My mother in law dropped by this evening as I was working on this post. Perfect timing, I popped outside and grabbed a picture of her actual CT! It’s interesting to sit and ponder a pre-spindle grille on a Lexus.
Compare that to a CT with the spindle grille from 2014 MY onwards. I like them both, actually. The pre-spindle grille has more of a spindle effect than I realized, it just isn’t framed out. But the spindle grille does serve a purpose, love it or hate it. Take the emblem off my mother in law’s CT, and it could be from any maker. It’s pretty anonymous from head on. The above CT, though, you wouldn’t mistake for anything else.
That’s my son’s Jeep photobombing in the back. Maybe we will get around to writing it up, but it’s been such a reliable and somewhat personalityless vehicle, there’s not much to say. The CT, though, seems to have personality to spare.
I know that my seem strange to many. Toyotas and Lexuses (Lexi?) are viewed as appliances, devoid of character but as reliable as the sun. Of course that can be a good thing, and indeed largely contributed to my ES350 purchase I wrote about.
The CT200h, though, has many faces: luxury car; practical hatchback; gas/electric hybrid; and yes, clown car. It’s so low and short, I think of a clown car on the rare occasion four or five of us take it somewhere!
The somewhat Pacer or Gremlin-like profile doesn’t help. It’s not an ugly car (to me), but it is unconventional. It’s not a sedan. It’s not a wagon profile either, in a traditional sense. It’s a hunchback instead of a hatchback! I think the odd upturn of the greenhouse on the rear doors is what kinda spoils it. Or makes it deliciously different, depending on your take.
Lexus says CT stand for “Creative Touring”, so I guess that explains something about their thinking process here (along with the Innovative Sedan, Executive Sedan, and Luxury Sedan (IS/ES/LS).
It is difficult for me to decide who Lexus was targeting with this. In Europe, it’s billed as a luxury car for the tight confines of the city, and that makes sense. It is still sold there and has been facelifted again, with the more aggressive headlights seen here,
as well as more aggressive taillights and rear bumper. The CT is dead in the U.S., however, having pulled duty here for the 2011-2017 model years.
As you might suspect, the CT has the same engine/drivetrain as the Prius, actually a 1.8 liter gas engine (CT180h?) with an electric motor producing a combined 134 horsepower. It is built on the Toyota MC platform, shared with the deceased Matrix as well as the current Corolla.
Having driven about 1,600 miles across Western Europe in a diesel Fiat 500L, I can attest to a CT200h being about the largest car I would want to try to wrangle through city streets (and one lane wide country roads) over there. More than once, I found the 500L too large for the situation at hand. I’m working on a 500L COAL, a car I actually became quite fond of.
In the U.S., though, the market for small, city-friendly cars (luxury or otherwise) is about nonexistent, though it makes practical sense. Smart hasn’t caught on either. Though not “luxury”, it is marketed and retailed by Mercedes-Benz dealers.
The Scion iQ didn’t get much traction.
My 76 year old mother in law seems to be the ideal CT200h buyer. Aside from the “family Miata” I wrote up, the CT is her only car. So she wants a comfortable car, with some luxury touches (nav, leather, heated seats are all present). She wants it to look nice to the neighbors and the church ladies.
But a hatch and (small, but helpful) cargo area is nice for getting flowers, tomato plants, and a couple of bags of mulch in the spring. She wants it small, so it’s easy to drive and park. Good fuel mileage is a plus. The reliability is very important. Being a Hybird makes her feel “hip”, and she loves to talk about how seldom she has to fill up. It’s not so nice inside that you mind throwing the dogs in for a trip to the groomer,
or freak out when the casserole for the church potluck spills.
She doesn’t care one whit about the driving experience per se, which is a good thing. I don’t like how it drives much, at all. Between the gas engine cutting in and out based on accelerator position, the CVT, and it possessing neither a quiet and luxurious ride or sporty handling, it’s just the weirdest car I’ve ever piloted.
Problem is, there’s just not that many people fitting this demographic. And of the ladies like my mother in law, who want one car to check all their boxes and don’t prioritize the drive, they seem to gravitate to SUV-ish things, like everyone else.
One of her best friends is about 80, and has a new RAV4.
Her widow neighbor, also 80ish, recently traded her 10 year old E-Class for a new GLA.
What would have fit this “check all the boxes” bill 30 years ago? 40 years ago? I’m an old widow and I want to look good, haul a person or two who no longer drives to the sewing circle, carry the dogs around, and carry my plants and mulch. But I don’t care if it handles like a canoe.
