2017 Lexus CT vs. Its Competition

John Voelcker

For five of its seven years on sale, there were no other compact luxury hybrid hatchbacks to be direct competitors to the Lexus CT 200h.

Then, last year, the Audi A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid arrived, with not only a German brand but a feature the CT doesn't have: a plug to let it run solely on grid electricity for 15 miles or so.

The Audi hatchback has been a strong seller for the brand, though hardly in the CT's numbers.

But it likely appeals to a more tech-forward audience than the littlest Lexus, even though the CT is intended to attract new, younger buyers to Lexus.

The well-known Toyota Prius hatchback is a far better car in its latest generation, and it too has a plug-in version, not to mention considerably higher fuel economy and a much better driving experience.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA is a luxury hatchback too (even if its optional AWD lets Mercedes dub it a crossover), but there's no hybrid or high-fuel-economy version.

On the sportier side are the Mazda CX-3, which has a similarly tight rear seat to the CT, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI, always a blast to drive and now larger inside than the CT, but with much lower fuel economy.

Finally, the aging Ford C-Max is a five-door compact hybrid tall hatchback, with a number of luxury features in its high-end Titanium model and a plug-in Energi version too.

Visiting a Ford dealer, however, won't be anything like to the cosseting luxury Lexus experience.