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Changes You'd Like To See in the Toyota Camry Hybrid

124

Comments

  • plknjplknj Member Posts: 121
    To start the car I have to be within range.. usually through my window with the car 10 or 15 feet away. Once it is on, it stays on though I am out of range.
  • lascottcalascottca Member Posts: 11
    When will the new 2008 camry hybrid be released? Thanks
  • chip107chip107 Member Posts: 6
    armrest on drivers side need a redesign it is very uncomfortable the handle hitting your arm above the wrist. Switch lights on the garage door switch.
  • brudoffbrudoff Member Posts: 7
    Things I miss from my 300C. Memory settings for seats, steering wheel, mirrors etc., rain sensing wipers, folding and tilt down side mirrors and better placement of cruise on wheel.
  • gampagampa Member Posts: 78
    I read so many articles about the Prius being altered with "plug ins"... or how to install the EV button as in European cars...always the Pruis.... but never the Camry Hybrid.

    Do ya think once they perfect the "plug ins" for the Prius maybe someone will think ... "hey lets do it for the the Camry Hybrid."

    I can only keep my fingers crossed.

    Gampa
  • jjyangjjyang Member Posts: 42
    I dont mean the elaborate additional Li battery pack like that in hymotion. That will require too much changes and $$$. I just mean a regular cord that will charge the battery to the optimal level and keep it warm at night. I am in the NE and seriously doubt the advertised mile when winter arrives. Even in the summer, I notice that the engine need to rev for a while before I can maintain a E mode even when cruising under 30 mph. It seems like the battery loses its edge overnight even when it is mostly full.
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    I am in the NE and seriously doubt the advertised mile when winter arrives.

    It's all relative but expect to lose about 2-3 mpg when it gets real cold. Another 1 to 3 for storms (water or snow on the road and wind)
  • mrpatmrpat Member Posts: 24
    has anyone had the dashboard squeak or rattle fixed?

    I read about it somewhere but I dont remember if it was this forum or or not.

    I assume the dealer will give me the runaround unless there is a tsb on it.

    Love the car otherwise. 34 to 42 mpg :(
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    There is a TSB.

    It's NV2008-07 which is specific to certain VINs.

    Supposedly takes the dealer 6 hours and requires virtually the complete disassembly of the dash.

    Check with your dealer and see if your VIN is on the list.
  • apotenzaapotenza Member Posts: 1
    What brand did you use for the car top carrier and the hitch carrier. Any problems like wind noise scratches etc. let me know
  • tbone0526tbone0526 Member Posts: 8
    Memory seats (as a couple posters have mentioned) would be at the top of my list. Seat should move to whichever key fob it detects by the driver's side door.

    I also agree that an EV mode button would be good for times like when I want to pull the car from the street into the garage and not have the ICE start. Maybe have it be more of an "EV request" button and have it wait to start the ICE until the car has been operated for a set period of time or the battery reaches a certain threshold.

    And now for my "new" idea...

    If Toyota comes up with a new and improved battery system in the next couple years, perhaps that saves weight and/or space, offer a retrofit to current TCH owners so we can get some of the trunk space back.
  • nkaizernkaizer Member Posts: 25
    1. I wish the speedo display of the trip computer, including whether the car is on gas or electric, dist. to empty, mpg per tank, temperature outside and other items, would alternate constantly, so that you don't have to press the button to get the feature you want to look at. It's aggravating

    2. I wish the steering wheel were leather wrapped. While it may iun fact be leather, it sure doesn't feel like it. Small sacrifice, I know, for helping the environment.

    3. Memory seating would be real nice, since I valet my car every day.

    4. The volume control is way too insensitive. It goes all the way up to level 60. How about maying it go to level 30 and doubling the sensitivity, so I don't have to spend time away from driving.

    5. I already overrode my speed lockout of my Navi and bluetooth, but they should really enable that in the future.

    6. How about a little firmer, sportier ride. It rides like a Cadillac from the 1970s. Stiffer springs might make the difference.

  • craigetalcraigetal Member Posts: 7
    I wish that the steering wheel had more adjustment, movement, than my current one does. It basically has almost no adjustment.
  • nkaizernkaizer Member Posts: 25
    And another thing. I don't like the way the cruise control is attached to the moving steering wheel. I would rather have it in a fixed position on the steering column so that when I am turning I know where it is at all times, like the signal lights and wipers.