Maybe a 1987 Seville? This even has an odd looking profile too, like the CT. These were EVERYWHERE at my grandmother’s retirement community in 1987. Usually two tone, or fake convertible roof, or both! YOLO, after all.
Or perhaps a 1987 Cutlass Cruiser? I recall a lot of older ladies in my grandmother’s demographic driving these…..she would have been about 72 in 1987. Lots of these at church and at the “beauty operator” as my great aunt called the hair salon.
Apparently, they were called “beauty operators” from when they had to run these things back in the day.
Forty years ago, maybe a 1977 Seville would “check all the boxes” like a CT while giving a boat-like experience?
In 1977, the new B and C bodies were the talk of the country club, back when having a new S-Class was tacky, and told everyone you were “new money”. A new Electra would certainly have been admired, and would have seemed compact and fuel-efficient compared to whatever you had been driving over the past 20 years.
Or per chance a widow would have fancied a 1977 Cutlass Cruiser? Mrs. Lord on my street had one of these when I was 7 or so. She was about 80 at the time I would guess.
And had a glorious white bouffant hairdo just like this. Strange what you remember. Lots of headroom in the Collonade wagons, apparently.
Of course Lexus wasn’t around 30 and 40 years ago. So if our hypothetical shopper born in 1917 or so just looked at Toyotas, she might have picked up a loaded 1987 Camry
or having been born in 1907, she would gravitate towards a 1977 Cressida.
The SUV choices of 1977 sure wouldn’t appeal to your average widow!
Nor the 1977 hatchback choices.
It’ll be interesting to see what I have to choose from in 28 years, when I’m 76!
For fiscal reasons the compact Lexus CT200h hatchback was quite popular at its introduction and following years. Not anymore, those specific reasons to buy / lease a hybrid have gone out of the window. I haven’t seen a brand new one since several years now.
If you want something compact, practical and economical from the Toyota stable these days, folks prefer the cheaper Toyota Auris hatchback (below) or wagon with exactly the same hybrid powertrain as the Prius and the Lexus CT200h.
I hardly ever saw one here in Austria. Perhaps not surprising – a fully loaded one would set you back more than €40K but “it’s no VW Golf” to “justify” such a price tag. 136 hp combined (and JIS hp at that) is nothing to write home either in this class anymore. The Auris does marginally better and like all of the models mentioned in the article appeals to the same type of buyer – a retiree to whom reliability is the most important value.
You talk about the Scion iM here in north america who last until scion was r.i.p. , now it’s a Corolla iM . A hatch with less cargo & with the task of
replacing the Matrix .
That’s the same Toyota alright. Speaking of a “hatch with less cargo”, here’s the wagon, called the Auris Touring Sports:
In my opinion, The 1977 Seville in the picture looks so elegant, better than the 87 Seville. The 1987 Camry looks so ahead of its time, considering what else was around in those days. I got some wheel time behind those Camrys as rental cars, also a few friends had one. They could be “appliancey” but I do remember how solid, and well put together and smooth they felt.
As for the topic at hand, thinking back, I knew a few widows who fit this demographic “back in the day.” One of them drove a Buick Century, the other a G body rear drive Cutlass Supreme coupe, a third drove a two door b body Pontiac Pariseanne/Bonneville. A fourth drove a Ford Tempo. Oh yeah, a fifth drove a bustleback Cadillac Seville.
I still wish that Toyota/Lexus would build a Prius/CT with the 2.5 4 cyl and hybrid system out of a Camry. I know “performance” isn’t the point of a hybrid, but how much fun would these be with a big 4 pot and hybrid system?
I could be wrong, but rather than putting bigger displacement engines in Priuses, Toyota keeps improving the batteries and the motors. To some extent this would seem to be the better route since bigger cylinders require more fuel.
I am more mystified by why the U. S. has not adopted stop-start technology like Europe has… YET, we are embracing the idea of self-driving vehicles.
I’ve only driven 4-5 various cars with start-stop technology. It never felt “right” to me. Does it really save that much fuel?
It does save the fuel, on the paper only. Usually you need to haul 2 batteries to help with starting, have heavy duty starter and basically its one more thing to break, while carring extra death weight which eliminate the savings.
Further imagine winter morning traffic jam in the downtown, shutting down the cold engine all the time. OK, its having some logic to wait a little bit to warm up, but common diesel engine takes a long time to fully warm up. Most people I know with this system, hates it and deactivate it as soon as they can.
Other case is, you are flying on the German highway for several hours and when stop you should wait 30 second to cool down turbo. Or at least its common recommendation if you are going really fast. But this system shut down the engine as soon as you put gear in neutral and release clutch for your planned idle session.
