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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  2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Hammerstein - April 24 - 8:13 am

  Picked up a used (28500 miles) 2009 Camry hybrid for the size and mpg. Quickly learned the sweet spots (`35 mph) and (`72 mph) that results in incredible mileage. Feather the gas peddle and try to keep the car operating on battery power alone for as long as you can. I read most of the review on this site and agree with those who post excellent gas mileage. I drove a couple hundred miles and easily got close to 40 mpg! Ride is soft and comfortable and will be great for the family. It drives straight and has a lot of features that made this car the perfect choice for us. The car is certified and I purchased and extended warranty, so am very well protected.

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  Cool ride - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By chip - March 25 - 1:43 am

  Wow, after owning a BMW that kept having all kinds of little annoying problems, this car fills the bill for me.

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  Almost bought a Sonata - 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By tobyone - February 11 - 9:01 pm

  I almost bought a 2011 Sonata after comparing to Accord and Fusion, but the Limited Sonata gas mileage on the car i ordered only got 28MPG highway on the test drive. the computer said 36 mpg. so decided to test drive Camry- and then the hybrid. so very quiet and the idea of higher gas mileage interested both me and my wife. Dealer made me an offer i could not refuse on a 2011 loaded except for Nav. $28,000 before tax and license. included leather, sunroof, spoiler, tinted windows, backup sensors, upgraded sound system and wheels, fog lights love the car so far - first tank was 37MPG- using the calculator method - just filled up 41.2 mpg wife is doing 1/2 driving and she is not a hyper miler

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  As expected - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Brant - December 2 - 10:56 am

  After my wife driving an Explorer for 4 years she was ready for a change. Wanted a Hybrid due to her job going back and forth to patients homes in the city. Went to drive a Prius but saw the white 50th anniversary edition Camry on the dealership floor. She is very happy with the car and I am happy to drive it as well though I consider myself a car enthusiast. Mileage has ranged from 28 in the city on 95 degree days with the A/C cranking to almost 40 on the highway without the A/C. The ride is a little bouncy due to the extra battery weight and the brakes are a little touchy but nothing annoying. The CVT is a little droning when accelerating. Overall we really like the car.

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  Is this the future - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Silvermagnet - November 16 - 8:33 pm

  What I miss about this car is the tossable effect that my BMW gives. I gave that up to get 38 miles/gal. Maybe in the future, a little more hustle with the same milage will be available. Larger battery, plug ins, larger electric motors, higher level of no ice. Toyota is way ahead of the pack, but for me to drive my wifes car and smile, well I just need a little more muscle.

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  2014 Camry Hybrid - 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By retiredat54 - June 21 - 11:52 am

  Just bought the 2014 Camry Hybrid with al options. Or most of them. Feels like an electric car, has good acceleration. Very good electronics, including Entune package. Very good gas mileage. Many features, Not cheap, it is expensive. I really cant say quality if great, until some time passes. The little engine and electronic motor perform very well for a small engine. Stiff riding, no sporty feel. Not great in cornering. Compared to our old Camry, it is stiff riding, our old Camry rode much more cushy. Seats are stiff, not as comfortable as they should be.

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  2008 Camry Hybrid - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Big Bill - June 13 - 11:03 am

  Overall, the 2008 Camry hybrid is a good car. Good performance. Smooth and quite, even at 80 MPH. Accelerates quickly when needed. Mine has enough gadgets to keep me occupied for years. It would be hard to go back to a regular car. Mileage is about as advertised - 33.1 thus far, with 40 MPG common when crusising at about 50 MPH. The hard sell by the dealer to buy the extended warranty because of potentially expensive repairs down the road made me a bit nervous. I didnt buy it, so I hope Toyotas reputation for quality meets my expectations.

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  XLE Hybrid - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By talyun - June 7 - 5:01 am

  Lets face it buyinh a hybrid is all about gas mileage. I have had my 2012 XLE for approx. 1.5 months and I have driven nearly 1000 miles. The car came with a full tank and when I filled up, the odometer read 672. Thats 49 MPG with combined city/hwy driving (primarily city). Thats also 20% better than advertised! The 2nd tank is not getting quite as good, so far 47.6 MPG. Still quite respectable. The vehicle is designed to get great gas mileage. If you drive it conservatively (slow takeoff, slow stops) youll probably get similiar results to mine. Overall, Im quite pleased with the car. Its incredibly quiet, has plenty of power when needed and has all the luxury I need.

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  Car good, manuals/electronics operation bad. 2017 - 2017 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By LB - March 15 - 12:14 am

  Theres a lot in this car but the dealer doesnt bother to explain how most things work, at least our dealer didnt. And the manuals are terrible, especially the navigation/radio/media one. Presumably just badly translated from the Japanese. Has such neat features as to turn off a level of auto dimming, flick the brights switch 9 times while holding down something else. And good luck in a car wash where automatic door lock opener may sort of short circuit unless you disable key and get it far from door. Other things, like having key open and close window and sunroof need to be done by dealer (who doesnt bother to ask). 8-way seat adjust is nice but you cant program in you settings so must readjust everything every time you switch drivers (its been many years since I owned a car that didnt do this). So I have complaints about things that could be and should have been easily dealt with by company and dealer. But so far (2000mi) no complaints at all about the big stuff like how it runs.

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  New Hybrid Owner - 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By J. Pilon - March 4 - 5:00 am

  Just bought a used 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid - 24k miles. Love the color, the features, the ride, the gas mileage! One odd flaw: for some reason, the driver seat in my very well taken care of pre-owned car is not very comfortable at all! It feels like there is a box under the seat! The cushion just doesnt provide enough comfort - which sucks for me - because I commute about 40 miles one way to work and am stuck in traffic here in Houston more than Id like. Im average height and build, so I dont think my size is the issue. The car is a little hard to get used to - hybrids make strange noises that non-hybrids do not! But overall, it rides very smoothly and accelerates like a dream! Im averaging about 40MPG highway - awesome. I love my new Camry Hybrid - just do NOT think the comfort of the drivers seat is all that great.