2018 Camry and Camry Hybrid Official Thread

i had no idea they were on the lots already, that's really early. will the accord be the same price as the le/se?

 

Accord always priced pretty close to Camrys, both start about $24k and go up to $35k or so

 

Toyota is more likely to start offering deals though

 

no question. they can drop their pants without blushing.

 

That would be nice. I figured out how to get comfortable in the new Camry by tilting the seat back a bit. It's a nice car and looks beautiful inside. I should have a year or so to decide as long as nothing happens to my 2005 Accord.

... But this old Accord averages 23 MPGs, is down on power especially with the A/C belt dragging on engine and worst, there is NO front passenger SEAT BELT REMINDER. I have to leave a note near shifter FASTEN SEAT BELTS because my 89 y/o mother has serious memory issues and I remember 98% to remind, but that's not good enough.

 

I drove an LE, SE, XSE and XLE (all 4-cyl), and LE HV last week.

My favorite was the LE HV that was quieter, smoother and possibly "peppier" than any of the others that were all 4-banger gassers. The SE body kits, heavy 18" wheels and compromise grand touring tires aren't worth the initial cost and may account for most of the lower EPA numbers compared to the lighter LiOn battery equipped LE HV. Not to mention the dual exhaust tips that are actually single with a tacked on fake outboard tip so eventually one will always be black, the other chrome.

The LE HV comes standard with the TSS-P safety kit like all Camrys, dual-zone auto climate control, all-fabric trimmed heated seats (vs partial SofTex on SE's), 4 drive modes (EV, ECO, Normal and Sport), Smart Key System with push button start, electric parking brake with brake hold function, TSS-P full speed range dynamic radar cruise control, HomeLink, anti-theft alarm and 52 mpg overall, the first midsize car available in the US with a 50+ mpg rating...for now. My main gripe is the urethane steering wheel. C'mon Akio, how much would a leather cover cost? It's a glaring omission from an otherwise upscale interior redesign. SE HV and XLE HV have leather covered steering wheels.

I special ordered an LE HV model 2559 with only one option, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, and a couple of accessories like floor mats. I'll be getting compatible OEM 17" alloy wheels and ultra high-performance all-season tires, trade the OEM 16" steelies and tires toward the new tires that together will hopefully weigh nearly the same as the 16" steelies and have a car that may outperform an SE HV, especially in the Pacific Northwest rainy season and have the same wheel revs/mile so all systems should function as designed.

 

Thanks!

The 4-cylinder cars only have two tips on the starboard side and the outboard side is cosmetic only. The V-6 has four but I don't know if those have tacked on fake tips too.

I haven't read up on why the 4-cyl SE/XSE gain hp but if it's something easy like an axle back, I'll consider upgrading if it also saves weight.

My order just missed the July TVO production cutoff date so it won't be made until August for October arrival.

I special ordered my stripper after learning that most LE HV's coming into my region will have the moonroof option that I'm not interested in due to weight and cost.

 

Do you mind sharing your approximate out the door price? Am very interested in the LE with the same options. Totally understand if you are not comfortable sharing the price.

 

I'd be glad to share if I knew, but I ordered blind. Pricing will be favorable, I'm able to order through the fleet system (no holdback, advertising or finance reserve, about 10% under invoice) and my state has no sales tax. Oregon title and license fees are about $360 for two-year tags and explains why about half of all Class A RV's in the US are registered in Oregon.

If I were buying retail, I'd probably wait until the last week in December that usually has the best cash back and APR incentives of the year that comes very close to my deal.

 

Guess I missed the quad exhaust on the XSE, thanks for the update. Seems like the extra weight of a faux quad exhaust would offset a 2-3 hp gain, though.

 

What does everyone think about the early reports in so many YouTube reviews of the 2018 Camry Hybrid line up (eg. redline review) stating that the LE gets the lithium ion battery for a better efficiency and the XLE get Nickel. What Toyota executive in their right mind would make this decision? I also notice that the USA site 2018 Camry configurator lacked the option for an LE Camry hybrid.

I want an Camry hybrid with HUD, panoramic sunroof and li-ion. What on earth are they doing?

 

looks like they are going down the road of the prius eco. maybe helps fleet fuel mileage or carb credits?

 

Weight also plays a factor in the official tests. Get the car's weight under a certain amount, and the resistance on the test equipment could be set to a lower amount. So Li-ion's lower weight has the usual benefit on the LE, which is going to be the lowest weight trim, and it could get it easier test conditions for the official figure.

The usable capacity of each pack is roughly the same. So there effect upon fuel economy will be roughly the same. Between the larger wheels and extra weight from more features, the extra weight of NiMH isn't as big a deal for the XLE/XSE.

Toyota made heavy investments in NiMH. If anyone is paying less for NiMH than Li-ion, it is only them. They are going to continue using NiMH until the point where they aren't get any return on their investment with it.

 

looking at the hycam on toyota.com, i'm not impressed. mpg seems to be about the only improvement. i guess the trunk is bigger, but there's no pic. and the side shot of the trunk lid makes the opening look small.
i know i have to see it in person, but not impressed with the pics of the exterior.interior, or the website for that matter.

 

I think Toyota went for midsize class 50+ mpg bragging rights with the LE HV...for awhile longer.

The trunk looks the same as the ICE Camrys. You're right, the deck lid looks to make for a bit shorter opening. The 60/40 folding rear seats are a huge improvement although the actual opening might not be big enough to fit my road bike without removing a wheel.

It'll be interesting to hear your impressions after your demo drive. I might be an outlier, but thoroughly enjoyed the lower seating position, greatly improved interior design and material quality, and the chassis balance of the LE HV even equipped with the marshmallow Firestone FT140 205/65-16 series tires.

It's a stretch to say this, but about the only thing I'm changing to approach sport sedan handling on the LE HV is to swap the OEM wheels and tires to a lightweight grippier 215/55-17 option.

 

LOL, you might not be impressed with my test drive impressions. we're typical old fart camry owners.
yes, mpg's and trunk size are great. i don't care about styling. i don't like the decontenting they've done like the prius to make the interior more swoop and stylish.
that being said, if it's quiet and a comfortable cruiser, we'll probably wind up in one next year when the 2019's come out, or a little later when they drop their pants on price.
i'll be interested to see what the higher end models return for mpg's. we get an average in the low 40's on our 2012 xle.