As the realm of hybrids expands, we occasionally find ourselves contemplating cars that bring to mind a question posed in an old country song: “Is your mouth writin’ checks that your body cain’t cash?” At the small, sporty end of the hybrid spectrum, there’s the Honda CR-Z, which we’ve characterized as having lots of flash but not much performance to back it up. Add the Lexus CT200h to this exclusive group. It’s a slick compact hatchback with a sport label that looks like a cocky little street tiger augmented by the allure of hybrid fuel economy. Emphasis on the “looks like.”
To be fair, the CT200h delivers on fuel economy. EPA rated at 43 mpg city and 40 highway, it delivered 36 mpg while in our hands. That’s impressive considering how often the accelerator pedal was mashed against the floor as we tried to wring a little more performance from its “what’s-your-hurry” powertrain.
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