Just like the proverbial bus, we had to wait a while for our long-term Lexus CT200h to arrive – just for another one to turn up a bit later.
The delay was due to us wanting an F-sport model, which, unfortunately for us, was proving so popular that Lexus initially didn’t have any spare loan cars available .
Keeping the seat warm until the better equipped car arrived was the one-up-from-base specification SE-L [1] (now designated SE), which, because the crucial hybrid power aspects of both variants are the same, enabled us to begin getting to know the smallest model in Lexus’s range.
The combination of a 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor that recharges itself when the car decelerates result in a CO2 emissions figure of just 94g/km and a BIK tax band of 10%.
The car can be driven in three modes – eco, normal and sport – but a total power of 134hp on offer means performance is only ever adequate. Even when I allowed myself the freedom of sport mode, the engine still sounded overly stressed.
It wasn’t completely a scientific test, but in terms of economy there wasn’t a lot of difference between the normal (45.8mpg) and eco (46.4mpg) settings. However, that was because selecting either one for an entire trip (as I had to make a valid comparison) isn’t the most effective way of utilising the options. Switching between eco for urban journeys and normal for higher speeds should prove the best course.
Inside the car, Lexus’s Remote Touch system enables the driver to fully operate functions such as the satnav, audio and climate control from one central controller [2]. It’s an admirable way of organising the in-car features, but it raises several issues around usability and ultimately safety, and I remain unconvinced.
However, I do like the variety of visual real-time economy information relayed via the instrument cluster and the satnav screen. My favourite is a bar chart that presents minute-by-minute mpg data [3] as well as how much energy has been regenerated. As a way of encouraging efficient driving, it’s quite addictive, and you feel disappointed when the next vertical bar is lower than the previous one.
The arrival of the F-sport, in Ultra Blue-coloured, halfway through our six-month test highlighted a problem I had with the SE-L: the former’s extra kit – including wing mirrors that angle downwards in reverse – was commensurate with what I’d expect a luxury branded car to have, and that was despite the latter offering the likes of cruise control over an entry-spec model. Maybe I’ve just got demanding standards – however, to be fair, it didn’t detract from the fact that overall the Lexus CT200h is an attractive way to engage in low-emission driving.
Lexus CT200h F-sport | |
P11D price (without options) | £28,581 |
Price range | £25,581-£30,431 |
Depreciation cost | £18,506 |
Fuel cost | £5383 |
SMR cost | £1680 |
VED | £0 |
National Insurance | £1223 |
Insurance | £3000 |
C02 (tax) | 94g/km (10%) |
BIK?@?20/40% per month | £48/£95 |