Please keep a few things in mind:
1 - The majority of owners don't seek out online forums
2 - People who participate in online forums are often enthusiasts, who may be extremely "picky" and who may negatively compare a new vehicle to others they have experience with, and claim "problems" that are actually design features
3 - People who participate in online forums are often those who encounter a problem and have trouble getting the dealership to resolve it
4 - There are a LOT of "drive-by" new "members" who will drop in and post a thread about a non-existent problem. That "seed" sprouts as others share a real or imagined comparable issues.

This means that what you see online (here, Yelp, etc...) is going to be overwhelmingly negative.
These are good cars, and the probability of encountering serious problems is very small.

I had no hesitation in upgrading my '08 Tacoma to a '16 Corolla, or my wife's '04 Rav4 for a '15 Rav4... and I will not hesitate to replace my Corolla with a hybrid Camry in a couple of years.

 

You're very right and I failed to mention this in my original post... Forum posts are like 5% of the whole community with the issues posted being the smaller percentage in that 5%, especially in such a largely produced vehicle like the Camry and Prius...

I just can't gamble having two potential ticking time bombs with the amount of driving I do, but then neither can anyone else in the economy car segment really...

Complicated oil changes, EGR/Headgasket issues, Atikinson motors with huge oil consumption... Just to name a couple of the bigger things I keep reading about.

 

Just to name a couple of the bigger things I keep reading about.

Consider the older vehicles - the 2016-17 Avalon Hybrid and Camry. I have a 2011 Tunda, and the 2007 Camry (gave to a friend), and the 2016 Avalon. I had zero problems maintenance-wise.

Sadly, while I loved all the bells and whistles on the Avalon, I did not love it as much as I loved my original Camry. I love the new Camry - but hate the Infotainment.

I let the dealer maintain my vehicles because they can read the computer. It is not expensive, either.

 

Hello ladies and gents, I apologize for this will be a long winded post.

You are a smart person, Tokaido.

I went 2007 Camry Hybrid -> 2016 Avalon Hybrid -> 2018 Camry Hybrid. I am a die-hard Toyota owner, but for the first time, I will check out other makes the next time.

I BEGGED for the upgraded, integrated nav system [Premium Dynamic Navigation System], due to what I had read here. They said they could not make it happen on the Hybrid Camry.

This is my review - 2018 Camry XLE all bells and whistles.
___________________________________________

I abhor the "navigation system" in the 2018 Camry! It RUINS the Toyota experience! If I had known how bad that system and the Entune 3.0 was, I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR!

First, upon linking to the system, it downloaded almost ONE Gigabit of Data! I don't use my phone for data, and that cost me another $15 on top of my phone bill!

The Scout GPS system takes FOREVER to load, and will not show a map when you are driving around. You HAVE to put in a destination! I tried - really, tried very hard - to learn the system and give it a fair shake, but the hare-brained good-idea fairy that came up with the Entune and Scout GPS should be FIRED!

In my small town, I live a whole 4 miles from the park where the farmers' market is held. I have a choice - take a two lane state highway, or take the two-lane roads through the city. I told the scout GPS to route me home. The highway is a little longer with a 45mph speed limit. The through-town is 35mph and shorter. With the old Toyota system, if I chose to NOT go the way the GPS directed, it would quickly recalculate and map the short route. NOT the Scout GPS! That stupidly designed, illogical subroutine tried to route me back to the State Route at *every* left turn I could have possibly made! It would not stop until I was within a mile of my home! The route it was recommending was NOT shorter NOR quicker, but it would not give up.

Every second you are in the car, it wants to use your data plan. Furthermore, it does not want to navigate unless you PLUG IN THE PHONE WITH A WIRE! What kind of convoluted, half-brained, inconvenience is that? To enter in your destination takes darned near ten minutes!

To add insult to injury, you are completely out of luck if you are in a rural area, where the mountains cut off cell service regularly!. You completely lose all navigation. Unlike Google maps, where you can download a local map to your phone, you simply are lost without help with the Scout GPS.

I **ordered** this car specially - I BEGGED the dealer to get me the upgraded built in navigation system, but Toyota DOES NOT OFFER IT ON THE top-of-the-line Camry. How could you do this to your loyal customer base, Toyota? Prior to this, I would not even shop for a different make, but all bets are off. You blew it.

Oh, yeah - after three years, you LOSE your subscription and have to pay for Scout! I would not give two red cents for this mangled excuse for a navigation system.

This system is the most illogical, DANGEROUS, instantiation of "Infotainment" I've ever run into - and since I traveled for work and rented a lot of cars, I have a lot to compare it to!

