HELP - Prius 5 w/Adv Tech or Lexus CT 200h?

Of the things you listed as giving up in the Prius 5, I think the only one that matters is the dynamic cruise control with pre-collision system. Oddly, that is supposed to be an option for the CT, but I've never found one that actually has it.

You already said you don't really need the extra rear space. Entune is considered horrible and near worthless by most of the people posting here. I find the lane assist more annoying than helpful. LED is nice but not essential. Some people don't like the sharp cutoff in light spread with the LEDs. HUD is a cute gimmick, but again not something most people would really miss.

The mpg hit may not be quite as bad as you think. The 17 inch tires on the Prius 5 get at least 3 mpg less than the 15 inch tires. I only average 40 to 42 mpg, due to mostly short trip driving. From what I've read of other peoples' CT experiences, I doubt the CT would actually be 8 mpg less.

The ride and handling of the CT are slightly better than Prius 5, but what really sells the CT are those wonderful seats. The 2010 Prius is a lot better than the 2005 Prius in both handling and seating, but the CT still beats Prius by a long shot with those seats, assuming you don't mind the tighter spaces of the CT. Trust me, you will still be taking the Avalon on any long trips. The Prius is improved, but there's still a huge difference in comfort and driver fatigue between my Prius and my 07 Hycam.

 

you boiled down the key points in this debate already. like ggood said, its about the seats. you're both retired, drive long distances, have seat pains and have a spare cargo car, then have fun with the sporty choice. i love the gimmick "attack mode." maybe you can upgrade your rims and then sell us/me the oem cts.

i appreciate the solar roof on the 4. but that is not an option in either chase.

enjoy.

 

For me, I'd buy the Prius since I don't like the styling of the CT and don't like the idea of paying more yet having it be even slower than the Prius liftback, having worse mileage and being smaller inside.

I'd rather the money go towards gadgets and I'd imagine the Prius is cheaper, even w/the equipment you're choosing.

That said, I'm sure you've noticed the interior quality on the CT is WAY better than any Prius. If only the CT weren't smaller, were styled better and had more power (and acceleration) while still retaining the same FE. I mean, it seems crazy that the larger and WAY faster 200 hp Camry Hybrid (Consumer Reports - Fuel economy vs. performance) is just 1 mpg combined (41 mpg combined) short of the CT...

 

Jroussos – Right church, wrong P(rii)ew.

Let us see here >>> Retired couple…Needs comfortable seats…Needs to haul 25-pound dog…Needs to occasionally “Limo†five passengers…Wants a Sunroof…Takes a 250-mile trip each month…that = = = equals a Prius v Five with Advanced Technology Package ($36K± MSRP), which delivers 44 City/42 Combined/40 Highway EPA MPGs.

The “vâ€ersatile v (vee) is a “Caddy In A Kimono,†which means you will not crave a CT200h along with no longer needing the Avalon, which you can trade in on the new Pv5ATP lowering the Out-The-Door Price on the loaded Prius v 5ATP.

The “v†will give you "v"ery good seating comfort along with an outstanding driver road perspective "v"iew "v"isibility, "v"ery good fuel economy, and "v"oluminous interior passenger and cargo hauling space.

If you like smallness and crampedness, stay on you current Prius Sedan versus CT200h choice track and read no further.

Otherwise, do yourself a favor and add the Pv5ATP to your decision options mix.

Go try and test drive a Prius v Five with Advanced Technology Package. Check out the sunroof, sit in the driver’s seat “Wheel House†of this “Land Yacht,†sit in the back seat to pleasure in the limousine-esque leg room and seating comfort, check out the “25-Pound Size Pup†riding space and luggage and “Washing Machine In A Box†sized cargo hauling volume.

If your automotive needs are anything close those of this Retired “Empty Nester†couple with achy bones, back, hip & leg joints, who hauls a Standard Poodle “Favored Family Pooch,†Limos friends and family to restaurants, events & etc, takes regular couple hundred mile road trips monthly and 1000-miles Mille Miglias yearly, enjoys saving money and electro-gliding past gas station after gas station and truck stop plaza after truck stop plaza, then you need to give a Pv5ATP at serious look. lane:

 

You sound like you want a sporty car I'd go with the Lexus. I have a Prius V it is a nice car but you loved the feel of the seats in the Lexus so your back will be happy. Your post sounds like your pocket book would like the better mileage of the Prius but your heart and mind want the sexiness of the Lexus.

 

I was looking at the picture on your post and it says 55.9 mpg. How do you get such high gas mileage with the V? The best I've gotten is 49.9mpg. Do you like in a really warm place? I've noticed when the weather gets warmer my mileage goes up.

 

Retired? (jealous, two more years). Get the car you WANT.
If not now, when?

 

After owning the Prius for a few months I find it to be the best second car available. It really shines for running around town and doing shorter road trips and it is a great weekend in the country car ...... but it is not the car we take on any kind of extended trip where we are going to be running on the highway most of the time.

How long are you going to keep the Avalon? What would you replace that with?

I bought the Prius as a test (company) and it has worked out very well. I may even get another one next year when I am due to replace the next car. I have looked at the Lexus (we have other Lexus vehicles) and the problem is you are paying for the hybrid and putting up with the compromised size and power and really not getting the MPG. There are many cars with greater size and comfort that get MPH over 30mpg making the Lexus not very competitive.

I have been surprised at how owning the Prius has changed my car choice when I walk outside and I have to pick the 13mpg vs the 50mpg trip ... But not on a 250 mile trip.

