Toyota Camry Hybrid

gc77584

Turning off the AC the last mile or so will greatly reduce water retained in the evaporator when the car is shut off.

One mile without a/c in Houston in the sun in near 100 degree weather is unthinkable. I've lived in Houston for many, many years and never turned off the a/c for the last mile in my previous Camry and never had a problem with odor. Then again, the a/c was/is used daily on every trip so perhaps the continual flow of water prevents anything from growing.

I agree houtex1, it seems like the puddle under the TCH is quite a bit larger than what my '98 Camry produced. Maybe it's a more powerful a/c unit??

alp8

I think it's global warming

:-)

or Al Qaeda

;-)

chisum

Our TCH is due it a couple of weeks. We got all we asked for plus a "rear bumper applique." Could some one enlighten me as to what this is? Thanks...

gc77584

Go to Toyota Camry Accessories and scroll toward the bottom. There's a picture and description - not that you can even see it in the picture since it's clear.

typesix

In city traffic I use the one minute before shutting off the engine rule to turn off AC.

esfstevo

I live in Old Bridge and originally placed my deposit with Freehold Toyota, however after waiting for about 2 months I called around and wound up buying mine from a dealer in North Jersey. I exgarerated the deal Freehold was offering and wound up getting a fully loaded TCH with satalite radio for slightly less than MSRP for a fully loaded TCH. (Although there are some bugs in the satalite radio that need to be worked out). Also, Freehold Toyota refunded my deposit. I do wish Freehold could have made the sale, they were much nicer than the folks at Hudson Toyota.

grandtotal

Turning off the AC the last mile or so will greatly reduce water retained in the evaporator when the car is shut off.

OK, trying not to be argumentative here, but how does switching off the A/C a mile before you reach your destination help if the problem is that not all the water drains away?

spiff72

What kind of bugs in the satellite radio? XM or Sirius?

berg32

Yes, thankfully, the TCH does not have fake wood interior.

esfstevo

I alredy mentioned in previous posts, its a Sirius sytem that was improperly installed at port before it reached the dealership. The dealer said they will fix it at no charge at my earliest convienience however they are about an hour away and my work scedule usually conflicts with their service hours.

tomjc

OK, trying not to be argumentative here, but how does switching off the A/C a mile before you reach your destination help if the problem is that not all the water drains away?

“Switching off the A/C”

To me this means pushing the A/C switch which turns off the compressor, while allowing the fan to continue blowing air over the condenser, preferably with drier outside air. In my area with normally low humidity, if I turn my Expedition off with the A/C controls set to “max” a musty smell develops. If I set the A/C controls to vent sometime prior to turning off the vehicle this seems to allow dryer outside air to partially dry off the condenser minimizing mold that causes the odor.
I haven’t seen any post complaining of a musty smelling A/C in a TCH, mine has nothing but that great new car smell. Of course, I switch off the A/C and recirculation prior to turning off the car

gc77584

preferably with drier outside air

Well, there you go. For those of us in Houston (and many other south & southeastern US locations), the air outside is never drier. It's humid even in the 1-2 months of winter. Cool & humid, hot & humid -- it's ALWAYS humid.

wvgasguy

I expected the battery to quickly drain but it didn't even do that. I suppose if you burdened the car with a lot of weight and were really pushing it you could drain the battery, but otherwise I doubt you'll be holding people back.

Long grades may drain the battery some, but typically there is a long down grade at the end of every hill! I don't think it's anything you need worry about. If the battery starts to drain the ICE will charge it. As far as climbing hills, it's the perception of having to press the petal that everyone has to get used to. There is no reason a TCH won't go up a hill as (reasonably) fast as you want it to. It's not going to power out, but you may hear the power splitting device whine a little bit. Also don't look at the FE gage. I really think once you ignore the start there is very little difference to notice in driving the TCH than any other small engine car. Ignore the fact that it's a hybrid and drive it hard and it will respond. There are many on the GreenHybrid postings that do drive their TCH hard and they average 34 to 35 mpg. They are happy with that milage because for the way they drive that's excellent FE. However I find it incredable to be able to drive a car this biug, be able to pass safely when I want but still know that as long as I want to concentrate on FE I can average 38.6mpg (currently over 6700 miles). My tank average is shown on the comparison page on GreenHybrid. These are real numbers.

