2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid
by Jim Prueter -08/2010
Camry showing its age, competitors doing hybrid better
(This review was originally written in September 2009. Although little of substance has changed it has been updated to include what’s new for the 2011 model year)
Toyota Camry has never been the kind of car that inspires people to follow you home and ask what kind of car you’re driving. No “thumbs ups” from fellow motorists, no head turning either. However, it has always been a good value; built with quality, well-thought-out design, and consistent high resale value. Used car buyers, aware of its excellent reliability record, keep it high on their list of desirable vehicles. But often, words like “uninspiring,” “vanilla,” and “boring” have been used to describe it.
Still, since 1980, more than 10 million drivers worldwide have chosen the Camry, with 6.6 million of those sold in the U.S. alone since 1983. This consistent favorite has earned the Camry “top seller” status most years. With that kind of staying power, it’s doing a lot of things right.
Camry is now in its fifth model year since its last major redesign for 2007. For 2010 Camry received numerous mechanical and styling modifications as part of a “mid-cycle update”, and exterior changes for the 2010 Hybrid model were more noticeable than the non-Hybrid Camry.
For 2011Camry receives very modest tweaking to the grille and back end, with a brushed aluminum treatment, and the Hybrid receives new gauges and interior fabrics. All Toyota models across the entire line now include stability and traction control as standard equipment.
But as Toyota continues with basically the same Camry for at least the past five years, it’s showing its age; especially with a dated, uninspiring interior that’s the weakest in its class. Fusion, Altima and Malibu all do it much better.
The 2011 Camry Hybrid is still powered by the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder 187-horsepower Atkinson cycle, coupled with an electric motor. The motor draws power from a dedicated battery that recharges off friction caused when braking the vehicle, as when it was first introduced for 2007. The vehicle can run solely on electric power at low speeds of up to about 25mph for two miles, with City/Highway fuel economy rated at 31/35 respectively. That compares to 22/32 City/Highway mileage for the 2.5-liter non-hybrid four-cylinder and 19/28 City/Highway 3.5-liter non-hybrid V6 Camry models.
For 2011 Camry Hybrid has a base price of $26,400, and you’ll pay a premium for the increased fuel economy; $6,500 more over the base Camry, $4,250 over the LE, $2,165 more than the sportier SE model, and $184 less than the top-of-the-line XLE Camry.
As with any vehicle, including a hybrid, your success in achieving record fuel economy depends largely on your driving habits. Lead-footed drivers will not fare as well as more conservative drivers, but watching the vehicle’s information panel can help you modify bad driving habits to improve fuel economy. Our test car’s trip computer showed 36.7mpg in 510 miles with a 20/80 mix of city and highway driving. That’s a surprising 2.3-mpg improvement over the 2010 Camry Hybrid tested last fall, with a more balanced 50/50 city/highway driving mix.
Unless you drive an exceptional amount of miles, the fuel-cost savings alone might never recoup the premium price you’ll pay for the privilege of driving a hybrid vehicle.
Tax credits might change the math some, but there isn’t currently a federal tax credit for the Toyota Camry like other hybrid, natural gas, or diesel-powered vehicles receive. You can check www.hybridcars.com for a list of vehicles that qualify, along with their amounts.
Similar to the Camry Hybrid we tested for 2007, the four-cylinder gasoline makes an annoying shudder when it automatically takes over for the electric motor. This occurs when more power is either demanded from the driver or when the vehicle reaches more than 25mph. The Ford Fusion Hybrid we tested has dramatically reduced the noticeable conversion from electric to gas, to the point of disappearing completely.
Performance-wise, we found the Camry surprisingly quick; certainly not a sports sedan, but not annoyingly slow either. Zero to 60mph is quicker than the standard four-cylinder Camry but slower than V6-powered models.
Our well-furnished test car, listed at $32,453, included niceties like leather upholstery, DVD navigation, backup camera, upgraded audio system, and heated seats.
Standard safety gear includes seven airbags, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, stability and traction control, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Camry Hybrid received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s highest five-star rating in all crash tests.
Since Camry first introduced their hybrid model for 2007, competition has caught up and is at least equal to, or perhaps exceeds, Toyota’s offering. Vehicles like Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu all offer excellent hybrid models
Overall, if you’re in the market for a mid-sized hybrid sedan, Camry is worth a test drive but we’d recommend driving a few others at the same time. We especially liked the Ford Fusion, whose driving experience was noticeably quieter, with much less vibration and shudder when the gasoline engine fires up.