    While we're on the subject off the cruise control, would it be nice if there were two indicator lights on the dash; one to tell us the cruise control was on and the other to tell if it was engaged, like every other car in the world. It's a little frustrating not to know if it's engaged or just ready to be engaged. I know, these are petty things, but after a 200 mile weekend on the Interstate, this is how I believe the car could be improved. .
  • pat85pat85 Member Posts: 92
    I do not know why the outside mirrors do not fold. I had a 4 Runner that had heated mirrors that folded.
    It can't be hard to do. I would pay for it as an option.
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    I can't imaging there would be very many people that need folding mirrors on a car. Unless there was a great need or usefulness for such an option it is cost prohibitive to add that as an option. My 4Runner had large mirrors that I had to worry about hitting things (the side of the garage door for instance). If I get close enough to hit my TCH mirrors on something I'm close enough to cave in my door as well.
  • nkaizernkaizer Member Posts: 25
    Try parking anywhere on the narrow streets of NYC if you think folding mirrors are not a necessity. If you park on these streets for one week, your mirrors will suffer serious abuse. Most probably, they will be taken off by a passing garbage truck, Fedex driver, US Mail; you name it. Every inch in this City counts and I bemoan the loss of folding mirrors on my 2009 TCH. I'd pay a premium for it, no doubt. And I don't know about them being cost prohibitive either. How much would it add for a post and swivel; $5-$10?
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    And I don't know about them being cost prohibitive either. How much would it add for a post and swivel; $5-$10?

    If they put it on all 400,000 Camry's they make then yes it would probably be $5-$10. However 99% of the folks that buy these are not in NYC and don't need them and the reality is in a mass production car they don't usually offer something as an option that less than 1% of the people need, especially if it is a low cost low profit item. Those types of things need to make it as a standard feature to hit the menu.

    If I lived in the city I probably would never want a new car anyway
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "And another thing. I don't like the way the cruise control is attached to the moving steering wheel. I would rather have it in a fixed position on the steering column so that when I am turning I know where it is at all times, like the signal lights and wipers.

    What, you are going to engage the CC during a turn?
  • nkaizernkaizer Member Posts: 25
    Actually, yes, on long trips I like to adjust the speed for traffic conditions and sometimes it's while turning. But, as I spend more and more time with it over the past week, I guess I'm getting used to it, so it's really not a major gripe. I know, it's a car for the masses, so I really shouldn't complain. I'll swallow it as a further -- small -- contribution to reducing my carbon footprint.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    On the cruise control issue this is the same exact one on almost every model in the lineup. It has probably been in use for 15 yrs. That covers many millions of vehicles. Since it is so standardized I will venture to say it will be one of the last accessories changed, if ever.
  • seiker0808seiker0808 Member Posts: 4
    I was feeling really happy with my blue ribbon metallic until a couple of family members made strong cases for black or white and now I feel sad, maybe I should have made a different choice. Is everyone else happy? Anyone else get the blue?
  • nkaizernkaizer Member Posts: 25
    Of course, color choice is the most personal of all decisions, but in my opinion, Blue Ribbon Metallic is the only choice in the TCH. I got it and it's beautiful. Black and white each show everything and are boring. The blue ribbon has flecks of metallic in it and really shines. My wife even commented how beautiful the color was and she couldn't care less about car or colors.
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    I was feeling really happy with my blue ribbon metallic until

    What a boring world it would be if we were all alike.

    I would be interested in knowing what a stong case for black sounds like. That truly is a personal choice as I can't imagine anyone wanting to pamper a black car (although millions do).
  • pat85pat85 Member Posts: 92
    I have had vehicles of all different colors. Black is the hardest to keep clean looking, White is next most difficult. The easiest to keep looking clean is a silver color. Hides dirt the best.
    My TCH is Barcelona red. Red as in fire truck red.
    I got it in April right off the truck. It was either that or a brown one with all the options, which I wanted.
    This is my 3rd red vehicle. I've had 3 silver, 3 green, 1 blue. 2 white, 2 black, 1 brown, and 1 yellow.
  • wvgasguywvgasguy Member Posts: 1,405
    My TCH is silver but I would have preferred the red or blue. I would order the metallic white anniversary model next time if I trade. I took the silver because I needed to purchase within a specific timeframe to be eligible for a state tax credit.

