2018 HyCam amateur review and ongoing blog

I just recently purchased a 2018 Hybrid Camry LE. They say I got a $2500 discount plus another $1000 for taking the zero percent financing for 60 months. The total before tax was just under $26,000.

The bad:

Not a fan of the Scoutlink "connected" GPS. It does not work at all for me because I don't have data on my phone. It looks like I'll need an aftermarket solution.
Everybody online says the Scoutlink GPS is terrible. It requires the use of your phone's data. Toyota plans to charge you for this after a free 3 year trial.
There is no carplay or android auto, only Scoutlink as I understand it. No 3rd party GPS is currently available.
I don't care for the way you select the forced air output location with one button you must push repeatedly, but this is a minor nitpick.
Can't seem to find a tachometer anywhere.
So far I'm not getting the rated mileage at highway speeds. I fully expect warmer weather to improve things.
I don't love the exterior styling, especially the front grill and the steel wheels.
Headrests tilt too far forward. Not so bad after reclining the seats a bit.
EV mode does not seem to work when cold so there does not seem to be any way to pull out of the garage without the engine starting. EV mode has way to many nitpicky conditions that will prevent EV mode or will kick you out of EV mode.
This is another nitpick but I don't care for the sound the ICE makes. It is too loud for a luxury car and too harsh for a sports car. My 6 cylinder vehicle has a wonder sound by comparison.

The good:

Power (208 Horsepower) when you need it. The Hybrid Camry has the best combination of power vs mileage.
Mileage is very good. I was getting low forties in the freezing cold. Now getting 57 MPG in warmer weather.
I really like the Interior styling but that is subjective.
Big trunk with fold down seats and a spare (rare these days).
Nice bright LED headlights, with auto dim high beams.
Radar adaptive cruise, automatically slows down if need be.
The radio and features are really pretty nice except for the GPS business.
Heated seats (my first).
Just enough rear seat head room for me.
I really like the different ways you can lock or unlock the car and the different ways you have to open the trunk. The key-less entry is very handy, no need to fumble for keys.
Overall comfort and convenience is very good.
I really like the user customization that is available. For example the ability to choose if the unlock button unlocks just the driver's door or all the doors.
EV driving during ECO mode is awesome.
The car is whisper quiet while EV driving and fairly quiet most of the time with the ICE on but sometimes the ICE has a bit of a harsh sound.

The car has a sport mode that I find pointless and it also has lane departure which I leave off.

The car has a feature that will direct air only to the seats that have occupants. This feature is called S-Flow. S-Flow can cause the passenger side temp display to go dark when you don't have a passenger. This indicates that the driver is the priority and that energy will not be wasted heating or cooling an empty seat. I believe this feature also works on the rear seats.

Overall I'd say the car is a winner. I might put some alloy rims on at the first tire change. The car will also likely get a Scan Gauge, Ultra Gauge or some other after market gauge that will add in a tachometer. Finally we will need to add a Tom Tom or something to compensate for the GPS that comes with the car.

 

I hadn't originally planned to purchase a car so soon, however my son finished his first semester of college with a zero point nine GPA. We couldn't afford to send him to college and buy a new car.

 

I knew about the ScoutGPS before the purchase and nearly didn't buy the car over it. I almost bought the Ioniq at $19,200 with a highly rated infotainment system and lifetime warranty on the traction battery. If the Ioniq would have had a rear center latch available for a car seat I think we would have gone that way.

 

This Scout business is easily my least favorite aspect of the HyCam. I have offline Google maps on my phone but no way to get them on the 7 inch screen. Toyota's attitude is awful. They want to use your data and then at some point they want to charge you money. They offer no help with 3rd party solutions, insisting on genuine Toyota accessories lest you void your warranty (I contacted Toyota about this issue).

 

I don't think that is the issue. I was fully prepared for the disconnect between RPM and MPH having wanted a THS/HSD vehicle for over a decade now. It is the tone of the sound itself, it is just harsh at times. Have you heard the sound the 2018 HyCam makes? The eCVT effect does not bother me in the least. I have no use for sport mode with artificial shift points (unless someone clues me in on a reason it is actually useful).

First THS/HSD hybrid. Been driving a hybrid since 2005.

 

The highway thing might be cold weather related. The 57MPG was in warmer weather (55 degrees or so), but yes typically slower speeds as well. I expect that figure to go much higher come warmer weather.

Not so often, but yes on occasion when late for work. It is hilly where I live so there is a need for some torque to get up the hills. The plus side is the nice EV/Regen glides down the hills.

 

I think some online reviews (besides mine) have also mentioned the noise. It isn't horrible, just a minor nitpick. Often times the car is very quiet. I'd love it if someone would go test drive one and add their opinion.

 

From the CNET review...