5 year old Lexus CT 200h is suddenly an amazing proposition
As my readers know, I was at the Lexus KL showroom on Jalan Sultan Ismail on Saturday. Among the ES 250, NX 300h and RX 200t on display, there was one curious omission: the CT 200h.
I could quite understand why the larger LX 570, freshly facelifted for 2016, wasn't there: firstly, it's a low-volume model and secondly, with the Lexus KL showroom occupying a small area within the prime city centre commercial zone, only models that can sell faster can justify their showroom footprint.
That led me to think about the Lexus CT 200h. Why isn't this in the showroom?
You can pick up a 2011 model at about RM100,000 which is astonishingly good value. And mind you, at that price point, this is the high end model that comes with an LCD screen that incorporates GPS navigation, sound system, reverse parking camera plus a host of steering wheel controls to change the settings of the car. The price is even lower if you're willing to settle for the entry level CT 200h. A second hand base model Lexus CT 200h goes for about RM90,000. As an added bonus, for either version, the hybrid battery is warranted by Lexus Malaysia for 8 years. That means, if the year of manufacture is 2011, the battery pack is warranted until 2019, or if you're thinking of picking up a 2012 model, the warranty lasts until 2020.
How long will the battery last?
Yes, we're all concerned about the cost of replacing the hybrid battery. Lexus Malaysia will honour factory-originated defects on the battery for 8 years which means if you get a second hand 2011 model, there's still a good three years' of protection left. Don't be daft: It does not mean the battery will suddenly stop working in 2019 - Lexus has a bulletproof history of reliability. Lexus are cars that perform reliably without problems well outside the warranty period. In Malaysia, there's a saying that the Lexus is the mechanic's most hated car (he rarely gets business out of a Lexus)!
If and when the battery has reached the end of its life, Lexus Malaysia says it will cost about RM6,500 to replace. Now think about that for a minute because the reality is better than what the numbers might suggest. The current list price of the car, brand new, is RM241,287. Second hand RM100,000. Even if you decided to get a brand new battery now (which you don't need to but even if you did), you pay RM6,500 on top of the RM100,000 = RM106,500... to get a reliable Lexus CT 200h with a brand new battery. Guys!! This is still a lot less than half the price of a brand new car!
Right after visiting the Lexus KL showroom, I actually went to a second hand car dealer near Kontena Nasional, just off the Federal Highway. They had a lovely specimen of a Lexus CT 200h, year 2011, in the best colour combination: brown/purple (don't know the exact colour name) with beige leather upholstery. Asking price is RM113,800 for the Luxury version.
The dealer swooped over me like a hawk (you know how intrusive they can be) so I didn't venture to take my own shots of the car lest he thinks I'm ready to put down a downpayment). So bear with me regarding these pictures which I took straight off carlist.
I inspected the leather and it was all top notch, not a scratch. The dashboard plastics are still in good condition, the GPS navigation - reverse camera - onboard entertainment all work as they should.
The only gripe I have about the packaging of the car is how small the boot is. For small families, especially those with a baby in tow, the 375 litre boot is gonna be a tight squeeze going anywhere for a day trip, what with a stroller, overnight carry bag and other bit and bobs (almost spelled that as b*obs) to fit in. Part of the reason for the boots diminutive size is the fact it carries a full-size spare tyre. There is, however, one saving grace in case you make an unplanned trip to Ikea: The rear seats can fold down and immediately, 975 litres of boot space is at your disposal.
It's also worth mentioning that there are extra compartments underneath the boot liner which are moulded to fill the vacuum around the spare tyre. The only thing I can think that'll fit nicely here are Lego bricks.
If you're a two car family like a lot of Malaysians are, and you already have one dedicated bigger car for long distance driving and need a another smaller car to zip around the city, this car is totally up to the second job. The problem that faces Malaysian drivers are Malaysian parkers. We are so kiasu we double, triple park, we park on the kerb, hell we even park on the pedestrian walk. Drive a big car in the city, and you asked for it. We have to squeeze in between narrow gaps, cars inconsiderately parked, cars parked like they're da boss, and you know smaller cars tend to make more sense in the city than bigger cars, no contest.
A smaller car that's economical on fuel is what you need and this Lexus CT 200h, even as a second hand car, is one of the best propositions you can think of at the moment. It's a smart choice. It's whisper quiet (because firstly it's a Lexus and secondly, it's a hybrid), it's solidly-constructed, it's well-specced, it has the Lexus stamp of reliability, it's only a 1.8 litre engine so road tax isn't high, it's going to save you tons on fuel, and it's a Lexus!
At a price point of RM100,000, it's going to be an option for a lot of buyers. My personal choice is that colour combination in the pictures but if you think it's a bit old man (I've always been accused of being one but I don't care, I think it's classy), there are plenty of second hand examples in white, black, grey, silver or red.
Think about it...
Cheers!
All Lexus
As my readers know, I was at the Lexus KL showroom on Jalan Sultan Ismail on Saturday. Among the ES 250, NX 300h and RX 200t on display, there was one curious omission: the CT 200h.
I could quite understand why the larger LX 570, freshly facelifted for 2016, wasn't there: firstly, it's a low-volume model and secondly, with the Lexus KL showroom occupying a small area within the prime city centre commercial zone, only models that can sell faster can justify their showroom footprint.
That led me to think about the Lexus CT 200h. Why isn't this in the showroom?
Posed with this question, the sales consultant at the Lexus KL showroom informed me that the CT200h is a tough sell in current market conditions (i.e. after the government revoked import duties for hybrid cars).
Brand new, the Lexus CT 200h from Lexus Malaysia lists at RM241,287 which puts it neck-and-neck with the more glamorous, more luxurious and larger Lexus ES 250 Prestige at RM244,597 (and that's before the RM25,000 rebate). As the Japanese say, wakata...(I understand...)
