Abarth 595 vs Lexus CT
What's the difference?

Abarth 595

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2018 price

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Lexus CT

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2018 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2018 Abarth 595

2018 Lexus CT

By Tim Robson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.4L

Inline 4, 1.8L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

4.1L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Good engine/chassis combo
Surprising grip levels
Unusual

Dislikes

Terrible driving position
Ride not great around town
No reversing camera

2018 Abarth 595 Summary

Since 1949, Abarth has been giving the venerable Italian brand, Fiat, a patina of performance, based largely on giant-killing feats in small modified cars like the Fiat 600 of the 1960s.

More recently, the brand has been revived to boost the fortunes of the smallest Fiat on sale in Australia. Known formally as the Abarth 595, the tiny hatch packs a bit of a surprise under its distinctive snout.

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2018 Lexus CT Summary

There are two ways to look at the Lexus CT200h; as either the cheapest model in the Japanese company’s range, or as a planet-saving hybrid.

Either way, the four-door, five-seat CT200h hatch – which has been updated for 2018 – differs from the rest of the Japanese luxury brand’s lineup for a number of different reasons.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Abarth 595 2018 Lexus CT

Verdict

It’s tough to be kind to the Abarth 595. Based on a platform that’s more than a decade old, the car has been left behind by its rivals in many ways, including basic ergonomics and its value equation.

The larger engine does work well in this smaller package, and its road-holding ability belies its size. However, only die-hard fans of the Abarth brand will be able to cope with the uncomfortable seating position and a complete lack of even the most perfunctory features that cars costing $10,000 less are able to offer.

Verdict

The cheapest Lexus of them all isn’t chasing badge snobs with the CT200h as blatantly as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi do with their entry level cars… but it’s perhaps not quite the Lexus you’d expect it to be.

It has a lovely front-of-cabin, for example, but there’s a lot of last-gen Prius in plain sight in the rear of the cabin.

The hybrid powertrain, too, is noble in concept, but the day-to-day reality is that it’s not as nice to drive, especially town to town, as a regular petrol-powered car of similar size.

The foot brake, silly multimedia joystick and odd gearshifter also spoilt the party a bit.

Empty nesters who are looking for a nice city runaround with a tinge of greenwash about it will love it… and if the current Prius is anything to go by, the next CT will be a very good thing indeed.

Abarth 595 vs Lexus CT What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Abarth 595 vs Lexus CT
What's the difference?