2007 Toyota Camry HYBRID

[R2 V35]

For those who cares :-) Here's some pictures of the new Camry-Hybrid. Sorry for the poor quality, taken using a phone camera.

[Garnet Canuck]

The rear of the car reminds me of the current Accord.

[kenchan]

another ugly car on the road...

[RBull]

Originally Posted by kenchan

another ugly car on the road...

a common car for the masses...not displeasing to most but certainly boring and nondescript

[realgone]

My next car will be a hybrid. I know Infiniti plans on releasing some within a few years. A lot of hybribds will be coming out in the next few years, looking forward to seeing all of them.

[Msedanman]

Not very dissimilar to my Corolla, so I can't complain about the looks...
but good car none-the-less....you really can't lose by driving a Toyota.
The hybrid feature, here in Canada at least, is rather expensive.... My brother's Accord (similar ride) had a $10k premium for that feature. He declined.
In future years hopefully that price will drop.
C.

[GeeWillikers]

Rear end reminds me of the Avalon.

Hybrids aren't worth the money. If you research them, you'll find that the amount of mileage required to recover the additional outlay is far more than the average person drives and takes longer than the average person keeps a car.

Not to mention the question of what to do with the HAZMAT they create.

I have yet to read a review where a hybrid actually gets the advertised mileage.

If you buy one to be 'green' think again. The tax break you get only recovers a small portion of the addtional outlay. I'd rather drive a compact diesel.

[RBull]

Originally Posted by GeeWillikers

Rear end reminds me of the Avalon.

Hybrids aren't worth the money. If you research them, you'll find that the amount of mileage required to recover the additional outlay is far more than the average person drives and takes longer than the average person keeps a car.

Not to mention the question of what to do with the HAZMAT they create.

I have yet to read a review where a hybrid actually gets the advertised mileage.

If you buy one to be 'green' think again. The tax break you get only recovers a small portion of the addtional outlay. I'd rather drive a compact diesel.

I agree.
I think people that drive them don't do the type of analysis you state above and aren't really knowledgable about cars in general. The one I know bought because she is a tree hugger type that assumed they were more friendly to the environment and more fuel efficient and not necessarily more economical to buy/operate in the long term.

[giddyup69]

Originally Posted by RBull

I agree.
I think people that drive them don't do the type of analysis you state above and aren't really knowledgable about cars in general. The one I know bought because she is a tree hugger type that assumed they were more friendly to the environment and more fuel efficient and not necessarily more economical to buy/operate in the long term.

they'll continue to drop in price though with more of them on the road. i think it's a smart move for companies like toyota. i read somewhere that they want they're entire fleet of vehicles to be hybird by like 2010 or 2015 or something. just like plasma tv's ... soon everyone will have one. i know i wouldn't mind some better fuel mileage with the same horsepower or more!

[Z06ified]

I've got a couple of issues with hybrids:

1 - The real world fuel economy numbers aren't anywhere near their EPA ratings. I mean who accelerates 0-60 in 2 minutes in 95 degree heat with no A/C on?

2 - The premium you need to pay to get a hybrid doesn't make financial sense. In many cases it will take 100,000 miles to recoup your investment (included the differential between the hybrid premium and a gas model's discount), and by then you're due for a new battery pack, costing anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000, so you never really get ahead of the game.

3 - Considering you have to replace the battery packs every 100k at a significant cost, no one is really sure what the resale value of hybrids will be - they may be poor if your car is due for battery pack replacement soon when you sell it.

4 - Toyota recently admited that in cold weather, hybrid fuel efficiency can drop by as much as 30%. A nice little detail they failed to mention earlier, that has a significant impact on those of us living in cold winter weather climates.

5 - The environmental impact of all these battery packs that need to be replaced remains unanswered. In theory, everything should be recycled, but will it?

I think diesel technology is a better answer to fuel economy concerns than hybrids are. With new fuels and emissions control advancements for diesels, they can be a more environmentally friendly solution as well.

Toyota's current hybrid limelight stint won't last for long.

[Ca$hio]

Originally Posted by GeeWillikers

Rear end reminds me of the Avalon.

Hybrids aren't worth the money. If you research them, you'll find that the amount of mileage required to recover the additional outlay is far more than the average person drives and takes longer than the average person keeps a car.

Not to mention the question of what to do with the HAZMAT they create.

I have yet to read a review where a hybrid actually gets the advertised mileage.

If you buy one to be 'green' think again. The tax break you get only recovers a small portion of the addtional outlay. I'd rather drive a compact diesel.

I think this is something we can agree on.

Good points