Opinion on '07 Camry Hybrid

[fido_fido]

Hi,

I am buying '07 Camry Hybrid sometime next week where i put one on hold till Tuesday. I just want to know from the current/previous owner/driver of a Camry Hybrid of what you think of the car since the day you bought it till currently. The pros and cons of the car ...

Thanks,

[Jer]

Bottom line: Love it.

Fuel economy wasn't the 40+ mpg as expected/advertised but I'm seeing 36-38 with city/highway mixed and that's just driving the car like a car and not milking it to squeeze out a few more MPGs. Now, even though it's not quite what was expected it's still a welcomed relief to the 16mpg that the V8 AWD Audi A6 it replaced got.

Speaking of the A6 it replaced it should be noted that this TCH rides better and is noticeably quieter at 75mph than a car that cost north of $60k when it was new. I was afraid we would miss all the fine things that the Audi had to offer but so far, half a year later or so and we don't miss that car at all. I wish the TCH had heated rear seats but I guess that's what $60k buys you, huh?

[pushatam]

I have had my camry hybrid 2007 for one year and 4 months now. I have over 31,000 miles on it and I love it. I have managed to get 38-40 mpg on the gridlocked freeways of LA (10 or 210 freeways to work). I have it with leather, navigation, heated seats, bluetooth.

all my callers cant tell that I'm on bluetooth and are always fearful of personal conversations with me when I have passengers with me.

i save a lot on gas and im hoping I wont have to replace the battery for a while and im hoping that the math works out where replacing the battery wont outweigh the benefits of the saved gas $.

[KTMike]

Originally Posted by fido_fido

Hi,

I am buying '07 Camry Hybrid sometime next week where i put one on hold till Tuesday. I just want to know from the current/previous owner/driver of a Camry Hybrid of what you think of the car since the day you bought it till currently. The pros and cons of the car ...

Thanks,

Well, I like it. They drive differently than a gas-engine car, though. They're not slam-your-head-back fast from a stop and the synergy drive system seems to prefer a smoother driving style. It's making me a smoother, more fuel-efficient driver, so I have no problem with that. On my first 500 miles (1 tank, BTW), I averaged 41 MPG on mixed highway and city driving.

Overall, I like the car, I like the fact that I'm helping out by driving something a little more enviro-friendly and I like the incentives (state tax breaks in NM, etc). If something more "green" comes along in the future, I'll likely continue to gravitate in that direction. I think we all need to start getting on the conservation bandwagon.

In terms of cost, the TCH is pretty much in line with other cars of its class. I think the extras (batteries, hybrid drive system) cost about $1k more; to me, they're worth it.

-- mike

ETA: Mine is an '08. Not sure if there are any differences between the 07 and 08.

[Jer]

Originally Posted by KTMike

ETA: Mine is an '08. Not sure if there are any differences between the 07 and 08.

ETA?

The '08 is the same as the '07 aside from the fact that the '08 is $1k less across the board.

[krs500]

I now have owned my TCH for 15 months and 25,000 miles. There have only been 3 things done on warranty - the rear brake pad campaign, and something about the fronts - the pads seemed like they were "vibrating" when lightly applying the brakes, and the center console plastic was squeaking when on the freeway, and the third one was a bit of a pain to diagnose - the center vents "chattered" when at freeway speed or better, and the air conditioning fan on high.
Each one of these issues was remedied immediately, and the car was detailed inside and out when I picked it up from the dealer. I bought the dealer maintenance package with the car, so it sees the dealer every 5,000 miles. Coincidently, they are the ones that noticed the brake issue and corrected it without me saying anything.
I am absolutely impressd with this car in all respects. It seems to like cruising at 85 more than it does at 55. It rides smoother and seems to be quieter. It handles OK to well for what it is. It can pass and accelerate very effectively between 65 and 95 no problem. For an "economy" car, it is not underpowered in any way, especially considering the size of the little 4 banger gas engine, and the small amount of fuel it consumes! 500 miles on a tank of gas is not uncommon! (16 gallons)
While I feel I spent a little more than I probably should have ($36,000 out the door) I have favorably compared this car to several that are much more expensive - including a lexus I used to own. I also took advantage of the $2500 tax credit for the Hybrid thing.
Factor in the way I am treated at the dealership and the way they make sure I am happy, such as loaner cars, detailing the car after service, keeping service appointments and all the things that the Chevy dealer never even heard of, I will never own a General Motors car/anything again! (I was a sucker when I bought my 1999 Chevy Suburban LT 1500- but that is a horror story for another forum that reads like a Monty Python Novel)
By the way, the owner of the local Chevy Store drives a Lexus! And most of his employees drive Toyotas!

[joe.phillips]

When did the $2500 tax credit expire? I bought in April '07 in SoCal and the dealer told me there was no more tax credit. Was i too late or is the dealer misinformed?

[joe.phillips]

I switched from a gasoline Highlander to the THC. My wife didn't think there would be enough room for the 2 boys (1 and 3 yo) and all their stuff. She is now eating crow!?!?!? It's very roomy and the base model even has some nice bells and whistles (bluetooth, steering contro, keyless entry, etc...) Probably would have gone with a Hybrid Highlander and liked it as much or better....but it wasn't in the budget. I agree with everything in the previous posts....except I don't have any experience with the problems krs500 talked about...yet.

krs500...When did the $2500 tax credit expire? I bought in April '07 in SoCal and the dealer told me there was no more tax credit. Was i too late or is the dealer misinformed?

[warren965]

I love my 07. The only bad thing was the Bridgestone tires. I had the car for 1 week and had to replace a tire. Coulden't get a Bridgestone so I put on a Toyo. At 31K all 3 Bridgestone tires were shot and the Toyo is still looking good. No more Bridgestone's for me. I called to let them know I thought 31K was not enough miles to be worn out and after a lesson I didden't need on rubber compounds the Customer service rep hung up on me! If I had known she was going to hang up on me I would have told her what I really think!

Warren
07 Camry Hybrid
07 Tundra 5.7 DC