Overview & Reviews
Until recently, driving a hybrid car required some sort of sacrifice, whether in terms of space, performance or anonymity. However, in the case of the Camry Hybrid, one could argue that Toyota has given the buying public a hybrid that demands few or no sacrifices.
If judged only on its merits as a competent midsize sedan, the Toyota Camry Hybrid would score well. We've found that it shares all the attributes that make the conventional Camry one of the best-selling family sedans out there: a comfortable and quiet ride, more than adequate power, lots of amenities and plenty of room for five. That its fuel economy beats that of most compact cars and its price is well within the normal range for an average midsize car are just icing on the hybrid cake.
Current Toyota Camry Hybrid
The current Toyota Camry Hybrid features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor. Combined output comes to 200 horsepower and it's routed to the front wheels through a specialized continuously variable transmission (CVT). The EPA estimates combined fuel economy at an excellent 40 or 41 mpg, depending on the trim level.
The Toyota Camry Hybrid is offered in LE, XLE and (late introduction) SE Limited Edition trim levels. Standard feature highlights for the LE include keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, full power accessories, Bluetooth, a touchscreen display and a six-speaker sound system with a USB port. The XLE adds a power driver seat and an upgraded sound system. The SE Limited Edition is essentially an XLE with sporty styling cues and the sport front seats of the non-hybrid Camry SE. Main options include a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a premium audio system, a navigation system and a smartphone integration system.
It should be noted that halfway into the 2014 model year, the Camry Hybrid saw a few minor changes. These include the aforementioned new trim level, the rearview camera becoming standard across the board and a renaming of the car's infotainment systems.
Inside, the Camry's new interior benefits from roomy seats, admirable outward visibility and well-placed controls. What the cabin design lacks in cohesiveness, it makes up for with generally good materials quality, especially the handsome stitching on the dash and door panels of upper trims. Toyota's Entune system is also praiseworthy in the way it easily adds enhanced audio, information and navigation features, although the touchscreen's virtual buttons can be a little frustrating to use at times.
While fuel economy gets top billing here, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is still pleasant to drive. Its hybrid powertrain is quite smooth in its operation and provides quick acceleration. Handling is unremarkable and the steering is quite light and uncommunicative, but for most buyers this will likely be a non-issue.
Used Toyota Camry Hybrid Models
This latest Toyota Camry Hybrid was redesigned for 2012, as was the conventional Camry. As such, it benefited from the same generational upgrades, such as a much nicer interior and new electronics features. Fuel economy and power are also considerably better than they were with the previous-generation hybrid. Note that these Camry Hybrids lack a few minor updates of the current version, including the addition of the SE Limited Edition trim level, the rearview camera becoming standard across the board and a renaming of the car's infotainment systems.
That previous, first-generation Toyota Camry Hybrid was produced for the 2007-'11 model years. While it shared much of the same advantages of the current car, it suffered from a rather small trunk, disappointing interior materials and inconsistent fit and finish issues. Additionally, its fuel economy, while high, was not as good as the current model's.
This Camry Hybrid was powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine working in concert with an electric motor. Power was sent to the front wheels through a specialized CVT. The gas engine produced 147 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque, and the electric motor added another 40 hp, yielding 187 maximum hp. Fuel economy was quite good for the time, checking in at an EPA-estimated 33 mpg city/34 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined.
For most of the first generation's production run, standard features included 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless ignition and entry, a power driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a trip computer and a six-speaker sound system. Main options were a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power passenger seat, a navigation system and a premium sound system.
Changes were slight over the years, with revised front-end styling, a new instrument cluster and unique upholstery made of silk protein and synthetic fiber being introduced for 2010. In 2011, the alloy wheels were downgraded to steel wheels with plastic covers.
On the whole, the Camry Hybrid presented a complete package. It was roomy, comfortable and kept up to date with the latest features. And thanks to the Prius, Toyota has shown that its hybrid powertrains are able to meet consumers' expectations of durability and reliability. Our only suggestion would be to also check out the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which eclipsed the Camry Hybrid in terms of economy and interior design for the final two years.
User Reviews:
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More Than I Expected - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By Commuter - December 20 - 5:56 pmIm a long commuter (45 miles each way) used to an Acura and a Mercedes. The Camry surprised me with its performance and luxury. It is not quite up to my Acura in driving responsiveness, but pretty darn close, and so much more efficient. I had the dealer install an after-market woodgrain package that makes the car look as good as any luxury vehicle on the market. I highly recommend it. You will feel as if you are driving a luxury sedan on a compact budget. Two tanks so far averaging 37 miles per hour, and I usually set the cruise at 74 on the highway. I am impressed with the overall package.