    I've been a car nut for years and the purchase of the TCH was partly to break myself of the habit of trading often. It's my "anti-car" medicine. So it really didn't matter to me much what it looked like. Perhaps the worse it looked the better (tough medicine).

    I never expected my obsession with trading and keeping newer, more powerful cars would turn into an obsession with how long can I keep this and how much FE can I achieve.
  • avaloncruiseravaloncruiser Member Posts: 19
    I've had my 90 TCH for a month now. I traded in my 05 Avalon Limited. I wish the laser guided cruise control was available on the TCH as an option. I also miss the memory seats. I LOVED my Avalon but I am VERY happy with my TCH and the average gas milage I am getting (38mph mixed city/hwy) on regular gas.
  • plknjplknj Member Posts: 121
    I'm with you on this... though I love my silver '07 and passed on both the red and the blue.

    My obsession has gone far enough, that the other day I said to my wife I found yet another way to modify my car to get even better gas milage. She crossed her arms and gave me that... What are you going to do now look? I said that I am cutting a hole in the floor so I can use my feet to help with the downhills. Osbsessed... whose obsessed???
  • miser_manmiser_man Member Posts: 5
    I've ony had my 09 Camry for a week and I love it but I was stunned to find out that the FE daata from the Nav system gets dumped after 30 minutes driving. What is up with that? I drive the same route daily and would love to be able to compare the data on FE and regen rates day to day. But NO, Toyota gives us all this fancy electronic reporting, then doesn't let us keep it. Give me a data port to a memory stick, or something!

    Other than that, an EV button would be nice; but I understand Toyota's concern about people abusing it and killing the battery pack. i have so far been able to get 3 miles max in EV mode at 30 mph.
  • cdn_tchcdn_tch Member Posts: 194
    One Toyota could do without any probs is give me a smart key in a credit card form factor, no buttons, just the chip and battery. As thin as possible to fit into my wallet.

