I feel like I've had a bit of an epiphany of sorts.
No, it wasn't a matter of rediscovering God or even myself; I didn't stumble upon a hidden talent or realize my life path wasn't the right one; in fact, nothing really changed – save for my driving style over the course of a week
When I first heard I was going to get behind the wheel of the new hybrid Lexus, I admit I rolled my eyes just a little. Before I knew anything about the car, I'd already passed judgement based on previous hybrid experiences (which had been less than favourable). However, as I did a bit more research and started to look at pictures and even spot a few on the road, I got a bit more excited. And here's why:
Lexus seems to have taken the hybrid vehicle up a notch. They've entered a new level of efficient and cool, and if hybrids continue in that direction then maybe it really will all be OK. Maybe.
Here's the deal: Hybrids are a fabulous idea, when they work well. The idea of a gas- and battery-powered vehicle is obviously quite ingenious. Save the planet and your cash; really, what more could you ask for? However, often the execution of said vehicles is less than stellar and far from perfect. Slopping transmissions, rough gas-to-battery-to-gas transitions, and limited (near-useless) EV modes usually make it impossible to buy into the hybrid trend.
And then the Lexus CT 200h came along and it all changed – for me.
First off, let's take a look at the CT's fab exterior design. Sure, it's a hatch, but it's a sporty, modern-looking hatch that's angular and choppy in all the right places. It also was not an obnoxious pastel blue or green colour because of its hybrid breeding. The deep crimson red, chrome-lined windows and deep-blue-tinted Lexus symbol (only seen on their hybrid vehicles) enhanced the car's sporty look – something that's relatively unheard of for a hybrid design.
Sleek headlights on top of a chunky front bumper outfitted with fog lights give the CT 200h great presence on the road, as does the shelf-like rear, subtle roof-mounted spoiler and designer-esque linear taillights. Really, it's just an overall good-looking car.
Sit down inside the Lexus CT 200h (on possibly the most comfortable seats, ever) and you'll be pleasantly surprised. As the first luxury compact hybrid, Lexus made it a point to make the CT 200h cabin as inviting as possible – and it worked. For a smaller car, the interior cabin of the CT is pleasantly roomy. Two, three, four or five adults can sit comfortably in this Lexus.
And I can proudly say this hatchback passed the Costco test. I managed to fit a 5 cu.-ft stand-up freezer (packaged) in the back, despite the 14.3 cu.-ft (or 405-litre) cargo space in the rear due to the battery location. I was sufficiently impressed.
Slick and modern, the middle stack features a mountain-climbing-tool-like shifter that's a little hard to get used to at first, with its spring-back motion and “B” gear (for faster battery regeneration to be selected while on steep declines and under severe braking) and a stereo and climate system that seem to have switched places. The location of the radio would have been fine, had the knobs for the volume and track changes been a bit larger. I felt a bit ginormous trying to grip them and select one station back or forth. It took some serious precision.
The coolest part of the centre stack, though, is most definitely the Selectable Driving Modes knob. What this does is allow you to drive in Eco, Normal, Sport or full EV Mode. Basically, what this nifty little knob allows is control over the 1.8L 4-cylinder as well as the nickel-metal hybrid battery in a fantastic way.
In Eco Mode, the car is refined and controlled, keeping you in the best fuel-saving range as often as possible, switching to electric when it can (slower speeds, when the car is stopped). In this mode, your dash will display a neat Charge/Eco/Power band that will let you monitor how your throttle play is affecting the CT 200h's efficiency. Snap the knob all the way over to the right to Sport and your dash will take on a red tint and your eco band becomes a tachometer.
And here's where my epiphany first began with the Lexus. When you select Sport mode, you can feel the difference. The steering becomes more direct, there's better throttle response, and the onboard stability and traction control systems become far less intrusive so you can have a little fun on the road without a nanny. Oh, and the battery output increases from 500V to 650V so you've got a bit more zip too.
Despite popping it into Sport mode on multiple occasions, I still managed to see a 5.5 L/100km fuel reading by the end of the week driving both in the city and on the highway. Pick your jaw up off the ground and listen up to the reason why.
2011 Lexus CT 200h
The 134-hp, CVT Lexus CT 200h was so easy to drive in EV mode. Never have I been in a hybrid in which I used the full-electric mode so often. In traffic, on the streets surrounding my home, in parking lots; I pushed that EV mode button as often as I could.
And why? Because it worked up to 40 km/h and I could actually accelerate without it turning off. I didn't have to crawl everywhere. Oh, and the gas to electric transitions? Virtually flawless. No jerks, no stutters, just a seamless switch. I was able to drive it like a normal car.
A hybrid that drives like a planet-killing, gas-burning vehicle. And so the heavens opened up and the angels sang...
Well, not really, but I was definitely impressed and immediately knew I liked this hybrid – a massive statement for me.
Add to the smooth hybrid drive the fact that this luxury compact comes equipped with four disc brakes on 16” alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, Bluetooth, all the audio options you'd hope for as well as optional Remote Touch coupled with an in-dash LCD screen, all starting at just over $30,000, and the Lexus becomes that much more appealing.
It's not just that the Lexus CT 200h is a “luxury” hybrid that makes it a good one, it's that the technology has finally reached a drivable level (in my humble opinion) that this hybrid shines above the others. Kudos to Lexus for officially making me a convert.
