Lexus IS200T vs Lexus CT200h

What's the difference?

The Lexus range comes with a four year/100,000km warranty with roadside assist for the duration. Servicing is every 15,000km or twelve months, whichever comes first.

Sadly, there's no fixed or capped-price servicing regime, not even a pre-pay option like the stingy Germans. Lexus will only commit to indicative pricing, although the first service at 15,000km is priced keenly - it's free.

When you buy a Lexus, they don't like to let go of you. My father-in-law's original IS 200 is still fetched by the dealership - should he so desire - for its annual service. If he chooses to darken the dealership door himself, he'll drive out in a loan car. Nobody has ever stalked him at the dealership demanding he consider a new one.

The IS200t seems the pick of the IS bunch, despite pricing on par with a couple of the IS350s. It's a worthy alternative to the usual suspects, with its own look, feel and approach to luxury motoring. In fact, it's far more a luxury car than sports sedan, but manages to do both well. In the end, a BMW will edge it for handling and overall chassis grace, the Merc has that badge and the Audi is all-wheel drive and bang-up-to-date.

But none of them can touch the Lexus for after-sales service nor are any of them quite as well put together as the Japanese-built IS. It may not be as fast or as fun, but it's very, very good.

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.

The current IS is by far the most distinctive of the three generations. With a couple of exceptions, it is a terrific looking car. It looks long and low slung, like the best sporting sedans, with an almost Maserati-like approach to its proportions. The loud and proud Lexus spindle grille - the object of such derision when it first arrived - looks utterly fantastic and draws attention away from the odd, squished headlights.

it is one of most comfortable cars you can buy, for both front and (short) rear seat passengers.

Inside is less impressive, with a weird stacked dash and integrated screen. The materials are top notch, however and while the designers have tried to do something interesting with the dash design, there are better ideas out there they might want to consider next time around.

There are some light external revisions for the latest update of the compact Lexus CT200h. New grey 17-inch alloys are unique to the Sport Luxury, along with a black roof treatment, new L-shaped LED driving lamps that match new-design LED tail-lamps, while Lexus designers have also added its new spindle grille to the brand’s smallest model.

It manages to be inoffensive, but it doesn't really reflect the brand's latest design language of 'real world concept cars' like the NX and the LC ranges.

Inside, a couple of new leather colour options are available for the CT200h, while the addition of the wide-format 10.3-inch screen to the top of the centre console is the single largest change. Interestingly, the steering wheel controls appear to have regressed a little from the previous model, no doubt brought about by the addition of the new driver aids.

The IS's cabin is probably the weakest point of the car, with limited storage for your bits and bobs. Front and rear seat passengers do get cupholders for a total of four, but the rear doors don't have bottle holders, limiting you to the two upfront.

On hot days like Sydney's 2017 summer, those cooled seats are heaven-sent.

The centre console bin is small and is the only place for your phone apart from the cupholders, which isn't an ideal spot, let's face it. The boot is a German-matching 480 litres and you can split fold the seats for more room.

Having said that, it is one of most comfortable cars you can buy, for both front and (short) rear seat passengers. The front seats are especially good and on hot days like Sydney's 2017 summer, those cooled seats are heaven-sent.

The CT200h basically replicates a small hatchback in terms of interior size. It'll seat five, but if you try to put three adults across the back, they won't be particularly happy about it. 

The roofline is quite low and the car’s waistline is high, which makes the glasshouse feel small. Room in the front is adequate, but only just for taller drivers; the sunroof, as fitted to our test example, takes away a good chunk of headroom, despite the CT200h standing just 5mm lower than a Corolla overall. 

The seats themselves, too, are mounted just a touch high to be comfortable for taller drivers, while rear seaters will complain bitterly about being stuck behind my (184cm) driving position. However, my more diminutive wife pronounced herself very comfortable behind the wheel and in the passenger seat.

A nice, small steering wheel sits in front of a single-dial dash that sports two digital screens either side. The left-hand screen changes when you change the drive mode dial between Eco, Normal, and Sport. And there's also a full EV mode button in handy reach. 

Two cupholders are line astern between driver and passenger, although storage is at a premium thanks to the size of the car. Climate and multimedia controls - and even an old-school CD player – flow right through underneath the centre console, which steals away valuable space. There are no extras like wireless charging bays, nor is there Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

There are bottle holders in the door, but don't try and stash anything that's over one litre in size because it just won't fit.

