What's Wrong With This Picture: Lexus And The Weary Sai Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer
whats wrong with this picture lexus and the weary sai edition

While America gets a Lexus-badged Toyota Sai as our first entry-premium hybrid car, the Europeans will get this CT200h instead. In addition to better differentiation from the Prius (to this blogger, the HS250h smacks of old Buick-style brand engineering), the CT200h is said to be more driver-focused than previous Toyota hybrids. But then, we Americans are all used to not getting the smaller, tauter, hatchback-ier models by now, right? Right?



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  • Kurtamaxxguy Kurtamaxxguy on Feb 26, 2010

    Lexus may eventually have a problem selling their current hatchback-style RX450h in that it's bigger, much heavier, and somewhat oddly designed inside than the previous 400h series. Why they decided to add 450 pounds to a hybrid eludes me. I'd definitely consider a 200h provided Lexus offers an AWD version (extra rear motor driving the rear axle).

  • Tedward Tedward on Feb 27, 2010

    I actually quite like the look of the CT pictured, and do not understand why Toyota wouldn't bring this hatch to the states and offering a sedan version later. It's not as if there's any sort of correlation between Toyota hybrids and 5 door bodies right? right... I agree with the author on the HS as well. It looks cheap and lazy, even if it isn't obviously badge engineered. If they wanted to make a "cheap Buick hybrid" they should have just slapped the drivetrain into an ES. Instead Lexus gets two embarassing cars, and without the Toyota hybrid hatch I bet most people will never guess what it actually is.

  • SPPPP It seems like a really nice car that's just still trying to find its customer.
  • MRF 95 T-Bird I owned an 87 Thunderbird aka the second generation aero bird. It was a fine driving comfortable and very reliable car. Quite underrated compared to the GM G-body mid sized coupes since unlike them they had rack and pinion steering and struts on all four wheels plus fuel injection which GM was a bit late to the game on their mid and full sized cars. When I sold it I considered a Mark VII LSC which like many had its trouble prone air suspension deleted and replaced with coils and struts. Instead I went for a MN-12 Thunderbird.
  • SCE to AUX Somebody got the bill of material mixed up and never caught it.Maybe the stud was for a different version (like the 4xe) which might use a different fuel tank.
  • Nopiho Kovaon GOOGLE
  • Inside Looking Out Scandinavian design costs only $600? I mean the furniture.
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