bought XLE camry 2012 hybrid

you're right about hybrids not paying for themselves, it depends on how long you keep it and the price of gas. congrats and all the best!

 

Very interesting that you were looking at the same cars I am, ie... Prius V, Prius, Camry Hybrid XLE and Passat TDI SEL. I am coming from a BMW 535xi and 2010 Saab 9-5 Aero (I know bad purchase decision, but great car). Really trying to love the regular Prius and Prius V, but hard to get used to the change. Drove the Camry XLE Hybrid tonight and really enjoyed that vehicle. In my short test drive, mpg were not great though, but if I could average low 40's for highway and city would be happy. Passat TDI has more of a European feel and I have averaged 44 mpg in extended test drives of city/freeway driving.
Just don't trust VW reliability and know Toyota would be great. Also Toyota's take regular gas which is a lot cheaper than diesel right now. Would be interested in your comparison and thought about the VW Passat TDI compared to the Camry Hybrid XLE. Also - I love the blind spot system on the Camry.

 

interesting that you guys come from sporty cars and like the camry when all the auto writers say the same thing every time: dull, boring car for old farts.

 

Car Tech Review: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE

 

Have 1000 miles on a 2012 Toyota Camry LE. Couldn't find a forum/blog on this car so ended up here. For starters the other evening there is a short stretch of 14 here in California for passing south of Ridgecrest. It's the one place to get around trucks without challenging possible vehicles oncoming or vehicles turning onto the highway from the off road entrances/exits in the area. I was ready to go around a semi as we approached the widened highway cruising at 70, passed it and noted another truck about a quarter mile ahead, so decided to attempt passing it as well. I easily passed it before the road narrowed again and to my surprise the speedometer just touched 100! I had noted that there was adequate acceleration on freeway/interstate on-ramps before when the gas motor would become audible, but with both gas and electric motors and the quiet smooth ride I've no doubt this vehicle will cruise over 100 mph. No need for that of course.....but it shows that for good cruise control there is adequate power and without gears the cruise control is seamless through hill and dale. I usually get over 99 mpg to town (mostly downhill) and end up with 46 mpg if I stay under 50 mpg on the way back uphill for the entire trip. To and from Los Angeles ~300 miles at 70 mph freeway speeds about 40 mpg. EV mode is great in town!

 

I test drove the Camry hybrid last week when my wife and I were looking at the Advanced Tech Package Prius v.

Drivetrain: Power is fantastic. All sorts of umpf from this powerplant. It is very quiet and accelerates to normal speeds much quieter than the 1.8HSD in the 3rd gen Prius and Prius v. Toyota is insane if this powerplant doesn't find its way into the Avalon, Venza, Rav4, and Lexus ES. It is really, really good. I ran the same loop with the HyCamry and the Prius v AT and both cars returned 37mpg with me driving aggressively. 5 of 5 stars

Chassis: Feels much more planted than the previous generation Camry. Definitely pushed it more toward the German feeling ride than before. As an ex-GTI owner, if ride were my priority, the Camry hybrid would win over the v any day of the week. Less tire noise gets through, better damped chassis, more planted on the road. 4 of 5 stars

Interior: Very comfortable inside the XLE. I don't like some of the color combos on the seats and would much prefer the all black Camry SE interior. That said, everything is well placed and intuitive. Again, coming into this having never owned a Prius, the Camry felt more at home and easier to find what I was looking for. The instrument panel is very attractive and seems to be of high quality other than a few items around the shifter. Visibility was good. Back seats are huuuuggggeeee and very comfortable for this 5'8" 155lb cyclist/soccer player. The trunk is where the wheels fall off the wagon. It isn't especially small, but the passthrough is. No folding seats limits practicality. The interior would get a 5 of 5 if Toyota saw fit to make this a wagon. With us expecting our first in the summer and coming from a Toyota 4Runner, MINI Cooper S, and VW GTI, I just cannot make the transition back to a sedan. The Prius v, on the other hand, has a massive rear cargo area that I can see myself easily tossing jogging strollers, road bikes, and bags full of soccer balls into. The v gets my engineer soul stirring when it comes to that cargo area with those sliding, reclining, and folding rear seats. If a trunk is OK with you, the HyCamry is a 4 of 5 for interior. Since I have a hard time dealing with a trunk, it gets 3 of 5 despite being fantastic from the back seat forward.