It's quite an austere proposition for rear-seat passengers, with no bottle holders in the doors, no cup-holders and no charging points. There are fixed vents under the front seats and on the right side of the rear area, so it's not a complete desert, and there are ISOFIX mounts for two child seats in the rear.

Another practicality issue that's unique to the CT200h is the gear shifter. It operates as a spring-loaded joystick, and unless you're watching the dash indicator, it can be tricky to know which gear you're in. Other car makers have actually recalled cars with this style of transmission stick, and it's certainly something that you have to get used to. 

Likewise, the old-school foot brake is certainly an anachronism in something like a Lexus.

Based on the previous generation Prius, the nickel-metal hydride battery for the CT is hidden underneath the rear seat, so it doesn't steal away too much boot room. However, the boot floor is still quite high, and the area is rather small at 375 litres with the seats up. There is 985 litres available when you drop the seats, but the aperture is short and narrow, so larger items will be a squeeze. There is a space-saver spare nestled away underneath the boot floor, too.

Another practicality note in the negative column is Lexus's insistence on the odd joystick control for its multimedia system. It's simply not very good. It’s imprecise when compared to a touchscreen, the action and feel of our test unit was very much less than premium, and it’s just awkward and clumsy to use. The CT is not the only Lexus to use it, but we wish the company would just see the light and ditch it all together.

The 1.8-litre petrol-electric CT200h comes in three different flavours – the Luxury, the F-Sport as tested here, and the Sport Luxury. The range now kicks off at $40,900 (up $2150) and peaks at $56,900 with the Sport Luxury (up $810).

The F-Sport may be a little lacking in the actual ‘sport’ department, but it’s is pretty flush with flash kit, including not one but three motors (one petrol and two electric), auto lights and wipers, a wide 10.3-inch multimedia system, leather seats, dual-zone climate control and new 17-inch alloys.

At $50,400 plus on-roads, the F-Sport has jumped in price by $1960, but it’s gained a host of new gear, including a new driver aid system that adds auto emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian-detecting pre-collision warning system, lane departure warning with steering assistance and adaptive cruise control.

There are also LED headlights and taillights, as well as revised styling for the front and rear bumpers.

The CT will be cross-shopped against other premium tiddlers like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Audi’s A3 and the BMW 1 series. Comparing it like-for-like in the hybrid category, there’s the top spec Toyota Prius i-Tech, while Nissan’s Leaf could theoretically be lumped in both on price and on environmental grounds.

The 200t denotes a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder under that long bonnet, delivering 180kW and 350Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. This translates to seven seconds dead to 100km/h for the 1680kg sedan, which isn't hanging around.

The 1.8-litre twin-cam petrol engine makes a relatively low 73kW and 142Nm, while a 60kW, 207Nm electric motor that’s also connected to the front wheels chips in its share.

Combined, the system produces 100kW, while the torque figure translates to around the 150Nm mark. That juicy 207Nm doesn’t come into play, sadly, given that the petrol engine – which is built to run cooler than a traditional Otto cycle engine, and therefore more efficiently – does most of the work.

Throw in a transaxle for the electric motor and a power inverter, and things are getting complex. However, if the Prius is any indication, the CT200h’s drivetrain is durable and relatively serviceable, with batteries estimated to last ten years or longer.

Try as we might - and we did - we couldn't get at all close to the claimed combined fuel figure of 7.5L/100km. We didn't even hit the standard plus 30%, but we did get 12.2L/100km. That's a fairly solid miss.

Here’s the odd thing – over 220km of largely highway driving, I couldn’t get the CT200h under a dash-indicated 10.4 litres/100km, against a claimed combined fuel economy figure of 4.4L/100km. 

I topped the tank off with 18 litres of fuel, which works out at a closer 8.8L/100km… but it still ain’t anything like 4.4. 

Another owner I spoke to, though, said he regularly records high fives with his CT200h in mixed conditions.

It runs a 45-litre tank that’ll happily take 95 RON fuel.

After having the good fortune to step out of the IS350 and into the 200t, it was immediately apparent that the 200 is the better car. For a start, it feels so much more nimble. Sure, it doesn't have the seamless urge of that silky V6, but the 2.0 turbo does a fine impression of a bigger engine. Once on boost, the engine is smooth with a lovely flat torque curve. If you're off boost, though, you're in a bit of trouble - the eight-speed is reluctant to downshift and needed prodding from the steering wheel mounted paddles on occasion.

