2011 Lexus CT 200h Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Lexus CT 200h overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 CT 200h, and includes Lexus CT 200h safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

The 2011 Lexus CT 200h is a new hybrid model, a five-door hatchback designed for younger buyers looking for greater driving engagement combined with environmental responsibility at a lower price point. The car is able to travel at speeds up to 28 mph on battery power alone, and the combined power rating of 134 horsepower is able to accelerate the car to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds while returning up to 43 mpg in the city.

Lexus offers two different versions of the new CT 200h. The standard model comes one way and the dealership installs the only options that are available. Among the equipment highlights are Smart Access keyless entry and push-button ignition, NuLuxe environmentally friendly upholstery, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and a sound system with a CD changer, XM satellite radio, a USB port, an auxiliary audio input jack, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity with audio streaming capability. Dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals, LED running lights, LED taillights, and water repellant front window glass are also included.

Buy the CT 200h Premium and you’ll get a power sunroof and heated front seats. You’ll also gain access to numerous options. A Premium Audio Package adds a 10-speaker premium sound system, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a HomeLink universal remote control. A Navigation Package adds a hard-drive navigation system with remote touch controller, a retractable LCD color screen, a reversing camera, XM NavTraffic and XM NavWeather, and Lexus Enform telematics with Destination Assist and eDestination features. A Leather Package includes perforated leather upholstery, memory settings for the driver, auto-dimming side mirrors, and rain-sensing wipers. You can also add LED headlights with washers and a Pre-Collision System with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

Dealers are able to help buyers further personalize a CT 200h with many accessories, including different types of trim for the dashboard.

The CT 200h has a gasoline/electric hybrid powertrain. It pairs an electric drive motor with a 1.8-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine, a CVT, and regenerative brakes that recharged the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Total system output is 134 horsepower, and the 3,130-pound CT 200h accelerates to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds, according to Lexus. A standard Drive Mode Select system allows the driver to choose between EV, Eco, Normal, and Sport modes. In EV mode, the CT 200h can drive up to a mile at 28 mph before depleting its battery. EPA fuel economy ratings are 43 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 42 mpg.

The Lexus CT 200h is comprehensively equipped with safety features. Eight airbags, including knee airbags for the driver and front seat passenger, a traction and stability control system, smart-stop technology, direct tire pressure monitoring, and whiplash injury lessening front seats are standard. The four-wheel-disc antilock braking system includes electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and a brake override system that makes it impossible for the CT 200h to accelerate if the brake pedal is depressed. Standard Safety Connect telematics with automatic collision notification, emergency assistance, and enhanced roadside assistance is also standard. A Pre-Collision system with dynamic radar cruise control is optional on the CT 200h Premium model.

Crash-test scores are favorable. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety calls the Lexus CT 200h a Top Safety Pick for 2011. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not rated the CT 200h as this review is written.

Similarly, Consumer Reports has not yet made a prediction with regard to reliability. J.D. Power and Associates, however, thinks the CT 200h’s dependability will prove to be much better than average.

If you get the new CT 200h and you expect a traditional Lexus level of refinement, sophistication, and isolation from the world while you’re driving it, you are likely to be disappointed by what is, essentially, a compact car dressed up in fancy clothes. Like most compact cars, the CT 200h is cramped and loud inside. With the rear seat raised, the hatch is rather small. With the rear seat folded, the cargo space is still tight. And if you put people into the rear seat, they are probably going to ask you to move the front seats forward a bit to help improve the comfort situation.

Up front, the CT 200h’s seats are comfortable, if snug for larger folks. Lexus covers the seats in an environmentally responsible man-made material it calls NuLuxe, with perforated leather an option on the Premium model. Our test car had NuLuxe, and on hot days, it produces quite the sweaty backside. We think a cloth material made out of recycled materials, like what Ford uses in its hybrids, might be better – especially for hotter climates.

As for driving the CT 200h, the car offers three different driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. In Eco mode, the CT exhibits lazy throttle response in an effort to encourage more economical driving. In Sport mode, the car feels much livelier, and we were able to get 39.2 mpg with the CT 200h in Sport mode the majority of the time. Lexus says it takes 9.8 seconds to get to 60 mph, and that seems about right by the seat of our pants.

Speaking of the seat of one’s pants, one thing the Lexus CT 200h does well is to provide a sporty ride quality and driving dynamics more engaging than most hybrids on the market. In this regard, the CT joins the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Honda CR-Z and the Nissan Altima Hybrid in the pantheon of hybrids capable of putting a grin on your face. Unfortunately, this also means the CT provides a firm ride, one not in keeping with traditional Lexus values.

For this reason, and others, we think the Lexus CT should have been a new flagship Scion model. As the new entry-level Lexus, it seems too inexpensively outfitted, too small inside, and too unrefined in terms of noise, vibration and harshness to be remotely close to luxurious. As a Scion, however, the CT would have been nothing but cool.

By packaging great fuel economy and impressive safety into a useful and stylish hatchback that should prove durable over the long haul, the new entry-level Lexus CT 200h appears to offer just about everything except luxury or value. In our opinion, this car should have been a flagship Scion instead of an entry-level Lexus.

By Christian Wardlaw