Would you buy your Camry hybrid again?

[Aptos Driver]

Hello. I am looking at buying a hybrid sedan next spring. I already own a 6-cylinder '07 Toyota RAV4 Limited and have been very happy with the car. So I'm giving first consideration to the Camry hybrid. I would like to hear from anyone about their experiences with this car. What are the high points? Lows? And what kind of mileage have you been getting? I've talked to one TCH owner who says he gets 40-plus MPG in stop-and-go freeway traffic and driving around the neighborhood, where the speed limit is 25 mph. Is that for real? Anything anyone can tell me about their real-world experiences with the TCH will really help me as I conduct my "due-diligence" on this car.

[AML]

I definitely would. Only difference is that I would go for a fully loaded model with nav and leather rather than settle for the JBL and sunroof package which mine currently has.

Other than typical Toyota cost cutting and material quality issues (which you should be familiar with in the Rav4), there aren't many low points. It's quiet, smooth, and a great overall car. 70% highway driving I average 35mpg at average speed of 75-85mph. 70-75mph and I average 36-37mpg. I did a trip at 65mph once and got up to 43mpg. Pure city/suburban driving I manage to get around 32-40mpg. The lower range in suburban environments due to the higher speed limits, and the higher range in pure city driving due to the much lower speed limits. I also tend to have a lead foot sometimes so it could be better.

[ukrkoz]

no.
i do have fully loaded model.

reason for no is twofold.

1. it is very annoying to drive. engine continuously turns on and off, and no matter how well Toyota designed engine mounts and transmission, those little jerks build up into quite an irritation over time.

2. i alternate this car with my Silverado, with g'ol 5.3L V8, not to put too much mileage on. i drive fairly a lot. with Silverado, i simply drive. i roar when i want to, i accelerate as hard or soft as i want to, i know you can't beat a dead horse and it ain't gonna get any better than 17mpg, so i simply enjoy driving. DRIVING. with this hybrid, i want it, i do not want it, i constantly try to beat that little mpg gauge. it's not driving, it's crawling and honestly, i am a menace on the road with all this hypermiling bs. can't help. i had my "consumption" screen turned off, just to return to it after a day or 2. you see, it's the damn point of buying a hybrid - to get better mileage.

so, it's like dr jackel and mr hyde.

otherwise, car is very comfortable, has amazingly nice acceleration if you floor it, is very stable cornering. trunk sucks, as battery took a solid chunk of it out. oh, and it rattles. panels inside do not clip too tight, so they squeak and rattle, and come loose. it's known problem.

if you have V6 RAV4, i'd rather stick to what you have. you will not save enough in mpg to recoup costs. if i were you, i'd rather look into a direct injected V6 coupe. new ones get real close to Camry's mpg, without driving experience sacrifice. and if you DRIVE Camry, enjoying combined power and torque, you'll end up in 32mpg, so what's the point to pay extra? i'll surprise you, but new Hyundai Sonata is prolly a good competitor.

or, sit tight and wait until they will start releasing cars with electric motors built into wheels and power for them generated by a small engine or turbine. new Jaguar is already there. 4 motor wheels, 190 hp each, propane turbine producing power. that's 4 x 190hp combined, no transmission, no noises, and over 700 miles to a tank of propane.

[rainbowchaser]

Yes,

It's a great car (mileage about 38-39MPG overall) and very comfortable.

Downsides - the Bridgestone tires (check this board on the favorable reviews of the Michelin Primacy tires) and the incessant rattles from the dash and package tray. I had this "fixed" under warranty, but it still is a rattletrap and out of warranty and fix attempts would start at $400 and go up. So if your car has rattles, just keep banging on the dealer and get them fixed under warranty.

[Joe B]

Only a few thousand miles but I like it a lot and would buy another.
In fact,I'm loving the hybrid technology and may buy hybrids from now on.

[Duramax2002]

I would buy again. I have a 2007 with 140k, mpg around 35. Problems I have had include, water pump at just over 100k and now the abs controller is out. Have not got the breaks fixed yet, still checking options.

[razol]

Emphatically, NO

The concept behind this care is great, the execution of the build is abysmal. The lack of attention o build quality really ruins the whole thing. If you want to pay a lot of money for a car that is all plastic with parts that do not quite fit together, then this is the car for you.

You too can have annoying features, like a navigation screen that is totally non-functional whilst in motion. A seatbelt "reminder" that may drive you straight to the insane asylum, HVAC controls mysteriously located next to the fuel door release, and as an added bonus unpredictable system failures that leave you stranded and wondering why you pay for this pleasure.

[98CamryLE]

I wouldn't- but not because I don't like the car. When I purchased it, I didn't think that I would miss the trunk space. Now that I've lived with the car for over 3 years, I can say that 90% of the time I don't need the trunk space- but there's that annoying 10% that really frustrates me. My wife and I are planning on having kids soon, and I really don't know where we are going to put all the crap that you have to haul around when you have kids. (Along with the current crap that we have to haul around.)

If you are coming from a Rav4, I would definately take a close look at the trunk- and actually load it up with whatever you haul around on a regular basis.