As with just about every Lexus, the ride is impeccable and refinement virtually unmatched in the class.

From a driving point of view, the fundamentals are better - less weight over the front wheels meaning the steering feels better, it turns in better and it moves more fluidly, which is impressive because the 350 isn't a slouch. Even the dashboard is better. The 350 has a traditional two clock arrangement where the 200t has a single dial in the middle that is digitally remastered. Press a button and it slides to the side to provide extra info on your choice of the available data. It leaves a fair amount of black space but it's easier to read and doesn't suffer as badly from reflections.

As with just about every Lexus, the ride is impeccable and refinement virtually unmatched in the class. There's something about the way a Lexus knocks the edge of all but the biggest bumps, sails over speed bumps and handles imperfections that is hard to beat and hard to find unless you're spending really big bucks. The adaptive damping never feels like it's doing anything which is exactly the point - even when switching to Sport+, there's an ease to the ride without it feeling loose.

You'll barely know the engine is there, and the way the transmission slurs around the gears means non-stop serenity.

If you've ever driven a Prius, then you'll be very familiar with the way that the CT drives. Based around a 73kW Atkinson cycle petrol engine which focuses on fuel efficiency rather than outright power, a 60kW electric motor (the pair combine to produce 100kW in total), a nickel-metal hydride battery array and a CVT gearbox, the CT200h – like the Prius – is a bit different to a regular hatch.

Under light throttle, the CT is quiet and moves along quite well, and you can even use full Electric Vehicle mode at speeds under 45km/h for a brief amount of time, (slightly less than two kilometres), and with a very gentle right foot.

The battery array is recharged via the petrol motor as well as regenerative braking (where heat energy is captured and directed back to the electric system) – but unlike a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid, there’s no way to stick a 240v cable into the CT to top up the battery. 

It has the unusual whines and odd noises that you would associate with a partly electric car, but the petrol motor sounds just like a regular old four-pot petrol unit, and it’s running most of the time.

One issue with the drive of a hybrid is its ability, or the lack thereof, to get off the line in any sort of hurry. You really have to mash the throttle to get going, which takes some getting used to. There’s also some hesitation and un-Lexus like thumps from the drivetrain if you confuse it by almost stopping then taking off again.

The CT200h’s biggest bugbear is that the fourth generation Prius exists. Built on a more sophisticated newer-generation platform and with a more refined drivetrain, the new Prius is a great insight into how good the next CT will be – and what the shortcomings of the current one currently are.  

The CT works well in high-traffic city environs, where a light throttle foot helps get the best out of the unusual drivetrain. Lots of lag from rest is an annoyance, as is an excess of CVT whine under hard efforts, but the CT200h pootles around town very well.  

Its small size does play against it when it comes to keeping out road noise at freeway speeds, though the CT is superior to most other similarly sized cars in this regard. As an aside, its build quality is nothing short of amazing, with minimalist panel gaps, a tight interior and lashings of paint on every surface.

Part of the update for 2018 is the addition of several driver aid systems, including AEB across the range, lane departure control with steering and adaptive cruise control. 

The F-Sport also has reversing camera and eight airbags as standard, ensuring the maximum five-star ANCAP safety score it managed in 2017.

The Lexus range comes with a four year/100,000km warranty with roadside assist for the duration. Servicing is every 15,000km or twelve months, whichever comes first.

Sadly, there's no fixed or capped-price servicing regime, not even a pre-pay option like the stingy Germans. Lexus will only commit to indicative pricing, although the first service at 15,000km is priced keenly - it's free.

When you buy a Lexus, they don't like to let go of you. My father-in-law's original IS 200 is still fetched by the dealership - should he so desire - for its annual service. If he chooses to darken the dealership door himself, he'll drive out in a loan car. Nobody has ever stalked him at the dealership demanding he consider a new one.

Lexus sells the CT with an unusual four-year/100,000km warranty, which includes roadside service coverage. The battery pack has an eight-year/160,000km warranty, while Lexus would like to see you back for a service every 12,500km or 12 months.
 
It’s not just about a warranty or a service interval with Lexus, though. For decades now, its customer service record has topped all industry measures, and everyone we know who has bought a Lexus with their own money has raved about the quality of the service received. 

As well, it’s a level of service that’s provided across the range. It’s a tangible benefit of buying a CT200h.