First, I had a 2006 Camry Hybrid, then the Avalon 2016. I compare to those. If I had a text message come in, I would simply tap in the vicinity of the notification in the center of the screen. I didn't have to take my eyes off the road. Tap, and the message is read to me. No problem. With the Entune 3.0, the bell tolls, and the message receipt flashes so fast you almost cannot see it. Then you have to press "Phone", then "messages", then the message in the list. Yes, you have to take your eyes off the road and traffic to do so! The hare-brained good-idea fairy engineer and the approving bosses that came up with the Entune 3.0 should be SHOT, then FIRED!

In spite of the home screen, you really cannot easily change the mode or channels from the steering wheel as you could in the older models. For example, in XM, the menu keeps defaulting to the XM "replay" instead of the presets. Yes, you take your eyes off the road to go to press Audio, select the XM presets, and then the channel you have preset.

Why in God's Name would ANYONE want to drive and try to control their car with a smart phone or a convoluted reverse-logic UNSAFE system like the Entune 3.0? Just how long should one be comfortable taking their eyes off the road to run down the rabbit hole of menus?

Furthermore, the Entune wants you to download countless apps that are quite happy on your phone, thank you so very much! Yelp? Seriously, I do not want people on the road using Yelp for *anything*. "Hang up and Drive!"

And yet again, all of these attention-grabbing (you know, taking your attention from the road) 'features' cost you in your data plan. If you are in a big city, you might have it a little easier, but those of us that go Toyota because of its [former] safety and reliability because we drive long distances in desert, rural areas, will not enjoy that luxury.

I happily call the engineers names, because I am one. Whatever pointy-haired boss approved the "requirements" to which they designed has ruined the Toyota experience.

NOTICE TO TOYOTA: I'm looking at other makes, because of the "Infotainment" center.

Otherwise - I love the car, the handling, the power, the economy, the ride, and everything else. I would not have bought it had I known how crappy the "Infotainment" was. It is just too in-your-face.

 

upgraded built in navigation system, but Toyota DOES NOT OFFER IT ON THE top-of-the-line Camry. How could you do this to your loyal customer base, Toyota?

This is incorrect.
The Entune Premium with App suite and Navigation is available for both the ICE and hybrid models.
It is a $2600 option for the Hybrid XLE and ICE XLE and V6 XSE, $1700 option for the ICE XSE 4-cylinder.


Your local dealership may not have any in stock, but it IS available from Toyota.

 

Toyota web site says otherwise....
This is the 4-cylinder XSE build page

 

Toyota web site says otherwise....
This is the 4-cylinder XSE build page

cb -- Hybrid. What part of "Hybrid" don't you understand.

The 6-cylinder XSE and XLE offers the Dynamic Nav. NOT the 4-cyclinder.

The HYBRID models do not get that choice. I called every Toyota dealer in two States, and they all said the same thing.

Enough said on this.

 

I have owned my 2018 SE Hybrid for about two months. put 2000 miles on it so far. Entune is awful, no bs. It feels very clunky and all the apps are basically pointless now. It will play movies off my thumb drive when in park. Which is another thing that chaps my ass. I am OCD enough to make sure all 600gb of the music in my Itunes has album art, car will only show album art when in park. So stupid.... Scout is awful, I still just use google maps on my phone. 80%+ of my 2k miles have been in city. Highest dash mpg has ever read was 42.6, so disappointing but just 2mpg off sticker I believe. Hopefully when I go on a longer trip I can get it closer to advertised 47. So overall at the 2 month mark I am a little disappointed. It does drive smooth and is super quiet interior-wise, I just wish I had researched Entune more. Also I wish all of us 2018 owners would contact our dealers and demand a Carplay update for 2018's. But I know this wont happen. Of note is that last day and a half my phone shows as "USB device not recognised" when connected to usb port but will connect fine thru bluetooth. But you have to connect thru usb to have voice commands for audio player. Overall my score 60 days in is 6.5 out of 10

 

TL;DR: The pushed forward headrest is a factor to consider if you're wanting this as a commuter car.

