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I can't imagine any manufacturer making a significant design change in one year unless sales flopped. In this case they have not.
The volume of the TCH trunk may not sound like much, but it's usuable space rather than being comprised of a bunch of angles and detentions pressed in metal like many cars. What I'm saying is that all volumes are not created equal.
Sounds like you may need a Crown Victoria.
There were comments early in the introduction of people, especially in the SET and west Coast, getting aftermarket leather. Some liked it but many complained of the quality and the fit as well as not getting the heated seats included in the price that was the equivalent of the factory cost.
I'm happy with the leather, in that I don't have any problems. I don't think it is of a luxury quality, it doesn't feel ultra soft, like in a Lexus, etc, but it's much nicer than cloth.
The trunk is not huge, but we use this as a commuter vehicle and rare carry anything in the trunk. There are times if we have 4 people and suit cases going to the airport, that we take our SUV. So if this were your only vehicle, it might pose a problem.
I doubt if the batteries will get smaller soon. (not for 5-10yrs). Smaller batteries are much more expensive and run hotter.
The battery size and power won't change much until the nickel-metal hydride battery pack is replaced with lithium-ion batteries. And that won't happen for a while. They still have the nasty habit of catching fire.
Toyota just announced the public testing of a plug-in version.
If you are a long-term hybrid owner, our Senior Editor, John O'Dell, would love to hear from you! A short email with your maintenance experiences and concerns would be great. Please send to John at jodell@edmunds.com by close of business Wednesday, August 22, 2007. Be sure and include your Forums username.
Fitzmall looks like it has some good prices, but they have a bunch of 07's is there a lot of 08's out there, or are they almost out.
I know they reduced the price on the 08's by 1k but reduced options by 2k.
All things being equal for resale etc which is the better way to go, I was hoping to get a base model in October, when the new accord was a out, hopefully a little cheaper w incentives etc, but if the 07's are gone there prob wont be any good incentives
All things being equal for resale etc which is the better way to go
Several things to consider. First the 07 is a one model year old used car as soon as you drive it off. In a couple of years I would expect the difference in depreciation would be about $1500. You can check that on used car prices for say a 3 and 4 year old camry.
Also how long do you plan to keep the car. If it's long term (5+ years) I'd go with the cheapest option. If it's 2 to 3 years then you need to evaluate your milage driven and if you're a high milage driver like a lot of sales people, you need to determine if you want a low milage three model year old car vrs a high milage 2 model year old car come trade in time.
concur. My wife hears a high pitched noise in passenger compartment and has to turn on the radio just to drown it out. This is on a 2007 Camry Hybrid, 50 Anneversary Edition.
I have a constant clicking noise that comes from the front left top dash area. The clicking is most noticeable when the outside temps are over 80. Has someone else experienced this and is there a solution.
I had some noise on the right passenger side, which turned out to be the right seatbelt rattling on the side rail when no one was in the passenger seat. Corrected by straightening out the seatbelt.
I have taken my TCH in several times due to these agravating noises. They first appeared to the left of the radio. If I pushed just above the ignition button it would stopped. Unfortunately my thumb would get tired. That took three times to Toyota to get it right. The next sounded like it was from the same place but actually came from the area where the shifter is housed. They put insulation there and it seems ok.
She is hearing the plasmacluster. The sound eminates from the left-most vent in the dash. You can manually close the vent, which helps deaden the sound. It drives me crazy.
Has anyone noticed than sometimes (not always) when opening the drivers door, there is a clicking noise in the engine compartment. No, this is not the locks unlocking...but definitely some type of clicking or rat-tat-tat noise in the engine compartment....
That's exactly my experience as well. The clicking noise is usually intermittent in response to road bumps etc., and does seem to go away on cold days. It's coming from the left top dash area. I took a number of things off that area of the dash board (speaker grill, vent cover) but didn't help the noise a bit. Seems like it's buried deeper. As much as I love my TCH '07, this noise drives me nuts. Has anyone experienced this?
I'm taking the car in to the dealer tomorrow(my third time). Previous times he took off my windshield wipers, dash and left fender but it's still clicking. I'll let you know if we get it solved.
