 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Click image to enlargeRelated Posts: Test Drive: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE, by Grant Yoxon Comparison Test: Best Fuel Efficient Cars, by Jonathan Yarkony |
Review and photos by Chris Chase
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2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
As a car enthusiast with a strong appreciation for the “everyday” vehicle—defined as a car, sporty or not, that can be used in 95 percent of driving situations—I have a soft spot for the Toyota Prius. It’s nothing like fun, but it is fuel efficient and well packaged, with room for five and a decent amount of luggage. The recent addition of the wagon-esque Prius V and subcompact Prius C only broadens the Prius’ appeal.
Up until about a week ago, before I drove the 2012 Camry Hybrid, I’d have called the Prius V the best hybrid in Toyota’s lineup. It’s been years since I last tested a Camry Hybrid, and this redesigned model is so notably improved that it now gets my vote as the best Toyota hybrid, if not the best accessibly priced hybrid from any automaker.
Let it be said that I like the Prius V for its interior space and flexible cargo area, but in the case of the Camry, it’s the drivetrain that won me over. Finally, a hybrid that is both efficient and powerful (yes, Porsche makes a couple of hybrids that meet those criteria) as well as affordable (something that can be said for neither the Cayenne nor Panamera hybrids).
 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Okay, so the Camry hybrid isn’t a sports car (this car is not fun on freeway on-ramps, or anywhere else, for that matter), but it will easily chirp its front tires in aggressive acceleration. Once underway, the 2.5L engine and electric motor team up to provide sprightly passing power at highway speeds.
I averaged 5.9 L/100 km during my week in it, better than Grant’s 6.5 in his Test Drive and James’ 6.1 in his DBDR, but not quite up to Jonathan’s even thriftier 5.7 in his Quick Spin. I saw closer to 5.0 L/100 km on part of a road trip from Ottawa to Montreal, where I kept my speed between 100 and 110 km/h.
The Camry goes over the road with a relaxed feel that will titillate no one who fancies themselves an enthusiast. I found body motions to be well controlled, with a ride on the soft side, and was not bothered (nor did I even notice) any jiggly tendencies. This is a car designed to make you feel like there’s no car under you at all, and it nearly succeeds. The seats aren’t the most comfortable I’ve ever tested, and the brakes (with a regenerative function that transitions to traditional hydraulics as the driver calls for more whoa-power), while strong, are hard to modulate for smooth stopping; that’s a complaint I could level against just about any hybrid on the market, even those pricey Porsches.
   2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Power for the Camry Hybrid’s electric drive components comes from a battery found behind the rear seat. Again, that’s typical practice, and has a similar negative effect on interior space: the trunk is smaller, offering 370 L (13.1 cu. ft.) of volume to the gas-only Camry’s 436 L (15.4 cu. ft). And while the hybrid’s back seat folds, it does so to reveal a tiny pass-through to the passenger cabin, rather than the full-sized opening found in the standard car.
But here’s why I really like the Camry Hybrid more than any other dual-power Toyota: with a decently-charged battery, this car’s drivetrain allows realistic (though still leisurely) electric-only acceleration from stoplights that won’t piss off everyone in line behind you, without resorting to manually activating its EV (electric vehicle) mode. This is something I’ve been wishing for in a hybrid for years, and finally, Toyota has made it happen.
That brings to mind a conversation I had with Paul Williams and a couple of other local auto reviewers, wherein we lamented that the Prius V—whose only flaw is that it’s possibly the slowest car in the world—isn’t available with the Camry Hybrid’s drivetrain. I averaged 5.1 L/100 km in a week of driving a Prius V (not far off my observed economy in the Camry), including more than 800 km of highway cruising with two people and a trunk nearly full of luggage. I shudder to think what that car with four adults and even more stuff would be like to drive around the block, never mind on a long road trip.
The Camry hybrid proves that Toyota knows how to combine similar efficiency with far more impressive performance, so why not offer this car’s bigger power along with the Prius V’s bigger interior? Perhaps it has to do with battery technology and size. I can’t see the Camry’s drivetrain itself being so much larger than the Prius’ that it wouldn’t fit under that car’s hood.
If you don’t like the Camry (certainly, there are more compelling family sedans), the hybrid model won’t swing your vote to Toyota’s team. But if the only thing keeping you out of a hybrid is the lack of one combining the expected fuel efficiency with real-car horsepower, then this big sedan starts to look like a really good deal next to the Prius V, which goes for a little more than $27,000 in base form, and more than $31,000 with an options list similar to the Camry Hybrid XLE’s.
The Camry Hybrid may not be a car that many will lust after, but that doesn’t mean it’s not desirable.
Pricing: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Base Price LE: $26,990
Base Price XLE: $28,990
Options: $5,520 (Leather and Premium Audio Package (10-speaker Premium JBL Audio, 7-in. AVN monitor, garage door opener, power moonroof, navigation system, backup camera, anti-theft system, glass breakage sensor, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, heated front seats, leather-trimmed ultra suede upholstery)
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,490
Price as Tested: $36,100
Specifications
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Competitors
2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid
2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
2012 Kia Optima Hybrid
2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
