Toyota Prius vs Lexus CT200H

Okay, I've decided to be a pansy and consider getting myself a tree hugging, socks and sandal wearing, eco hybrid car.

Actually with $6/gallon gas looming and my 04 Acura MDX fast approaching a buck twenty five on the 'ol odo, I figured now would be the best time to let pink colors fly. :tongue:

The reality is anybody who knows me knows I really couldn't care less about saving the environment and really I'm just a cheap bastard that's trying to save himself some more bucks to spend on cheap booze and even cheaper hookers. If I could find a car that ran on baby seals and they were costing less than gas is today I'd have that car in a heartbeat. :biggrin: (I kid, I kid!) No but seriously, anybody know of any car manufacturers working on that?

So as of right now (my mind changes every 15 minutes) I'm deciding between the Toyota Prius vs. the Lexus CT200H. Here's my breakdown of each of the cars:

Toyota Prius:



Pros (for me)
- Great gas milage (50 ish mpg)
- Slightly bigger than the Lexus with more room for passengers/clients
- More cargo space
- Non-pretentious
- Less expensive ($24K - $28)

Cons (for me)
- Don't want to be lumped in with other Prius drivers
- Car looks like twice regurgitated hair ball
- Bland everything from styling to handling

Lexus CT200H:



Pros (for me)
- Actually looks decent
- Crappy performance but better than the Prius
- More exclusive
- Lexus badge and image
- More luxurious

Cons (for me)
- It's pretty crappy relative for a Lexus
- Gas mileage isn't as good (only around 40 ish mpg)
- More expensive ($32K - $34K)



So which should I get? What your your thoughts? Discuss! :smile:

I have a 2010, we're not that bad! For me, it's all about the gas mileage. The Lexus certainly looks better though IMO.....

If it had to be one of the two, I'd buck up for the Lexus. I doubt it will ever become the "hey look at me I'm doing the right thing" car like the Prius is now and it does look pretty good. If I had to pick a hybrid car with best bang for the buck, I'd get a 1st generation Insight. They get 50mpg+, look like a new generation CRX and are crazy inexpensive. If you need space, four doors or have to have something brand new though...

Tom

I don't think the Prius has the "hey look at me I'm doing the right thing" image anymore. They are as common as can be where I'm located. I see dozens a day.

just out of curiosity why not the volt or the leaf? Between the two above I would say neither and get a CR-Z

I'm also considering the Prius though I sat in the Lexus for a good while. Once I'm ready to trade in my manhood for a Prius then i'll probably buck up for the plug-in version. 60mph for ~15miles on all electric fits my current daily commute pattern so i'd get a kick out of being all electric for most of my drive.

However, knowing you, Mr. I'm on my Nth motor cuz I just want to see how far I can push it til' it breaks :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:, you might be spending more time in your NSX if you get a hybrid so maybe it's a net zero gain lol.

Also, it's not too easy to achieve 50+mpg on a standard Prius. I have some hyper miler friends and they do everything from coasting, to drafting, to trying to drive downhill both ways. If I had a Prius i'd do everything possible to try to get below 30mpg lol

I should also mention i'd murder it out as they say on the rap videos. I'll risk the fix-it ticket on my limo tint just so no can see it's me driving it.

can't speak for the lexus (although we've owned an ls400 and a gs) but we've had our prius for ~6 years / 60k miles and love it for what it is: easy on gas / inexpensive / easy to drive (and park) with a fair amount of room inside. were i to buy another around town car (cause that's about all i drive any more is around town), i'd buy another prius without giving it much thought.

when other people pay for my car, insurance and complete operating costs i **might** give a $h*t about what they think of what i'm driving

Based entirely on looks - I would pick the Lexus.

However, are you REALLY saving anything in the long run? Factor in the trade in, depreciation, loan, etc. and how much you MIGHT save in gas, and you will be surprised that you're not really saving anything.

However, if you bought a USED Prius from 2006-2008 or something - THEN you might come out ahead.

You're in Las Vegas where it's nice and warm, why not buy a Leaf when it becomes available?

The Prius hybrid is outdated now that the Volt and Lithium ion/polymer batteries have become more mainstream. The Prius PHEV lithium battery is woefully inadequate since Toyota couldn't retrofit a bigger pack in and make it crash-resistant.

This is coming from a 2010 owner that gets 56MPG on my daily-driving routine (MFD display and calculated). I even pass people on the country roads and interstates. I have a bumper sticker that says "NiMH-Rod." I can drive it for 300miles on a tank, average 56MPG, then my wife hops in and drives it for an afternoon shopping and the fuel economy has dropped to 45MPG Driving style makes all the difference!

I'm not tree-hugging by any means - I'm primarily into and have 60's muscle cars... but it is a cheap, unique vehicle and meets my needs.

I would not want it as a primary car - especially if you have to drive long distances on the interstate with it. It's a tall, narrow, slab-sided vehicle with skinny tires. If there is any cross-wind, the car is a handful trying to keep it straight.

Tracking a Prius:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-fuel-economy/86558-prius-out-race-track-15mpg.html

Dave

I also have another bumper sticker that says "If you can read this you might get electrocuted." There seem to be so many a$$hole drivers out there that think just because you drive a Prius, they can stay right on your rear end.

