07 vs 08/09 TCH MPG on kelleys blue book

[Forbsey-123]

I'm looking at buying a TCH but I can't decide which year to buy. Obviously an 09 would help with the resale value but after researching on Kelleys Blue book (kbb.com) I found a major difference between the 07 vs. the newer 08/09 models. I'm not sure if this info is accurate but I haven't noticed anyone on this forum mention this yet. When I used the "compare cars" feature on the site I matched up the 07/08/09 TCH's and found that the MPG's were different. The 07 is 40mpg city/38mpg hwy......while the 08 and 09 are 33mpg city/34 mpg hwy. Also the base prices are different because it appears that the 07 is the most expensive.

I talked to a dealer today and he said that there is NO difference btwn the model years and he said that all 3 years average about 50mpg. I know there is a difference between Imperial and US mpg but why is the 07 so much better?? If these numbers on KBB.com are correct then should I lean towards the 07 TCH over the newer models?? Please help me solve this before my head explodes....thanx

[GeorgiaHybrid]

The EPA changed the method by which the cars are tested for mileage. They are exactly the same. My daughter's 2007 civic is rated 40 mpg hwy, the same car but a 2008 is rated lower.

Same car, different rating method.

[moptop]

I found the best way to compare is in L/100K, they haven't changed the calculation. The other thing I noticed when researching cars is that some manufacturers list in US gallons and some in Imperial gallons, which are different, by a lot (news to me)!

I picked up a Canada EnerGuide brochure that lists all of the cars fuel economy available in Canada in one brochure to compare. Those are the numbers printed on the window at the car dealers. Any dealer should be able to give you one. It's not totally accurate to real world scenarios, but at least all the cars are tested the same way.

I was going through the 08 - 09 Camry dilemma myself. I ended up choosing an 09 because it has a lower MSRP (the NEW Canadian pricing), more standard feautures, namely a moonroof and rear reading lamps, I could choose which colour I wanted, not just what was left on the lot and as you said essentially a better resale value.

The only downfall was that you lose the Federal Government's EcoRebate on Hybrid cars because they dropped that on all models after the 08 year, but the lower MSRP more than made up for it.

Hope this helps.