Coming from an Infiniti FX45 (4 wheel drive crossover with 315 horsepower)I knew I couldn't be happy with a slug even though I wanted an economy car. I want to drive slow, get good gas milage but be able to punch it when I need to for safety. The TCH gives me that. Had I wanted simply performance I'd have kept the FX as it was truly the best all around vehicle I've owned

gandyfire

After havinig deposits on a loaded Jasper Pearl since May 3rd I am finally getting it. Southeast Toyota is very limited on allocations of loaded ones. Last allocation yielded 9 loaded out of over 450 units with no Jasper Pearl. I had a Chesapeake Virginia dealer, Bob, looking for one for over a month and he was super helpful but nothing coming in thru mid August.

Sooooooooooo in desperation I started checking out dealers web sites ( you can get a listing of all dealers by state on tundrasolutions.com ) out of state since I did not want to take delivery after September.

As pure luck would have it, a dealer in Chicago had just received one that was ordered but the deal fell thru. We are flying up Tuesday and driving it back. Big savings too. Dealers here (Florida) like to add a lot of fluff and charge between $399 and $599 doc fee and its only $53 up there with no extra dealer or port installed fluff.

I will post again when we get back with details of the trip (1200 miles)

I have learned so much from everybody here which has made the transaction easy

spiff72

I liked to turn off the A/C when driving my wife's Honda Accord Coupe (2005) when the weather is mild. The problem is she always wants it on. When I pick her up from work after the A/C compressor has been off for about 15 minutes (but the system is still blowing), the air stinks for about 30 seconds when I turn it back on for her.

gampa

So far we have heard several personal opinions as how to eliminate the "moldy" smell in auto air conditioners... I am just wondering if these techniques actually work, or is it a problem that is inherent in most cars.
Of course some kind of coil flush/wash would be too easy... but just how does on get that deep in the console to clean the evaporator coil.

I'm sure there is something on the after market that can be sprayed down the outside vent to mask or possibly eliminate the odor.

Anyone try these ideas?

Gampa

houtex1

Congrats gandyfire. One thing to note on your drive back from Chicago is that for the break-in period (1000 miles), the manual suggests not driving for a long time at any single speed (either slow or fast). Not sure the reason, but I thought I'd mention it since on your drive back you will probably want to set cruise control.

hoosieriusb

What was the out-the-door price, if I may ask? That is, including tax, title and any fees? I'm interested in eventually buying a basic TCH (the ones I've seen have carpet mats and heated outside mirrors and nothing else added). I want to sell my current car privately, so I don't know if that would have an effect on getting a MSRP discount. I live in Columbia MD.

Thanks in advance.

Hoosier

mfletou1

Sure. I actually live in VA, so the tax is a little different.

Here was my deal: MSRP $27698 (options: carpet/cargo mats, rear bumper applique, heated power mirrors, power tilt/slide moonroof.

Fitzgerald price: $26797.
Title: $10
Dealer Processing: $99
State of VA Tax: $806
VA Tags/MD Temp Tags: $44
Tire Recylcing Fee: $4
Electronic Titling Fee: $12.50

Total OTD: $27773

I should note that never has a dealer earned their $99 processing fee more than Fitzgerald in this case. I bought my car on 6/24 but wanted to get the old style VA Clean Fuel plates which allow for greater HOV access. Had to get it before July 1. Problem is that in order to get the plates, you had to get the car titled, and have an existing plate. Fitzgerald pulled out all the stops. I financed the car, which means you normally don't get the title right away. They waived their rules (didn't even wait for my finance check to clear), went to DMV and got me a title number, then registered the car with regular plates. They called me repeatedly during the process (nearly hourly) with updates, and then called within 20 minutes of physically getting the title number. I was able to get the title number on the application, and get it in time. Yesterday afternoon, lo and behold, the correct "old style" VA Clean Fuel plates showed up at my doorstep.

