSSION (13)

My citroen won't start > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 18:43

I'm almost sure that doesn't exist, what you saw was a CT200h probably (I happen to like it, a lot).

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 18:44

I feel like that's a photoshop of a Yaris with some Lexus bits glued on.

Maybe you saw a CT200h?

Kinja'd!!!

Boxer_4 > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 18:54

At the sill of the car in this picture, you can see the name Theophilus Chin. He is a popular photoshop artist for cars.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/theop…

Steve in Manhattan > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
10/04/2014 at 19:00

You are exactly right - I pulled the wrong photo. That is what I saw, and I'm not sure I understand why it exists.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 19:03

I dunno really, but I'm all for a luxury hatchback with a little economy mixed in though. This is one of three Lexi I actually like.

Steve in Manhattan > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
10/04/2014 at 19:04

And now your photo is installed - thanks.

Steve in Manhattan > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
10/04/2014 at 19:07

I suppose I'd have to sit in it to figure out whether it's worth the extra cash. Realize that I'm the guy who hates the Escalade because it's a Tahoe with Cadillac badges and some extra wood and sound deadening. For a lot more money.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 20:25

I want to like this car, I really do. And there are some nice things about it as a daily driver, but somehow I can never get myself excited about it. From what I've read, the powertrain is just about exactly the same as the Prius', resulting in pretty lackluster performance. If they'd done anything to up the power, etc., I could get into this as sort of a "luxury hot hatch with Lexus reliability," but really what you're getting is a dressed-up Prius with nicer interior and better handling, for notably more money.

sellphones2493 > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 20:48

I've driven a Lexus Ct200 for a few days. When the Vo was in the shop for something (I don't remember - it's been in the shop a lot), I drove my grandfather's wife's Ct. As the 'car guy' of the family, I strictly advised her not to buy it, but she did, because she could get it for $400 less than a comparable Volvo S60. She was coming from a 2001 Lexus ES300, so she liked how it was a Lexus.

It's a well executed car in terms of the interior and the exterior. The problems are everything else with it. It's slow. I've driven slow cars, and this is a completely different level of slowness. 70MPH shouldn't be a problem for anything that costs over 30K...let alone 20K. It handles like crap and the transmission has that awful drone that have plagued CVT's. Through my few days of ownership, I tried to get the lowest MPG possible - I got 31MPG, which isn't too shabby.

She's trading it in this year to buy the car I originally recommended for her (Volvo S60). Good riddance to that piece of crap. Luckily it holds it's value ok.

Steve in Manhattan > sellphones2493
10/04/2014 at 21:01

I like the Volvo solution.

Steve in Manhattan > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
10/04/2014 at 21:35

I've always liked interesting cars. The Prius and original Insight were/are interesting because they represent a new way of doing things. The Leaf and the Model S are similarly interesting. The little Lexus is not interesting because it's badge engineering.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Steve in Manhattan
10/04/2014 at 23:06

Well put Steve.

Steve in Manhattan > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
10/04/2014 at 23:16

Thanks - bought an '84 Jetta Turbodiesel because it was interesting - how much MPG could I get out of it? For one tank I would drive like an idiot, then the next drive it like there was an egg between my foot and the accelerator. I remember two numbers, 26 and 41, but I can't be sure 30 years later.