stepppy

Thank you all for your comments. I have tried the Auris and Prius, but they both felt totally soul less, unlike the CT which I really connected with. I have to say that I don't 100% rule it out, so may be returning for another drive once I have seen & driven the new A3 :)

You are so right about the A Class. I had the misfortune of owning one and only mangaged to keep it for 6 months, lost a whole bunch of money in the process too :eerrrmm:

I will keep an eye on that with interest.

I definitely agree that aesthetically the 17's look way better. Yes it was Hedge End I went to and they were really helpful and understood how I felt about the ride. It’s great to hear from a CT owner and that you are happy with the ride. It does seem from reading various forums that CT owners really love their cars. I love everything about the car, except the ride. Maybe the roads I drive on are particularly bad. Unfortunately I cannot spend over £30,000 of my own money on a car and not be happy with the ride. Stange thing is that despite the issue I personally have with the ride I cannot get it out of my head and I like the fact that they are a rare sight on the roads. Thanks for your comments.

That's my point though, the SE-L Premier as it comes isn't fine, its just too hard. BMW's I have no interest in, but yes I have driven Audi's with the S-Line package and yes they are firm, but to me I would expect that as Audi are marketed as a sporty brand. That's why I avoid the S-Line and like my A3 I have the SE, so standard suspension, but with 17" wheels and the set up is great. As this is the same set up as the CT I naturally thought it would ride roughly the same and not just roughly. It seems that Audi have been listening to people and now offer a cost free option of deselecting the Sport or S-Line suspension on most of their models. The new A3 is getting great reviews on their pre-release press cars which are both Sport & S-Line models, but with standard suspension. All reports are coming back as having a great balance between ride/handling even on the 18" wheels equipped S-Line models. Interesting that no CT owners are joining in on this conversation. Thanks for your time.

Steel bars isn't far off the truth. I really don't understand it either, I thought Lexus was a luxury brand, its such a shame. It would be good to hear from an actual CT owner to see what they think. The Salesman got me to take out the F Sport model as that had some kind of suspension bar under the bonnet which he reckoned made it better, but that was as hard as nails and had nearly every piece of trim rattling in protest!! I tweeted my comments to Lexus UK, but unsurprisingly I haven't heard anything. Looks like Audi will be getting my business again for the new A3 which will be in the showroom Aug/Sep. Maybe when the facelift/change the CT, whenever that will be, they will get the suspension right and I may try again!

The demo had Yokohama's on it. Only problem with changing tyres is that its a total unknown as to whether it would make any difference. 16" wheels are offered, but apart from them looking lost in the arches, the saleman did admit they make very little difference to the ride. I wonder is this the reason there seem to be so few on the roads? As apart from the ride I absolutly love it :eerrrmm:

The time has come for me to change my 2007 A3 Sportback and the CT seemed a natural move. I did look at the CT when they first came out, but it was a bit too soon to be looking to change my car. We had a quick test drive a week ago in the pouring rain, but yesterday the dealership arranged an extended test drive for a couple of hours or so in the much better sunny weather. The model was the SE-L Premier which is the model I would go for. As we had such a long time it was an ideal opportunity to drive on the roads I use all the time and also my route to work. We were able to drive on the motorway, urban routes and a real mix bag of roads. To say the economy was good is an understatement. On my journey to work which is just over 7 miles I got an incredible 77.7 MPG as per attached photo. This was in normal mode and the Air Con on Auto. The overall trip when I took it back to the dealership was 66.7 MPG which is outstanding. I guess my very sedate driving style really suits the Hybrid drivetrain, much better than the 30 MPG I get in my 1.6 auto. I have to say that I have really fallen for this car and felt really connected to it, but the one and only problem is the ride. Why have they made it so firm? I currently have 17" tyres on my A3 (non Sport), but the ride is very supple. I keep trying to convince myself that I could live with it, but I really don't think I could. My question is, how do you all feel about the ride? Has anyone made any changes which have helped? I took my tyres pressure gauge with me and the demonstrator had 37 & 36 PSI in the tyres which was wrong, so I put them down to the correct 33/32 as per the handbook and it only made a marginal difference. I wondered maybe a different brand of tyre, but the salesman said they always fit the best tyre for the car? He did say that Lexus changed the brand of shock absorbers due to initial complaints on the press cars. It seems such a same for a car which is so luxurious inside, with the Lexus brand and that its going to cost me over £30,000 that it would have such a firm set up. Appreciate your comments, thank you.

Wow, you really didn't like it did you. Well I still like it, despite the ride which I still feel is too firm for a luxury car, but liveable with. Aside from that it ticks all the boxes for me. :) It does sound a bit harsh, but I think I was disappointed at the time. I'm sure it's a great car for some people. I am afraid I have to agree too, but I would'nt say its a horrid car - I think that is being very harsh to the people who have purchased and are happy. I had my test drive at the weekend and I didnt have to go far before I realised I could'nt live with the ride. I currently drive an A3 Sportback, so I am in the target group that Lexus wants to attract, but they wont be getting my business I'm sorry to say. My car has 17" wheels yet it strikes and excellent balance between ride and handling. The Lexus was also noisier than I expected too. I like the interior, but it didnt have the premium feel which my car has, despite having lots of toys. The hybrid side was amazing of course and I got good MPG on my trip. It will be very interesting to see if they make any suspension modifications and if they do, will they make it known to the public or jet slip it in.... If they sorted they ride then I may well give it another go, if not it will be the new A3 next year :)

Thats why the Pruis makes do with small wheels if you take the solar roof option

Plus the reduction in headroom, which is something I always have trouble with in cars with sunroofs

Wow thats good consumption.

Really, how come you got it for 4 days? Are you a previous Toyota/Lexus owner? Four days would be ideal to really try the car out in all the 'normal' road conditions we drive in Have a great 4 days :)

Thank you for your speedy reply. Your comment about the ride of press cars is something which I thought may of been the case too. It's good to hear that you are pleased with the ride and I am sure it looks better on the 17's too. Like you I am no speed demon at all, I just like comfort :) Just need to pop in and see it in the metal. Thank you once again.

I will be changing my car next year and I am in the Lexus traget group .... I drive an Audi A3 Sportback which I have owned from new since March '07. The new A3 is due for release around spring 2012, but I am very interested in the CT too, mainly due to the Hybrid technology. I am not fully convinced by its looks yet, but I really love the look of the interior. My main concern is the ride as I am a bit of a stickler for a good ride. My A3 is an SE & it too rides on 17" wheels, but it maanges to provide a very smooth and comfortable ride. Does the CT ride as bad all the reviews are making out? I notice someone on this forum said the ride is better with the 16" wheels, but not by much. I am hoping to get to my local dealer soon for a test drive, but I feel I would like to have it more than the usual couple of hours you normally get. Thanks :)