I think you have a case for a Lemon Law. If it is distracting to the point of making driving hazardous. We have enough nutty drivers on the road. We don't need you to be driven nuts. Just a thought.
Guys, I'm not picking on any of you who have rattles and noises in the TCH which are annoying. Some things in life can get annoying if they are repetitive and unavoidable.
But seriously: the day a car is "lemon-lawed" for an unsolvable "clicking noise" will be the day the lemon law failed us.
Lemon laws were put in place to protect consumers from DEFECTIVE vehicles:
"A law obligating manufacturers or sellers to repair, replace, or refund the price of motor vehicles that prove to be defective."
I don't think there is a jury or a court which would declare a car "defective" because there is a clicking noise coming from the upper left dash.
I'm sure it's annoying. And I would bug the dealer incessantly until it's fixed.
But let's get realistic and drop the talk about trying to "lemon law it" for a clicking noise - because that AINT gonna happen, so don't waste your time or effort or money going down that road.
Just be patient and get the dealer to fix it. They CAN fix it if they think they are going to lose a customer, believe me. There are dozens of thousands of those Camrys being driven around the world which do not have the click.
Dealer couldn't fix it by end of day so I took the car home. By next week the weather is going to cool down so I'll just leave it till next May. It's so annoying, I drove the car home from the dealer and all I could hear was the clicking.
I've gotten e-mails from the two closest dealers to me. They both are advertising 2007 Camry Hybrids for $500 to $1000 over invoice. Is this fairly common?
Sorry to hear that. The car would be just perfect without it, wouldn't it? Anyhow, I found the following post that talks about struts (!!!) causing the damn clicking. I'll be taking mine to the dealer and make them look at it. :sick:
I just hit 4400 miles on my TCH and the dashboard says "Maintenance required soon" everytime I power on. Its a bit disconcerting. Does everyone get this too? Does the car actually know that its service schedule is every 5000 mile?
Since the 2008's have been out for about 45 days it makes sense. I'm surprised that any of the '07s are still on the lot. Either.. a) these stores took in too many b) they have little or no interest, or knowledge, about hot to sell them
Yes at 4500 miles it will blink three times when you power on, then go out. At 5000 miles it will come on and stay on until you go in and do the service.
It's a 3rd trip meter. It's reset to zero after the service is finished. All new Toyota's have it now.
My first service will be provided free of charge by the dealer. So I can count on it going away then. But.. I have been considering doing the oil change on my own for the 10k. Will it get reset if i do it on my own? We know the computer is programmed to detect a fuelup. Would it actually detect an oil change and reset the message too? Hmm...
There is a disclaimer stating that the push button start may interfere with pacemakers, yet I don't see the warning on the prius. I assume it's the same system. Anyone(with pacemakers) concerned?
If you read the owner's manual it mentions the car will make some noises even though not running. It's a normal part of the hybrid system. It sounds like a bunch of clicks in succesion. I have the same thing in my car.
I think I remember this happening to someone else but I can't find the post.
I was at the top of a pretty steep hill, while waiting for cars to pass the ICE shuts down. Hit the gas pedal and nothing happens. Car doesn't move, ICE doesn't kick in. Hit the brake, then hit the gas, ICE starts up and car goes. Strange. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has noticed this- I'll have it checked out next time I change my oil.
What a great car. I am delighted to be driving a 5-star sedan that's comfortable, powerful, and loaded (even though I got the base version w/o JBL,Nav,Bluetooth,compass,leather - it's so well equipped I don't miss the rest). Still on the first tank of gas. 226 miles, 35.6 MPG - wow! I am stunned. That includes some big hills (over the pass between S.B and Buellton), and because of the rain I had the lights, heater, fan, defroster and windshield wipers going most of the time. Still, I didn't do anything special; just set the cruise control to the speed limit and smile. The Camry Hybrid is all you have said - a great car. As for the funny noises, well, I am an engineer, so I marvel at all the great engineering that found its way into this car. This car is the sweet spot. Great 8-way power seat, lots of hip, leg and headroom. So many great little features. The best part for me personally is I have always driven too fast and always knew I should have greater self control. Well, this car now gives me the motivation to kick back and use a ton less gasolene...thanks to you all for sharing how cool this car is. I almost bought a couple of other cars, went back and forth. Finally I was sure the Camry was the one. No regrets!