I mean, entune 3.0 was a small footnote in the grand scheme of reasons why I purchased the Camry Hybrid LE 2018. I have 50,000 miles/80,000 kilometres after 11 months and my reasons were:
-New TNGA design
-New Atkinson Cycle 2.5L 4cyl motor high efficiency 0w16
-New eCVT transmission (not a CVT)
-Minimal maintenance
-High fuel efficiency
-Styling
-Wide popularity so one can go to a junker and find common parts easier than something like a Prius Prime (which I wish I had as an option but it wasn't out at the time of my purchase)
-More dealers so it was easier to make a deal happen in my favor over someone like Honda who wouldn't budge less than MSRP anywhere

Things I've come to enjoy over the time that I never thought of:
-Filters are cheap
-Replacing the cabin air filter is super easy
-Replacing the air filter is super easy
-I can buy comma.ai to do some semi-autonomous driving if I wanted
-I can add in an aftermarket car starter that keeps the range of my factory fob but you hit lock 3 times and the car starts (takeover does not exist though so the car will power off after the door has been opened)
-Customization possibilities, I can go to a junkyard and pull so many parts on my base LE to improve things if I wanted to

Things I have come to not like:
-Honda's have 4 way lumbar, up down and Camry does not (just in/out), I'd love this feature so much as someone who does a lot of driving
-Lack of Apple CarPlay (only on 2019 Camry's)
-Windshields cost a lot of money because its a new generation vehicle, I don't wanna know what a Prius Prime goes for it's an even less common design
-Active safety headrest pushes your neck forward in awkward position (noticeable on long drives), you gotta readjust the seat to minimize the problem
-I am readjusting my seat often because of that headrest
-There's a stupid spot on the hood directly ahead of the driver that when the sun's up or anything a high intensity glare reflects back into the drivers field of vision. I almost wanna put a matte strip or something down to make it go away.
-LDA is not reliable, do not count on it to save you every time. Perhaps its different for TSS 2.0 which rolled out on the 2019's
-When it gets cold (under 5 degrees celsius), MPG's are gonna suffer you'll go from 53MPG's average in summer/fall to 38-45MPG's in the winter. The MPG penalty is true of any vehicle when it gets cold. I bought mine at the end of December, buyers remorse was growing day after day until things warmed up and I came to see how good they can be.
-I came to this forum to chat and enjoy the features of my new Camry maybe see what new cool things I can do, the whiners stick out like a sore thumb. PriusChat is poppin off everyday about cool stuff they're doing with their cars, you come here and it's a ... less than stellar comparison but it's the biggest forum we got as Camry owners. There's one guy on PriusChat repping the 18 Camry Hybrid LE and he does a great job but sometimes it feels like he's talking to an echo chamber being in a different kind of company.

The car's been reliable so far and I enjoy the gas savings compared to my 2004 F150 that gets 14MPG on a good day. The math for me in Alberta on that and my Camry? I can't even say because you wouldn't believe it but suffice to say the fuel savings alone are insane. Gas has been $1.25 a liter here or close to $5 a US Gallon in Alberta for a long time. It's come down this past month but before that it's always been high.

I'm not sure where it goes after this, do I drive it till the wheels fall off for 10 years (ow, my neck thinking of that headrest), trade in for a Prius Prime and get even more insane MPG at the cost of 1" lower ground clearance and possible more expensive repairs due to being less common on the road, or do I trade in for a RAV4 Hybrid 2019 TNGA which also has great MPG but might have a better headrest, more comfort and for me enough capability and efficiency to be worth the loss? I don't know but right now I'm happy to drive the Camry because it's got power, it's got efficiency, it's got (to me) maintenance simplicity, it's got space and I haven't been to the dealer for many stupid things (just one but I don't wanna mention it because it never happened again).

There's two kinds of Camry's, the kind that have timing belts (v6) and the kind that have timing chains (v4). The belts will require routine scheduled maintenance, the chains don't. Just throwing that out there I don't know why but it's gonna cost more if you drive a lot and are running a v6.

 

Thank you for your detailed review, it's great to see another 50K commuter with this car! You sound very optimistic which is good to hear.

I'll start from the top I guess with my input and concerns.

The Atkinson motor is actually one of the bigger reasons that pushes me away from this vehicle. I don't know much about them, other than they consume oil by design... To us, the idea that we drive so much, we spend almost 4x more than the average consumer on maintenance. Oil consumption was never one of things for me and I dread the idea of placing an OCC in a brand new vehicle, especially in a badly regulated state like where I am in California. It makes passing my smog tests that much of a hassle... Moreso on visual, so I hope I can find a place to hide it and still be easily accessible. That is, if the car needs it.

Minimal maintenance? Man I sure do hope so.

Apple/Android infotainment... I don't see that available on the 2019s... Even when I test drove one, it was Entune 3.0 and the sales rep said only Avalons got it.

Not too worried about the windshield price as my deductible is only $50... Cracked the windshield on my Infiniti (was less than a year old, got a factory one for $50 hehe).

The headrest isn't too big of an issue for myself or my wife... I've installed neck pads in all our past vehicles, I can't drive without one, always uncomfortable without. Here's a pic of them I found online. I've seen some really expensive high-end neck pads for VIP-Style cars from back when I was in the LS400 and i've used many different types in friend's vehicles, but these $1.50 for a pair at Daiso (Japanese Market, sadly none in your area) have been the best ones i've used.

