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believe it or not, vehicles don't all have the same highest gas mileage speed.
Once I get mine in a couple weeks I'll probably end up being scarce on these forums (unless something notable comes up) and post more over there, and become part of the data pool.
I emailed the host a couple of weeks ago. He informed me that when the TCH people start to post he would add this to the data base. If several of us post an email to him I am of the opinion that he will set it up for us.
Still waiting for the right color to come in with the loaded package.
As far as "saving more by being clogged up behind him" well if I had an automatic tranny then maybe - but the twitchy unrelaxed gas pedal foot wouldn't find a good spot... and personally I tend to find myself in 5th gear (have a 6 speed manual) waiting to return to regular speed in such situations (last remaining residue of young man's impatience). That's not saving gas.
Regarding your emphatic references to the "posted limit is not a 'guide'" well here in FL you CAN'T normally get a speeding ticket unless you are going more than 5mph over the posted speed limit. Judge will throw it out. Of course unusual circumstances such as driving rain or fog you can get cited (duh!). But it was a sunny day....
And this wasn't a neighborhood (where I agree, going exactly the speed limit is a VERY considerate thing to do, what with kids, cats, squirrels, etc.), it was a 2-lane highway. And the Prius driver, unless he was on massive sedatives, must have seen the traffic jam behind him. Grrr.....
I go 75 on the FL turnpike, the speed limit is 70. And yes, it amazes me how folks will get right on my [non-permissible content removed] - with a lane available to go around me even!
And lastly, considering the words and tone of your entire post, your last sentence was completely off - didn't you mean that you had the right to go 10mph UNDER the limit?
Where did it get me. Right here in front of my PC. Hummm, same place I'd be if I had not rushed. Really it has taken a lot of stress out of my life. I drive slower, don't get angry.
My biggest stress comes now from going over to the GM forums and taking hits from anti Toyota / Hybrid GM buyers. I can only take it for a little while and I come back here.
Life is a ride
The Joy is in the Journey
if the slowpoke Prius has a lane to his right, he should be in that lane if there is traffic clogging up behind him - even if he is going well OVER the speed limit
Some people never look in the rear view mirror. Dolts!
I have had a loaded silver Camry Hybrid (leather, Nav, Roof etc) for one week now. I traded in a 2004 Cadillac CTS-V and have been enjoying my new performance vehicle very much. I have 315 miles and am just now at a half tank. (That is a new experience). The 405 HP in the Caddy was fun on the rare occasions you could get away from traffic and actually use it but it was by far a more crude interpretation of an automobile than this Camry.
First impressions:
Why in the world would anyone buy a Lexus now? That was my first impression. The car is uber quiet, roomy and very, very smooth. I am 6'3" and have no issue with the roof height with sunroof. I have my first tank average so far at 39.4 and it is a total hoot to drive this car within its design envelope. (Love the stealth mode.....shhhhhhhh). The car is a most enjoyable vehicle to drive, stereo good enough and have had zero issues with the surging some people mentioned. At the 300 mile mark my gut feeling is Toyota has a definite winner on their hands. Home run actually. Look out Detroit!
But it just keeps getting better and better!
However I have come across a most interesting side benefit of driving the Hybrid. Because the car helps you see where the energy is going it trains you how to apply or not apply power to maximize they Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). Do this right and the Camry Hybrid rewards you with near 40 mpg combined mileage. Good enough.... but here is the Hybrid Effect. My wife who has put half the miles on the car drives as her main vehicle a volvo XC-90. This pig and her lead foot combined give a 12-13 mpg average.......and that is with premium gas.......YEOUCH. Now after seeing how accelerating and stabbing the gas/brake pedal impacts mileage on the wicked cool energy meeter we reset her mileage calculator in the Volvo and schizzam..... she averaged 16.4 mpg over a hundred miles or so. I was totally shocked at first that my beautiful wife could actually be trained on anything at this stage in our marriage but then was swept away with pride that she had finally learned about the concept of conservation of momentum. Normally she was on the gas right up to the stoplight...then hard on the brakes.....then back hammering on the gas. (of course as a bonus she makes sure that she hit every possible pot-hole in the road too).
So not only is the Camry Hybrid fun to drive it is actually saving me gas on TWO vehicles and disproves the theorum that you can't teach an old dog new tricks........Now if I can just teach her some other tricks with the ole stick shift.........................