I've never seen a dealer go that far to make a customer happy. It wasn't just that they did it, it was the way they did---constantly calling me, various people in their business unit encouraging me to call and check in, etc. All of this was after the deal--they had sold the car frankly and didn't HAVE to do it. It might not sound like a big deal, but VA DMV told me it would be virtually impossible to get my title number that quickly because dealers don't work like that, but Fitzgerald did it.

They are a no haggle dealer. At not point was I pressured to do anything--not even buy the car. The finance people are salaried so they have no incentive to try to screw you on that end and they don't--totally upfront.

So, bottom line is that if you live in the DC area, make sure you shop at Fitzgerald Toyota (www.fitzmall.com). My salesman was fantastic, knew the product cold, didn't try to steer me to anything (let me know if you want a name, I know I can't post here), and the sales manager personally got involved in my plate issue. There is no way they could have been better. I'm not aware of another dealer in Metro DC selling Camry Hybrids for under MSRP, either.

I see that right now, they've got 1, and they are asking under MSRP for it. I know it doesn't apply in your case, but honestly I figured I'd get hit on the trade in, but their offer was the best I received as I said--I use CarMax as the gold standard because they almost always offer the most, and they didn't. Fitzgerald beat the Honda dealer down the street by $800 and CarMax by $500.

jbollt

Does anyone here have the first hand experience to compare the real world driving feel differences between the Highlander Hybrid and the Camry Hybrid. I realize they are total different. I have driven a Highlander Hy for 3 days, putting on about 600 miles, so I have a pretty good idea how it feels to drive. Excellent!

I have a deposit on a loaded Camry Hybrid (at MSRP), but have only been able to log a couple of "test drive" miles. I am particulary interested in the transition between ICE and battery and vice versa...but all comments are welcomed.

For my needs the HH is too pricy, and doesn't give the mileage on the highway I am looking for.

I am very excited.
thanks!

gillesmtl

I once used Febreze sprayed into the air intake to eliminate cigarette smoke odours - it worked.

I placed controls fully to new air, maximum fan and cooling, sprayed, and then into heating mode to reach the hot coil.

gandyfire

houtex1... Thanks for the tip. I plan to use the cruise periodically but don't plan on maintaining a steady speed for more than 10 to 15 minutes. On the highway I will probably run 60, 65, 70, 75 depending on traffic conditions. With bathroom stops (wife coming along) and other stops along the way I should be able to maintain a normal break in period. (Unlike our SuperDuty which I drove 100 miles around Atlanta then hooked up to a 31' trailer and headed for the Smokey mountains)

Now for the next couple of days I need to study the Nav manual and owners manual I downloaded.

Just picked up a Motorolla Razr also so I can use the Bluetooth on the way back. Provider is Alltel. Hope all goes well with pairing it to the car. Think I have it figured out.

kdhspyder

I've logged a lot of miles in both vehicles in addition to maybe 30000 mi in my Prius and others.

The HH is by far the fastest;
The TCH is very, very smooth and you will have all the power you need, but it's not a rocket;
The Prius is quiet and capable and the most efficient.

All three are smooth and effortless in the transitioning from ICE to EV and back.

hoosieriusb

Thanks! Although do you have to get the moonroof package and the rear bumper applique? The TCH's here in Maryland only have Carpet Mats ($199) and heated outside mirrors ($30) as extras. I assume that without the moonroof ($940) and the rear bumper applique ($49) the out-the-door price would be around $1000 less than the $27773 you paid.

Does that sound right?

mfletou1

Right. My particular car had those options on it. However, sitting right next to it in the lot were (at the time) 2 base Camry Hybrids with nothing but the mats and mirrors. They were $940 less.

