Car manufacturers don’t always strike a chord with consumers, and even studious brand Lexus is not immune from model flops. Back in 2012, the company offered three compact vehicles nobody wanted.
Today you’ll select one to take home for keeps, whether you like it or not.
HS 250h
You might never see one, but the HS was an important step for Lexus. In response to reported customer interest in a dedicated hybrid luxury model, Lexus debuted the HS in 2010. Based on an MC platform borrowed from the Corolla and Prius, the HS was the first dedicated Lexus hybrid, as well as the brand’s first offering with an inline-four engine arrangement. The brand sourced its 2.4-liter and hybrid system from the Camry. 187 horsepower was on tap, delivered to the front wheels via CVT. A bonafide Rare Ride, U.S. sales peaked in 2010 at just over 10,000 units and fell precipitously from there. 2012 was the last year for the HS in North America, though there were 5 leftover in 2013.
IS 250 C
The only convertible of today’s trio is also the only one without a hybrid engine. Based on the rather successful IS sedan, Lexus added a folding metal roof convertible to the mix in 2010. Never a beauty, the C version of the IS looked like an afterthought upon any visual inspection. Power was provided by a 2.5-liter V6 or a 3.5-liter V6, both sourced from Japanese market Toyota Crown variants. 204 horsepower traveled to the rear in the 2.5 version, delivered by the selected six-speed automatic. The IS C never sold well; Lexus dropped it after the 2015 model year with no replacement.
CT 200h
While the HS was flopping about at dealers across the country, Lexus introduced another dedicated hybrid into its lineup. The CT went on sale in early 2011 as the “Creative Touring” hatchback with a sportier edge over its HS sibling. Based on the same MC platform, the CT utilized a different hybrid system: the 1.8-liter inline four lifted directly from the Prius. Lexus decided to use the 200 numbering system because the hatchback “had the power” of a gasoline-powered two-liter. Combined horsepower was 134 — a small number.
Thankfully the CT was light at 3,131 pounds, about 600 pounds lighter than the HS (though its power-to-weight ratio is still worse). The CT sold more respectably than the HS, reaching around 15,000 sales in most years. A refresh for 2013 made the CT the first Lexus ever to wear the spindle grille. Sales trickled off in 2016 and 2017, and Lexus cancelled the CT without replacement that year.
Three luxury compact fails, one Buy. Choose carefully!
[Images: Lexus]
” Power was provided by a 2.5-liter four sourced from the Camry”
Absolutely not. It’s the small 2.5L V6. Not particularly powerful but an impeccably smooth powerplant. C’mon man how could you get that wrong?
I’m surprised Corey missed that one. Even my Encore 1.4t with Trifecta tune could pass a IS 250C at highway speeds on up.
LOL okay Norm. If an Encore was on this list it’d be the one I’d torch to a crisp, without a second of hesitation.
1. It’s fixed.
2. Norm, nobody is talking about Buick here, stay on topic.
But, but, Buick all the things!
Corey, it’s partially fixed:
“204 horsepower traveled to the rear in the four-cylinder version…”
Dag nabit
Norm
I have to agree with Corey here. It’s only been 7 years since Lexus stopped building the CT, HS & IS and people have already forgotten about the cars. If we start talking about Buick. People may forget the Lexus brand entirely.
You mean kind of like what happened to Bui…?
Buick, that’s it
I think many of the commenters on TTAC like Buick.
We just aren’t fans of the Opels and Chinese-sourcing.
Like most commenters, the most Buicks I run across are on the TV ads where even the parking lot valet can’t find them without pushing the panic button for an agonized chirp.
“Power was provided by a 2.5-liter four sourced from the Camry”
It’s actually a low-displacement V6 from the same family as the 3.5L. In North America I think it was unique to the IS lineup.
Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t bother to give the 2.5 6 the D4S dual port/DI injection like they did on the bigger engine. Just DI. Some years ago when I was considering an IS, poor owners were dealing with carboned-up valves just like mid oughties VWs and Audis, when I checked the forums.
You’re right, I don’t recall ever seeing any of these, but I’ll play…
Buy: IS250C, because it’s the most interesting of the trio
Drive: CT200h, just to see what a Lexus Hybrid is all about
Burn: HS250h, because the last car I’d be interested in is a Prius based overpriced Lexus
HS has to take the crown for worse badge engineering of modern day car.
