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Seeking CT200h input from fellow Prius owners

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by danielarichman, May 23, 2011.

  1. danielarichman

    danielarichman Junior Member

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    Call me fickle, but I am totally turned off by the rattles, creaks, groans and vibration that have begun issuing from my 2011 Prius 5, consistently or intermittently, over its first 2,700 miles, even with the tires inflated only to their factory-recommended level.

    I'm interested in hearing from any Prius owner who bought a CT200h instead of, or in addition to, the Prius. I'm specifically interested in hearing experiences with interior noise (road noise and creaks, groans, vibration, rattles, etc.) and fit and finish.

    I'm also interested in MPG comparisons. On a seven-mile test drive in the CT200h this weekend, I got 52.6 MPG.

    (Thank you, PriusChat, for so much great information on hypermiling techniques! And thanks are also due to the Prius itself. Predictably, I guess, the folks at the admittedly much newer CT200hforum.com seem far less intent on saving gas than PriusChat participants. A search there for the word "ScanGauge" yielded no results!)

    I don't feel great about possibly making this change. But I'd feel worse living with a car that is assembled and/or designed with so little apparent regard to fit and finish. That is pure frustration. My disappointment corresponds to the level of hope I had for this vehicle.
     
  2. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Where is the noise coming from? If it is from the rear hatch area, try this simple test. It worked amazingly well for my Gen2.

    Put a piece of cardboard on the rubber stopper for the hatch. This eliminates the movement of the hatch and it still closes fine.

    Keep in mind, my Prius is 5 years old so the rubber stopper may have shrunk. It is an easy test so you should give it a shot.
     
  3. danielarichman

    danielarichman Junior Member

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    1. Constant soft vibration from somewhere in passenger-side door.
    2. Intermittent creak from center console (when going over bumps).
    3. Intermittent chattering from rear driver's-side door.
    4. Intermittent loud chirp/squeak, location hard to determine, when going over bumps.
     
  4. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

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    so far CT200h is very different and quiet compared to Prius with regards to squeaks and rattles... almost nothing reported in past months by owners, while Prius forums were filled with complaints....
     
  5. flareak

    flareak Fleet Captain

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    I'm kind of waiting for the CT300h.
     
  6. LIPriusFreak

    LIPriusFreak Can I haz JDM?

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    My $.02:

    I don't want to rain on your parade, but you do realize that EVERY car will rattle at some point?

    My 2000 Lexus GS400 rattled, my prius rattles, my 1995 Acura Legend rattles....EVERY car will rattle when driven over bumpy roads, it's just a fact of life....

    I guarantee that the CT200h will rattle within a year of ownership (the timeframe will accelerate or decelerate dependent upon the road conditions in your neck of the woods)
     
  7. danielarichman

    danielarichman Junior Member

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    I'm not sure you are correct about that. My 15-year-old Honda Accord Coupe, bought in 1996, never made a sound, despite 160,000 miles. Anyway, rattles that occur occasionally, such as when going over bumps, are different from those that are a constant presence, in my mind.
     
  8. LIPriusFreak

    LIPriusFreak Can I haz JDM?

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    its obviously location/terrain based....my mint condition 1995 Acura Legend with 160k has rattles, but isn't a rattle box....It's whole life has been spent in NYC. I replaced every single suspension component with brand new OEM parts. I still have rattles (the dash and associated parts will loosen up overtime)

    My point is, eventually every car will rattle (especially newer cars than older ones).
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    dear fickle,:D
    it's a shame really. my 08 gen II with 25,000 miles is solid as a rock. and my daughters 04 with 85,000 really just needs struts and tires etc. no body/interior noises, vibrations rattles or what have you. only thing i can say about the ct200h is, it's quieter, smaller and there's no way you're gonna get 50 mpg out of it. more likely 40-45 if you're getting 55-60 now.
     
  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Remember that newer cars would be put together with plastic clips instead of screwed together (first off, it's cost. Second of all, plastic clips are lighter than metal screws. Times that by a hundred or a thousand and you're talking a decent weight saving) so parts will rattle more easily than those screwed together.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Does the CT200H need premium gas? It wasn't clear on Lexus website, but compression ratio was 13:1
     
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Thte Prius' compression ratio is also 13.0:1. They use the same HSD system.
     
  13. oscarcat

    oscarcat New Member

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    I test drove a CT200h but opted for a 2011 Prius IV. Price was about the same BUT Prius included leather for the price. The Prius has more space when seats are folded. Lexus performed about the same, mode selector on Lexus was a dial as opposed to buttons on Prius. I liked the Prius touch screen NAV better than the CT200H joystick. Rattle: I have one where the console meets the armrest. Have removed all personal items and cup-holder insert. Determined it is in the console where it meets the arm rest. No other rattles or noise and I am fussy. CT200H dash is not as hight-tech, analog speedo. Didn't spend enough time in the Lexus to determine real-life mpg. Am getting 48-49 in combo driving without A/C. [not sure it matters in a Prius as it does in a traditional layout].
     
  14. oscarcat

    oscarcat New Member

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    RE: Does Lexus require premium fuel: No, it is the same hybrid system and engine as the Gen III Prius. I think the axle or transmission ratio may be lower for a little swifter acceleration but I couldn't tell any difference. Advantage: Prius.
     
  15. desertrider2215

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    Honestly what I would do is take it to the dealer and tell them that you just paid x amount of dollars for a car that shouldn't be making any noises for at least another 60k miles (our 04 has 105k on it and hardly rattles). A few years back we bought a honda new that made some squeaking and rattling noises in the front. Took it in and they took care of it....I don't think toyota will turn you away, afterall the 5 isn't a cheap car.

    Good luck, otherwise go for a BMW for solid;)
     
  16. LIPriusFreak

    LIPriusFreak Can I haz JDM?

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    while BMW's are solid, they are not impervious to rattles....my current 2009 X5 4.8 company vehicle is no exception to the rule (as a matter of fact, not only does it rattle, the "paint" on the steering wheel is flaking off-not the leather).

    I guess anything can rattle when driven in NY. but there is NO replacement for the prius gas mileage ;)
     
  17. stefano5777

    stefano5777 Member

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    Do not want to call you out on that but Honda is the most notorious for squeaks and rattles. Check out every review on a Honda for past 20+ years. Anyway the Lexus will creak less than Prius because there are better Plastics implemented but in time it and all vehicles that use plastics will rattle no exceptions.
     
  18. LIPriusFreak

    LIPriusFreak Can I haz JDM?

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    +1 word....