Dad is looking at one tomorrow and I am going with him since I am in town... dont know shit about it. Anyone have one? Drove one? experiences?

8/10/2012 12:02:11 AM

talk him into getting an IS-F

8/10/2012 12:58:22 AM

is that the $375,000 one?

8/10/2012 1:40:02 AM

^no, that's the LF-A

8/10/2012 7:09:20 AM

I've heard they have sporty handling...and that's about it. They're slow, and as far as hybrids go they're towards the lower end of fuel mileage. It's not the type of car I would expect someone with an AARP card to drive.

8/10/2012 8:16:07 AM

If he's looking for a luxurious hybrid how 'bout waiting a few months the new Lincoln MKZ hybrid? The just-released 2013 MKZ is pretty damn good-looking and its numbers compare well to the CT200h. Catch is the hybrid version isn't available quite yet.

8/10/2012 4:44:35 PM

nobody wants a stinkin lincoln

8/10/2012 7:03:34 PM

Christ, a Lexus hybrid. It's hard to imagine a car that would be less fun to drive.

8/11/2012 4:15:57 AM

Have to say it . While the Volt will not have the interior fit and finish of the Lexus, it is going to be a helluva lot more fun to drive and more fuel efficient. It may not be the car for him, but he should at least check it out if he is spending 40k+ for a compact hybrid. I only test drove the Priys because the Lexus wasn't available at the time, but if they are anything alike, he'll be dissapointed.

8/11/2012 11:08:36 PM

Why would anyone give even the slightest shit about the fun-to-drive factor of a Volt/Prius/Lexus CT/etc?

That's like choosing the Corvette ZR1 over the Viper ACR because it gets 2 mpg better highway fuel mileage or something.

8/12/2012 12:08:24 AM

Actually, there is a lot of difference. The 0-60 of the Volt is about 8.5. The 0-60 of the Lexus is 10.5. Since the engine on the Lexus hybrid stops and starts, there is a lag on response. There is none of that on the Volt. The Volt really behaves like an electric car, and hot a hybrid, which is why it had far superior performance.

Again, the compromises are the superior interior in the Lexus and an extra seat. He should at least test drive the Volt. Definitely a bigger attention getter as well if that means anything to him.

[Edited on August 12, 2012 at 11:17 AM. Reason : H]

8/12/2012 11:13:01 AM

Oh I'm not saying there's no difference...I just don't understand why anyone would care.

8/12/2012 12:50:12 PM

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to get the most enjoyable care you could if you're looking for a daily driver. You probably want a nice blend of luxury, performance, reliability, practicality, and fuel efficiency, right?

We aren't talking about a dedicated toy or a tow vehicle, we're looking at a daily driver. I'm sure he's not looking to burn anybody off the line, but you would think that things like acceleration for passing on the highway, or handling if you ever intend to go for a weekend drive would matter. Isn't that one of the reasons people on this board constantly advise people to get a BMW? Fun but also a car you can live with day in and day out.

A Lexus hybrid just sounds boring and awful. Just my opinion.

8/12/2012 2:13:56 PM

No, I get wanting a well-rounded car that is a good blend of a lot of attributes (hence why I and everyone else love BMW)...but a Prius or Volt or Lexus CT is not a jack-of-all-trades like a 3-series...it's a specialist.

I'm saying that if you are choosing between a Volt, Prius, Lexus CT, etc, you've obviously long ago left that world and put your premium on practical, efficient, appliance-transportation...why would you care which car is incrementally (in the grand scheme) less heinously terrible in the fun-to-drive department?

Saying that a Volt is good because it's more fun to drive than a Lexus CT is like saying that my Z06 is better than my old S2000 because it has more trunk space. That's silly--it's better (arguably) than my old S2000 because it has probably 180 more hp on tap and will corner significantly harder, and utterly demolish the Honda from a performance standpoint (which is what specialty sports cars are largely about). The fact that it gets a little better fuel economy and has more trunk space is just a small nice-to-have.

I would rather have a Volt than a CT hybrid because it gets shitloads better fuel economy, which is what hybrids and plug-ins are all about. If it is a tiny bit less miserable to drive, then that's nice, too, but--even speaking as a sports-car nut who's in the market for a hybrid himself--I don't see why that would ever enter into the decision, unless they were very closely matched otherwise (which these two aren't).

8/12/2012 6:52:15 PM

Yeah, he wouldn't give a shit about that... He hated the CT by the way, too small as far as driver comfort...But then he went next door and tried a Camry Hybrid and loved it but he wanted to get them down to $9k after the trade in and they would only go to $10k so he left... I think he's going to the Acura dealer today.

8/13/2012 9:32:16 AM

Quote :

"I think he's going to the Acura dealer today."

Ah, so he doesn't care about visual appeal either eh?

8/13/2012 10:15:26 AM

I dont question what a 75 year old man wants to spend his money on

8/13/2012 5:48:31 PM