You should definitely check www.fitzmall.com to see what their inventory is and what the option packages are. I should tell you that I looked at a lot of dealers in the area and Fitzgerald was the only one willing to go under MSRP.

Interestingly, my car was actually a dealer trade from a dealer in SE VA. Perhaps the explains its odd configuration which suited my purposes perfectly. It was transfered to Fitzgerald on a dealer trade--related to color, apparently.

The applique I didn't especially care about, but I was hardly going to try to negotiate it out, and it was installed at the port, not by the dealer so it wasn't like they had anything to do with it being on there. If I hadn't gotten such a great deal on my trade, perhaps I would have addressed it but at the point where they were offering hundreds more for my car than other dealers, and I was trying to buy a red hot model that had people lined up (literally) behind me to buy it, I was pretty happy with how things turned out.

Took delivery 6/26, now have 1700 miles. Averaging about 34.5 mpg.

PF_Flyer

If you have an audio system question, be sure to check the Camry Hybrid Audio & Entertainment Questions discussion. I've moved a few recent posts from this discussion to that topic and you may continue there.

hamm3r

I once used Febreze sprayed into the air intake to eliminate cigarette smoke odours - it worked.

I have had similar success using a can of Lysol.

hamm3r

I live in Old Bridge and originally placed my deposit with Freehold Toyota, however after waiting for about 2 months I called around and wound up buying mine from a dealer in North Jersey.

Ha! My deposit was originally with Freehold as well. Bought mine in west NJ.

PF_Flyer

As you may have noticed, new discussions are popping up all over the boards. What we're doing is moving away from huge discussions, like this one, towards smaller, more focused discussions. This will make it easier for users to find the information they're after without having to sift through thousands of posts in a large discussion.

I've moved some posts from this discussion to help start up some new ones like:

Camry Hybrid Audio & Entertainment Questions

Toyota Camry Hybrid Accessories & Modifications

Toyota Camry Hybrid Test Drive - What Did You Think?

New Camry Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report

Toyota Camry Hybrid Battery Pack Replacement

Camry Hybrid: Where Do I Find Good Service?

Toyota Camry Hybrid- Changes You'd Like To See

So when you have a post to make, check the discussion list first to find the appropriate discussion. If there really isn't a discussion to fit your question or comment, please feel free to start up a new one. We can adjust titles later if we have to

I'll be pulling more posts and creating new discussions as we go along, and posting reminders about them as well.

If you ever have and ideas or suggestions for the forum, please feel free to click on my username and drop me an email!

hamm3r

What we're doing is moving away from huge discussions, like this one, towards smaller, more focused discussions.

Thank you! I'm sorry to say it, but I hate the Edmunds forums because of the huge discussions. What a PITA to stay current on these forums.

larsb

There is nothing (to my knowledge) about the outside heat levels or humidity which will prevent the TCH from going into EV mode when all other required engine conditions are met.

We have been averaging about 107 degrees every day in July so far, and I get my TCH in EV mode every day, and my commute is very short, just 7 miles of city streets each way.

Something you can try willybill:

With a warmed-up engine and while driving along below 42 MPH on a straight, open city street and the ICE on and the ECO mode button turned on and the A/C in recirc mode set to 65 degrees (not to LO):

turn of the A/C button, leaving the fan blowing.

If the battery charge is up, then the car should go to EV mode within a few seconds if you lighten up a little on the throttle.

If the car does not go into EV mode with this test, then something may be wrong with the car.

Something else I have noticed is that the higher I set the inside temp control, the more happy the car is to switch to EV mode. So I have been keeping it as high and the kids and I can stand, which is usually 65 for the first couple of miles, then to about 73-78.

PF_Flyer

Well then we're moving in the right direction for you hamm3r! Over time, more and more smaller discussions about single issues will be appearing and the multi-thousand post, catch-all discussions will start to dwindle as we all develop new habits!

Like I said, if you have an aspect of the TCH you want to discuss and there isn't an existing dicussion that really covers it, feel free to start one up or ask me to get one going.

Thanks in advance for your help and understanding as we rearrange the furniture!!

