Good thread!

Even though we have purchased a TCH, we will still buy another hybrid to replace my wife's aging PT Cruiser. At this point in time, hybrid #2 will be a Ford Escape 2wd Hybrid and that purchase will be made in the fall of 2007.

For this car (mine) I looked at the following cars;

1) Honda Civic Hybrid
2) Honda Accord Hybrid
3) Toyota Prius Hybrid
4) Mercury Mariner Hybrid
5) Ford Escape Hybrid (2wd)
6) Toyota Camry Hybrid
7) Honda Insight Hybrid

Yes - I looked at almost all of the available Hybrids - even the Chevrolet Silverado hybrid (which would have replaced my 3/4 ton Avalanche that I tow with).

The Civic Hybrid - while a true Hybrid, it does not have a full EV mode like the others (except for the Accord). It's looks were displeasing but not really a styling statement that tripped my trigger. It's interior space was not what I wanted to be married to for a couple of years. The back seat did not fold down. Colors available - when will Honda wake up and produce colors real people want?

The Honda Accord Hybrid - I've owned Hondas (both Accords and Civics) and really enjoyed them and the renowned Honda quality. This car seemed to be no different. The Accord Hybrid, however, seemed to embrace the "Go-Fast" generation more than the "Fiscally and Ecologically Responsible" generation (my perception / opinion). Also - with both Hondas -
the lack of a full EV mode was the technology that I really didn't want a vehicle without.

The Prius Hybrid - Like the Honda Civic - the interior space was a concern - however - the fold down back-seat made things better. It was the styling of the Prius that made it a NO-GO for us. My wife simply could not stand the look of it. I hear it is being re-styled for 2008 - let's hope they get it right!

Mercury Mariner - Licensed Toyota technology made it a contender. However, the lack of a 2wd only option booted this one out of the running. Yes - even in snowy Minneapolis - we find that 4wd is something that we just don't need. Front wheel drive is just fine and the additional mileage penalty for carting around the rear wheel drive system in the Mariner was more than we wanted to pay.

Ford Escape Hybrid - This one is still a contender for a number of reasons to replace my wife's car. Unless Toyota steps up with a 2wd RAV4 - The FEH will reside in the driveway next fall. I eliminated it from contention as my daily driver because I didn't want two of them!

Honda Insight Hybrid - While the super economy is the primary draw and made me look past the lack of interior room, the elimination of the car from the Honda line-up told me I would be buying a car that was destined to be an orphan.

The Camry Hybrid grabbed me for all the reasons the others didn't..

I'm a gadget freak and you can't whine about lack of gadgets with the TCH.
Full EV mode (even though it's really not a "long distance" winner in terms of being able to drive more than just a couple miles on it.
The spaciousness of the interior.
The true feeling of quality while driving.
It was quite.
It was tight.
It handled like I expect of a much smaller car.
The fit and finish was amazing.

Congratulations Toyota. I've owned over 100 cars, trucks and motorcycles in my life. The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is my very first Toyota and if the last couple of weeks is any indication as to what I'm in for in the future, Toyota vehicles will be my new "First Choice"...

 

I'm a big guy. I drove both. The HCH is much harder to get in and out of. It has a much cheaper interior; seats that are flat, don't support your legs, you seat in a hole, poor vision out, poor shoulder room and the AC was worth crap. When stopped it wouldn't cool, I was sweating when it was only 70. I felt I was in a prison. The power train was rough. Rear seat worthless. It reminded me of 1971 Chevy Vega. TCH on the other hand is a Lexus. TCH has no bad faults, it excels. Even after a 6 hour drive I wanted to drive it longer. It came with everything I wanted; stereo, smart key, bluetooth, electro rear mirror, 8 way power seats, 7 airbags, all the safety features and being GREEN, it's a perfect car.

 

I've been looking to buy a hybrid ever since the Prius came out. While I liked the engineering on the Prius II, I hated the way it looked and did not like having the spoiler smack in the middle of my rear window.

I thought the Highlander might be the right fit, but decided not to buy one when the full specs came out. Not enough fuel economy. If they had put a 4 cylinder engine in place of the 6 and had tuned it to get better economy, I would have jumped in. The pricing was also problematic. Too big a differential over the non-hybrid.

I also looked at the Accord, but fuel economy just wasn't there.

My sister bought a Civic and was happy with it. However, she indicated that it was a little underpowered for steep hills.

The TCH had everything I wanted. Good FE, roomy interior, lots of gagets, was priced right (especially with the tax credit), and looked good.

I'm glad I waited and bought it. FE has been better than expected. I justified my purchase based on a FE of 36 mpg and have found I can exceed 40 mpg consistently.

 

You are so right! My Accord (despite it being a 2000 model) had such uncomfortable seats. I had both an Obusforme AND a LumbAirPlus (a lumbar air cushion thingy)
on the driver's seat because without it my back would KILL after even a short drive. The seats on my TCH are very very comfortable. I still often find myself reaching back with my right hand (as I did with the Accord to adjust the seat supports) only to find that there's no aftermarket supports.

As far as I'm concerned, at the moment, TCH ...

 

What I found as striking is that even though you posted this msh 2 hours later than the one on the HAH site - NO ONE over there responded. I believe that tells me something...

 

I considered both the TCH and the Accord Hybrid but chose the TCH for the following reasons:

Fuel economy
Styling
Cost (even without the $2600 tax credit I seem to remember the TCH being less expensive when compared to a comparable Accord)
Rear seat legroom

After a test drive in the TCH, we never drove the Accord. As I explained to my wife, "Why would I pay more for a car that has worse fuel economy, has less legroom, and will undergo a styling change in the next 2 years?" (according to a sales rep).

Having solved the center console squeak, my only complaints are the gremlins running the auto a/c and how most customizable electronic changes must be done by the dealer.

 

I actually owned an HCH for about 10 months and I had no complaints about the car. At the time I bought that the HCH it was one of a few hybrids on the market. I enjoyed the car but thought the fuel efficiency was not great (the max I got was about 30 mpg). When my step-son was buying a PRIUS the sale man told me about the Camry Hybrid that was coming out and I immediately place an order. About 6 weeks, May 26, I took delivery, from a different dealer, of my Barcelona Red THC. I love the car. My FE is between 37 and 40 mpg and I'm quite happy with that. I also love the styling. I even got a vanity plate - SAVINGAS

I did take a little beating on the trading but I really wanted to improve my FE and 'save gas'. I'm glad I mande the change

I have 3 PRIUS owners in the family as well. I don't particulary like to styling of that car but they very happy with the performance of that car as well.

 

Thanks for the quotes

 

Test - drove HAH first and found the perpetual automatic gear changes annoying.
Test -drove a Ford Escape Hybrid and liked the drive, but not the package.
Test - drove smooth, quiet TCH and signed the papers the next day.
Never got a chance to test the HCH.