Exterior: Very handsome in dark colors. It isn't flashy, but it is mature. That said, there isn't a ton to say about it. I think the SE exterior looks fantastic, on the other hand. I'm still relatively young (29), so I prefer a little bit of flash. In light colors, super white specifically, the shapes of the Camry body really disappear. This is unfortunate because my wife and I almost always prefer white cars. The 3 cars we've owned together have all been white and look great in white. This is one that I'd certainly be looking at a dark gray, red, blue, or black (!!!) even. And I hate dealing with black cars. 2 of 5 in white, 3 of 5 in darker colors.

Overall, if Toyota had put the hybrid drivetrain in a wagon version of the Camry SE, I'd be over the moon in love with this car. As it stands, I still very much like it but I'm 90% certain I'll be ordering a Prius v ATP instead of a loaded Camry Hybrid XLE when I can order my new lease vehicle on April 2nd. The Camry Hybrid is a very good car, and I'd recommend it hands down to anyone considering a sedan, and especially over the non-hybrid 2AR because this new hybrid drivetrain is so good, but my personal bias toward wagons is stronger than how good this car is. An SE hybrid, though, would probably be enough to overcome my bias, but right now the visually more interesting, much more practical, and slower Prius v ATP is better for me. The Camry Hybrid is better than ever and came pretty close to converting this cyclist, hiker, camper, future-new-dad that refuses to drive anything but wagons or hatches. 4 of 5 stars.

 

..Other pluses for Prius and Camry hybrids; Last night as an event coordinator the temps dropped to 50'ish. No worries as a ham radio operator. I was in and out of the vehicle until 0400 checking on 100 mile endurance horse riders and their mounts, using the radio often. I believe the computer is run by the auxiliary battery in the trunk so when it gets low in voltage the engine will automatically start up (if the car is in a drive state) and recharge that battery. This combined with the engine automatically remaining hot enables the heater to be instantly available throughout the night. Even had a bunch of ride organizers in the lee of the vehicle enjoying the heater when the door was open. Knocks the heck out of ones hypermiling though

 

i also would like to see camry hybrid wagon/hatchback/venza!

 

The Garmin nuvi 2460LMT (GPS with lane assist/junction view/voice command) has a cable for instrument readout.

 

I was trying to use the build your own for the Camry Hybrid on the Toyota web site.
When came across the Nav package and saw the AY Advance tech option, I have no idea what it consists of and no where in the web site has any description.
Can anyone point me to the right place?

 

good question. seems to be just a mistake. too bad it doesn't include DRCC -- a serious lack on this car.


See http://cdg-liveconnect.s3.amazonaws.com/Camry_Press_Release.pdf

Options on Hybrid seem to only:
Convenience Package: Includes Integrated Backup Camera, HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, and Anti-Theft System with Alarm
•
Leather Package: Includes Leather-Trimmed Ultrasuede® Seats and Leather Door Trim with Integrated Armrests and seatback pockets, Multi-stage Heated Driver and Passenger Front Seats, and four-way Power Adjustable Front Passenger Seat
•
Display Audio with Navigation and Entune™ - Includes 6.1-inch Touch Screen, AM/FM CD Player with MP3/WMA Playback Capability, six speakers, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio (Includes 90-Day Trial Subscription to XM Select Package), HD Radio™ with iTunes® Tagging, Auxiliary Audio Jack, USB Port with iPod® Connectivity and Control, Vehicle Information, Hands-Free Phone Capability, Phonebook Access, Advanced Voice Recognition, Text-to-Speech with Programmed and Customizable Text Responses, and Music Streaming Via Bluetooth® Wireless Technology. See Toyota.com/Entune™ for details.
•
Display Audio with Navigation, Entune™ and JBL® - Includes 6.1-inch Touch Screen, AM/FM CD Player with MP3/WMA Playback Capability, 10 JBL® GreenEdge™ Speakers Including Subwoofer, Amplifier, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio (Includes 90-Day Trial Subscription to XM Select Package), HD Radio™ with iTunes® Tagging, Auxiliary Audio Jack, USB Port with iPod® Connectivity and Control, Vehicle Information, Hands-Free Phone Capability, Phonebook Access, Advanced Voice Recognition, Text-to-Speech with Programmed and Customizable Text Responses, and Music Streaming Via Bluetooth® Wireless Technology. See Toyota.com/Entune™ for details.
•
Premium HDD Navigation with Entune™ and JBL® - Includes 7-inch Touch Screen with Spilt-Screen functionality, AM/FM CD Player with MP3/WMA Playback Capability, 10 JBL® GreenEdge™ Speakers Including Subwoofer Amplifier, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio (Includes 90-Day Trial Subscription to XM Select Package); HD Radio™ with iTunes® Tagging, Auxiliary Audio Jack, USB Port with iPod® Connectivity and Control, Vehicle Information, Hands-Free Phone Capability, Phonebook Access, Advanced Voice Recognition, Text-to-Speech with Programmed and Customizable Text Responses, and Music Streaming Via Bluetooth® Wireless Technology. See Toyota.com/Entune™ for details.
•
Safety Connect®- includes Emergency Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Locator, Roadside Assistance and Automatic Collision Notification. Available by subscription. [Complimentary 1-year trial subscription]
•
Blind Spot Monitor
•
Power tilt/slide moonroof with rear personal lamp and dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors
6

