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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  Good buy - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Chris E - March 26 - 1:13 am

  This is a really solid car. I consistently get 37 mpg and have had no problems with it so far. The interior finishes are a little spotty for a Toyota (seat material mars easily, hard plastics scratch easily, a couple of small rattles). Plenty of power. Overall, Toyota did a nice job.

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  MPG Drops a lot in Winter - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By AB01002 - March 8 - 7:33 am

  This is a great car, but I live in New England. We were getting 35-38 MPG before winter. Now we are getting around 25 mpg. (Our Suburban gets 16 mpg!) I love our Camry but wonder if I would have bought it knowing the winter mileage is so much lower. We have a long winter and I wish I had known about the drop in MPG in the cold weather. By the way, I researched this and it is a normal characteristic of all hybrids.

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  Over the "ooh & aah" of having a hybrid - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Mike from Delaware - March 6 - 11:53 am

  Ive had the car from 3 months now, close to 5,000 miles on it. Not that Im over the initial "ooh & aah" of having a hybrid, what I have is an excellently running, gas saving vehicle, but a little on the boring side. This is not a sports car by any means, and I realized that when I purchased. However, the interior just seems to bland and dull to me and the ride is way too soft. Come time for new tires, I will look into adding on the 18-inch rims and the TRD suspension to "sport up" the ride a bit. I didnt want the nav system because of not being able to program while car is in drive, so opted for cloth seats, but got everything else with it.

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  50K and still going strong - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By dkgoren - January 4 - 3:46 pm

  My 09 Camry Hybrid is approaching 3 years old and just hit 50K miles. The car has been extremely reiliable, with no mechanical failures and just doing basic maintance (oil changes every 5-7K, tire rotations, etc). I live in Maine, so in the winter, the mileage does drop to around 32, but in the summer, it can be as high as about 38 - thats not to say that I cant get above that for shorter amounts of time, but Ive yet to have a full tank average more than about 39MPG......Im still very happy with the mileage, especially with current gas prices.

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  Best Hybrid or sedan right now - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By stevenh2 - December 16 - 5:27 am

  THIS 2012 CAMRY is amazing, got a xle fully equipped in white beige interior. the ride is excellent,the inside space is very good,the mileage ,ist fill 40.4 mpg 2nd 38.6 mpg 3rd.42.4 mpg.. city 60%40% hwy.amazing.it has a spare tire,the car can move0-60 in 7.2 sec.. better than a four cyl,almost as good as a six cyl.no hessitation like the sonota hybrid.bigger trunk,.bigger than ther fusion,the sun roof on the fusion hits my head. negatives- the car is going back to repair the stching on the leather which is crimped &looks cheap,electronic steering to loose. also cheap plastic inside otherwise a great car.consumers rated it 93 thats the highest no right now.

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  Would give it back in a second - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By meghan - December 8 - 11:10 pm

  If I could exchange my lease, I would do it today! This Camry is so uncomfortable, my back aches. Have had it for a little over 2 weeks and it hasnt gotten any better.

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  Good Overall but Some Quirks - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By wiha - December 7 - 7:20 am

  Ive had Camry Hybrid for about 6 months (6,000 mi). Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of the car. The ride is smooth, the engine works with aplomb, and the brakes are superbly effective. The keyless system is great once you get used to it. In the minus column, my center console constantly squeaks unless riding on a perfectly smooth road. The dealer so far has been unable to fix it. My second gripe is that water collects on the exterior lower door sills (usually dirty road water). This may not seem like a big deal, but sooner or later your pants will brush up against this water (in my case sooner and often). Keep a spare pair in the trunk.

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  Navigation Disaster - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By navdisappointment - November 20 - 9:13 pm

  Purchased my 08 Camry Hybrid in late 07. Previously drove a Honda Pilot with nav. Cannot live without the navigation, would not consider any car without it. The 2008 toyota camry hybrid navigation system is completely useless. There is NO ability to program or reprogram the navigation system unless fully stopped. Old models had overrides, but no more! This dirty secret will soon be well known and poof goes any value for the nav on re-sale, which by the way for me will be within two years. This is a huge problem and not how the majority of these systems work.

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  The Good and The Bad - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By BillT - August 18 - 6:56 am

  The car is saving me plenty of money. I am a moderately aggressive driver, but with conscious throttle application, the car has been achieving 36-39mpg over 6000 miles. The car is very spacious and comfortable for 4 people. The car is fully loaded, and as such it has all the amenities that I could want. The navigation is easy to use and follow, although it needs an update. The JBL sound system is truly amazing, although it does cause a few rattles in the car. Bluetooth is great and easy to use. The acceleration is more than adequate, although a little more oomph and less drone from the CVT would be nice. The handling is not sporty AT ALL, but the ride is very smooth and ultra quiet.

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  Further update - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Brant - August 17 - 8:16 pm

  After 18,000 miles still very happy with this car. A recent trip to PA from CT with cruise set at 75, 4 people on board, and A/C set on economy, got 36-37 mpg. When filling the tank afterward, my own calculation was closer to 38. My wife had a bumper issue backing out of a space and clipping an SUV so yes the bumpers are suspect - it looked like someone pushed a basketball about half way into the front bumper corner. I took off the plastic shroud underneath and wedged a crow bar up there and popped the dent back out. No damage to the paint and only a slight crease left at point of impact. Just saved a big repair bill at the bodyshop!