2011 Lexus CT200h

Quentin said:
Funny you mention that. Up until August, I owned an 07 GTI 4 door, 6MT. I was the original owner and it was a brilliant car. My excel spreadsheets showed an average of 31.x mpg for the life of the car. It was also in the shop over 10 times in the 3 years I had it. When the AC stopped working, for the 2nd time, on a 3 hr drive to Cinci in 100*F temps, that was the last straw. I was also itching for an MX-5 or S2000 at the time, so it seemed like the stars had aligned. Then my wife talked me out of buying a roadster* and we put the money toward the house instead.

So, I have the 3rd gen Prius, Prius v, CT200h, used Miata, used S2000, and 2012/13 Toyota FT-86 all on my radar.

* The plan was to have the well used Miata or S2000 until the Toyota/Subaru joint venture RWD coupe came out. My wife said it was stupid to buy a car and turn around and sell it for another one when the FT-86 came out. I couldn't argue her logic.
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Yeah, i am very hesitant with VW/Audis...they have not had a good track record.

The only "near-sporty" Prius that you can buy is the one i drive...Prius Five, which has sportier steering ratio, 17" rims, and unique suspension (shocks & springs different than the other Prius models). I looked heavily into the Miata...loved it (in a non-gay sort of way! :D jk). S2000 was also on the radar a while back. The problem with these two is that they suck as highway cars...noisy, impractical, noisy, rough riding, noisy.... For me, i drive at least 70 miles daily...just today for example, i will be driving about 140 miles...95% of which is highway.

CT200h should be a pretty good car for your needs...but i think that 10.4 seconds to 60 mph will bother you. Sure, i am no speed demon, but damn it, 10.4 seconds in a sports-oriented car?!! My Prius is just as slow, but at least, it is Prius afterall...so, that is the best excuse! :D

How about those Mazdaspeed 3?? I have been very impress with Ford quality of late. I just don't like the new front face of Mazda cars...maybe tied with Acura for having the ugliest nose! But, i am sure that there are aftermarket mods to make it prettier.

Now that i am more mature, i agree with your wife on one thing...invest in the house is a better investment!
 
Thai said:
Yeah, i am very hesitant with VW/Audis...they have not had a good track record.

The only "near-sporty" Prius that you can buy is the one i drive...Prius Five, which has sportier steering ratio, 17" rims, and unique suspension (shocks & springs different than the other Prius models). I looked heavily into the Miata...loved it (in a non-gay sort of way! :D jk). S2000 was also on the radar a while back. The problem with these two is that they suck as highway cars...noisy, impractical, noisy, rough riding, noisy.... For me, i drive at least 70 miles daily...just today for example, i will be driving about 140 miles...95% of which is highway.

CT200h should be a pretty good car for your needs...but i think that 10.4 seconds to 60 mph will bother you. Sure, i am no speed demon, but damn it, 10.4 seconds in a sports-oriented car?!! My Prius is just as slow, but at least, it is Prius afterall...so, that is the best excuse! :D

How about those Mazdaspeed 3?? I have been very impress with Ford quality of late. I just don't like the new front face of Mazda cars...maybe tied with Acura for having the ugliest nose! But, i am sure that there are aftermarket mods to make it prettier.

Now that i am more mature, i agree with your wife on one thing...invest in the house is a better investment!
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I'll have to check out the Prius V. Nearly impossible to find one on the lot to test drive here. I wasn't aware the suspension was different. I love the 17" wheels that comes on it, though.

I have the same turnoff on the Miata and S2000. They are loud at speed with the top up. The top down is fine because it lends to the experience. That is part of the reason the FT-86 is so appealing. It is practically the size of a Miata without the terrible, loud roof.

I like the MS3, but I don't know that I want another hot hatch. I think I'd rather have a real sports car or just have something comfortable, reliable, and practical. Sort of an all or nothing, you know?

I did see the CT200h in person today at my local Lexus dealer. The interior was shockingly nice. The leather was simply fantastic. It looks better in person, but the wheels still look a little undersized and "set in". I think the F sport wheels will remedy that, though. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the distance between the load floor w/ the seats down to the ceiling was rather shallow. I could probably fit my road bike back there, but not nearly as easy as I did in my GTI. I also need to see what sort of receivers can be mounted back there. I have an excellent Thule hitch mount for my bikes that I'd like to be able to use. I didn't have time for a drive, but I'll take care of that within a few weeks. My wife, though, loved it. So, the decision might have been made for me, haha.
 
Quentin said:
Haha, happy wife, happy life. She's always loved 4Runners, so I exploited that to get the OK.
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Show your wife this:
IMG_1271.jpg~original


I like it...and i like it in white too!!
 
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I drove a Honda CR-Z for ****s and giggles over the weekend. It was never really a consideration, but I wanted a "sport hybrid" to benchmark the CT against. I'm slightly concerned about the straight line speed of the CT, but we'll see if the 1.8L and HSD motivates it a little better than the CR-Z. Apparently sport mode feels a good bit better than normal and people on the CT forums are regularly seeing the mid 40s for fuel economy.

I have a test drive lined up for Friday afternoon for both the CT and the MINI Countryman.
 
I have the exact same modes in my Prius...it does not make the car quicker, just more sensitive to input. Basically, it makes the throttle more sensitive. In whatever mode, if you slam on the gas, you get the same power. Getting mid40s require self restraint when driving in the CT. You should also drive a Prius FIVE for comparison...it has unique suspension, quicker steering, and better handling than other Prius.
 
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