As for the glare, are your windows tinted? This is usually the first thing I do on a car, and I go pretty dark with LLumar Formula One Pinnacle Ceramic 15% sides and 30% windshield. Hopefully that would solve it.

I noticed the TSS on my test drive, the first time I noticed it was the audible beeeeeeeep! I just blurted out, "What in the hell just happened? Why is it beeping?" the second time I noticed it, the wheel got stiffer towards in the opposing lane while I was driving through a canyon. I wish I had noticed the automatic high beams, I would have loved to test that out as I live in the desert and it gets dark. REAL dark.

As for fuel economy, in my experience, I have always noticed worse fuel economy in the colder climates. Where I live it gets anywhere from -2.22*C to 54*C. No typos. Obviously those are the extremes i've seen but here's the ranges in my area...

Spring/Fall: 15.55 to 24.44 C
Summer: 25 to 48.89 (Highest I seen was 53.88)
Winter: 4.22 to 21.11 (Lowest I seen was -2.22)

I'm thinking PriusChat might start branching out more, they do have the other vehicles section, but I'm sure those sections will have to expand more as hybrid tech becomes more common on many platforms. So hopefully you'll get a little more happier there haha.

I don't know how you guys do it with fuel... Here in California, I spend about $800/mo in fuel and I can barely stay alive. Literally. That was with my wife using my car when I wasn't, and even then I was still spending roughly $675/mo in fuel. We're looking at the possibility of getting two 2019 Camry Hybrid LE's (Maybe I'll get a XLE) and the combined fuel usage is roughly $550/mo. So that helps quite a bit.

As for the V6... My current car is a 3.0 twin turbo V6, so I know what you mean... haha, it doesn't do too bad at 28-32MPG. But it sure does a hell of a lot better than my old LS400 with a V8 which got about 18-23MPG.

As for the Prius Prime... I actually wanted one of those before I got the car I currently have, but my wants got the best of me and spoiled me quite a lot. Gladly, the Camry has some added tech and features to fill the void the Q50S had spoiled me with. For as much driving as we do, i'm not really sure if the Prius Prime would benefit me any more than the Camry would as most of the benefit would be lost for me with all the highway driving that I do.

Again, thank you for your perspective!

 

Thank you! I will be getting a neck pillow immediately never thought of that honestly, such a simple thing too that has the potential to make all the difference.

Oil consumption I have high hopes it will not begin burning oil these motors have direct and multiport injection so are supposed to be quite efficient handling recirculation. The Hybrid Camry’s power train is actually made in Japan and imported to USA (my news is 1 year old now) because the factories didn’t have the necessary tooling to make them at the time. The Japanese do not have the 8 speed auto transmission, it’s all Hybrid out there and a testament to their reliability for how common they must be (I am assuming on being common).

Coming from a 2015 Jetta TDI (Diesel) I am already appreciating the difference in costs of upkeep.

Apple/Android infotainment: Far as I am aware just Apple Car Play is now available on the 19’s however Android does not make the list. If you have an iPhone it will require wiring into the USB outlet to use it.

In regards to the glare/hood reflection I found more details here: 2018 HyCam amateur review and ongoing blog
There’s an attachment there that although someone’s taking the picture from outside, that same reflection is present from inside the drivers cabin.

I should have been more clear what direction the glare came from my apologies. You’ve done your research on tints!

Actually, I went out of my way to get LLumar Formula One Pinnacle Ceramic it was quite the journey and I remain happy with it. One thing to keep in mind is that the windows are already tinted somewhat from the factory so the tint applied may be stronger than expected. I got I think… 60/40 (slightly lighter on the front sides) I can’t remember honestly it wasn’t anywhere around the 30’s though as that’s so dark. I don’t want to struggle with seeing through my back window in the dark so it was a factor but then again it doesn’t get as sunny/hot here as it does there either.

I wanted to get 90% on my windshield but at this time I am relieved I didn’t, it’s like $500 to do it and since my glass is done and has to be replaced (dragging my feet on it due to costs) I wouldn’t be thrilled to have it redone.

For TSS High Beams, it’s not a perfect system but I appreciate having it. On the roads where you can see many miles ahead it doesn’t dim if they’re pretty far away although the other drivers oncoming shut their brights off when they see you. This leads to awkward scenarios but the only way to override it is shutting off brights until they pass then turning it back on. Has happened enough that I am used to it. No idea if TSS 2.0 on the 19’s has improved the behaviour but I do know TSS 2.0 on the 19’s has a function that helps even more now to keep one in between the lanes than the 18’s did.