SO There it is, one more reason to buy this wonderful car.......... THE HYBRID EFFECT.
MotorMouth
Congratulations... to the both of you
Wanted leather but would have had to wait a few months- I saw an example of aftermarket leather which was very supple and nice- maybe better than Toyota's.
The car handles much better than I expected- not much worse than the SE I also test drove. They've certainly made a lot of improvements to the ride and handling. Still really quiet, almost Lexus levels. Plenty of pickup, much more than adequate for driving around town.
I've had the car for less than a day, but my wishes are:
1. Break away side mirrors. I can't believe it doesn't have them! I'm sure the cars in Japan have them! (probably power folding)
2. Memory seats. (are they keyed into the remotes?)
3. Nicer exhaust sound. (I know, picky, but it sounds too much like a tin can!)
4. Power outlet in the center console storage.
5. Side mouldings. (I know they're an option)
6. Backup camera option with the nav (might have waited for this)
I know, all nitpicky, but there really isn't much to complain about. Very well made and designed. I'm quite happy with it!
tom
State credits will vary.
So you were able to get a spoiler? I had not thought those were available yet...?
Also, how does the remote start help it is a hybrid and doesn't take anytime to warm up?
I don't realy need a remote starter- also installed at the port. Remote starters are good if it is really cold outside and you want to warm up the car before you get in it. Just turn the heater on before you get out of the car the night before, and when you remote start it from the warmth of your living room, in 10 minutes you will step into a nice warm car. Yeah, I don't know how useful it will be for me here in Seattle though.
tom
edit: ahh, other people responded already. It's a $295 option. If you add it on at the dealer, I'm sure they'll charge installation.
Believe it or not, the first TCH I ever laid eyes on is mine. So I just bought a car I had never seen or driven. I did drive the XLE 4 cyl and 6 cyl models.
The trunk is smaller than I am used to coming from Gen 3 Camry. But we think we can do our bike vacation this summer in the TCH instead of the CRV.
The nav will take some figuring out. I did use it to direct me home from an errand today (about 15 mile trip) and the route was the one I always take. Never having used nav before, I am very impressed. The learning will be fun.
"What a long strange trip it's been..." - from first giving my name to a local dealer in January, to multiple deposits by April, through justifying to myself that it's okay to buy such a luxurious car and it is not a sin to pay MSRP, and finding such generous people sharing knowledge and tips with each other along the way. AND - finding that there are good decent salesman with integrity out there. Thank you all. Keep on truckin'........
'there is a road, no simple highway
between the dawn and the dark of night
and if you go, no one may follow
that path is for your steps alone'
"Ripple"
Jerry Garcia
another great road tune.
Congrats, annie
I drove the Accord, liked it, loved the performance...I'm a performance kind of guy (and really not somebody you'd consider "Green"--my hybrid motives are HOV related). It was impressive, but i didn't fit especially well in it (6'2, long legs). Price was about 27600, trade offer was $6200.
I knew that Fitzgerald Toyota in Gaithersburg had a Barcelona Red '07 Hybrid that had recently come on, so sort of on a whim we decided to check it out. Fitzmall had like 4 hybrids, they had just sold one when we got there. The Barcelona Red Hybrid had a Bisque interior and was optioned with a sunroof and power mirrors. I thought this was a nice middle ground between the way optioned up interior. As soon as we saw the vehicle, it was like getting hit in the gut. My decision was going to be much tougher than I thought. The "fabric" interior really isn't fabric--its like a fine suede. It felt great. The look of the car--particulary in that color--was stunning. It looks fresh, new...expensive. The interior was well laid out, the key fob impressive, blue tooth, etc.
We took it for a test drive. It was faster than I expected...a little sluggish off the line perhaps, and maybe a little jerky. As the drive continued, i got the hang of it. Once it got up to speed, it felt great. Still, I was torn. We had some lunch, then came back. Meanwhile, the car was drawing massive amounts of attention. Literally, people were all over it, I heard somebody say that was the one I wanted. I asked for another test drive, and this time took it out solo. I drove it pretty aggressively...it handled better and felt more solid than I thought it would.
