Last month, I returned my 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT to the dealership after three years of exceptional service. A trustworthy companion through thick and thin, I drove the hybrid hatchback across the country and together we navigated the daily grind with ease.
Now to say goodbye.
After driving a 1994 LS 400 for seven years, I was ready to experience new Lexus car ownership. It was a battle between the CT and the IS 250, with the CT eventually winning out due to the hybrid tech and my absolute disdain of the Lexus 2.5L V6 engine.
It’s tough to say the CT was the practical choice — we are talking about a luxury car, after all. Even so, the fuel economy and the bulletproof reliability was a huge consideration in choosing a car I would share with my wife Karissa.
And MY WORD, the CT was reliable. In the three years I drove the car, only two things happened — the USB port stopped working, and the trunk latch broke. Both were fixed without drama at my local dealership. Not a single mechanical issue, just simple wear and tear that happens with anything.
Perhaps even more impressive was the gas consumption — I finished up with 70,109 kms while averaging 5.3L/100km (that’s 43,563 miles and 44.3 mpg for you Americans). This is the one aspect of the CT that has wrecked all other luxury cars for me — outside of pure-electric cars, there’s nothing out there that compares with this kind of fuel economy.
My hands-down best moment in the CT 200h? The time I interviewed my daughter Pepper about the car:
The CT 200h was such a huge hit in the household that when we needed a second car, we stayed in the family — last August, we added a 2008 Barcelona Red Metallic Toyota Prius to the driveway.
To no one’s surprise, it was around this time that the glow around the CT began to fade. The F SPORT suspension was starting to wear on me, especially in the winter months, and the addition of the Prius meant we had two cars heavy with economy and light on fun. The fact that I could park the Prius anywhere without worry meant the CT stayed parked at home more often than not.
(As a matter of course, this was totally a good thing — two people driving the same car meant we were perilously close to our allotted mileage on the lease.)
In the end, my Ultra White Lexus CT 200h was the very definition of a perfect car. I can recommend it without reservation. The smartest move would have been buying out the lease and driving that little hatchback for the next ten years. But I’m ready for something with flaws, I want more character. I want something new.
And that’s what I got.
A very special thank you to OpenRoad Lexus in British Columbia for making the CT 200h (and my next car) possible. They are the flagship sponsor of Lexus Enthusiast, and I’m thrilled to have their support.
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