“4. Lexus HS (-14.6%)
Another compact luxury vehicle, the Toyota (NYSE: TM)-family Lexus HS is a dedicated hybrid vehicle first introduced in the U.S. in 2009 with a goal of selling as many as 30,000 cars a year. Despite being seen as an upscale version of the Toyota Prius, it never really caught on with car buyers despite its popularity in Japan, perhaps because of its much lower highway MPG ratings than its rival. After selling about 6,700 cars in 2009 and over 10,000 the following year, in 2011 Lexus sold fewer than 3,000 of them and officially killed the car off in 2012. USAToday
Actually the HS is not an example of badge engineering. Badge engineering refers to the practice of changing very little of the car’s body panels with only slight changes to lights, grills, and trim and giving it a different name. The HS has completely different styling.
>>HS is not an example of badge engineering. Badge engineering refers to the practice of changing very little of the car’s body panels with only slight changes to lights, grills, and trim and giving it a different name.<<
weird that a Buick troll of all people wouldn't know what badge engineering is – Buick IS badge engineering
With my pedantic grousing out of the way:
Buy: HS250h
Drive: IS250C
Burn: CT200h
The IS is simply way too feminine, so unless I could pawn it off on my wife that’s the burn. I would pick HS250h over a CT200h just for the larger-torquier 2.4L+HSD powertrain over the Prius-borrowed 1.8L+HSD. It has that oddball JDM oddly-tall mini luxury car look that I find quirky and endearing. CT200h actually looks genuinely attractive to my eye, but I just don’t care for that powertrain.
“The IS is simply way too feminine”
Yes, it does say, “newly divorced 50-ish woman with a good divorce lawyer”, doesn’t it?
It’s still the most interesting of the three, which doesn’t say a lot for this group
That’s the idea! Lol
lol gifting the IS to her would likely make the judge look more favorably upon you.
Or twice-divorced 50 year old man? We have needs too. And they’re not all solved with 707 horsepower. No shame in cruising to wine country in one of the few remaining reasonably priced convertibles. (Well not available new anymore of course; options for this class of vehicle are thinning more than most 50-year olds’ hairlines. Not mine.)
Dude, you need a Harley :)
Buy IS250c- V6, RWD, convertible. I think it looks okay as long as you don’t buy it in “Retiree Sand Mica”.
Drive the HS250h- I think my mother would like it
Burn the CT200h- Only 134hp means it goes in the fire.
Buy: None of them;
Drive: The convertible;
Burn: None of them; they’re not worth the cost of accelerant.
These cars are all isht.
Haven’t you owned a string of low end FCA products?
something about glass houses…
My house is fine— we’re talking about old Toyotas!
Personal attack! Lol
You’re funny, Mr. i Neon :)
Burn every single one, twice for good measure.
at stake!
I don’t think that CT 200h is a bad looking car but 50 more horses would have went a long way.
0-60 was 9.8 seconds. I think it looks great but boy do you pay for 43mpg.
Hey now, it’s on par with a stock Encore, while not looking like a shoe with chrome port holes :P
C/D has a test of a 2014 posted.
0-60 in 10.6, 1/4 mile in 18.0@78. 10.7 5-60, and a grueling 7.1 for 50-70.
A CR-Z with CVT was 1.2-3.0 seconds faster in all measures.
caranddriver.com/reviews/a15110947/2014-lexus-ct200h-f-sport-hybrid-test-review/
Didn’t realize they made an “F-sport” edition of the CT200H. Yikes.
Oh yes, F-Sport was $1200 and added better seats and a badge here and there.
But used values are very low…
I actually think the CT is worth checking out if you’re into hybrids – these come off lease with 30,000 miles or so and go for +/- $20,000. The interior on these is also very, very nice as compacts go.
If you can stand the looks, and don’t care that it’s slow, it makes sense.
CT200H was on my list, unfortunately I read in several places it fared poorly in the snow so it was out of contention.
That’s going to be the case with any vehicle on all-season tires that are low rolling resistance. You can swap to regular all-season at the cost of 5-10% economy.
Toyota Hybrids also have some very aggressive traction control, the 2nd gen Prii were hopeless on Ithaca’s hills without snow tires, some resorting to studded snows in fact. This is what 28CL might be referring to.
