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87 out of 113 people found this review helpful
2.0 stars
"Camry Hybrid... Disappointing"
Pros: Gas Mileage, Quiet Ride, Improved Exterior Design
Cons: Power Lungung at Highway Speeds, Limited Trunk Space, Cheap Interior Materials, Expensive
Summary: After taking a 30 minute test drive in the new Camry Hybrid I must admit that I was quite disappointed. Initially I was very excited with Toyota's new design for the Camry. Introducing Hybrid technology to the masses is a great idea, and one that is long over-due. I was excited to see my Camry waiting for me at the dealer (I had pre-ordered one several weeks ago). Although the exterior design is a vast improvement over previous Camry, it does have some strange visual elements. One that sticks out is its bulbous nose. Yes, as you look at the car from the side it looks as if it actually has a nose on the front.
Upon entering the car I was immediately struck with the amount of cheap plastic that permeated throughout. Although I had ordered the leather interior upgrade, the amount of plastic still created a very "un-luxury" feel. Buttons looked and felt cheap. The high doors and small side windows also give the car a confining feeling when sitting inside. The headliner is made of a cheap felt-like material that reminded me of the cheapest economy autos of the 1980's.
The driving experience is best described as "interesting". I had previously driven a Prius and enjoyed the way it handled. I did enjoy how the Camry drove in stop and go traffic. The transition from battery power to the engine was silky smooth. The new Camry certainly had a great deal of power when pulling away from an intersection, or upon entering a highway. Unfortunately once the car reaches full highway speed, there is a terrible lunging when settling into a cruising speed. At 70MPH the car would repeatedly jerk forward then relax... it seemed impossible to maintain a constant speed. I had seen this before in the Road and Track Magazine Test Drive, and I experienced it myself today. This was one of the deal-killers for me as the car felt unsteady and difficult to control at highway speeds.
Finally, I was greatly disappointed at the reduced trunk space. Yes, the rear seats do unlatch and flip down, but there is a huge hump between the rear seats and the trunk that holds the batteries. This creates a wall that forbids you from sliding anything larger than a set of skis into the back seat. Why Toyota did not locate the batteries under the seats, like they did on the Prius, is beyond me. The batteries not only prevent you from loading long items in the trunk, it also reduces the overall volume of luggage.
This, along with the speed problems, and the cheap materials used for a $30,000 automobile, made my decision very easy. Believe me, I was hoping this car would be terrific, but Road and Track is right. If you really want a good buy on a Camry, go for the regular four cylinder. It has a great gas mileage, is $8,000 cheaper, has a huge trunk, is 750lbs lighter, and is almost as quick. Let's hope that Toyota improves its design and the quality of the interior materials on their future cars.
- 22 replies to this review
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well if you had the balls and the wallet to afford the fully loaded camry... eh well nevermind. i have a 2008 and i love it. i have none of the problems that you mention, except for the small trunk
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When I got my Camry Hybrid, I was not comfortable with the plastic finish amidst the leather seats. I anyhow rectified the problem by designing a nice dark wood interior to cover up on the plastic sections that I thought was necessary to mask. Ready made wooden interior packages are also available at any Toyota dealer show room. Now I'm really happy with the interior and it gives a plush luxury finish. The cost of wood interior could vary depending on how much wood interior you want to use
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I have owned a Camry Hybrid since August 06, putting almost 12000 miles on. I find it great on streets or highway, with 37+ mpg at 75-80 MPH (Rt 10 LA-Phoenix) and a consistent 31-32 mpg around town. It has altered my driving habits to a more gentle style but still has power to jump out if needed. I concur that the trunk space is limited and the pass-thru is almost useless. Still, I rate this as a more enjoyable drive than my Lincoln Town Car was.
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One way to identify an opinion by someone with a private agenda is to see if there are consistently negative comments without acknowledging any positives.
This reviewer kicks off by condemning the appearance of the car -- says it has a funny nose.
Uh, what? The Camry Hybrid is generally acknowledged as stylistically streamlined, rich-looking and aerodynamic by the rest of the seeing world.
He goes complains about plastic in the interior. Well, take a look at the top of the line luxury vehicles from any manufacturer and see if you don't find plastic -- its called living in the 21st century.
He goes on to gripe about item after item -- all this expertise garnered from a 30 minute test drive. Well, take it from someone who actually owns the car -- its one of the the best automobiles I ever had for comfort, ride quality, fuel economy, performance and reliability.
Anyone considering a Camry Hybrid will not be disappointed, and I recommend it without reservation. -
So I think that is what he means.
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I traded a Volvo XC90 for my Camry. It was the best decision I have ever made. The Volvo was much more expensive--and drove me crazy with its unreliability. The Camry, first and foremost, is reliable. It gets you where you want to go. Even professional athletes know the importance of getting the basics right. Bottom line: I pay less for gas, it is quiet and comfortable, and it works in a predictable way. It is fun? A litt;e. I've had enough fun with cars (I've owned two Audis). I want a car that does its job well. Camry, in my opinion, is the without equal.
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Try again genius. If you're going to lie at least make it believable.