PF_Flyer

Another new discussion is born. Posts on bluetooth/phone issues will be found and should be made in the Camry Hybrid: Bluetooth/Phone Issues discussion.

PF_Flyer

Stop into the chat room tonight to meet and greet some of your fellow forums fanatics. (Couldn't resist a little alliteration there)

The Edmunds Member Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule

PF_Flyer

I've started up a discussion on Toyota Camry Hybrid Air Conditioning Questions, and I'm starting to move posts on AC issues to that topic. Follow that link to continue there.

PF_Flyer

I've moved a group of posts to the new Camry Hybrid ICE Not Turning Off discussion as well.

umpire63

My loaded desert sand TCH is at the dealer after a little less than two months of waiting. Took it for a little spin yesterday, and it handled well, rode well, and was very quiet. I did feel the little rumble after starting from a complete stop that some have encountered, but that seems to be the nature of the beast.

Seats were comfortable, the interior laid out nicely, and the materials seem of decently high quality. It also has almost as much interior room as my '02 Avalon, so I can get the whole family in the car.

It came with everything, including a spoiler, which I really didn't want. I'm hoping I can get the price of that dropped from the purchase price.

Pick it up on Saturday afternoon after haggling over the value of my trade. Gas went to $3.15 a gallon here this morning, so it couldn't have come too soon.

Some time next week I'll post my observations after having driven it a bit.

PF_Flyer

Posts on the experiences of new TCH owners have been moved to the New Camry Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report discussion.

Please remember to check the discussion list to find the appropriate discussion. This will help make it easier for users tofind the info they want without having to wade through several thousand postings.

Thanks for your understanding while we all learn new habits!

pgrokkos

Found a fully loaded TCH in the color I want but it has a Remote Starter option installed. In looking through forums and other web sites, it seems like its a dealer installed option which they are charging $499 for. I'm not too thrilled with it and am considering whether its worth basicly paying the extra $$ for the feature, simply because its the color I want and its available today.

Any thoughts on whether it makes sense to have this option? I generally don't mind the option, seems like on a cold day for a regular car, it would be nice. But can anyone comment on what exactly it would do for a TCH? Seems like it would start the electric motor. Would that really heat the car up at all? Would that help the heating system kick in at a warmer rate than walking in cold? Do you need to let a TCH run for a few minutes to warm up before pulling out on a cold day?

tsy

I have it, but could easily live without it. For me it was a port installed option, but I'm sure it's easy enough for a dealer to install it. Just remember, every option on your camry adds to the dealer profit. Keep that in mind (i.e. be skeptical of your dealer)

It is a convenience. If you live somewhere really cold or really hot, you can set your climate control before you leave, start your car 5-10 minutes before you leave, and your car will be nice and comfy the minute you open the door.

Of course with your engine running you are getting 0 mpg and creating emissions also.

My guess is the dealer is padding his profits.

tom

njerald

link title

studio69

I live on the west coast of Canada. I ordered a TCH in the middle of April and still no TCH.
Is there any one else in this area that has there TCH yet? I was told it would be here at the end of May and I could understand being a few weeks late but it's already the end of July. I contacted Toyota Canada and they responded with a nice email but does not fully explain why.
If there are any other West coast Canadians that have ordered back in April and are still waiting let me know. I guess it's possible the dealer sold it to someone else even though I have a deposit on it.

PF_Flyer

Posts on bluetooth have been moved to the Camry Hybrid: Bluetooth/Phone Issues discussion. Follow that link and continue there.

droid13

TCH's hit the Toronto area in late May / early June. I ordered mind in 2nd week of June and they got one for me later the next week. Of course, this doesn't help you in BC. When I bought my car the dealer mentioned to me they had just sold an FJ Cruiser to someone in Vancouver and was having it shipped all the way back. I guess not to much high demand vehicles are available in your area...