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An Outstanding Purchase - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By calmac - December 17 - 9:03 amAfter years of BMWs and Mercedes, I pulled the trigger on a Camry and absolutely love it. It drives nicely, has all the pick up I need and the various toys (ie, nav, bluetooth, etc) are fun and exciting to use. Really am impressed by this car.
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Love it - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By andrea - July 25 - 8:00 amIt is fun to drive it is fully loaded, but with everything, it is kind of distracting. Learning how to drive it so you get all the gas mileage you can is really the only challenge so far. I have a heavy foot with a lot of sudden stops so it takes practice for me, but it is comfortable and fun to drive. The only draw back is the trunk with the batteries it takes up a lot of room. It has wonderful power and it is very smooth driving.
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Tiny Trunk! - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By Dex - January 30 - 7:43 amThe Camry Hybrid is a good car, its our second hybrid. Our first was the Prius. Sorry to have to make comparisons, but the trunk is the downfall on this car, everything else is very good. The Prius trunk is about 30-40% bigger and even though we bought the Camry as our family car, we find that we need to take the Prius on trips because the luggage would need to sit on our laps. Overall the car gets us 35 MPG and just marginally better than the 4 cylinder Camry that our friend owns. The trunk basically needs a one foot extention, dont understand why Toyota didnt do this? Anyway, if you are considering this car, you must factor in that it has a VERY small trunk.
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Further update - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By Brant - January 16 - 12:00 pmWe are now approaching 30,000 miles and the good news is that the car has had nothing but routine maintenance. Mileage is as advertised but dips into the high 20s in winter city driving. The OEM tires were shot at 22K which is not acceptable. The dashboard creaks like Noahs Ark, especially when cold and the interior plastics and fit and finish are below par. The car is a quiet and comfortable cruiser and is as non offensive as you would expect from a Camry. Power is great for a hybrid in this fuel mileage class. The cruise control in un-nerving in the hills - set it at 75 and it will vary between 72 and 78. Overall we are pleased but this is not a great car.
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Good Car, but Not Great - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By Steve in Houston - December 1 - 5:36 amOverall, my 2008 Camry Hybrid is a good car, but it has been in the shop three times for minor issues. First, it was a defective gas cap, then it was a defective seat belt latch, next it was a defective power window button. The dealer needed to keep the car over night once and I was expected to rent a car! I was not happy.
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Coming from a BMW - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By Mookie - November 10 - 1:40 pmOK, so Im a 4X BMW owner. This time around I decided to try a hybrid. The TCH is no BMW, not in performance, handling nor build quality. But I didnt expect it to be. What did surprise me is that its fun to drive, has a lot of conveniences (with the nav package) and Im getting 35+ MPG. Thats the whole point. I went from 20 MPG to 35 MPG and Premium to Regular. Ive about halved my weekly gas costs. I dont regret my decision. But if I win the lottery I will buy an M6.
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SACRIFICING RIDE AND COMFORT FOR HANDLING. - 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By DISAPPOINTED - August 31 - 8:17 pmThe Camrys suspension sacrifices ride and comfort for handling. I feel like the car has a sports tuned suspension. You feel every bump and hear the road noise. I am very disappointed in the ride and comfort of my Camry Hybrid LE.
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Nice Car... Too Expensive - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By hammonddave - July 19 - 6:23 pmThe new Camry Hybrid offers a great deal of wonderful acessories including the ability to extend your MPG with its new Synergy drive. The car has plenty of power to get up to highway speed. However, once you reach 70MPH the car has a tendancy to lunge forward searching for a comfortable speed. The steering is dicy at these speeds which is also quite disconcerting. The interior materials look and feel cheap. Too much plastic! Even with the upgraded leather it is hard to believe that this car costs over $30,000. Toyota needs to get real when if comes to their pricing. The batteries form a wall between the trunk and the fold down rear seats which makes it impractical to load long objects.
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Gas mileage less than advertised mpg - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
By millese - July 6 - 7:04 amI purchased a 2012 Toyota Hybrid Camry a few weeks ago and am disappointed with the gas mileage. I drive around town mostly, no fast starts, coast whenever possible - getting about 36 mpg on the last 2 fillups. I took it to the Toyota mechanic and couldnt find anything wrong. He said there is no break-in period needed to get the expected average 41 mpg. Frustrated owner! Ill be back to the Toyota dealer pounding the door very soon. Unsure of next steps if no resolution -
