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Car Tech: Camry Hybrid vs. Camry V6 vs. Honda Hybrid
Camry Hybrid vs. Camry V6 vs. Honda Hybrid
by vfelix - 9/6/06 8:20 PMI'm currently looking for a car and want opinions on which would be the best choice and why. The Honda has lowest expectations because the new models don't look as good as the 03-04.
I own the 2006 Civic Hybrid.
by R. Proffitt
- 9/7/06 5:43 AM
In reply to: Camry Hybrid vs. Camry V6 vs. Honda Hybrid by vfelix
But am not happy with the steering freeplay issue and Honda's response to the problem.
Also, while our 2003 Civic Hybrid meets and beats the sticker mileage of 47 (I got 50 on a 200 mile round trick jaunt) the new 2006 model boosts 50/51 but we are barely above 40.
Look elsewhere.
Bob
Worse yet is the vision issue.
by R. Proffitt - 9/7/06 5:46 AM
In reply to: I own the 2006 Civic Hybrid. by R. Proffitt
The left roof support is HUGE and obstructs far too much of the drivers view. I must be extra careful and move my head a lot to be sure something is not out of view.
How this model made it into production is a mystery to me.
Hindsight? Should have driven it more.
Bob
Re:
by Psych Doc - 9/7/06 9:11 AM In reply to: Camry Hybrid vs. Camry V6 vs. Honda Hybrid by vfelixIf you live in an area where you'll be doing a lot of stop and go driving I'd go with the Camry Hybrid as that where hybrids really shine. There is no benefit on the highway with respect to MPG. If you do mostly highway driving, I'd stick with the 6 cylinder Camry. Honda product are not as good as they were a few years ago while Toyota just keeps getting better and better.
Regarding highway driving.
by R. Proffitt - 9/7/06 11:38 AM
In reply to: Re: by Psych Doc
As a 2003 Civic Hybrid owner I think this is a myth. The 200 mile round trip from Boston to/from Hartford was almost all highway and I topped 50 MPG.
You get payoff on the highway too.
Bob
Your right
by vfelix - 9/7/06 6:41 PM In reply to: Re: by Psych DocI've looked up the honda hybrid. It's kinda pricy. The civic is too small for my needs. I usuall carry a bunch of teenagers to and fro. I drive mostly city. The camry hybrid looks nice so far but im probly going to try to test drive one this weekend if it is available. I had an 03 Camry 4 cylinder. I want more power the least ill go is 160hp.
If you test drive it,you'll buy it........
by Tony Holmes - 9/10/06 5:55 AM In reply to: Your right by vfelixI fix them for a living and the Camry HV is no slouch.It uses a 147hp version of their standard 4cyl,combined output with the 105kw motor is 192hp.You should see an honest 40mpg.
There is no shifting to speak of,just smooth accelleration.Since '01,we have yet to see one Hybrid powertrain failure that was the car's fault.There are no clutch packs,etc to wear out like a regular auto trans has.Please stay away from quick lubes for any kind of service on this car.
It's very roomy and retains the 60/40 fold down rear seat.
The V6 Camry uses the 268hp Avalon engine with a 5spd auto trans,it runs like a scalded dog.There have been some engine and trans issues but it's also a solid car.
Hope this helps.
I just test drove one the other day
by vfelix - 9/10/06 8:01 PM In reply to: If you test drive it,you'll buy it........ by Tony HolmesI thought the interior was nicer then its predecessor and the exterier is just pretty much way more appealing. On driving it though it didn't seem as fast as the 4 cylinder for some reason. I drove them both a week apart. I don't know but is this true that the 4 cylinder feels faster than the hybrid? I should have drove them both on the same day but... no time.
Depends how you drove them......
by Tony Holmes - 9/11/06 11:46 AM In reply to: I just test drove one the other day by vfelixIf you just "puttered" along on a standard test drive you'd notice little if any difference between the two,other than the HV not shifting.
The difference would be noticeable slamming the pedal down.The electric motor has instant torque to provide acceleration whereas a std 4cyl has to "spool up" to it's power band.
I don't have the exact specs in front of me but the HV is about 1.5 sec faster 0-60(8sec)than the 4cyl and has 1/4 mi times about 10mph faster.
Different accelleration
by albizzia - 9/23/06 2:33 PM In reply to: I just test drove one the other day by vfelixComparing the Camry 4 cylinder with the Camry Hybrid, the Hybrid has better 0-60 times.