Before I say this next part, I appreciate your measurements in Celsius I know your typical point of reference is in Fahrenheit and it means a lot to see that you did that work. I know it’s not something one does often.

54C (129F)!!! That’s unbelievably hot didn’t know California could get that high, taking a guess it’s the side of California closest to the equator? If your coldest winter temps are really just under 5C (41F) at coldest, you may keep excellent fuel efficiency year round I don’t know. Is it even necessary to use Winter Blend fuel if it only gets that cold? If they don’t use winter blend fuel and you’re not letting the car warm up very long I can’t imagine much of a difference in the numbers from fall to winter at least.

We average 20-34C (68F-93F) in summer, 10-20C (50F-68F) in fall and anywhere from -40C to 5C (41F) in the winters up here but most typically -20C (-4F) average far as I would ballpark it.

I asked the guys at PriusChat if they could make the Cam Hybrid section more prominent or easier to find once but there was not much movement on it at the time about 8-10/mo ago.

That combined number at $550/mo is what its all about! I did the quick calc again and my truck works out to 19k a year or about $1,600/mo in fuel costs assuming avg fuel cost of $1.25, the truck gets 14MPG all the time (it won’t, especially in the winter and not in the city). A cost like that, you multiply it to three years and arrive at $56k in fuel. That’s a whole lotta going to work to just stay on the road. Realistically the trucks MPG will average 9 with our weather taken into account but I’m not doing the calculations on that.

Math on my Camry Hybrid LE assuming 53MPG average (too high but still…) is $5k/yr or $416/mo and $15k over three years to achieve the same 270,000KM (168k miles) distance. Things get better as gas prices fall of course.

28-32MPG v6 is pretty good for what it is considering even mid-2000’s Mazda 3’s can’t get that on a good day from what I’ve seen.

Likewise appreciate your perspective and taking the time to compose such a detailed response!

 

Sorry for the late replies, my laptop took a shit and there was no way I was going to type this following response on my phone, multi-quoting was already a PITA on it.




It's interesting you come from a 2015 Jetta Diesel, as I read a lot of a guy's posts on PriusChat that went from a Prius to a 2015 Jetta Diesel. It was interesting because both he and I commuted roughly the same amount as we do, he also lives here in SoCal. I asked him about the DPF and UREA and he said he hasn't had to mess with either since he picked it up. AFAIK, UREA needs to be refilled every 10k miles, so about 5x a year... Then the DPF is another breed of high cost maintenance. He mentioned using a scan tool to monitor when the vehicle would be close to regen so he could cancel it out to save his DPF... Never heard about that in my research, but it sounds interesting.

Neither Apple or Android will come to Toyota in a long while, read that somewhere in a press-release issued in the last week... No good. The more I read about how bad Entune is, the sadder I get... I mean, as I mentioned in a previous post, all I really use Navigation for and love is the ability to see every upcoming intersection or road... Which won't be happening anymore, crazy to me how that is non-existent in NEWER/UPCOMING Toyotas... Blows my mind.

I always strive for the top quality stuff, and I have a good friend that owns a high-end Tint shop, so pricing is quite good, steep, but still worth it I think.

I don't mind doing conversions and helping people communicate with me if they put the effort I do haha, you're welcome. :smile:

I hope I can get at least 45 MPG in the car actively cruising around 75mph. If I can, that will suffice... I been training myself, going 65-70, even in my car (I was able to avg 40MPG in my Infiniti going 60-65 over a 80 mile distance.)

Did you grab any neck pads btw? I went to buy you some the day I posted this, but they were out of the black ones... sigh. I haven't seen black ones for a long while.

I agree with minimal maintenance. The car is well designed and I've not had any problem.

*I* like it, now that I am used to it. On the other hand, I am not one to need it.

I also live in the desert, and I LOVE this feature. The car's reaction time is much faster than mine.

I live in ~30F (0C) to 100f. I don't see that much of a hit for economy but it happens. If I drive wisely, the car economy is fabulous. If I need power . . . well, I pay for it!

The Camry Hybrid *CAR* is awesome. I love it in every way. Entune . . . grrrrr

Entune... Sigh... So depressing.

We have a 2018 Hybrid SE that we bought last November and have put a little over 15k mi on it. I really wanted to like this car, but after owning it a year I wouldn't recommend it to anyone for three reasons:

1) As has already been mentioned, Entune is completely terrible.