Since no one in their right mind would get a Lexus CT 200h brand new at that price, it got me thinking about the second-hand market and I got my itchy fingers typing on the auto classifieds.
You can pick up a 2011 model at about RM100,000 which is astonishingly good value. And mind you, at that price point, this is the high end model that comes with an LCD screen that incorporates GPS navigation, sound system, reverse parking camera plus a host of steering wheel controls to change the settings of the car. The price is even lower if you're willing to settle for the entry level CT 200h. A second hand base model Lexus CT 200h goes for about RM90,000. As an added bonus, for either version, the hybrid battery is warranted by Lexus Malaysia for 8 years. That means, if the year of manufacture is 2011, the battery pack is warranted until 2019, or if you're thinking of picking up a 2012 model, the warranty lasts until 2020.
How long will the battery last?
Yes, we're all concerned about the cost of replacing the hybrid battery. Lexus Malaysia will honour factory-originated defects on the battery for 8 years which means if you get a second hand 2011 model, there's still a good three years' of protection left. Don't be daft: It does not mean the battery will suddenly stop working in 2019 - Lexus has a bulletproof history of reliability. Lexus are cars that perform reliably without problems well outside the warranty period. In Malaysia, there's a saying that the Lexus is the mechanic's most hated car (he rarely gets business out of a Lexus)!
If and when the battery has reached the end of its life, Lexus Malaysia says it will cost about RM6,500 to replace. Now think about that for a minute because the reality is better than what the numbers might suggest. The current list price of the car, brand new, is RM241,287. Second hand RM100,000. Even if you decided to get a brand new battery now (which you don't need to but even if you did), you pay RM6,500 on top of the RM100,000 = RM106,500... to get a reliable Lexus CT 200h with a brand new battery. Guys!! This is still a lot less than half the price of a brand new car!
Right after visiting the Lexus KL showroom, I actually went to a second hand car dealer near Kontena Nasional, just off the Federal Highway. They had a lovely specimen of a Lexus CT 200h, year 2011, in the best colour combination: brown/purple (don't know the exact colour name) with beige leather upholstery. Asking price is RM113,800 for the Luxury version.
The dealer swooped over me like a hawk (you know how intrusive they can be) so I didn't venture to take my own shots of the car lest he thinks I'm ready to put down a downpayment). So bear with me regarding these pictures which I took straight off carlist.
I inspected the leather and it was all top notch, not a scratch. The dashboard plastics are still in good condition, the GPS navigation - reverse camera - onboard entertainment all work as they should.
The only gripe I have about the packaging of the car is how small the boot is. For small families, especially those with a baby in tow, the 375 litre boot is gonna be a tight squeeze going anywhere for a day trip, what with a stroller, overnight carry bag and other bit and bobs (almost spelled that as b*obs) to fit in. Part of the reason for the boots diminutive size is the fact it carries a full-size spare tyre. There is, however, one saving grace in case you make an unplanned trip to Ikea: The rear seats can fold down and immediately, 975 litres of boot space is at your disposal.
It's also worth mentioning that there are extra compartments underneath the boot liner which are moulded to fill the vacuum around the spare tyre. The only thing I can think that'll fit nicely here are Lego bricks.
A smaller car that's economical on fuel is what you need and this Lexus CT 200h, even as a second hand car, is one of the best propositions you can think of at the moment. It's a smart choice. It's whisper quiet (because firstly it's a Lexus and secondly, it's a hybrid), it's solidly-constructed, it's well-specced, it has the Lexus stamp of reliability, it's only a 1.8 litre engine so road tax isn't high, it's going to save you tons on fuel, and it's a Lexus!
At a price point of RM100,000, it's going to be an option for a lot of buyers. My personal choice is that colour combination in the pictures but if you think it's a bit old man (I've always been accused of being one but I don't care, I think it's classy), there are plenty of second hand examples in white, black, grey, silver or red.
Think about it...
Cheers!
All Lexus
Hi Imran this is Edward, i would like to check with you is there any common problem about CT200 u bought? I am looking for tis too as u said the used price is very attractive compare to brand new. Is high maintenance for tis car? What millage yr car now & major service charge how much for Lexus service centre?
ReplyDeleteYour kindly reply is highly appreciate.
Thank you
Edward
Hi Edward. I went to the car dealership near Kontena Nasional as an exercise to demonstrate used Lexus CT200h cars are almost as good as a new one; the crux of the matter being, why then pay double the used car price in order to get a new one? However, owners have told me it is a wonderful car to own because it isn't high maintenance. It's best to get one second hand in my opinion because you wouldn't be tied down to Lexus Malaysia. As we all know, servicing at the main dealers are more expensive. Once they're out of warranty period, the cost of servicing drops by two thirds when you service it outside.
ReplyDeleteWell, in order to claim their warranty, u must maintain service at their sc. Just bought a 2012 CT and it's giving me Hybrid System Check light. Already passed 3 weeks and Lexus haven't really give a an answer weather I can claim my hybrid battery or not. This already gave me a bad impression on Lexus service.
ReplyDeleteThat is unfortunate and very unrepresentative of the normal type of service Lexus usually provides. Still, I understand your disappointment - who'd wait three weeks right? A friend of mine had the same issue with the hybrid battery (his was a 2011 model) and Lexus replaced it after 2 weeks of 'discussions.' See, unlike in other countries, the Lexus showrooms here are run by UMW Toyota, so they do try to sneak in cost-cutting measures as and when they have the opportunity to do so. This is not the case in other territories. Do keep us updated and good luck with your battery claim.
Delete