Camry Hybrid LE or XLE?

My wife and I went to Carson Toyota this weekend and checked out the new HyCams. If you want a nice ride with basic functions the cheapest sticker I saw was around 27.5K for a LE. Cloth, no Nav, basic stereo with CD not many frills. For a basic car, it still was quite nice.
My wife is used to a Toyota Camry Solara, which is very nice, and absolutely loves. It however is time to move on, so she wants the XLE version.
The top of the line with everything sticker XLE was 33.9K OK. The next level down, with Moon roof, middle of the line Stereo and Nav System went for about 29.9~31ishK. She likes the Metal flake Gray, in the sun, it just sparkles really nicely. The one we want is actually coming in around three weeks or so from now, at that price range. I think it's the one the wife likes. Perfect.
It's worth a trip to a dealer to actually check the car stickers out. My wife monopolized the Toyota site building HyCam after HyCam, only to figure out it was not really working out. We just looked over the stickers, compared packages and found the one we wanted, but not in the right color!
It will be here soon. Come the end of April, she will be quite happy!

 

what do you want to hear? my wife has an 08, averages 40mpg on the display, it's a beautiful car, 50,000 on it now, no issues, drives like new, i love to drive it. it's even quieter and smoother than the regular camry's she had previously. we will be getting another one this summer unless the new fusion hybrid is out. if it is, we will give it a test drive to see how it compares. all the best!

 

I just picked up my hybrid XLE today. It's a great car. I also looked at the LE, but liked the ride and comfort of the XLE better.

 

I traded in my 2003 Camry (170,000 miles) and just picked up my shiny new 2012 Camry XLE.

Years ago, I read that the best thing you can do (dollars-wise) is to buy a brand new car, take good care of it and drive it until the wheels fall off.

Since I'm only buying a new car every decade or so, I wanted a NICE car. THAT'S why I went with the XLE, and now - 1,600 miles later - I am DELIGHTED with this car.

I'm a real car buff, and this 2012 XLE is one of the most comfortable cars I've ever sat in. And I love all the bells and whistles. And I also love the high gas mileage. Doing my "thing" (architectural surveys of early 20th Century neighborhoods), means that I drive 20-30 mph through residential areas and that's where the hybrid really shines.

I can get 50+ mpg driving slowly through small neighborhoods, and that's just amazing.

To answer your question, I think - dollar for dollar - the XLE is a much better value.

I've read that the average Camry Hybrid buyer is in their late 50s/early 60s. Time for us baby boomers to have a sweet ride, don't you think?

 

She who must be obeyed wants to upgrade her 2007 HyCam to the new 2012 model. I made the mistake of letting her do a drive around at the Auto Show. Looking at the standard features and options available, the XLE seems like a no brainer to me. The 8-way seats with lumbar, versus 6-way seats, are enough to up-sell me. My wife will insist on having the moonroof, and will be much safer with the blind spot monitor system. Being tech obsessed, I would also want the better HDD nav system and screen. The ultrasuede seats ain't bad either.

Drawbacks - neither of us are happy with the color choices. Could be enough to make us wait for the new Lexus ES hybrid.

 

I am waiting for the Avalon Hybrid, myself...

 

I was very disappointed in the color choices, too.

My 2003 Camry was "Red Salsa Pearl" (kind of a wine-colored red) and I thought it was beautiful.

The "Barcelona Red" looks like a kid's red wagon, and not my cup of tea. The blue is almost an electric blue.

I settled for the metallic gray, but I am not a fan of gray cars.

Rose

 

i love everything about the xle except the mileage. if the le is even 3-5 mpg's better, i want it. but my wife wants an electric seat, so...

 

I agree, very annoying. I assume that is mainly due to the bigger wheels, which can always be changed.

 

I just purchased a 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE. I traded a 2010 Toyota Prius that was getting 53 MPG. The Camry is getting between 38-40 MPG. The vehicle has 400 miles on it. Will the MPG get better?

 

that's a good question. some say yes, some say no. what does the sticker say?

 

It might. With modern manufacturing, new cars don't need much time to 'break in'. Of course, the break in we talk about here for fuel economy might just be the driver adjusting to the cues from the car for better mileage.

New tires do have a higher rolling resistance until the mold release and first layer of rubber wears off.

 

I got 43+ mpg with my 2012 hybrid XLE on a recent trip to Maine. That's about 10 mpg less that what I use to get with my 09 Prius. However, the drive was so much more comfortable and less tiring, that the loss of 10 mpg was not important.

 

My wife and I went down to Carson Toyota to pick up the wifes HyCam this last Saturday.
What a great car. Comfortable, nice looking, and the wife loves it! Hell, I even love it! Nice seats!!!
Now my wife can put into use the Hypermile techniques she was learning in her Solara, into actual use with the HyCam. As we were driving home from Carson Toyota I was all set to start letting the wife know how to get the best mileage as she was driving, but damned if her technique is not bad. She has the idea, just needs a little driving time to get used to the feel of the HyCam!
Mileage reports to follow!!!

A BIG THANK YOU to Dianne Whitmire for helping my wife get just the car she wanted!
She is truely the High Priustess!

 

Hint: Use the Eco Mode. I leave mine in that mode all of the time.

 

Yeah, we are going for a couple of miles of driving this weekend, get a little practice in! I need to see how well ECO works, but it's gotta help!

 

congrats KK, i'm jealous!

 

Yeah, after some practice, I usually get 45-52 indicated on my 2012 XLE on my 30mi round trip commute. Having the option not to get on the freeway definitely helped, as with the not-quite-AC-mandatory weather.