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

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

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?



Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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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.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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