 

AY is the code for Safety Connect and I think it's paired as an option with NV (7-inch HDD Nav) and BM (Blindspot Monitor). Builds in LA for the XLE are:
XLE with Entune 6.1
XLE with Entune 6.1 and leather (and/or sunroof)
XLE with Entune 7.0, Leather, Sunroof, Safety Connect, Blindspot Monitor

The listing was likely an error since AT is used as a package name on the original Prius.

 

I find this easier to read/understand:

Display Audio with Navigation and Entune™ - Includes 6.1-inch Touch Screen, AM/FM CD Player with MP3/WMA Playback Capability, six speakers, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio (Includes 90-Day Trial Subscription to XM Select Package), HD Radio™ with iTunes® Tagging, Auxiliary Audio Jack, USB Port with iPod® Connectivity and Control, Vehicle Information, Hands-Free Phone Capability, Phonebook Access, Advanced Voice Recognition, Text-to-Speech with Programmed and Customizable Text Responses, and Music Streaming Via Bluetooth® Wireless Technology. See Toyota.com/Entune™ for details.

Display Audio with Navigation, Entune™ and JBL® includes above plus (or instead) - 10 JBL® GreenEdge™ Speakers Including Subwoofer, Amplifier

Premium HDD Navigation with Entune™ and JBL® includes above plus (or instead) - 7-inch Touch Screen with Spilt-Screen functionality.

 

After I myself have driven a v twice, an Optima, a CT200, a Cam Hybrid, and a couple others I am prettymuch now torn between the Cam Hybrid and the v 5 w/out ATP.

I was surpirsed at how much I liked the Cam Hybrid.

My only issue I find in most cars is the center console.
My right knee lays against the console while driving and it annoys me.

I see many of you posters saying they are tall and feel totally comfy in the Cam Hybrid. I can't figure out what is odd about my seating position that causes me this trouble and others don't experience it.

The two big factors that lean me towards the v are the open console design that allows my knee free movement, and the rear hatch for stuff. (Coming from an SUV, I'm concerned about the usefulness of the trunk.)

The two things that are leaning me towards the cam hybrid are the interior quietness and smoothness, as well as the power and seemless transition between the gas and electric.

I'm SOO TORN!!! And afraid my knee will get irritated!!

 

we love our hycam. i wsh i could help you decide, but i'm only 5'8".

 

For me the issue is my left knee that leans against the arm rest in all Prii, but not in THC.

 

Very interesting with the left knee concern.
Maybe if I get the seat up high enough I wont have the knee issue as it'll be resting down against the seat bottom, though usually when the seat is raised too high, it hinders me getting into and out of the car a bit (sliding under the steering wheel)

 

I'm 6'7" and bought the Camry Hybrid yesterday... for my wife. It will be our "family" car though. I have a 2010 Camry gas as my company car. There really isn't many cars I fit in well without my right knee/shin rubbing the center console while driving. I just accept it. My personal driver is a Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 Cummins Turbo Diesel. I fit in it just fine. I recommend it if you can live with the ~$140 for a full tank and ~600 mile range (38 gallon tank).