I refers to few year old Volvos, perhaps they made some improvements in logic sequences already.
In Europe I thought these were marketed as sporty hybrids?
While I actually like this particular hybrid, with AND without the spindle grille, one thing that bothers me about this car is the way it looks VERY similar to the Scion-Toyota iM. In the U. S. Toyota Motor Company has done a pretty good job of not producing/selling “badge-engineered” products or at least not blatant examples. Except for the CT200 and the iM.
What is also unfortunate is that this car lags the cheaper Prius in it’s hybrid technology/battery technology.
…”In Europe I thought these were marketed as sporty hybrids?”…
Not that I remember. It was marketed as a compact car (C-segment) with all the Lexus virtues / goodies, combined with great fuel efficiency. Way too less power to be called “sporty”.
Note that Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo also offer hatchbacks in said segment. Meanwhile there’s also the Infiniti Q30 (which is heavily based on the Benz A-Class, by the way).
Sorry, but I’m basing this idea of the CT200 being marketed as a “sporty” hybrid from my reading the British magazine CAR. And they were pretty incredulous, too.
I keep saying I will stop basing my assumptions about European car owners, from what I have read in 3 or 4 British car magazines. That will top my list of New Year resolutions this year.
FWIW, I just read some old Dutch tests and reviews about the CT200h. At its introduction it was seen as an alternative to “premium” hatchbacks like the Audi A3, BMW 1-series and third gen Mercedes-Benz A-Class. With the hybrid powertrain as its distinctive feature.
“Sporty” C-segment hatchbacks are all north of 200 hp. And there’s more choice now than ever before. Among them the VW Golf GTE, a 204 hp plug-in-hybrid.
I don’t know what to make of this Car Of A Lifetime piece but it was more fun to read than I expected. The hairdos are just ridiculous!
Owning a gen 1 Pontiac Vibe (same as Toyota Matrix) I can attest that this is the worst platform to create a luxury vehicle for the US. The ergonomic quirks are off putting. The triangle of the pedals, seat and steering wheel is awkward in the Vibe. I wonder if this Lexus variant has fixed this issue?
CT = Creative Touring? I don’t think so. CT= City. That makes more sense.
The Toyota “New MC” platform is not really a platform in the common use of the word. Toyota’s definition of “platform” differs. That is, it is less about shared common hardware and more about a shared development processes.
The list of vehicles that are based on this “platform” is vast, and includes large vans like the Alphard, the RAV4, Scion xB (gen2), Corolla, and a whole lot more. Full list here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_MC_platform#New_MC
A lot of the Lexus models had pseudo-spindles, wherein the basic shape was there, but like you said, it wasn’t framed out.. The 2011-2013 CT, the 2013-2015 ES, the 2013-2015 GS, the 2013-2017 LS, the 2013-2015 LX, the 2013-2015 RX; all of these kind of had that look.
For the most part, 2014 was where the true spindle grille started, with the then-new IS and the facelifted CT and GX, and 2016 saw it moved over to all of the models that were being facelifted. The 2016 LX got the biggest facelift of all, with all new panels and a new interior, as well as a spindle grille…and could really be passed off as a brand-new product, a la Ford.
My mother almost fits the question – widowed, 70yo (maybe 71?). Anyway, she’s bought two new cars in her lifetime, both well after becoming a widow. First a 2002 Focus hatchback (3dr, nice car), then after moving to CO, a 2008 Outback (as one does when moving here). Hers still goes off-road regularly with her 3 day a week hiking group when it’s her turn to drive and when she goes to her partner’s house (many weekends) who lives pretty much off the grid up a dirt road canyon and a gully that he uses a 4×4 Tundra and a 4×4 Sprinter Camper to traverse. The Outback has been in the ditch twice due to snow (no damage) so now sports a set of aggressive snow tires about 8 months of the year “just in case”. Ground clearance is important as is room for three other 70+ ladies and a random dog or two on occasion. She was set on the Forester until I pointed out that the Outback had more ground clearance than the Forester….she has no plans to replace it but says if she did a new Outback would be at the top of the list for the extra space. It may be the only Outback with a doily steering wheel cover (keeps the hands warmer)… 🙂
Post-retirement widows who are still driving are a big (and getting bigger) group of people in the G20 countries. How they get around is a significant social and economic question. I can report on what’s happened in my extended, blended family.
One grandmother was the classic frugal New England Yankee. Her last car was a Peugeot 403 sedan that she kept in perfect condition and used for shuttling her church lady friends around town. She had to give up driving in the late 1970’s due to failing eyesight. Her mechanic bought the car and saw it on the road from time to time.