2) As has also already been mentioned, the headrests are terribly uncomfortable (not to mention the passenger's left knee constantly hitting the center console if they're anywhere close to tall)

3) This may just be isolated to a few units, and we own one of the unlucky ones, but the brakes are grabby to the point that I feel the car is unsafe to drive in stop-go traffic. You can check the other thread on this if you want more info, but I've taken it back to the dealer as well as called customer service and no one will admit that anything is wrong. These brakes don't work like any other car I've ever driven and they make stop-go in slow traffic miserable.

Hope it helps. Sounds like you've taken multiple test drives, and if none of these issues have shown up or bothered you then go ahead. We did just get back from a 250 mile trip and averaged 50.3 mpg, so it's not all bad.

Looking into this issue... I don't think i'll have any ill effects from it... But I am concerned about my wife getting into some trouble due to it............

I must drive with a permanent stoop I guess, I had not noticed any problems with the head restraints (hmm, unless they were installed backwards :grin.

I love the car overall, except for the grabby brakes which I don't think *any* dealer has figured out yet (on the hybrids). I have to warn my passengers to prepare for whiplash when backing out of a parking spot on a slight incline.

I tolerate Entune as a whole (hey the radio works), but I loathe Scout navigation. With a passion.

I rented a Mazda 6 recently, and it was so nice to just jump in the car, and there was a map displayed on the screen (presuming I left the car in that mode). I could see the names of upcoming streets easily (something that Google Maps on a phone isn't good for). But I sorely missed the bird's eye view I have in the Camry.

Grabby brakes, Entune... No ability to see upcoming streets... Sigh.

However comparing it to horrible paint/clear and paper windshields on the 4th Gen Prius... The comparison favors the XV70 still! I think...

Toyota Implementation of Atkins cycle is by Variable Valve Timing. The engine is otherwise similar to regular gas engine. It does not do 4 strokes in one crank revolution like classic Atkins cycle. So I do not feel that should be a concern.

Oil consumption in Prius, which has similar Atkins cycle, has been better than my experience with 2000 accord. Though now at 350K miles, it does consume 1 Qt / 1000 Miles. I am not complaining though.:smile:

This is very good to know and I hope is a vast improvement... I do extended oil change intervals and topping off would throw my oil analysis tests off... Not to mention just too costly when you factor 50,000 a year means 50 quarts a year... Ugh.

 

We have a 2018 Hybrid SE that we bought last November and have put a little over 15k mi on it. I really wanted to like this car, but after owning it a year I wouldn't recommend it to anyone for three reasons:

1) As has already been mentioned, Entune is completely terrible.

2) As has also already been mentioned, the headrests are terribly uncomfortable (not to mention the passenger's left knee constantly hitting the center console if they're anywhere close to tall)

3) This may just be isolated to a few units, and we own one of the unlucky ones, but the brakes are grabby to the point that I feel the car is unsafe to drive in stop-go traffic. You can check the other thread on this if you want more info, but I've taken it back to the dealer as well as called customer service and no one will admit that anything is wrong. These brakes don't work like any other car I've ever driven and they make stop-go in slow traffic miserable.

Hope it helps. Sounds like you've taken multiple test drives, and if none of these issues have shown up or bothered you then go ahead. We did just get back from a 250 mile trip and averaged 50.3 mpg, so it's not all bad.

 

I must drive with a permanent stoop I guess, I had not noticed any problems with the head restraints (hmm, unless they were installed backwards :grin.

I love the car overall, except for the grabby brakes which I don't think *any* dealer has figured out yet (on the hybrids). I have to warn my passengers to prepare for whiplash when backing out of a parking spot on a slight incline.

I tolerate Entune as a whole (hey the radio works), but I loathe Scout navigation. With a passion.

I rented a Mazda 6 recently, and it was so nice to just jump in the car, and there was a map displayed on the screen (presuming I left the car in that mode). I could see the names of upcoming streets easily (something that Google Maps on a phone isn't good for). But I sorely missed the bird's eye view I have in the Camry.

 

2018 Camry LE Hybrid with just over 8000 miles. We have the base audio system.

- Wife and I both find the seats and headrests comfortable.

- Brakes are occasionally slightly grabby. I probably wouldn't have even noticed except for seeing some complaints online. Definitely not the problem some have reported.

- Dome light in our black interior is woefully inadequate. The LE doesn't have an option to tie the front map lights to the front doors. My solution was to replace the single incandescent dome light bulb with two 12-LED light panels.

- As mentioned by others, the Scout GPS app is absolute crap. I suffered with it for two weeks. My solution was a Proclip dash mount which puts my phone in a good viewing position and use Google Maps.

- Entune 3.0 and it's other corresponding apps are also crap. Only a few apps are available and Toyota is slowly removing those. I can't figure out how Entunes's version of an app, which requires my phone to work, doesn't work nearly as well as the corresponding app on my phone. I also run across areas where the streaming just stops due to signal loss.

