2011 Lexus CT 200h

It's a fair statement. I wouldn't buy either, but some will.

We are on our 3rd Lexus RX, but we could have just bought the Toyota Highlander. Same car, different trim level, different badge, way different price.

When you price a car at $40k, you are trying to attract those with that sort of cash to blow on a car. Of those out there, most will buy German or Japanese because usually wealth comes with intelligence. The other small percent that will buy Big3, dont want to bring home a Chevy.

 

Volt is probably the most expensive car with the rear torsion beam suspension.

CT200h rear suspension is double wishbones fully independent.

 

Quite possibly. The highest I could find w/ torsion beam is a 2011 Sienna @$37,000

 

LOL, no idea... it maybe a truck. CT200h is probably the first car to equipped with the stock lateral performance dampers.

 

Have you ever driven a car with a manual transmission, driven it fast, balancing the chassis through corners with small throttle inputs? If you have, you'll know what I mean.

At speed in the G II Prius, even large throttle inputs were ineffectual, the lag must have been 1/2 second or more, which is an eternity in this case. It was even worse than a car with a traditional automatic transmission. It reminded me of a car with lots of turbo lag, by the time the power arrived it was too late.

But it's not a performance car, so to some degree that wasn't a huge issue, just one of those little things which for me diminished the fun of the driving experience.

Definitely not interested in the Lexus hybrid, four door sedans are not my bag.

 

Yep, the car was thinking a lot, I could feel it. And the thoughts it had were something like, "Pinto, why are you driving me like this?"

Power was flowing in one direction then another, the ICE was revving then backing off, power needs constantly balanced and rebalanced between electric and gasoline power, those gears in the HSD were doing their thing, speeding up, slowing down, even reversing if memory serves (?) and all of it added up to that lag I mentioned.

Also there was no way to hold it in 'gear' if you will, as soon as I let off the throttle it was immediately seeking maximum mpg again, when I still wanted maximum mph.

But like I said, that's not what it was designed for. And I always tend to expect a lot from mechanical devices, it's just who I am.

 

Current model Corvettes.

yes, really

 

I've driven and own manual transmission cars. The Prius gets the correct "gearing" faster than most people can manually change gears and floor it for the extra power. If you are driving along in a power zone already and cruising down the highway then that is a waste but the power is immediately available in a manual. But the rational thing to do is to drive in the lowest gear needed. So when it comes time to pass, you either suffer the power lag or shift down pass and shift up.

I find the Prius to be very zippy and fun to drive. And I have driven many cars and many more expensive than the Prius.

 

throttle-by-wire should have no perceptible lag, if that's what you mean.

 

Exactly. The manual transmission driver doesn't feel the lag because he/she is too busy thinking/shifting/lagging. I know shifting becomes 2nd nature but people do make mistakes and it takes longer to correct it.

 

Wow, I looked it up and it is true.

 

When will this car hit the dealerships?

 

Coach I believe they said it would hit stealerships in March 2011.

 

yep - March

Lexus: Darker Side of Green

 

cool... good to have choices...

 

Would love to have one if it rode and was as quite as our ES Lexus. Wanted a BMW and drove both. After driving the Lexus there wasn't a comparison.

Do you think they will sell as well as the Prius?
Michael