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It is a very dissapointing 20 mpg in city driving, worse than their regular gas engine 4 cylinder, higher cost and reduced trunk space. amnonka
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The car is simply amazing. It lives up to all its claims. I do not know what hammoddave was expecting--and find it odd that his evaluation is so out of line with the others.
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OK, you test drove a Hybrid. Big deal. I own one and love it.
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I find it a bit far fetched that you "pre-ordered" a car and it ONLY took 7 weeks to come in! It's doubtful that you have any kinda clout over anyone else and I know I waited almost 4 months for mine.
Also, the interior of the Hybrid is the same as a standard Camry, so if you really "did" preorder one I'm very suprised to hear that the interior was some big shock!
Never experienced this 70mph lunging you speak of and I do highway and city driving every single day...?? Maybe you read about this somewhere and imagined it!
Bottom line, you wanted a Lexus with a Camry
pricetag so don't be dissapointed that you didn't get one. -
you pre-ordered this car to test-drive it??? obviously, you don't own this car and most likely you haven't even drove it. do you work for GM by any chance? LOL
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Please test drive the Camry Hybrid for yourself instead of basing your opinion on hammonddave's review. The small trunk is the only item where we agree. I have driven the Camry for 2 days since my mother bought this car. Have not had any jerking problems on the highway, averaged 39 mpg. Where the Camry Hybrid excells is in Houston's stop and go traffic(I averaged 42 mpg!) since you're relying on the electric motor.
The cabin is very quiet compared to most cars. We're talking Lexus quiet. Also, it has one of the best in stock stereo systems I have heard(JBL 440 watt system). This is basically a smooth riding mid-sized sedan w/ excellent gas mileage. In terms of it being expensive- it's only $1500 more than the Camry XLE w/ just as many options. However, you recieve a $1300 Hybrid Tax Credit until April 2007. Also, Motor Trend rated this as their Car of the Year so it's tougher to get it at a discount in comparison to a Hyundai. This is the best riding hybrid car for the money! -
Found no problem with jerkiness on highway. Cruise Control very smooth. Power is more than adquate and the the future is here with it's technology. Having had it for about 4 months, I would not have purchased any other hybrid type car. If hammonddave wants a luxury interior then by a luxury car. I've had both and the Camry is more than adquate. The only negative I have is I wish manufacturers would advertise true gas mileage rates. It will not get 40mpg in the city. It gets around 36mpg combined highway and city.
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I just ended up buying a new Camry Hybrid today but after reading this guy's comments yesterday was a bit concerned. Before I closed the deal, I took it for a second test drive on our freeways for a small road trip. Around here, the speed limit is 75 MPH. I tried various speeds both with and without the cruise control. The car was silky smooth with no jerkiness or hesitation on the freeway. I did notice on occasion a bit of a jerk from a dead standstill but no worse than a normal auto tranny shift.
I went back and bought it getting nearly $1000 off sticker. Will also be getting a $2600 tax credit. This is a hybrid that makes sense to me. -
How do you take your first test drive in a car that you ordered (to buy, I assume) several weeks beforehand? Wouldn't it make more sense to test drive the car THEN order it? LOL.
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maybe your just a bad driver and you cause the car to jerk. Toyota will always make the best cars and obviously you need to double check what you get yourself in to.
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First, the Camry Hybrid is fun to drive and the "head turning quotient" is high (Thank you Warren Brown of the Washington Post for naming this factor), probably because it prominently displays the word "hybrid" on it.
Having driven our new Camry Hybrid a few hundred miles, both in city and highway driving, I cannot understand where the word "lunge" comes from in this review. This car feels a bit different as the engine power shifts from one source to another, but after a bit of driving you adjust to that and eliminate any jerkiness. I've ridden with people who move from one make of car to another and take more time to learn how to control the new car than it takes to adjust your driving to working with the power shifts in this Camry Hybrid.
Second, because it is a Camry, the life cycle cost of maintenance is expected to be pretty much nothing beyond normal wear and tear. We traded in a 1994 Camry with 133,000 miles on it. The only expense beyond normal maintenance for that car was with the inside door handles.
The 1993 Corolla Wagon we have has 151,000 miles on it and again there has been no cost beyond maintenance and repairing the dents that others have put in the body of the vehicle.
Third, there is the Hours Per Gallon factor. In the DC metro area there is a lot of time spent in a car not moving or moving very slowly. Traffic lights and dense traffic cause that. Since there is no gas usage during those periods the Hours Per Gallon factor becomes a real cost saving.
Fourth, there is the performance of the car. As mentioned by other reviewers the acceleration of this car is similar to having a turbo charger to add to the engine at critical times.
Of course, you must be careful with this car going around corners or moving in parking lots with pedestrians nearby. Since they don't hear any engine they don't expect a car. That is a novel experience. We had three guys walking in the Ikea parking lot and staring at us pulling into the parking space with no engine noise.
Seems to me that when comparing sedans, including the gas savings, tax credit, maintenance cost and fun factor of being one of the first to own this car, the Camry Hybrid is a no brainer. Ours has the "moon roof" option, and we did not want the GPS system.