@gtem
I had heard the same about Prii personally from Prius owners. My IM didn’t have any issues thi past winter although it was not as severe as it can be.
@Corey
The IM came with all seasons as it was brand new at the time and I didn’t have any issues in the <5in snow incidents it encountered. I read on driving.ca the IM was endorsed because it was good in the snow.
Never trust Canadians! They only have *one* road, afterall.
Ottawa left
Newfoundland right
Buy IS-250. I don’t care it is a chick car, I have a soft spot for convertibles, the hard top works in Seattle, it’s based on a solid platform with a good engine.
Burn the glorified Corolla with Lexus badges (ya, I get it, but it is the JAPANESE Corolla which is nicer, stop making excuses, it was a better implemented Cimmaron and Lexus buyers reacted the same way)
Burn the CT 200h twice, then drop a nuclear bomb on it, then throw the remaining atoms into the sun.
For now on I’m calling the GM-ified Corolla, “Lorolla”, Toyotas attempt at stealing sales from the Infiniti G20.
Buy the IS250 as a fun runabout. Love the hardtop for unpredictable Midwest weather.
Drive the CT200. It’s not fast but practical and surprisingly fun.
Burn the HS250. Terrible to drive and way overpriced for what it was.
Buy the IS, but you need to find one with the 3.5 – this car is a dog with the 2.5.
Drive the HS – it actually has an interesting interior, and it should be reliable.
Burn the CT – it’s ugly.
MY EYES! THE GOGGLES DO NOTHING!
Buy the HS 250h – cause its the world’s fanciest Corolla
Drive the IS – only because it’s a convertible
Burn the CT – somehow it is the most egregious of the sins but somehow I could see it making a great car for inner-urban UBER/LYFT drivers.
I don’t even think it’d make a great taxi rig, I hear the ride is a bit on the flintier side, the only possible win would be if it qualified for Uber black/premium or whatever based on the badge (and boy would your ratings as a driver plummet from passengers expecting a GS/LS experience).
I meant that the CT is likely stupid cheap as far as “used Lexus” go.
lol… Being classified as “UBER BLACK” would be pretty damn hilarious.
Never ridden in a CT, but the one Prius cab I’ve ridden in was a bit stiff on urban streets. The back seat area was spacious (better headroom than the more recent Corolla) but it can bottom out over rough roads.
Take that and put Lexus rims on it, I can only assume the ride gets worse.
CT suspension is entirely different setup than Prius, with fully independent at the rear.
Alex Dykes compared chassis to GTI.
Yeah the Prius has never been a very plush riding vehicle, exacerbated by the neglect some of these taxi and rideshare cars see. I was in a early-gen 3 (2010-ish) with about 150k miles that needed some fresh struts badly. Rode like crap.
Buy: IS250C-It’s a better looking more livable SC430.
Drive: CT200h-A nice sport hatch A3 competitor.
Burn: HS250h-It’s obviously good and reliable but isn’t being Corolla based degrade the brand? When the Lexus brand was introduced here in the states 30 years ago they were mid-high end Toyotas.
A3? hold me, I am falling
MRF, my choices are like yours.
I actually drive an A3 hatch right now. It’s fast. I’d have the Lexus instead even at a 25-30 hp disadvantage… but not 75 hp disadvantage. It’s simply a dog, period, end of story. The Audi is nice inside, and fairly fuel efficient, all things considered.
” CT200h-A nice sport hatch A3 competitor.”
I appreciate you sense of humor.
Ok near competitor in only in size and price of comparable sport hatches.
Easy one (and a lot of you got it right).
Buy: IS 250C. And I did. No regrets. Everybody loves it. I don’t think I’ll give it up till it runs into the ground, if that ever happens. Cheaper than an equivalent Bimmer, will last forever, and you get used to the big booty. And silver really works to hide that.
Drive: CT 200h. I did before buying a Prius. Slow as sin, but it actually drove and handled well in a way the Prius could only dream of. It was just too overpriced compared to the Prius for what you got.
Burn: HS 250h. They should have waited to install the next gen hybrid set-up with more power and better MPGs (The 2.5 hybrid combo). At least it would have been better at its function. Still wouldnt’ve looked good.
I really wish Toyota would have built a CT250h with the Camry hybrid drivetrain that was almost as fast as a Sonata Turbo in a comparison test. That would have been the ultimate city car.