    Another item would take advantage of the Nav system. I don't have the nav on my TCH, but a nice feature of the nav would be to use the GPS info and learn where you use EV mode and have a form of 'EV priority' to keep the car in EV as much as possible. Example: The last mile from home I am in a 50kmh/30mph residential zone with a few stop signs. I would like to see the car learn that I drive a certain pattern well within the EV parameters so when I stop for that stop sign it gives me more leeway on the gas peddal to stay in EV mode. The flip side to this is to also learn that my first minute or 2 is always within that same 'EV priority' area, so keep the engine off until I reach the major throughfare where I am going to use the ICE anyway. The 'priority' to me means that all the usual battery/ICE rules still apply.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Since the new HH has them I'm going to go out on a very strong limb and say that soon both the Prius and the TCH will both have an EV button and an ECON button.
  • mrpatmrpat Member Posts: 24
    My 96 Volvo handles much better. Has anyone found a source of improvements, stabilizer bars etc..?
  • acdiiacdii Member Posts: 753
    Other than a couple ones others posted, mirrors and such, a big improvement that would make this car great is 3 inches of interior width. If you have two car seats in the back, the third person is squeezed in tight, 3 inches would make it more comfortable. We have two little ones and a teenager who is quickly reaching the outer limits in being able to fit. This was one of the major reasons I dumped the prius.
  • turn_on68turn_on68 Member Posts: 4
    We just got a 09 TCH, loaded with every option except Sirrus, and were quite disappointed in the lack of adjustments within the drivers electric seat and none except forward and back in the passenger seat. No lumbar, no tilt, no height and it is not available as any kind of option.We can not get fog lights added as an option either. The front bumper is the same as the Camry XLE with fog lights, but it has it to be on the light stalk which I am now going to try and find a fog light that will fit the XLE bumper bezels and have a separate on dash, on off switch. Toyota parts wants over $140 per fog light and that is only for the bulb and housing, ridiculous!
    To make matters worse, we went in on 1/29 because of the $1500 Toyota rebate on the Camry, no mention of it not being available on the Camry Hybrid. We were originally looking at a loaded RED V-6 XLE, which was sold by the time we got thru driving and filling everything out. So then we went and drove the Hybrid and since most of my wifes driving is in town and we live in a small city off I-35 it made since to get the better mileage with the Hybrid. Now we are once again coming down on the comp. screen showing the monies needed, the $1500 rebate is showing on the screen and I asked to make sure he had deducted the rebate when he says oh you cannot get the rebate on the Hybrid. I say what, since when? The rebate program specifically excludes the hybrid. Plus the is the last one in Red and my wife has wanted a red car for years now. Her last car was bought in '94, a loaded Suburban which we are going to sell ourselves. So here we are walk out or buy and maybe we cannot get another red Camry for quite awhile as Toyota is closing plants etc. So we go ahead and buy. then what happens the very next week Feb 09, they continue the $1500 rebate and do not exclude the Hybrid Camry! i call to see if there is someway to return the car and re buy it to get the rebate and they say no papers have already gone to the State of Texas! So now i feel like we really got screwed. Not to mention the Finance guy wouldn't even show us the Toyota long term warranty but sold us a 5 yr one with old republic for $2,500 that only covered 75,000 miles and we can extend it to a 7 year by coming up with another $1,400 within the next year. I canceled that after being on this site and have since bought a Toyota Platinum warranty.
    WOW what a hassle all this has been. I have never had so much buyers remorse as this purchase! Oh I also am now cancelleing the gap coverage since we put down $13,000 plus they are now applying the $2,500 refund for the warranty cancellation off the rear of the financed aggreement. Now we will have another $477 coming off the rear end so that is almost $3,000 plus the $13,000 for a total of $16,000 leaving a balance financed of about $20,000 off a $33,000 car. So I see no need for Gap coverage as Toyotas hold their value and the note is going down every month we own it.
  • acdiiacdii Member Posts: 753
    Not to rub it in, but this is a good example of Impulse buying. Hate to say it, but the dealer saw you coming. What you want to do now is find a different Toyota dealership, and go to them for any service you need. Right now, the demand for a Hybrid is low, you could have gotten the car for much less than MSRP with the right negotiating. One thing though, since you have a Hybrid, take good care of it, keep it clean and reap the rewards down the line when you get rid of it. If Toyota has a passenger seat in the XLE that does what you want, find one and install it, and look around, you should be able to find fogs for this car. The Camry I have is so much nicer than the Prius I had, I enjoy driving it, and between the XLE V6 and this, I prefer this, it has just about as much power as the V6, can really tear [non-permissible content removed] when you push it, and the resale is much higher than an equal cost or higher XLE. Enjoy it, they are nice cars.
  • texastownhalltexastownhall Member Posts: 22
    I don't know much about hybrid. I drive about 20K miles a year.

    I am trying to be economical. Now, I am not comparing KIA Sephia to Mercedes S Class. Just a Camry Hybrid to Camry LE.

    I am trying to understand why one would get Hybrid over regular LE.

    Just from MPG and its pay back it doesn't make sense.

    Let's say there's about 10 mile difference in gas milage.

    a. 20,000 miles/25 mpg (Camry) = 800 gallons x $2.50 = $2,000
    b. 20,000 miles/35 mpg (Cam. Hybd) = 571.43 gallons x $2.50 = $1,428

    So close to $600 difference.

    Price difference between LE and Hybrid is around $6,000+ (not to mention discount on LE vs. hardly any on Hybrid.

    So if the gas price stays the same, it would take 10 yr. or 200K miles to pay itself.
    If gas is up to $5.00 per gallon, then 5 yr. & 100K miles.

    Is this all worth it?

    Better ride? Better luxury? Better Performance?
    Or worse? Reliability? Winding noise?

    I am asking because I don't know.

    Let's not talk about green. This might be a poor attitude but in order to work, all nations need to work together. To me, it would like people of all nations are in a same enclosed conference room (planet earth). Americans and Europeans and few Asian nations are abide by it. Meanwhile, people from other parts of the world are chain smoking. Quality of the air?
  • cdn_tchcdn_tch Member Posts: 194
    Depending on where you buy, the base equipment list on the Hybrid can be substantially higher than on an LE. When you have both cars equally equipped the price difference is less. In my case, the final price difference was $2K and I got a 2K rebate from the provincial gov't so for me it was a wash.

    From a car perspective, it is still a Camry. Except for some cosmetic differences there is nothing different on the car. It just has a different powertrain and 5 cu.ft. of batteries in the trunk.
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    Well, first of all, comparing an LE to a hybrid is the wrong comparison.