 

I love the DRCC and would have a hard time living without it . Especially if you see yourself making many long trips a month you'll really come to love DRCC in any car.

entune == total garbage. Lane assist actually works very well on a highway with good lane markings. the car will literally auto steer itself. I recently took a drive all the way down to Key West and DRCC and LA was invaluable.

I still get mid to high 50's on my 17 inch wheels. Though my commute is about 30 miles 50% of which is highway and have no problem keeping the mpg score in the mid 50's.

 

I actually own a Prius five and a Lexus CT200h and I can tell you there is no comparing the seats as others have said. The Lexus wins hands down. The fit and finish of the whole interior is just nicer on the Lexus. The Prius is no slouch though. I love it. As far is mileage goes on the CT we actually get close to 46mpg which is a little higher than advertised so it's really not that far off from the Prius. Let's us know what you decide.A

 

PriusWagon – The 55.9 MPG is the real Per Tank-Full Fuel Efficiency number for my Prius v. To get it there and keep it there (plus or minus) requires intelligent Pre-Operative Set-Up, and a bit of Hybrid $mart Humpin’ here in the Hybrid Friendly weather of El Paraíso Que Es La Soleada Florida.

With Florida’s warmer summer season coming up upon us, I will soon be experiencing the challenge of a slight MPG “Hit†to my Per Tank-Full MPG Fuel Economies during the hotter months of June, July, and August, mainly from running the HVAC in the A/C Cooling Mode.

This is my first summer driving and operating a Prius v. Therefore, my goal is to go into and stay in the Max “Zen Master†MPG Fuel Economy Mode to keep my “Caddy In A Kimono†Fuel Miser operating in the 50+ MPG Fuel Economy Range, even with heavy A/C Cooling use.

I used to live in the Seattle-Puget Sound Area. Therefore, THE CATGIC KNOWZ the jacket-sweater-raincoat weather environment there. Your generally cooler, less Hybrid Friendly Kingston, WA GEOPOSIT makes your Pv2 inherently more fuel thirsty than my “vâ€onder “vâ€ee, which operates year around in Florida’s moderate, warmer climes. Your Pv2 burns a lot of fuel just to warm up and keep warm the innards of the 1.8-Liter ICE & Hybrid Synergy Drive. In Florida this is a negligible problem.

I suggest you follow the link in my signature to my 10 TIPS GUIDE, and then READ, HEED & PUT TO PRACTICE the “Hybrid $mart†Driving Info you find there.

FWIW FYI:

My Pre-Operative Set-Up

• The 17-inch, Low-Profile Toyo P215/50R17 Proxes A20 tires on my Pv5ATP are Up-Pressured to the tire manufacture’s Max “Cold†PSI Spec of 51 PSI --- 51 PSI Front/50 PSI Rear. [Good For Adding 2 to 4 MPG Gain to Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving]. Your Prius v Two comes with 16-inch P205/60R16 OEM tires standard. These tires have a Max “Cold†PSI of 44 PSI, which means the highest PSI you could Up-Pressure your tires to would be 44 PSI Front/43 PSI Rear.

Hybrid $mart Driving & Operating Techniques

• Intelligent Operation of HVAC From Fresh Air Vent Only Mode Through To Full-Time A/C AUTO Mode [Can Add a 0 to 4-8 MPG Loss to Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving].
• Employing Acceleration Technique of iMPG ≈ iMPH/2 (Top Green Bar of the ECO “Green Zone†on the Prius v HSI) When Accelerating From Dead Stop, Then Seamlessly Transitioning To iMPG ≈ 1.1 To 1.2 Times iMPH As Your Intended Travel/Cruise Target Speed Is Approached [Good For Adding 2 MPG Gain in Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving].
• Skillful Application of “Hybrid $mart†Freewheeling Coasting, Regenerative Coasting, and Regenerative Braking [Good For Adding 2 MPG Gain in Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving].
• Consolidating Shopping Trips/≤ 2-Minute Errand Running [Good For Adding 0.5 MPG Gain in Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE for Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving].
• Opportunistic Use of Advanced Fuel Conserving Warp-Stealth, Pulse & Glide, Dash & Coast and Super “Atkinson†Highway Mode [SAHM/SHM], Driving With Load (DWL) Techniques [Good For Adding 2 MPG Gain to Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in Around-Town/Mixed City-Highway Driving].
• Driving the 66-71 MPH Fuel Economy “Sweet Spot Zone†ECC Cruise Set Speed, rather than 72-80+MPH during Open-Road/Interstate travel that is 99.5% Freeway/Interstate [Good For Adding 3.5 MPG Gain to Per-Full-Tank-Average MPG-FE in High-Speed Open-Road/Freeway/Interstate Driving].

lane:

 

I would get the Lexus GS 450h. It's a hybrid and it's FAST.

 

It seems that you like and can afford either car, so maybe you present the pros and cons to your wife and then let her decide.

 

I had to walk away from the lexus due to it's lack of interior room. Major difference from the prius. If that doesn't matter to you, and you don't mind the loss in mpg, go for the lexus. IMHO it's worth the extra couple grand.

 

People have hit it right on the nail. The CT has comfortable seats, insulated better and less road noise on the highway, and better handling. But, the trade off is smaller interior space and less MPG. I have been getting close to 45 mixed driving in SoCal.

I had a 2010 Prius V ATP and now a CT. You can get the LED headlights and DRCC on the CT. It is just hard to find one. I love the CT seats and the way it handles. I do miss the space of the Prius though. Nobody can sit behind me the way I have my seat adjusted. So, for me it is really a 3 person car or a 4 person if somebody wants to sit in the middle rear position. But, seems like in your situation the CT is the way to go.

 

Congrats! Pics please.