- At the time, we couldn't find an LE with built in Sirius/XM. Given how bad the Entune music app options are, I agonized about adding one of the add-on satellite units out there. I just didn't like the idea of having that unit floating around on a mount somewhere on the dash, having to remember to remove it to minimize theft attractiveness. Then I found the VAIS Technology add-on satellite unit. While not perfect (the UI is a little funky and it uses he USB connection) it uses the Built in radio's controls and display and is completely invisible (other than the small magmount antenna).

- We live in Phoenix. A LOT of AC in summer and minimal amounts of heat so far in our winter. We were getting 48-49 mpg in the summer and 50-51 so far in the non-AC weather. This is with a fair amount of highway driving.

 

- Brakes are occasionally slightly grabby. I probably wouldn't have even noticed except for seeing some complaints online. Definitely not the problem some have reported.

Are these occasions when it is raining? That may be Hybrid problem in general. I believe all brakes would be grabby when wet. Most though would dry out in initial slowing and would not grab as much when coming to stop.

In hybrid's due to regeneration, brakes typically only get used when coming to dead stop and thus tend to grab in rainy conditions .

This is very good to know and I hope is a vast improvement... I do extended oil change intervals and topping off would throw my oil analysis tests off... Not to mention just too costly when you factor 50,000 a year means 50 quarts a year... Ugh.

That is 100$ a year and change. I would gladly take it if I can defer purchasing a new car.
All high mileage cars do use up oil AFAIK.

 

I just got my 2019 Camry hybrid 3 days ago but so far I like it a lot. Time will tell if that feeling continues but considering I upgraded from a 2005 small SUV, it's a big improvement and a nice car. I haven't had any issues with the Entune so far but it's still early. I'm not counting on Entune being an interface with my phone because I don't want to use my phone in the car much. For what I've used it for so far it's been fine. I guess I'm a pretty low maintenance driver and don't ask for a lot and so far the Camry suits me. However, I'm definitely following the posts and learning a lot.

 

sooo should've updated this thread, but I picked up a HyCam this past Saturday, got it for $350/mo so I'm pretty happy with it.

What made me more happy is the fuel economy. This was my commute to work. I didn't even try to save fuel as I was running late, I was hanging around 75-85mph in Lanes 1 and 2. This car has ZERO issues over taking traffic. It's a VAST improvement over the 2015 Prius Two we had for a couple weeks. For the past 2 days, we thought the evaporation system was damaged when the dealership topped off the tank for our delivery because it was reading above full after 150 miles, but finally at 161 miles the needle started dropping off.

Nothing but good things I can see in the future.

 

Welcome to the Camry Hybrid owner circle guys!

85,000 trouble-free KM's and I've now owned the car for exactly 1 year in a couple days. Keep an eye out for windshield prices, they aren't cheap.

I can't blame ya for not replying sooner, the size of posts we've been making, its a lot to consider typing a reply back to lol! I've been looking for neckpads everywhere I go, appreciate the picture of what to look for! They don't exist online or in canada from what I can tell but there are things that look the same I'm keeping a look out on. Have you installed the neckpads to your Camry or no need?

If you have an iPhone I'd be curious if Apple CarPlay is present when plugging into the USB interface since it's a 2019, it won't have Android Auto for sure.

I believe there is supposed to be one more feature different from the 2018's, some kinda safety feature that keeps the car centered between the lanes better, part of TSS v2.0. Curious to see how that works on the highway.

We're experiencing -15C/5F temps here and even if I go conservative I get between 35-42MPG in this weather. Glad to hear you got 55MPG's in 18C temps now that's more like it! A question for both new owners, ever have to use Sport mode or has normal/eco been sufficient to pass vehicles on the highways?

 

Welcome to the Camry Hybrid owner circle guys!

I've been looking for neckpads everywhere I go, appreciate the picture of what to look for! They don't exist online or in canada from what I can tell but there are things that look the same I'm keeping a look out on. Have you installed the neckpads to your Camry or no need?

If you have an iPhone I'd be curious if Apple CarPlay is present when plugging into the USB interface since it's a 2019, it won't have Android Auto for sure.

I believe there is supposed to be one more feature different from the 2018's, some kinda safety feature that keeps the car centered between the lanes better, part of TSS v2.0. Curious to see how that works on the highway.

We're experiencing -15C/5F temps here and even if I go conservative I get between 35-42MPG in this weather. Glad to hear you got 55MPG's in 18C temps now that's more like it! A question for both new owners, ever have to use Sport mode or has normal/eco been sufficient to pass vehicles on the highways?