I'm purchasing a Camry Hybrid w/in the next couple of weeks, but I haven't yet decided if I should purchase a 2007 or a 2008. Any opinions on which is the better model? I do want the leather interior and the NAV.
I don't know so much about the 2008 but I am very happy with my 07. It has everything I could want in a car for the price and the gas mileage is great (usually about 36 to 38 mpg). I would recommend it to any of my friends. Not just because it is a comfortable car but because it goes a fair was toward getting off our oil fix. In any case good luck.
As far as I know ... the 2007 & 2008 are essentially the same. We bought a 2008 with every possible option around two weeks ago. I would say to go for the 2008 for the simple fact that the 2009's will be here before you know it
I just bought an 08 and love it. I couldn't find an 07, I didn't think there are any left. I ended up w/ leather, blue tooth and alloy wheels. It is a great car. I get great mileage, and it should last longer as there is less wear and tear on the engine. I did purchase an extended warranty as it is a new concept in an auto and wanted to be on the safe side. I had a friend w/ a Honda civic hybrid that did have a major part failure after it was out of warranty.
Susan are you looking at a USED 2007? I doubt that there are any NEW 2007s leftover. 2008s have a $500 rebate now in most places can be had very affordably.
The 2009s will be out in a couple of weeks. Probably no rebates or incentives on these.
I had read that the 2009's would be out shortly as well. When looking for our 2008 a little over 2 weeks ago ... I showed the dealer the press releases I found online. I said maybe I should wait for the new one's. After passing it around the dealership, they finally told me that the 2009 hybrids would see the sales floor until September at the earliest. He said the other models always come first, and the hybrids later on.
I figured they were just telling me what suited them (me buying the 2008 now). We wound up going with the 2008 ... because we didn't want to wait any more. As long as the 2009's aren't much different ... I won't be too mad I guess. :mad:
I bought a new 2008 Camry Hybrid, a couple of weeks ago. I have been looking for the All-weather mats for the Camry, since. It appears that these were recalled by Toyota the last quarter in 2007. Any idea as to when it would be available. Also, I was wondering how you other new Camry owners are managing without these mats, especially if you live in snow/slush prone part of the US.
I bought the all weather mats at Costco for $20. They fit the Camry just fine. This is the 4th car I've bought these mats for .. they do the job perfectly.
I got my mats early and am not sending them back for the new ones. I've never had a problem with these types of mats and just because a few people have figured out how to screw them up and have wrecks by not using them properly should not be a reason for a recall. I'm guessing the new ones will be idiot proof but probably not as large (nor offer as much protection)
Ditto -- the set of four from Costco look good enough and give pretty good coverage. Though my detailer will have to do a little bit more work on the spring cleanup compared to the easy job he had in the fall....
Comments
The volume of the TCH trunk may not sound like much, but it's usuable space rather than being comprised of a bunch of angles and detentions pressed in metal like many cars. What I'm saying is that all volumes are not created equal.
Sounds like you may need a Crown Victoria.
There were comments early in the introduction of people, especially in the SET and west Coast, getting aftermarket leather. Some liked it but many complained of the quality and the fit as well as not getting the heated seats included in the price that was the equivalent of the factory cost.
The trunk is not huge, but we use this as a commuter vehicle and rare carry anything in the trunk. There are times if we have 4 people and suit cases going to the airport, that we take our SUV. So if this were your only vehicle, it might pose a problem.
I doubt if the batteries will get smaller soon. (not for 5-10yrs). Smaller batteries are much more expensive and run hotter.
Toyota just announced the public testing of a plug-in version.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070725/tc_nm/toyota_plugins_dc
I know they reduced the price on the 08's by 1k but reduced options by 2k.
All things being equal for resale etc which is the better way to go, I was hoping to get a base model in October, when the new accord was a out, hopefully a little cheaper w incentives etc, but if the 07's are gone there prob wont be any good incentives
Several things to consider. First the 07 is a one model year old used car as soon as you drive it off. In a couple of years I would expect the difference in depreciation would be about $1500. You can check that on used car prices for say a 3 and 4 year old camry.
