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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  2008 Camry Hybrid - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Jeff - November 18 - 9:36 am

  Great car and looks slick. The biggest beef with the car is the trunk and the lack of a big pass thru due to the batteries blocking the opening. The GPS is ok, many off the shelf Garmins or TomToms perform better, but it has definitely improved over previous versions of Toyotas GPS. It handles fine, its not a sports car for sure, but for basic driving its great, and for long trips it is very comfortable when compared to my old mustang. Rear seating room is good, even with normal size people in the front seats. Plenty of places to throw things with pockets all over

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  Best One Yet! - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By J Latte - October 23 - 6:36 pm

  Cant go wrong with a Toyota! I have had my Camry now for 2 months now. I have 6,000 miles so far and wish I had more time to drive it. I wasnt sure if I could go from an SUV to a car, but it was easy to do. This car is a dream. At first I didnt think it was getting all that good gas mileage at around 30 mpg, but now I get around 36.8 mpg @ 72ish on the highway, and in town 37 to up to 42 mpg. Has been my avg for the last 4,000 miles or so. Just buy one you will not look back and say I wish I had looked at that other car first, after you own your Camry hybird, you will wish you had gone green sooner!

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  Very uncomfortable - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Megan - October 6 - 5:53 pm

  Have had the car for a week and it is extremely uncomfortable. Wish I never bought it. My back and neck hurt badly.

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  Incredible savings - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Heff - October 5 - 6:23 pm

  I traded my second Cadillac CTS for the Camry Hybrid. I was worried about what I considered to be a huge step down for the sake of fuel efficiency. I was wrong. Its not a race car, but the Hybrid is still an exceptional ride. The Hybrid shifts flawlessly between the electric and gas engines with greater smoothness than most transmissions. To hedge my bet, I had every available option included in my Camry. Wow! The fit and finish match my CTS stitch for stitch and the sound system is incredible. Best of all, I am buying LESS than half the gasoline I used in the CTS. Whatever the price is at the pump, Im saving half. Buying this car is the right thing to do.

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  Ours is a 2009 - 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By pleroma02 - October 4 - 12:30 am

  Weve loved this vehicle until today when the engine light came on and we discovered that the hybridizing engine battery replacement is almost $5,000. Also, the electrically run wheels will drive your tires off at half life. If you are buying a Toyota Camry Hybrid to save money, rethink that. The dollars you save on fuel economy is way offset by the cost of tires and that trunk battery.

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  2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By jacqueline - September 10 - 12:16 am

  I LOVE the Camry. I feel safe in it. I love the blue-tooth and I can live with the cloth seats. The interior colors (gray) look very nice. I feel like I am being kinder to Mother Earth, and am happy driving right by the gas station. Its a great car. Go get one!

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  Best Car Yet - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Dean Snyder - August 28 - 11:23 am

  Having owned a Lexus ES 300 for a number of years my performance, comfort and over-all driveability expectation bar was set quite high. Our recently purchased upper mid equipped TCH has certainly exceeded my expectations in performance, comfort and fuel economy. The TCH cabin is quieter than my Lexus. Road handling is good on mountain roads and should be compared to a mid size family sedan. This car will not provide sports car handling and feedback you might find in a German car. Ive also been quite impressed by the short distance and solid handling of car during a quick stop. Its clear Toyota is committed to building more fuel efficient cars without sacrificing performance and features.

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  Another Happy Owner - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Deni - August 16 - 12:20 am

  After 1 year & 10,000 miles, Im still as happy with my Camry hybrid as the day I drove it off the lot! Hubby loves driving it, too. No problem navigating the snow-and-ice covered streets this winter. Accelerates easily. Smooth, comfortable ride. Plenty of room in back seat. MPG runs 38-39 all city, 40-42 interstate (70 mph). Had 6 weeks of extremely cold weather this winter & mileage dropped to 34-36 mpg--car did not turn off when idling as heater had to run non- stop! Ranked quality a "10" as my cars performance has been stellar to date--BUT--my gas pedal was recently refitted, per recall, & twice Ive noticed there is a lapse between my acceleration & the response of the car. Scary...

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  Better mileage than advertised - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By rae - July 28 - 2:23 pm

  We had to wait 4 months before picking up the car and learned after filing our taxes that we were not entitled to the whole $2600 tax refund as we had anticipated. But we are exceedingly satisfied with the car. We are getting 42-44 mpg on long trips going 65-70 mph. Very quiet on the road and no noise when starting to drive with electric engine operating.

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  Poor Mileage - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By longtall - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I love my Camry Hybrid, however, I only get around 23 mpg in stop and go situations in the summer. I get about 27 mpg in city driving in the winter. I figure some of it is due to A/C use as I live in the desert, but it seems like everyone gets mpg in the 30s in city driving. I get 39-40 on the highway. I dont have a heavy foot either. Im 72 years old.