Thanks!

I don't know if you can order from Toyota of Escondido in SoCal, maybe give them a ring, but they have dog bone neck pads that are very slightly larger than the ones I posted. They we're $15/eat though and had the Toyota T logo on them.

Apple Carplay is present, but AndroidAuto is not... It's one reason for my wife to switch back to Apple sigh...

The LDA works.... Almost auto steers you into the center of the lane, quite aggressively, not a fan of it and I shut it off.

Eco mode has been much sufficient to pass cars for me! Lose about .2-.5 mpg overtaking on a steep grade, not bad.

 

I picked up my 2019 SE Hybrid at the end of October. For sure, that Entune 3.0 is worth about as much as a dirty, wet dishrag. Scout is useless. BUT since the 2019 has CarPlay, who cares. I use google maps with the CarPlay (in satellite and traffic view mode) and it is better than any other nav system I have seen, either integrated or stand alone.
As for gas mileage, I have averaged 40.62 mpg (US gal) or 5.79 l/100km. This is with an average temperature of 33.44 deg F. for November and probably about 28 deg F average for December. I cannot complain about this mileage. Nor anything else I have experienced with this car. I have also been running on snow tires since day 1, so that too takes a toll as the rolling resistance is much higher than with all-seasons.

I had a 2014 Prius and dumped it after about 14 months... Felt cheap. I also still have a 2013 Camry XLE Hybrid which is probably the most reliable car I have ever owned.

So, to sum up... the 2019 is a dream, Carplay is invaluable. And in Canada, the car lists for 3$36K cdn fully loaded compared to the US where I have compared feature for feature and it works out to $43K cdn once all options to make it equal the cnd version are included. We are getting a bargain here, folks.
I guess it is good that WE ARE CANADIAN.

:mob:

 

I have a 2018 Hybrid SE. MSRP was close to 33k and I bought it last december so its one year old.

I have roughly 13,500 miles on it.

Overall thoughts:

Like the car, my first hybrid ever. The breaks are grabby, but I prefer grabby brakes vs brakes that are stiff and require a lot of pressure. I had a Camry 2017 SE NON hybrid previously, and i didn't like those brakes at all. I feel that toyota's brakes differ from everyone else in how they feel. The hybrid brakes are much more pleasant in my experience.

Originally when i first got the car, i drove it in eco mode only. Although it promotes efficiency, the car is a little bit sluggish. I now leave the car in "normal" mode and feel that its good for every day traffic. If I really need a quicker more responsive car, I switch it to sport mode which is great.

I do get the advertised gas mileage 44 / 47, but the cold weather can bring these numbers down a little.

Entune is horrible - but that's fine. I use bluetooth for spotify and navigation on my smart phone.

The car is a bit low, so be careful parking it or the front bumper might scrape on curbs.

Remote start is tied to Toyota connect, so if your subscription expires, you wont be able to remote start your car with key fob.

 

Hybrid brakes are set so that 80% of braking is done via regenerative braking and, anything above that demand, engages hydraulics.

 

Consider the older vehicles - the 2017-18 Avalon Hybrid and Camry. I have a 2015 Tuna, and the 2016 Camry (gave to a friend), and the 2018 Avalon. I had zero problems maintenance-wise.

Sadly, while I loved all the bells and whistles on the Avalon, I did not love it as much as I loved my original Camry. I love the new Camry - but hate the Infotainment.

I let the dealer maintain my vehicles because they can read the computer. It is not expensive, either.

 

I bought a 2019 Camry Hybrid LE in January and so far it has been flawless. I have only put about 3K on it so I can`t say much about long term. The mpg has been as good or better than advertised. I've seen 56.4 mpg over one of my short trips. When checking the mileage at fill ups the worst has been 49.6 and the best over 52. I was surprised at how driving through the mountains of NC and TN did not affect the mph much if any. I watch the screen that shows where the power is coming from a lot and can see the car uses the battery and electric motor every chance it gets. There are times I am cruising at 60 mph and the gas engine is not even on. I had a 2017 XSE 4 cylinder that was fine except for the harsh ride and this LE's suspension and 16 inch tires provide an excellent ride. It took a while to get use to the new sounds and sensations that come from a hybrid, but the longer I have it the more I like it. The standard sound system is better than the so called JBL upgrade the 2017 had. If I had to pick something to improve it would be road noise. It is not bad but if it were quieter it could rival some luxury cars' ride quality. I love the radar cruise control which not only keeps a safe distance but can also be used to pass slower cars, just don't forget your blinker or the car will fuss at you and try to pull you back into your lane. So far no buyers remorse here.