Great car! -
I've owned my new Camry Hybrid for one day and love it. In some ways everyone buys cars for both practical and emotional reasons, so "rational" evaluations sometimes remind me of a sports fan arguing about why their team will win next year's championship.
Sorry the car disappointed you. Funny, but because of your review I wasn't expecting much and was delightfully suprised.
The "lunging" comment worried me greatly, but when I took mine out on the freeway nothing happened. After several freeway drives, I think I know to what you refer, but it's not something that bothers me, and I wouldn't have noticed it if not for your review.
Anytime you take your foot completely off the gas, the car's gas engine seems to disengage (after a brief pause). When you put your foot back on the pedal the engine reengages. This is almost imperceptible to me.
However, if you respond to the first pause "?lunge?" by pushing slightly on the pedal--which can be almost a reflex since this would smooth out a gas only automatic--you can get a second lunge. If you respond to that by taking your foot off, you can get a third, etc. There is a very, very small range where it can almost seem like your foot is steady (or almost off the pedal), but really your own foot is pushing in and out while "you" not the car are settling into a steady cruising speed.
This can happen at lower speeds as well--anytime you and the car are "settling in" to a cruising speed. On my car, it's easily avoidable. I have to try to make it happen. Also, it never happens when the car is on cruise control. That's been flawless.
As for value: that's always a little subjective. But Toyata has done some interesting things with this car. The combined power is nearly halfway between the 4 and the 6 cylinder--which is the fairer comparison? The hybrid has plenty of power to pass, etc, when you really need it--but that isn't what makes this vehicle fun. The fun is watching the mpg needle go to infinity when you're driving it carefully.
In addition, the Hybrid comes standard with the advanced/integrated stability, traction, braking control and a more advanced automatic transmission. If I'm not mistaken, they're the same systems found on the newer/higher-end Lexus models. I don't believe any stability control is currently available on the gas only Camry models.
Finally, the Federal tax credit (likely to be reduced by 50% after September) puts the final cost of the base (but well equiped) hybrid at nearly the same as the 6 cylinder XLE and only a little above the 4 cylinder XLE (assuming you can currently get either model at 5% above invoice.) The 4 cylinder does not come standard with leather but does have a standard moonroof and reclining rear seats.
So would you rather have the hybrid with two motors, great mileage, cutting edge technology or the XLE 6 cylinder with more power, leather seats and a moonroof?
For me, it isn't even close. I don't think I would have ever bought a standard Camry or a Prius. The other cars that I would have enjoyed driving all cost a lot more than the Camry Hybrid that I bought. The more economical cars--and there are many in the sub 15K range wouldn't have been as enjoyable. -
maybe in the future they'll be worth every $, but for now, they aren't!
leave it to BIG OIL to make a hybrid that has a POWERFUL engine, instead of simply using a 4cyl, some now use 6 cyl! Strange indeed...
there are MANY cars NOW in Europe that have plenty of power AND get better mileage...the same could happen in USA, "if" they'd just use DIESEL+hybrid!
DIESEL is much less expensive to produce and SELL than gas will ever be!
Even "regular" diesel cars[VW,etc]get GREAT mileage NOW!
Kindly remember, your "green machine" is full of LEAD BATTERIES that will have to be replaced LONG before your regular gas or diesel motor goes down!
Naturally the powers-to-be will have a "battery disposal fee"etc,etc,etc
While your regular run of the mill gas powered Camry may run for over 200,000 miles with mostly carefree maintainence, the HYBRID will NOT!
As for nobody knows how long these batteries will last, well, HONDA knows NOW! They've had their little hybrids going for some time now, some have had batteries replaced WELL before 100,000miles...
Will hybrids be the new BetaMax...let's hope not, but the technology is already in place to make vehicles that get MUCH better mileage than they now do...
Detroit, Japan & Europe all sell vehicles around the world that are NOT available in USA, but,,,they will soon be selling them here! -
Let me begin by saying that I too ordered one without having the benefit of driving one, but I don't regret it for a minute. I'm not sure what kind of plastic or buttons you want, but they're the same as the regular Camry. I've had no problems what so ever on the highway at any speed and the EPA mileage ratings are easily obtainable. I'm also not quite sure where you learned your math, but if you compare apples to apples, ie a 4 cyl XLE to the Hybrid and add the leather, sunroof, heated seats and NAV to both vehicles, there is only about a $1800 premium for the Hybrid. You cant compare the price of a stripped down base model to the hybrid because there are so many features that the base model simply does not have.
I've had the care for exactly one week now and I must say that I love it. My wife and I use this car to drive to work and take turn depending on who is going the longest distance that day. In our combined City/Hwy driving, our first tank averaged 38.9 mpg, smack in the middle of the EPA ratings. The NAV is fantastic and the ride is excellent. Love the keyless system the Hybrid uses. All together a great buy! -
Can you identify the Road & Track article you site? I looked at April '06, and the test I read was frankly pretty positive about the Cmary Hybrid. I didn't see any mention of the jerky experience while cruising at highway speeds, or the comparison to the 4cyl Camry. Is it, perhaps, in a different article?
