2018 HyCam amateur review and ongoing blog

Not really. I started out years ago wanting an Insight with a manual but my local dealer kept pushing the CVT. I wanted a Prius for years when the gen 2 THC came out with 200hp and 40 mpgs I wanted one and in fact planned to buy a gen 2 when the gen 3 came out but the gen 2 sold out in our area before I could buy one. When I saw that Toyota had once again significantly raised the mileage and increased the horsepower for the next generation I kinda had to have the gen 3 Toyota Camry Hybrid. 208 horsepower and 52 mpgs override the other concerns.

 

With all my fussing and nitpicking you might think I don't like the car so much. Let me tell you a quick story. I just recently drove 3 other vehicles for various reasons. These were all vehicles I liked a lot at one time or another but I couldn't wait to get back to driving the Camry! The Camry is by far the nicest vehicle I've ever owned. It does have some annoyances but it is still a great car IMHO.

 

It was a little warmer today so the mileage was up pretty good on the trip home from work. The MPG displayed in the picture is for the 16 mile trip, not the whole tank. The tank is running in the mid fifties and the lifetime is still around 46. I work late so there is no traffic on the way home. It is also a bit downhill and typically with the wind to come home so the return leg home always has higher figures than the trip to work. The trip to work has more traffic, is usually done at higher speed, and it typically a bit uphill and into the wind. Still I managed mid fifties on the way to work and 69 on the way home today.

 

ScanGauge found as well as tire pressure gauge and pump. Where is the OBD2 port on a 2018 Camry Hybrid? EDIT: OBD2 found left of steering wheel underneath dash in plain view (not covered).

 

The aerodynamics of the wheel might matter as well (I don't know by how much). Hyundai is putting ugly but aerodynamic wheels on the Ioniq.

 

Firestone FT140 dealership aired up to 36 PSI.

205/65R16

 

Note to self, next time getting Yokohama AVID Ascend is Yokohama's first mass-produced Grand Touring All-Season tire line in the United States using Yokohama's Orange Oil technology and branded with their BluEarth eco-friendly identification.

Currently one of the cheaper tires, long tread-wear and "eco" whatever that means...

 

I kind of expect the LRR aspect of the tire to eclipse any weight issues. My first hybrid came with those B381 and they made a huge difference. My mileage tanked immediately when I put normal tires on the car. The difference was much larger than I expected, like 25-30%!!!

 

Yes, the B381s were great for mileage but had noticeably reduced grip. I enjoyed the super high MPGs of the B381s but I also enjoyed the better traction of the later tires. It must be the way I drove (hyper-mile style) because the difference in mileage was much greater than any LRR marketing claims. Much, much greater. I figure most people's biggest gas eater is wind resistance at high speeds. The way I was driving the rolling resistance must have been a bigger factor.

 

Yes exactly!

My previous car had a dial which was good because you could see where you were and more importantly where you were going.

My favorite style is to have 3 buttons, one for each of the 3 levels where the air comes out. Push one and the air comes out there. Push 2 for bi-level. Buttons should be big enough for gloved hands, like this:

 

Maybe? I've not figured out how to get it to move in inch in EV when cold yet. Someone advised pushing the EV button within 5 seconds of the power button. That didn't seem to work...

This is especially frustrating because there is no physical reason the car should not be able to do this. It is just a software thing for no reason. I mean I know they don't want you draining the battery but I just want the car out of the garage.