The MSRP of the car was 27698. Dealer price was 26797, with a processing fee of $99. That was it, no other charges. I was aware that many of you are waiting for your TCH's, and had paid MSRP or perhaps even more. My sense was that in this market, $800 off MSRP was a very good deal.
Perhaps the clincher was the dealer offer for my trade--$7000. $500 over Carmax and $600 over KBB. It was a fair offer. I really wanted to get my wife leather seats that were heated, and this car didn't have it. But she absolutely loved the TCH and said she could easily live without the heated seats--the MP3 capability (Accord doesn't have) made up for it as far as she was concerned.
The dealer was as patient as could be, and zero pressure. I felt a ton of pressure, however, because I had no doubt that that car would sell today. It was a transfer fresh from another dealer in VA, so it had only been on their lot a few days and was attracting a ton of interest. Finally, I decided to take the plunge, and we did the paperwork. I pick it up Monday.
I hope I made the right choice. Giving up some performance will be tough for me, I'm kind of an aggressive driver. However, I feel like the TCH can handle it, and 189 HP is adequate for a car that size. Road and Track has it at a 7.3 0-60 time which is actually equal to my Intrigue. So, I have joined the legion of TCH owners.
Funny how life works.
I think you'll really enjoy the TCH BUT if you continue to be an "aggressive" driver I wouldn't expect the high FE many of us are experiencing.
Congratulations.
Got 38.52 MPG for the long trip, NOT INCLUDING a 42.50 MPG jaunt from El Paso to Phoenix on the 26th. That EP-PHX run was at an average speed of 70 MPH, according to the car computer.
That's at speed limits from 65 to 80 MPH. Once, I made a video of my dashboard with the cruise set at 77 MPH and the real-time MPG was hovering between 40 MPG and 55 MPG, depending on the slight incline or decline of the Interstate.
Lovin my TCH !!!
I went from a 1995 Eagle vision which was doing well to get 17-18 miles per gallon in town even when I paid attention to how I drove (rarely in the last couple of months would I exceed 2000 RPM's on that car). Now I'm further challenging myself to get the most out of the electric motor. Two trips yesterday I bettered 40MPG according to the Eco drive readout. This morning on the way to work from a "cold" start it was in the 32 MPG but i only drive about 3 miles to work every day.
I find myself traveling the speed limit a lot more wanting to use the electric motor as much as possible. I find myself easing off the line.
Heck if it werent for the approach and incline of the bridge I cross to go over the ohio river each day, I would hardly tax the car at all!
I didn't buy the TCH solely for it's FE. I bought it because it was the most comfortable and roomy car I've ever experienced. I test drove a Mazda 6, a Honda Accord, a Pontiac G6 and Grand Prix, a Nissan Maxima (or was it their altima I can't remember) a Camry LE and a Camry SE. and they Hybrid was just the most comfortable and most enahanced featured vehicle I've ever been in. It looks great too.
The only drawback was I couldn't get one in the barcelona red or blue ribbon metallic. I pretty much settled on Silver.
It's a great day to drive a TCH!!!
In Arlington Texas and purchased my TCH from a family owned Dealership in Duncanville Metroplex Toyota. 2 month wait-no deposit required. People are great. My friend got his Prius from them YESTERDAY!! Waiting for the replies. My wifes car is a PRIUS. TEX!
You can post pictures on http://www.greenhybrid.com
Thanks
m
Price: $32,205 Including 2k IN TT&L. All items MSRP - Gold Pkg, Wind Shield, Sliding Arm Rest, Body Side Molding, Leather, Tint -- All Dealer installed. Heated Mirrors, Rear Spoiler, Mud Guards, Carpet, Moon Roof and Bridgestone Tires came with car. My wives car is a Prius and I am a happy new TCH owner- :shades: TEX in the Metrplex!!
More tomorrow! :shades: :shades:
By the way... I need a DVD demo disc to show me all of the features! THAT would be WAY cool!!!!
I have had my TCH 6 weeks now, and couldn't be happier. It is the loaded one with Nav/Leather/Sunroof and I paid full sticker....30,590....and so far think it is worth every penny. I have put just under 3K miles on the it and am getting 42 or 43 mpg. As others have noted, I have gotten better mileage as time as passed, but don't know if this from me learning the "tricks of the trade" of the car breaking in/learning my style. I suspect a little of both. My worst tank average was 39.5 on my first tank. Subsequent tanks have come in at 42.5, 43.5, 43.3, and 42.7.