The car itself has been super reliable from a mechanical standpoint, but I agree with many others that the quality of the interior frustrates the hell out of me. There are rattles, shakes, and weird noises that shouldn't be present in a car that cost nearly 30 grand.

That said, the features of this car are nice when it is well-equipped. The Smartkey is awesome, My wife and I love the automatic climate control system (minus the stupid placement of the economy button), and the fuel economy is hard to beat in this class. The Ford Fusion is the only other mid-size vehicle that is better- but I'm not a big fan of it.

I love the hybrid powertrain- I wish that Toyota had a reasonably priced hybrid minivan or SUV- My wife and I would buy it. (The Highlander Hybrid is way out of our price range) A Venza, Rav4, or Sienna Hybrid that could be purchased for around 30 grand with reasonable options would be awesome- but I'm not holding my breath.

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by razol

Emphatically, NO

The concept behind this care is great, the execution of the build is abysmal. The lack of attention o build quality really ruins the whole thing. If you want to pay a lot of money for a car that is all plastic with parts that do not quite fit together, then this is the car for you.

You too can have annoying features, like a navigation screen that is totally non-functional whilst in motion. A seatbelt "reminder" that may drive you straight to the insane asylum, HVAC controls mysteriously located next to the fuel door release, and as an added bonus unpredictable system failures that leave you stranded and wondering why you pay for this pleasure.

Time for a new car!
Honda?

[bked]

I totally agree with the rattles and shakes. Navigation is useless. We use our phone for it instead. Also I have 62k miles on it and am on my second set of tires. They keep flat spotting.

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by bked

I totally agree with the rattles and shakes. Navigation is useless. We use our phone for it instead. Also I have 62k miles on it and am on my second set of tires. They keep flat spotting.

No rattles or creaks here but it's early.Lockout NAV sucks.
Flat spotting tires are not Toyota's fault and never had that problem with any Toyota vehicle I've ever owned.
62K miles and on a second set of tires isn't bad at all.

[AML]

Originally Posted by Joe B

No rattles or creaks here but it's early.Lockout NAV sucks.
Flat spotting tires are not Toyota's fault and never had that problem with any Toyota vehicle I've ever owned.
62K miles and on a second set of tires isn't bad at all.

I agree. No major rattles or creaks here. Any that I have had I fixed with easy, 5-minute fixes. Lockout nav sucks, but it's limited to the Camry. That's an entire Toyota/Lexus thing, so you can't blame the Camry for that. Even then, there are bypass options available I believe (not sure on the Camry, for sure on the Lexus).

Flat spotting tires are definitely not a Toyota issue. This is an isolated incident. 62k miles and a second set of tires is expected if you're still sticking with the OEM Bridgestone's.

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by AML

I agree. No major rattles or creaks here. Any that I have had I fixed with easy, 5-minute fixes. Lockout nav sucks, but it's limited to the Camry. That's an entire Toyota/Lexus thing, so you can't blame the Camry for that. Even then, there are bypass options available I believe (not sure on the Camry, for sure on the Lexus).

Flat spotting tires are definitely not a Toyota issue. This is an isolated incident. 62k miles and a second set of tires is expected if you're still sticking with the OEM Bridgestone's.

NAV lockouts are on many brands of vehicles.I know BMW and Honda/Acura don't have it.
There's a few by pass systems you can buy for both Toyota and Lexus but I don't feel like pulling the radios out and maybe causing rattles and creaks.
http://www.prestigioussociety.com/?page_id=138 makes a plug and play override.
Also have to remove the bypass before bring the vehicle in for any radio/NAV issue they may come into play to avoid warranty issues.
I have a GarminI've had and use that for point of interest and only input my destination on the vehicle NAV.
As far as tire wear,I would never go near 50K on any tires.You lose too much traction and braking distance once a tire is about half way through the tread wear number.

[razol]

Originally Posted by Joe B

Time for a new car!
Honda?

You hit that nail on the head, Joe. I have been ready in my heart for a long time. I am afraid that i am not ready in my wallet. I need to get what I can out of this car as 0much as I hate driving the thing. I am hoping to switch to a Ford Fusion when I can save up enough to but one.

I have had a lot of cars in my life, this one ranks right up there with my old Chevy Cavalier on the nuisance scale. The Chevy wins overall simply because nobody can top GM on number of trips to the repair shop.

I sometimes daydream about running my car into a bridge abutment, but I would not want to cause unnecessary damage to the bridge.

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by razol

You hit that nail on the head, Joe. I have been ready in my heart for a long time. I am afraid that i am not ready in my wallet. I need to get what I can out of this car as 0much as I hate driving the thing. I am hoping to switch to a Ford Fusion when I can save up enough to but one.

I have had a lot of cars in my life, this one ranks right up there with my old Chevy Cavalier on the nuisance scale. The Chevy wins overall simply because nobody can top GM on number of trips to the repair shop.

I sometimes daydream about running my car into a bridge abutment, but I would not want to cause unnecessary damage to the bridge.

Ford Fusion is a good choice.Ford has really improved their quality.Would be my only US badge choice.
Not a GM fan even more now because of the GOV bailouts.