Also how long do you plan to keep the car. If it's long term (5+ years) I'd go with the cheapest option. If it's 2 to 3 years then you need to evaluate your milage driven and if you're a high milage driver like a lot of sales people, you need to determine if you want a low milage three model year old car vrs a high milage 2 model year old car come trade in time.
thanks. :confuse:
As much as I love my TCH '07, this noise drives me nuts. Has anyone experienced this?
But seriously: the day a car is "lemon-lawed" for an unsolvable "clicking noise" will be the day the lemon law failed us.
Lemon laws were put in place to protect consumers from DEFECTIVE vehicles:
"A law obligating manufacturers or sellers to repair, replace, or refund the price of motor vehicles that prove to be defective."
I don't think there is a jury or a court which would declare a car "defective" because there is a clicking noise coming from the upper left dash.
I'm sure it's annoying. And I would bug the dealer incessantly until it's fixed.
But let's get realistic and drop the talk about trying to "lemon law it" for a clicking noise - because that AINT gonna happen, so don't waste your time or effort or money going down that road.
Just be patient and get the dealer to fix it. They CAN fix it if they think they are going to lose a customer, believe me. There are dozens of thousands of those Camrys being driven around the world which do not have the click.
It's unfortunately just loud enough to be quite annoying in an otherwise quiet car.
I'm hoping they find it soon- 3 strikes and you're out!
tom
http://priuschat.com/index.php?s=9d8acf6ded26036179a54c326f6115f3&showtopic=3522- 9&st=0&p=469793&#entry469793
a) these stores took in too many
b) they have little or no interest, or knowledge, about hot to sell them
It's a 3rd trip meter. It's reset to zero after the service is finished. All new Toyota's have it now.
My first service will be provided free of charge by the dealer. So I can count on it going away then. But.. I have been considering doing the oil change on my own for the 10k. Will it get reset if i do it on my own? We know the computer is programmed to detect a fuelup. Would it actually detect an oil change and reset the message too? Hmm...
tom
I was at the top of a pretty steep hill, while waiting for cars to pass the ICE shuts down. Hit the gas pedal and nothing happens. Car doesn't move, ICE doesn't kick in. Hit the brake, then hit the gas, ICE starts up and car goes. Strange. Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has noticed this- I'll have it checked out next time I change my oil.
tom
Still on the first tank of gas. 226 miles, 35.6 MPG - wow! I am stunned. That includes some big hills (over the pass between S.B and Buellton), and because of the rain I had the lights, heater, fan, defroster and windshield wipers going most of the time. Still, I didn't do anything special; just set the cruise control to the speed limit and smile. The Camry Hybrid is all you have said - a great car. As for the funny noises, well, I am an engineer, so I marvel at all the great engineering that found its way into this car. This car is the sweet spot. Great 8-way power seat, lots of hip, leg and headroom. So many great little features. The best part for me personally is I have always driven too fast and always knew I should have greater self control. Well, this car now gives me the motivation to kick back and use a ton less gasolene...thanks to you all for sharing how cool this car is. I almost bought a couple of other cars, went back and forth. Finally I was sure the Camry was the one. No regrets!
I don't know so much about the 2008 but I am very happy with my 07. It has everything I could want in a car for the price and the gas mileage is great (usually about 36 to 38 mpg). I would recommend it to any of my friends. Not just because it is a comfortable car but because it goes a fair was toward getting off our oil fix. In any case good luck.
The 2009s will be out in a couple of weeks. Probably no rebates or incentives on these.
Any idea what the pricing will be on the 2009s? I suppose once they're out they'll have more incentives for buying the 2008s...
I figured they were just telling me what suited them (me buying the 2008 now). We wound up going with the 2008 ... because we didn't want to wait any more. As long as the 2009's aren't much different ... I won't be too mad I guess. :mad:
I have been looking for the All-weather mats for the Camry, since. It appears that these were recalled by Toyota the last quarter in 2007. Any idea as to when it would be available.
Also, I was wondering how you other new Camry owners are managing without these mats, especially if you live in snow/slush prone part of the US.