Another grandmother had more money and chose to spend some of it on a succession of full-sized Cadillacs and Lincolns. However, at one point in the mid-60’s she got a Toyota Corona and loved it. From then on, she had the “small car” and grandfather had the “big car.” Her last car was a first-generation Seville and for her, it was the perfect size.
My mother is now well into her 80’s but still drives quite a bit. She doesn’t hike like Jim Klein’s mom but she golfs. Mom went through a succession of mid-sized sedans over the years (Celebrity, Sable, a couple of Camrys). These served her well, being able to carry 4 adults, golf bags, and travel gear. A few years ago she decided she didn’t want to be the designated driver anymore. So she changed automotive direction entirely and, in her words, “go out in style” with a Volcano Orange MINI Cooper hardtop. It has an automatic, but no doily on the steering wheel. I think it meets her needs perfectly.
These are fairly well represented here, as an upscale Prius; which is essentially what it is. Stephanie was actually rather drawn to it when she was car shopping a few years back. At the time we had two big dogs, and the cargo area was a bit cozy for that. But it probably would have served her quite well otherwise.
Yes, the market is moving…up, which explains why it’s no longer around here.
I didn’t know these sold poorly until reading it here a while ago. I live in Los Angeles and these are everywhere, mostly driven by younger women. I was excited when I saw the concept at LAIAS back in 2009 (a new Lexus hatchback, yay!) but wish that strange C pillar relationship was a lot more cohesive.
I remember the tag line for these being “experience the dark side of green” or some such similar nonsense, as if there was a ‘naughty’ hybrid.
These weren’t extremely popular in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley, but not at all uncommon. A colleague of mine drove one and insisted it was roomier than a Prius … maybe a 1st Gen or Prius C, but not any other Prius. Frankly, this may sound harsh, but the CT always reminded me of the Cimarron, a needlessly gussied up and over-priced Prius. On the other hand, I like the Scion/Corolla iM and it seems like a pretty good value relative to a “normal” Corolla.
Interesting that you included the ’87 Camry as your car of choice for the hypothetical buyer born around 1917. My grandmother (born in 1915) and her husband bought just such a car… though around 1990.
For them, it was an earth-shattering choice. Her husband, a battle-wounded WWII vet, was (to put it mildly) no fan of Japanese cars. But in 1990, his early-80s Chevy Celebrity was rear-ended and he needed a new car. I don’t know what compelled him to check out a Toyota dealership, but he wound up buying a V-6 Camry, declaring it much better than any GM product. To say the least, I was shocked, and at that point I know that that Import conquest of American car tastes was nearly complete.
I don’t know what retired widows buy these days, but I know pretty much what they bought in the 70’s and 80’s- at least if they lived in an upscale retirement community in So Cal. My folks had a Volvo 164, followed by a Cadillac deVille and then a Buick Lesabre Limited. At least a half dozen of their neighbors owned Sevilles, Park Avenues, and a variety of GM midsize models. Or a Lincoln Mark _ (fill in the blank). Next door neighbor had a Caprice and an Eldorado. Lady across the street had 2 Coupe deVille’s over that 15 yr period. If they owned an import, it was almost always a Mercedes or a Volvo. Mercedes Benz of Mission Viejo celebrated their ten year anniversary sometime in the early 80’s. I remember seeing the sign “10,000 new cars delivered!” They were a stand alone Mercedes Dealer in a community of under 40,000 people. Let that number sink in for a moment.
What you did NOT see was a Japanese brand, unless it was the kids visiting. I remember talking to mom about a Cressida when it was time to replace her Cadillac. Just the name “Toyota” was a non-starter.
Some widows did own SUV’s. My Aunt parked a new Wagoneer next to her Mercedes Coupe, but she had a second home in Oregon. My favorite was my mom’s best friend, who had a ’68 Camaro Rally Sport, White/Black Roof with the houndstooth interior. She drove that car until she passed on in the early 90’s.
I liked the look of these when they came out, but once I realized how slow they were I knew it wouldn’t work for me. Plus, I find them small on the inside, and I don’t like it when I feel crammed into a car.
As for what retired widows are buying, I work at a Lutheran church and my office faces the parking lot. So I see a fair amount of smaller sedans, but I’m starting to see more SUV’s. The Rogue is becoming very popular, with a lot of them being the upper trims. And I’ve even seen a Rogue Sport driven by a little old lady.
Auris in drag – not such a bad thing, but a bit too down-market for Lexus?