If you are looking for a hybrid to help with those rising gas prices but also a bit of luxury and sports tuning, then the new 2011 Lexus CT 200h may be the one you are looking for. This will be the fifth hybrid that Lexus has released. With a 42-mpg city-highway mileage, it will be the first vehicle in the luxury segment to step over the 40-mpg line.
Classified as a compact car, it is built on a version of the platform that is used on the Scion tC, Toyota Corolla and the larger Lexus HS 250h.
Like the Prius, the Ct offers multiple driving modes. The choices being EV, Eco, Normal, and Sport. EV mode allows drives to run just on electric for up to a mile, so long as the car is kept below 25 mph on flat paved surfaces (i.e. parking lots). Normal mode allows the car to respond to changing driving conditions by automatically adjusting its gear ratios. Eco mode alters that formula to provide the maximum fuel economy for gas-electric driving. And lastly, sport mode is calibrated towards performance and handling. It cranks up the battery power so the electric power steering is adjusted to be more responsive.
It doesn’t get the 50-mpg like its cousin the Prius, but it makes the Prius seem clunky. Although you do have to consider Toyota’s entire seemingly endless product recalls. The CT accelerates from 0 to 60 in 9.8 seconds, same as the Prius. However, Lexus did go to considerable lengths to give it better driving dynamics. The improved handling helps to give it that control feeling around corners.
So if you are looking for that gas saving hybrid and luxury, you might want to consider the new Lexus CT 200h.