    The hybrid is most comparable to the XLE.

    I got a base hybrid for $26K.

    To get an LE up to that level of features would put it around $27K. I just "built" an LE on the Toyota site to $27,119 with comparable hybrid features.

    You get more car with the hybrid than the LE. Thus, you pay more. But you spend less on gas. And you get higher resale value. And you get to drive past a lot more gas stations. :)
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Price difference between LE and Hybrid is around $6,000+ (not to mention discount on LE vs. hardly any on Hybrid.

    Up to this point your analysis was accurate. But then you made two huge mistakes here.

    The price difference isn't $6000+ and you ignored extra features on the TCH. BTW both vehicles have the same rebates and the same discounts, so you can apply them or you can ignore them it doesn't make any difference.

    Then you missed one of the key components of the pricing difference...resale values.

    Another key issue that almost everyone makes an error about is forecasting for themselves what they think the price of fuel will be down the road. So the first variable you have to determine is how long are you expecting to keep the vehicle and then how many miles will you drive per year ( you noted 20K per year ).

    We ignore any green issues because that's just a personal perspective..so we'll just discuss the money issues using only the MSRPs.

    2010 Camry LE ( steel wheels, keyless entry, no SR, w/ VSC standard now ).. $22800
    2010 TCH base model ( steel whls, SKS, dual auto climate, no SR, w/ VSC ).. $26500
    That's a $3700 difference in price base model to base model. However as larsb noted above the TCH is more equivalent to the 4cyl XLE Camry not the LE. But we'll continue for general interest the LE to base TCH.

    Now here's the key personal variable...how long do you really expect to keep the vehicle? 3 yrs? 5 yrs? 10 yrs? Only you can answer that. We'll complete the equation after your response.
  • acdiiacdii Member Posts: 753
    Another key element everyone overlooks, and this is important. The base or XLE 4 cylinder had LESS power than the hybrid, LESS torque as well, so for a closer apple to apple you really need to compare it against the V6 models, the HP and Torque ratings are much closer to the V6 than to the I4. Now when you compare this way, the pricing is much better.

    Wow just looked at the 2010 specs, the V6 has more power now than 2009 did.

    Anyhow, the HP rating of the hybrid is 187 HP, and 337 lb-ft of torque
    HP of the I4 is 169 and torque 167. an optional I4 is 176 HP and 171 lb-ft.
    V6 is 268 HP and 248 lb-ft.

    The HP and torque of the hybrid with a full charge is instant, you get full HP and torque, the others need to build the power up to its peak of 6000 RPM.

    Another interesting thing, the build your camry doesn't list Hybrids, but the XLE model which is pretty close in features with the base I4 is $27,325. My '09 listed at $28,325, and it has a jbl sound system and XM radio, in addition to more power.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Yes you are exactly right. There is always a premium in all US vehicles for ones with more power over ones with less power. It has value to the owners.
  • bankattybankatty Member Posts: 1
    A laptop would fit very nicely into a docking station in the indentation on top of the dash where the clock is located. Get rid of all of the computer modules and let the laptop control everything. When you leave the car, take the laptop and use it for work. No need to buy a security system, downloads of software updates are a breeze, you can have a built in GPS and phone, clock, even video emergency service via Sprint and Skype. Besides, the laptop costs less than all of those computer modules scattered around the car.
  • cdn_tchcdn_tch Member Posts: 194
    Yes the Hybrid has more power than the I4, but I don't think it is a valid reason to compare the TCH with a V6. The TCH is much closer to the I4 than to the V6, and many who are looking at the TCH accept the HP that it has and the few ponies that the I4 is missing is not that huge of a difference.

    To me the 2 cars to compare are a TCH vs. an I4, but they should be as equally equiped as possible for a fair apples to apples comparison.

    If the OP is just looking at the cheapest Camry that he/she can get calculating in the gas mileage, then it gets to be a tougher comparison where they have to include the cost of any options they WOULD buy but are included in the TCH.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    It's not compared to the V6 or the I4...it's a 'tweener'...it's more than an I4 and less than the V6. Since it's more than the I4 it shouldn't have the same price as an I4.

