1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Test Drive: 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Tideland Prius, Jan 26, 2008.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,025
    16,244
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    [FONT=arial, helvetica]North Vancouver, British Columbia - The fact that a gas-electric hybrid sedan could be voted "Canadian Car of the Year" by a respected group of experienced Canadian auto journalists says a lot about how far hybrid technology has come in the past ten years. Hybrids, once strange-looking oddities from Japan, are now being accepted as trustworthy family vehicles and viable personal transportation solutions to the increasing cost of gasoline and the looming global warming crisis.

    CanadianDriver: Test Drive - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
    [/FONT]
     
    #1 Tideland Prius, Jan 26, 2008
  2. PrematurelyGray

    PrematurelyGray Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2007
    62
    0
    0
    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Very nice for the Camry and it is an indication of widespread acceptance of hybrid technologies, but...
    Many complain about the Prius seats, but when I test drove the HyCam(twice), that seat back curved forward at the most uncomfortable place. I pulled over with the Sales Rep and adjusted/re-adjusted by reclining, raising the headrest, lowering it, pulling forward... but that seat was ridiculously unpleasant.
     
    #2 PrematurelyGray, Jan 26, 2008
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,025
    16,244
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    you forgot the lumbar support. That's what's creating the bulge.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Jan 26, 2008
  4. drees

    drees Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2007
    1,782
    247
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I really hate how the article goes on and on about how the fuel consumption varies greatly according to whether while implying that non-hybrid cars fuel consumption does not also vary.

    Several times he implies that it is no more efficient than the 4cyl non-hybrid Camry, but is comparing it to it's rated fuel economy numbers and not real world numbers with the temperatures below 0C.
     
    #4 drees, Jan 27, 2008
  5. PrematurelyGray

    PrematurelyGray Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2007
    62
    0
    0
    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Is that the cause? I haven't had a car with lumbar support before, so any info would be helpful.

    I'm talking about where the seat back curves toward the head. It starts below the headrest, but not as low as mid-back. I believe this is a safety feature (the name of this escapes me), so your head hits the headrest sooner in a rear-end impact. The curve started at the most inopportune and uncomfortable place for me so that I needed to sit forward, without touching the seat back. As I said, I pulled over twice during the test drive and the sales rep and I tried to find a comfortable position, to no avail. Sigh... Canada's car of the year was not pour moi.
     
    #5 PrematurelyGray, Jan 27, 2008
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,025
    16,244
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    mmhmm... apparently we need more Trip Computers in non-hybrid cars. Most people assume they're getting rated mileage in the middle of winter :eek::rolleyes:

    Ohh.. the lumbar support is for the lower back so it'll be in the lower part of the seatback. It may affect the way the seat "curves" towards the top of the seatback. i.e. if you deflate the lumbar support, the seatback might feel a bit flatter.

    The headrests nowadays are jutted forward a bit of minimise whiplash injury. I remember the Prius' headrest doing the same thing (as you've described) compared to our 02 Camry. It took me a while to get used to it. Now it doesn't even bother me.
     
    #6 Tideland Prius, Jan 27, 2008
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)