smile1017

I just placed my deposit on a TCH last night. Dealer said that it would be 3-6 weeks for delivery. I live in SoCal and hope that that will be the case.
I am like the way it ran and the power that it had during the test drive. I drive a 99 Camry now and it will definitely be smoother and the transmission will actually be smoother than my current camry. However, I am a little dissapointed with the options. If you want a moonroof, most the cars that are coming in the foreseeable future also have the NAV and leather. I just wanted a moonroof that I could leave tilted up to keep the car cooler when it's parked (it's been over 100 and humid lately. Hoping to save on a/c running time). Now I have to spend about $2K more for the NAV and leather even though Toyota sait that it is optional.
I am buying the car through the Costco Car sales program and will be paying $100 below sticker. Not much but helps. Some dealers here are place a premium on top of sticker.
My car will end up being about $6K more than the 4cyl Camry. But I do like the little bit of pick me up help that the hybrid gets from the electric enging when going from a stop. That was one of my complaints with my current Camry (not enought pick up). Plus with the IRS credit and a state income tax deduction bill pending in the CA legislature, I'm hoping the difference will not end up being that much.
Now to my questions:
1) If anyone has switched from a similar camry, would like to know how you feel about the hybrid?
2) Has anyone noticed any difference in FE when they drive with the moonroof open?

Thanks for everyone's patience if these questions have been answered already. I probably missed them while scanning through the 2400+ posts.

talk2jesse99

I don't know if I can answer your two questions but I think I should warn you about that 3-6 week waiting period if you are ordering a loaded one. I had my deposits at a couple of places in socal including longo. The all said 6-8 weeks but actually they are not getting enough cars. I don't think they can make it b'fore sept 30'th. After waiting four weeks the guy at longo told me that they get less than 10 loaded cars in a month and they have 100+ people on the wait list.I ordered mine from San Jose and mine is at san francisco port waiting delivery. All this in just one week. Though I had to make a compromise on color.
If you want base then try longo. thye were offering me one with free sattelite radio and I am sure they would have knocked a couple hundered from MSRP to make a deal. And you can even get one with just the moonroof, I think!
As for driving impressions compared to 1999 camry I have both 1998 xle V6 and 1999 I4. This thing is totally different. Those two cars don't even compare to regular new model camry's in terms of transmission whereas hybrid is whole different beast.
Power is almost same as my 1998 V6 but you don't feel the car accelerating. It lacks a driving feel but if you read the speedo, hybrid is is really quicker than the V6. Thanks to CVT, there are no hesitations. If you are coming from a 4Cyl camry, then you will see a big difference. It doesn't jump from a stop(though my V6 does) it gets really fast grdually. All this is based on my two test drives. I would have a better opinion once I take delivery of my White TCh with ash in a week or two!

camyg

I've had the loaded hybrid since 6/22 and have about 2900 miles on it. I also have an'03 Camry Xle 4 cyl. At this point in time, I've had not problems with the hybrid and, if I had the extra money, I would trade in the 03 on another hybrid since it is getting 40-43 mpg. Alas, I do not! And the 03 Camry still gets 34-36 mpg.
Anyway, having only the moonroof open should not have any noticable affect on FE since it creates minimal wind resistance.
After you get it, I think you are likely to really like the Nav. I have found some shorter, less congested routes with it already. The hybrid info screens are very cool also.

spiff72

I am curious whether anyone else is surprised how easy it is to chirp (and even squeal - until VDIM intervenes) the tires when starting from a dead stop, and really stepping on the gas.

I haven't even floored it from a dead stop yet, but I am still able to break traction easily when I want to get moving in a hurry.

I am wondering if this is tire-related. I have the Michelin tires, but I know that there are a lot of TCH's equipped with the Bridgestones.

jbollt

elec motor provides a lot of torque, right now...

jbollt

Does anyone know if the TCH uses the spin on type oil filter, or the new cartridge type?

My understanding is that the new Toyota 3.5L V6 uses the cartridge type, and current the 2.4L 4cyl uses the spin on type, but since the TCH uses a modified (Atkinson) engine, I was wondering if Toyota went to the new type on this car.