    As to the last paragraph that just can't be a valid comparo either. The least expensive Camry for basic transportation is a 1996 or 1997 with 150,000 miles or so ( just as valid as comparing a strippie new Camry to a relatively loaded TCH ). Or, to be more realistic compare a one year old TCH vs a new basic LE. Now there is a valid comparo. The one year old TCH will blow away the new basic LE.
  • acdiiacdii Member Posts: 753
    It's not compared to the V6 or the I4...it's a 'tweener'...it's more than an I4 and less than the V6. Since it's more than the I4 it shouldn't have the same price as an I4.

    Ah that my friend seems to be the best way to put it. I also like your comparisons! :D

    I did find it interesting that you cant build your own TCH on the toyota site. What is the base price of the TCH now?
  • cdn_tchcdn_tch Member Posts: 194
    ...As to the last paragraph that just can't be a valid comparo either. The least expensive Camry for basic transportation is a 1996 or 1997 with 150,000 miles or so ( just as valid as comparing a strippie new Camry to a relatively loaded TCH )...

    When comparing different cars, what constitutes a valid comparison? The OP is comparing a new LE vs. a new TCH, so my comments and comparisons were replying only to that scenario.

    Also, while you are correct on the "tweener" comment that it is more expensive to get more HP, it still does not help the OP in making a decision. While there is a cost, is there enough value *to the buyer* to be willing to pay for it.

    When we were buying our TCH, the HP difference between the I4 and the TCH was not considered at all. I was willing to live with the lower power output of the I4 and didn't need the extra HP. I chose the TCH over the I4 on other points. Everyone has different priorities or must haves in their new car purchase and they need to make those decisions within their own 'value for money' equation.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    I have a feeling that the new 2010's are not out yet. Verrry Interesting, hmmmmm

    Maybe there are some changes in the wind. We've received a lot of ICE Camry's but we haven't received any 2010 TCH's yet and they can't be spec'd on the Toyota site. Why??
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    This was obviously premature and incorrect information:

    March 2009 delivery date for 2010 Camry hybrid - say wha?

    Shortly after their official premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in January, Toyota announced pricing for the updated 2010 Camry and Camry Hybrid midsize sedans that will begin arriving at dealers in March 2009. The gasoline model's base MSRP will range from $19,395 for the Camry sedan with a new six-speed manual transmission to $29,045 for a fully equipped XLE with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Camry Hybrid carries a price tag of $26,150. Overall, the Camry's MSRP represents an overall increase of $281 or 1.2 percent over the 2009 MY.

    2010 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid The most significant change on the 2010 Camry concerns the introduction of a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine for the standard, LE and XLE grades with 169-horsepower that can be combined with a six-speed manual transmission (excluding XLE) or a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. Furthermore, the SE grade gets additional tuning and 179-horsepower, 21 more than its predecessor.

    Toyota claims that fuel economy is improved with EPA fuel economy estimates of 33 mpg highway, 22 mpg city and 26 mpg combined for the 2.5-liter four cylinder engine with the six-speed manual transmission.


    image
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Of course one could compare any two vehicles...even a bicycle... which is also a valid choice depending on conditions. But if one is willing to compare unequals like a basic LE and a TCH then why not compare a basic new LE to a slightly used TCH where the price is the same?

    I'd buy a 1 or 2 y.o. TCH in a heartbeat rather than buy a basic LE Camry. To me that's a no brainer; same cost, more features, more power, far better fuel economy.
  • lzclzc Member Posts: 483
    Yep, at today's gas prices, the higher priced TCH will not pay for itself with gas savings. My 2007 TCH cost about $7,000 more than a base Camry (but Fed & state tax credits returned $3,000 of that).

    After adding up the accessories standard to the TCH but additional cost on the base model, the hybrid system alone was roughly $1,800. Of course, if you don't want those goodies, then they're just an extra cost with little extra benefit. If you do, then the price gap is something less than your $6,000.

    Pushing the "peddle to the metal" will cause both power sources to kick-in. The TCH will merge faster on a freeway than the I4 engine Camry. The TCH drives like a heavier car, which it is. It feels front heavy to me, but the weight distribution is actually better than the base Camry (batteries in the trunk).

    On a cost efficiency basis, I think the TCH choice is hard to argue. One has to want something more than the best car for the fewest dollars spent. Good luck.
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