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Jeremy Clarkson Reviews the 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Posted by Kevin on May 9th, 2014

Jeremy Clarkson has reviewed the Lexus CT 200h for The Sunday Times, and it’s a rather harsh read:

Today we live in a part of the world where miles per gallon has surpassed miles per hour as “the thing that matters”. And this car is a hybrid, which means it can do nigh-on 70mpg.

I can see exactly why people would be interested in that. And I can see why their interest would be maintained all the way through the buying process. Lexuses are well made. They come with beautifully appointed cabins. The after-sales care is second to none.

And best of all, you get the Toyota Prius’s running gear without coming across as a sanctimonious, holier-than- thou, weird-beard eco-loony. This, then, is a car for people who aren’t very interested in saving the planet but would quite like to save a few quid on the way to work. That’s good common sense.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of a drawback with this car. It is absolutely dreadful. Worse than anything I’ve driven in a very, very long time.

Read the full Jeremy Clarkson CT 200h Review

Lexus CTh: First GenerationReviewsUnited Kingdom
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Comments
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    Ibrahim Alshamsi
  • May 9, 2014
I would consider buying one when they make it a CT 200t
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    Warthog
  • May 9, 2014
Man, that's cold. We bought our 2012 F Sport because it was fun to drive, nice inside, looked good and delivered unbelievable gas mileage around the city. Yes is is slow, but around town - who cares? And fold the back seats down and it's can carry a lot of stuff that often wouldn't fit through a trunk opening. So, my conclusion is that Clark's the idiot!
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      Massimo Balloni
    • May 9, 2014
    I think he could say those things about many other C segment, it's the fact that every car is a piece of junk it doesn't have at least 300 hp. But I'm not surprised at all, he's always been an hybrid hater. The CT remain the only C premium that I find quite attractive though.
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      corradoMR2
    • May 9, 2014
    Totally agree. I question Jeremy Clarkson's objectivity and understanding of the true purpose of the vehicles he tests.
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      corradoMR2
    • May 9, 2014
    Owned a CT and loved it since it caters to the buyer who wants a refined and reliable hybrid, city commuter, easy to park and maneuver, with some style to boot. Take Jeremy Clarkson's article with a grain of salt.
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      DrazenDodig
    • May 9, 2014
    its Clarkson, he hates "slow" cars, even if this is not slow by European standards at all.... then he also hates hybrids because he thinks they are ev1l and made to ruin all fun that exists... put two and two and here we are :-)
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      Roman Pogoretskiy
    • May 11, 2014
    He doesn't hate hybrids. He did only before he drove the P1. But this hybrid is the old, dreary generation of hybrids. They should get better.
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      DrazenDodig
    • May 11, 2014
    so whats the new generation, P1? What exactly is so great about P1? LaFerrari is a lot more interesting and far more advanced technology too. Obviously, they are supercars that have nothing to do with normal affordable cars like CT200h or Prius, nor would such powertrain be superior to Prius in similar car and same price. There are plenty of german hybrids closer in design to P1 than Prius (like Jetta) and they suck according to German media.
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    leopard08
  • May 9, 2014
people who are used to fast cars dont understand slow cars. Drive a slow car like it should be driven and you get why everybody is buying it. Got a Yaris 1.0l 3cylinder, if i borrow you this car i tell never try to hurry it because you will end up frustrated. drive it gently and it will reward you back, the gas in it will last you forever.
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    Justin
  • May 9, 2014
The CT has been a sub-standard car from the very beginning - everyone knows that. I borrowed one for the day when my IS was in for a service recently, and I couldn't wait to give it back. Hard suspension, hard seat, hard plastics inside. Just horrible. For the same money you can get an Audi A3 with 50% more space, soft-touch interior and a nice forgiving suspension. Everything a Lexus should have.
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      corradoMR2
    • May 9, 2014
    Owned a CT and traded it for a 3IS F-Sport. CT was a great city car and excellent on mileage. Power so-so but acceptable for its purpose. CT and IS are very similar in comfort which is to say firm but not harsh. Agree, there are some hard plastics in the CT, but so does the IS in similar areas like the console and lower dash. Not everyone sees the value and purpose of the CT which is understandable.
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      D.j. Max
    • May 9, 2014
    The CT is everthing but worst than an A3! The diesel engine is noise and the driving is quite forgettable considering that you cannot even understand if you're driving an audi, vw, seat or a skoda. Pluse the reliability, in typical audi tradition sux big times and the style is dull and boring. Overall,I think Audi is the most overrated brand ever
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    MD
  • May 9, 2014
Considering still to this day Clarkson raves to anyone and everyone that Lexus LFA is the best car he has ever driven, there has to be truth to this CT being absolutely dreadful to drive. He called the SC430 "the worst car ever" and over time, it has proven to be just that by majority of people who have driven it.
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    MD
  • May 9, 2014
So yeah, Clarkson has no bias against Lexus since he always says a Lexus is the best car he has ever driven. Better than Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc.
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    Levi
  • May 10, 2014
The CT is old tech. Next CT will blow competition out of the water, like every next Lexus.
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      D.j. Max
    • May 10, 2014
    Old tech? The VW Golf 7 and the current A3 still doesn't have a powertrain like this one and we're talkin about as it happen cars! Think about it.
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    Roman Pogoretskiy
  • May 11, 2014
I think the problem is in the chief engineer; it's a female. Enough said...
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      krew
    • May 11, 2014
    Comment has been deleted -- absolutely unacceptable, I expect better from my readers.
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    Nobby Nobody
  • May 12, 2014
CT200h v Jeremy Clarkson: Hi Nobby Nobody here to give an objective review of these two disparate characters. First off let’s look at a general comparison. The CT200 is a car for the times, fit for purpose, good looks, excellent value for money, and most essentially has a very clean exhaust. The Clarkson is the complete opposite of every single one of these qualities and behaviours. If the CT200h is slow I suppose it would be OK for him if it had the LFA engine. Conversely then he should want a Ferrari to have a boot to take a pushchair. The prize giveaway to this particular piece of twaddle is that the Clarkson sees many CT200’s “whizzing hither and thither”. That suggests the owners have learned to drive them - 'fast-ish'. Or did he (or his ghost writer) not check his script for contradictions? Nobby’s Verdict: The Clarkson is made to look good by clever editing when he’s driving ‘fast cars’ and reading from an autocue. So outside of that he has no credibility. The CT200h has no pretentions. It is what it is and wins - by a mile and a smile, two more things that the Clarkson can’t do.
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    Maxx
  • September 2, 2014
I've driven a F-Sport CT, and Clarkson can't be more wrong about the ride. It is one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven, and it's also a really good handling car. I must say that Clarkson is right about the transmission and the power. It doesn't do well in this sector, but why does it need to. It's almost as fun to drive as my VW GTI, and it gets twice the gas mileage! The CT is a great car, and I think it is easy to see why they are popular.

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