What you "feel" is misleading, as the Hybrid uses a Planetary Continuously Variable transmission which gives it a smooth jerk-free accelleration. Watch your speed - it is easy to exceed the limit with such smooth accelleration.
The standard automatic transmission, on the other hand, has a spurt of accelleration, then drops off while shifting 1st to 2nd, another spurt, drops off again shifting 2nd to 3rd, and at freeway speed another drop off shifting into 4th. The spurts "feel" powerful, but don't last long and when the shift drop-offs are added in, overall accelleration is less.
to tony
by gwingee - 9/20/06 6:14 AM In reply to: If you test drive it,you'll buy it........ by Tony HolmesI am veryseriously considering getting the camry hybrid...about the oil changes...do you just go to toyota for ALL service???
hybrids
by wesley - 9/23/06 5:49 AM In reply to: to tony by gwingeeLast May, I purchased the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the car itself is great. It feels powerful when driving it. I am not pleased with the gas mileage however. I realize that most people won't realize the window sticker gas mileage as it is gotten through special driving conditions. On long trips I am getting about 25 to 26 miles per gallon while the sticker amount is 27. That is fine with me. However, I am getting about 21-23 mpg in town and the sticker amount is 31 MPG. I keep complaining about it at Toyota but no on there seems to have an answer other than the driver conditions are different. I am not an aggressive driver in town. Unless there is an answer, I will not buy another hybrid. There are non hybrid cars out there that can get just as good gas mileage and are much less expensive. I feel like I have been lied to by Toyota.
Toyota Prius
by foscof - 9/23/06 1:02 PM In reply to: hybrids by wesleyI have had a Prius for a little over a year and have 27000 miles accumulated already. Generally I average 50-52 mpg but when using a bicycle carrier mileage drops to slightly over 40. On a recent 375 mile trip though, I arrived with an average of 58. All I can say to that is WOW! I get all my service done at Toyota as I feel they know my car better than anyone even though it means driving a lot further for service.
Driving a hybrid
by drdycus - 9/24/06 7:26 PM In reply to: hybrids by wesleyI've had a AWD Highlander Hybrid for a little over a year now, and love it. I would love it a little more if it had a more fuel efficient 4cyl paired with the electric motor (two, actually, on the AWD model). The V6 plus the electric gives it more power than I think it needs. If you step on the gas even moderately it feels like the chassis is going to run right out from under you. Even so, I've been pleased with my results. Until my commute changed recently so that almost all of my driving is on the highway, I was getting 29-30mpg with a pretty even balance of city/hiway driving. It took some practice to get there. It's just different than driving a regular car. The HiHy is just too heavy to accelerate from a stop solely on electric except in low speed places like parking lots. The trick in city driving is to use the engine to get up to speed (30-40mph) and then feather back on the accelerator so that it drops into electric only. If you are not pulling up significant hills, the electric is usually able to keep you at speed for a fair distance. 35mph seems to be the sweet spot. Obviously, a lot of stop-and-go cuts down on efficiency, as does using the AC, heater, etc. It's not perfect, but even at 24-25mpg it's a darn sight better than the 18-19mpg the gas-only Highlander V6 is getting in real world conditions.
Speaking of real-world, Toyota doesn't actually have a choice about displaying those (mostly) unrealistic numbers on the car sticker. The EPA's ratings have long been known to be inaccurate for every vehicle on the road. They use totally flat roads, perfect weather conditions, one occupant, no payload, etc. But even so, I bet the EPA test drivers don't drive the hybrids in a way that takes advantage of their abilities. I'll bet they've never heard of "pulse and glide."
There's a lot of good info over at HiHyChat.com and even more at Priuschat.com about fuel efficiency.
Extra bonus: Driving a hybrid has made me safer driver. Now if I can only get my wife to trade in her CR-V for a Prius...
blame epa
by gidget0949 - 12/21/06 6:13 PM In reply to: hybrids by wesleyYou have to remember that Toyota doesn't make the EPA sticker numbers. The EPA tests do; and it is a standardized test across all makes/models (used to be all years, but they changed it up recently).
When I inquired about hybrids at my local dealer I just asked them, "Hey, the sticker says this and this; but what have your customer's really been getting?" and they told me. In this case, the false numbers either come from the EPA or from the sales associate.
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