Can someone please tell me when it became un-cool to not waste foreign-oil based gas, pollute less, and care a little about the environment we all live in? When did this become un-cool and "un-manly"? I'm all about fast cars but I also am not going to ignore the fact that if one CAN waste less, one should.

Anyway now that I am done with my rant... I'd get a leaf first, especially because there is a limited time $8000 rebate on it that will then go away, and essentially make the car appreciate compared to what you paid for it. But the Leaf I believe is sold out for at least a year. So between the Lex and the Toyo, I would get the Toyo and save myself 10K. The prius was the LEAST depreciating car sold in the U.S. last year. 2 years ago it was second only to the base mini. It is, the least expensive car to own that you can buy.

Jeff Dunham and his Prius :biggrin:

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RYU said:

However, knowing you, Mr. I'm on my Nth motor cuz I just want to see how far I can push it til' it breaks :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:,

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Hey, why not replace all that internal combustion crap in your NSX with some electric motors and batteries next time you blow it up :biggrin:

You could be the first. There's already some NSX out there with a propane conversion....

Dave

Get the Prius. It's cheaper, and it gets better mileage than the Lexus.

And with the money you save, pimp it out. It doesn't take much to make it look half decent. Just lower it and get some wheels.

With mine, I took the "If it don't go, put in a stereo" route! Co-workers call it the fat-bottomed Prius

I've got a Blizzard Pearl and like the looks of this one:


Dave

Another Blizzard Pearl owner here. Damn the extra $300 for the pearl!

LOL... All the owners are coming out of the closet now...

TURBO2GO said:

LOL... All the owners are coming out of the closet now...

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I know, I can't believe how many times I've already posted in this thread.

It is a cool little car.

Dave

I'd take a serious look at the Fusion hybrid as well. I've driven the CT and although it's a great deal for 30k, I'd probably go with a prius for 20k and the 20% better fuel mileage.. with the same drivetrain.

The best thing I've bought for my NSX has to be my Prius :biggrin:

I use the Prius to work through the daily commute grind so I can put only 'fun' miles on my NSX on the weekends. Also, I get away with driving way faster in my silver Prius than I ever could on I280 in my NSX. The cops just can't pass up the chance to nab a red NSX.

I'm debating between a new Prius or CT200H myself. But my 2006 Prius with 140k miles is going stronger than ever, plus it is paid for by the FedEx driver that love tapped me I figure this thing will probably hit 200k w/o much trouble. All I've done on it is change the oil. And it's not hard for the 2010 (3rd gen) Prius to get 50+ MPG. I'm averaging 46.5 over the last 40k miles, while driving above 70 and I have the 2nd gen Prius.

I think I'll wait another year before picking up a used 3rd gen. Paying less at the pump is nice, but not sending extra money to the Middle East is even better.

You're spending ~30k to save money? That is reminiscent of Joe Biden telling the country we have to spend more money to keep from going bankrupt. :tongue:

You could drive your MDX till it dies, or purchase a 15k car and drive that for another ~10 years. And you'd save more money over purchasing the hybrid. :biggrin:

Lol, and Vegas. Any hybrid is pretentious. Just ask the people that own them. In a survey to Prius owners, the majority of respondents reported they purchased the car because "it makes a statement about myself." :biggrin:

As far as Hybrids go...the Lexus looks nice, though. I saw one in person a few weeks back.

Silverstone your math is a bit off. He is not spending 30K. The car retains value. 3 years and 40,000 miles after my ex GF totalled her brand new prius, she lost about 4K on it. These cars hold value like nothing else. BTW, her Prius was T-boned by a Grand Marquis at around 40 MPH, spun twice, thrown into an oncoming lane of traffic where she was T-boned on the passenger side by a Ford F250.... yes a little Prius hit on both sides at over 40 by two mega cars... and she walked away. Car was crushed, all glass broken, all airbags deployed, but the passenger cell was intact. That car saved her life. Then she called Toyota to thank them and they sent her a check for $500 toward her next Prius.

I don't know why it bothers people so much what a car says, what it's image is, what someone else who owns it thinks they think it says versus what it really says and why I should worry and think about their thoughts.

Come on.... Are we in kindergarden? I cannot believe the number of people that get "annoyed" because someone chose to drive a prius. Do they also walk around getting "annoyed" because of what someone else chose to wear and how they walked? Why don't people mind their own business and stop judging others.

C'mon guys... Here in LA I honestly think nobody gives a flying F if you own a Prius. There are SO MANY. It doesn't make a statement either way imho. I think whatever negative comments made (including from me) was made in humor. Though, I did think the "coming out of the closet" comment was hilarious.

My only complaint on the current gen Prius would be the interior. They could have made the seats just a tad bit more comfortable.

Do you guys know Volk Racing makes a Super Eco wheel? hahaha

RYU said:

Do you guys know Volk Racing makes a Super Eco wheel? hahaha

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SWEETENESS!!! Comes in 15", 14", and for the super-tuners... 12". HAHA

My neighbor has a Prius. One day I went outside and he was in the car while it was idling. We chatted for a bit, then he drove off in total silence. It was the coolest thing

Mike-san said:

We chatted for a bit, then he drove off in total silence. It was the coolest thing

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LOL
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