ToddAtlas, bingo. I’d trade my A3 hatch instantly for that car.
Yes that would be a potent combo. The 2.5+HSD is a massive improvement in MPG and power over the 1st gen Camry Hybrid 2AZ (2.4)+HSD, the latest revision in the ’18+ Camrys with Li-On batteries is rated at 53/51. That in a hypothetical “CT250h” would be great. It’d probably even keep you ahead of Norm in his Encore away from the light!
Now let’s not go overboard with the claims here!!
Hey, at least I didn’t claim it could beat a Trifecta tuned 1.4T in fuel economy! Now THAT would be a reach!
I honestly think that Toyota has been missing an opportunity by not cramming the 2.5 hybrid system into a lightweight package.
Some kind of XR Corolla or something.
C’mon – this is TTAC…making inflated claims about losermobiles that not even the Lexus-sheep owner base wanted to buy is right in the wheelhouse here.
“Hey, if you just add a lot of desirability of any kind, they’d be great!”
Around 2015ish I had the chance to drive a CT200h at a Lexus driving event in Munich with my brother. It was one of the most dull vehicles I have ever driven. Sluggish and not particularly sporty. It was not sporty for me because I have driven its European rivals in the form of the BMW 120i E87, both the Audi A3 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI Sportback and the Mercedes A200 (which my brother owns). All of these are a better driven than the CT, especially the BMW 1er with its RWD layout.
Pluses did include a smooth 4-cylinder engine and seamless switch from the combustion engine to the electric motor. The cabin quality was very nice, better than the BMW 1er and Mercedes A-Klasse and on par/equal to the Audi A3s of the era.
Therefore, my choices are:
Drive: The IS open top because it is RWD and the sportiest without a doubt.
Burn: The CT and the HS (the latter I am unfamiliar with as they were not sold in Europe).
I have never driven a CT200h, but I sat in one at the Long Beach GP one year. The interior was jewel-like. I had a 2012 A6 3.0T as my daily driver at the time, and I rode to the circuit in a CLS500. The interior of the little Lexus made them seem like Pontiacs, and was also just as roomy as the CLS while being nowhere near as spacious as the A6. I’m pretty sure that mechanically the CT was just a heavier Prius, but there is the little matter that it didn’t poison people like a diesel Audi.
Buy the IS 250 – Although I’m not a fan of convertibles, it is the best car on the list
Drive the CT 200 – Every time I saw one I really liked the looks. It always reminded me of a really finely styled Matrix – Which, to me, isn’t a bad thing. It’s a shame it’s so under-powered.
Burn the HS – If you looked up the definition of “bland-mobile”, it would show that picture
Buy the CT, which I’m considering doing, it’s near the top of my list if I buy used in the fall. That or a 4 cylinder Colorado. One of my favourite styled vehicles of the 2010’s (CT, not the Colorado).
Drive the HS just because it’s interesting. I do see quite a lot on the roads, more than say, CRZs.
Burn the IS because it’s the least interesting and convertibles are useless to me
IS250C was just butt ugly (at least the IS250 is relatively good looking to a lot of people, like my wife), it also has the direct injection problem of an engine. Burn (I do have an IS250 at home).
Coin toss between the HS and CT:
HS: buy, you seems to get a better deal and it seems to be nicer than CT. What’s the point of a 34 mpg hybrid? I don’t think I’d drive it for long commute though.
CT: drive, because they seems to be not Lexus enough and / or worse bang for the buck in the used market. It is also better mpg.
I was looking at the CT200 for my mom as a replacement for her IS300 Sportcross thinking it was the modern equivalent.
I think it looks good in the right colors, blue in particular, and it had everything she would need. I took an F Sport model out for a drive and man was it SLOW. I put it in sport mode and it was no better. It also didn’t feel like a high quality car from a brand that’s supposed to make you feel special.
The IS300 is no LS, but at least it makes her feel like she’s driving a sports car when she wants to.
I’d burn the HS, as anyone with a modicum of pattern recognition can tell it’s a Corolla.
I’d drive the IS250C, because it’s the only actual car of this sorry lot. And the only one actually made in an actual Lexus factory facility. The other two were upgraded in a shed behind a Toyota facility.
Burn the CT200h, it’s just another-market Corolla hatch, not made to Lexus standards.
Oh, I see I burnt two of them. My bad.