I do drive to try and maximize my mileage. but not fanatically so. In fact I have learned that it isn't really to your advantage to try and stay in pure electric mode. It just wears your battery down faster, and when you end up in VERY prolonged stop-and-go (pretty common in Chicago) you can end up with not enough juice to be able to idle without the gas engine - especially with A/C. There is nothing worse than sitting stopped in a hybrid with the engine running as you watch your mpg drop in front of your eyes...
I've learned the best secret to mileage for me is coasting....I've really learned the timing of the lights on my daily commute and now now where I need to punch it up a notch to make the lights, and where I can coast because I CAN'T make the next light (no matter what the guy in back me thinks)....
I am in the suburbs of chicago, so I do alot of my driving on roads that are ideal for hitting that sweet spot of 35-40 mph where i can idle back into pure electric. I just coast where I can...then kick in gas motor to bring me back up to 42 or so and then coast some more...of course this is the midwest and the roads are basically flat, so that helps alot.
A headsup, having travelled in the Chi area for 15+ yrs, winter driving will decrease your Fuel Economy by 10-15%. I'd expect your winter FE to be more 34-35 than 39-41 mpg.
First day we only drove about 350 miles since we left the dealship after 3 pm. Got fuel in Ft. Campbell Kentucky and it only took 11.3 gallons with 488 miles ( 43.1)
Made it to Valdosa Georgia on the next tank and it took 12.3 gallons with 523 miles (42.5) Most of the time drove 70 but varied a bit due to not wanting to run constant speed for breaking it in. Total distance second day was 800 miles with no discomfort from the leather seats.
Got up this morning and drove another 100 miles to work....but hit a racoon that did a 360 in the road and did some damage to the area under the front bumper and tore a piece off that is attached. Tomorrow it goes to the insurance company to get checked out and then to local dealer for repair.
Overall I enjoy the car tremendously!! Three days and 1350 miles...
I love this car!! Actually, last night after calculating the mileage and non stop talking, my wife told me I was more than welcome to sleep in it.
I wonder what she meant by that?
Cheers, Tom
ADDITIONAL HYBRID EFFECT
The most unexpected benefit to my TCH is the reductiuon in aggravation and annoyance when stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Rather than just ticking me off, it has now become a game ...the Hybrid Mileage Challenge...how much can I pad my tank average during this glorious opportunity to run in electric mode (while still keeping the batteries charged enough to idle in electric whlie stopped).
Dave
So many posts about gas mileage... and no post about performance.
It looks to me that the total HP is significantly less than 200hp but the car's weight is near 4,000lbs. How does that work for you folks? Do you feel a lack of power during passing in hwy? How do you come off of a red light?
I own both a Prius 145hp on a 2,700lbs vehicle and a Lexus 400h 268hp on a ~4,000lbs vehicle. Both do very well in quick acceleration.
Please report the dynamic performance of the car.
It seems, from the data, that the Prius would outperform the TCH in both gas mileage and dynamic performance. The TCH does carry the "brandname" or better model name.
Thx.
I have merged onto freeway ramps at full throttle, and the TCH is FULLY CAPABLE of doing what you need in that area. There is no performance deficit that I notice at all.
A 3600 pound car, getting 35-42 MPG. It's an amazing car.
Dave
got mine june 10th....let me know if you have any questions...congratulations
I drove just a few miles around the city over the next few days after picking up the car. I had to go to Detroit on business. On the way back I filled up. I got 36.96 (OK, 37!) on the first tank. It is truly amazing how 'addictive' that ECO meter has become...I look at it every time I shut it down.
I noticed one owner said he had his windows tinted. Is that for personal comfort or does that help the cooling of the vehicle, which favorably impacts miles per gallon?
Thanks...
I have a question for you guys in the know, I was reading the manual (from Tundra Solutions) and it staed you can program the remote to de-select mirrow and seat positing. So it begs me to ask - if I can de-delect the feature - how do I select the option. :confuse:
I test drove a 1972 Toyota Cressida (which listed for $27000 in 1972) and it had the memory mirror and seat option.
Just wondering ....
Thanks