Hello all. My name is Johnny.

I am in the market for my first Hybrid. I am a newbie to this forum, but I am experienced with automotive forums. After starting another thread in the comparison forum, I have narrowed my search alot and the Camry appears to be a viable option. My reasons are primarily environmentally based, but I truely HATE funding the oil industry's war on consumers. I also am very uncomfortable giving money to extremist terrorists.

So, here are my needs and any feedback would be much appreciated. My wife is only 5'2" tall so we need a vehicle with good front seat adjustment. We currently own a 2003 Accord and we both love it, but it is time to move on and get a new ride. We dont drive alot, our normal weekly milage would typically be less than 200 miles, but if we go on vacation, we could drive 1000 miles in a week.

I must admit that Hybrid technology is pretty new to me. Ideally, I would have liked a GM EV-1, but those goofy guys crushed them all. My wife and I will have this vehicle as our primary ride. We have a minivan that we use for her painting business, but we want a small sporty hi efficiency car that handles well and is safe. I was disappointed in the Honda Accords minimal milage gains over the non hybrid version, and I am not terribly impressed with the Civic Hybrid styling.

I also want a vehicle that I can maintain myself and is reliable and doesn't cost an arm and a leg to keep maintained. I dont need a big car, but I am 6'3" tall and weight above 220# (I am not gonna say how much though )

So... I am hoping to get some first hand feedback from TCH owners and understand if it will fit my needs.

Thanks and GO GREEN!!

 

Johnny,

As a person who has driven most of the hybrids and owned two of them, I can say you have made a wise choice in deciding on Toyota's system. Almost everyone reading your thread will likely say something similar though.

Were it not for the fact that my business has expanded to the point where I entertain people on a regular basis, I would still have a Prius. However, the back seat in the Prius gets mighty small when a 6' 1" dude that weighs the sunny side of 250 is sitting up front, as compared to the Camry.

If GREENness is number one, then the Prius is the best car that can actually drive normally with 500+ pouinds of people and stuff in it. If the best combination of, green, comfort, and space are what you want, then I would say Camry Hybrid, hands down.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks Larry!!

Is the Camry handling similar to the Honda Accord?

 

Wow! You cover a lot of needs.
The difference in physical stature would not be a problem for either of you since the seats and steering wheel cdan accomodate both of you without a problem.
I get 35 to 39 mpg per tankful depending on how tough I am on the TCH so I love it when I pull up to the pump and fill it with regular.
The TCH is definitely not small and sporty; it's big and luxurious with a ride so quiet and smooth you'll think it's a Lexus. It's built on the Avalon platform. Every time I ride with a new passenger I hear, "Wow this car is smoooooth. Are we in gas or electric mode? Do you have to plug it in?
This is not a car for the backyard mechanic. But then again neither are most other new cars. There is too much new technology built into this car for the average person to fiddle with. But the high tech parts are covered by long warrantees and Toyota builds cars to last. My other car is a '95 Avalon that runs as well as the day I bought it. Sorry to sound like a Totota commercial but I check out major purchases for a long time before putting down hard cash and to me the Big 3 automakers are Toyota, Honda, Nissan. American cars aren't even on my radar screen any longer.

If you want more info on the TCH, scroll through these posts and you'll get the feeling this is a great car. It's so good the new Nissan Altima Hybrid is basically a TCH with a Nissan skin

 

hmmm, I wonder if the TCH might be a bit too big for my wife's liking. She really likes the sporty handling of our Accord. She has even named it zippy.

 

Well, "zipping around town" to enjoy the "handling" of the car does not really fit the Camry hybrid's intent. If you are leaning toward more "sport" maybe the upcoming Altima Hybrid would be a better fit for you. It's "supposed to be" sportier than the TCH. Good Luck.

 

There are a few members on this board that came from a performance car type background and love the Camry. You guys really need to test drive one. You may find that you don't miss the sporty type cars after a few months of ownership...

 

Wow, I am gonna check the nissan out. Thanks for the guidance guys. You make this process fun!!

 

The TCHs HSD drivetrain is infinitely variable, meaning there's no staging through the endless succession of gears as in the Accord automatic.
In short, it's a much smoother drive than the Accord.

Get the TCH with leather so both you and your wife will have power seats to make their adjustment quick and easy.

 

I guess that I am concerned with suspension performance and braking. Our Honda Accord has great cornering, accel, braking. I must admit that I have never noticed any shifting issues in the tranny that you refer to.