Our TCH replaced our '98 Lexus GS300. Was going to buy a new GS last year, but decided to wait for the new body style. Then I didn't like the new GS; it drove GREAT, but too expensive, to hard to get to the controls in the drawer, too small back seat, and too small trunk opening (but it is a SPORTS sedan!). Decided to try a hybrid, and I LOVE it! Surprisingly, my brother, who has gone from a long list of BMWs, including 540s and Dinons, was intrigued by my TCH, and bought the identical TCH for himself, and he loves his, too.

Our second car is a '06 Seinna Limited, which replaced a '93 Camry LE wagon. Would have replaced it with another Camry wagon five years ago if Toyota still sold them! The Seinna is nice (and a hybrid Seinna or smaller hybrid minivan would be even GREATER!), but my wife never loved a car as much as she did her Camry wagon (which was a 1000 times better vehicle than the Mercedes 300 wagon it replaced!!!!! - a very long story of way too many problems and poor design with the MB).

-- Alan

 

I live in Canada where gas is 80-90 cents per litre The Camry (with B package) replaced a 99 Honda accord EX with 110,000km. My wife has a heavy foot and got about 21mpg around town with the Accord. I got about 25 mpg. On the road, with a light foot, the accord got about 31 mpg. The Camry around town with most trips to work less than 6km STILL gets 32+ mpg. We love the car and I just ordered a set of Michelin X ICE snow tires from www.tiretrends.com. I recommend them highly to those who live in Canada. Price delivered with genuine Toyota OE wheels with the correct offset was $1,074.16CAD

 

I replaced my '99 Passat (75000 miles) whose lifetime average was about 25.5 MPG of PREMIUM gas. I like to keep a car 5 years, but in this case I waited a year because I wanted the TCH. Crickets aside, I LOVE this car.

 

Got my Blue Ribbon TCH on Tuesday of last week. We traded in a '99 Land Rover Discovery Series II that got about 14 MPG on a good day burning premium gas. I was just hoping that I would get 35 MPG with the TCH since I drive about 75 miles ONE WAY to work each day. Currently I have about 800 miles on the car and we got it with about 20 miles on it. (I think it was less than 20 since we took it on a long test drive and we got back to the dealer with 25 miles on the clock.)

I also have a F-250 Diesel truck that I was using for the daily commute to work that gets about 17 MPG on the highway and 15 in the city.

Before we decided to get the TCH, we test drove a VW Jetta TDI, and thought the seats were not comfortable enough and since I have lower back issues, that was not going to work. We then went to the mercedes dealer and were about to get an E320 CDI, but decided we did not want to spend the $900 a month it would have cost. In hindsight that would have been a smokin deal as the sticker price was in the mid $50's, but we still did not want to pay it.

So we went back to the Camry which we had tested a few months back as a LE edition, and the dealer just happened to have a barcelona red, leather, sunroof on the lot. We test drove it, and decided that was what we wanted. The only problem was I thought I would get tired of the red after a while, and I really wanted the extra hybrid features of the navigation, so we decided to wait for a blue one, and about a month latter I have my loaded Blue Ribbon Metalic that I got 38.3 MPG on the first tank. The second tank I was well on my way to 43 MPG, until I took it to the car wash - down to 41.5 MPG, and then we went to the airshow in Houston where we had to sit in traffic for about 2 hours to leave - down to 37 MPG. Still well above my 35 MPG hope.

 

When gas was $3.25 for premium I gave up and sold my 06 Acura TL and got the TCH. Sure in hind sight I may not have done it if I knew gas would be back at $2.00, but I still am saving and actually the TCH has made me a more civilized driver. And with tax credit and then the gas savings I am still ahead a bit even with dumping the TL within a year. And I get the peace of mind knowing I am not giving much to BIG OIL and am saving the environment a bit. My "no regrets " mark was 30-32MPG and I have an average of 35.5 and last 2 tanks are upward of 38MPG so so far no regrets, other than I wish I could have gotten the NAV.

 

I traded my 99 Outback for my TCH. It had 120k miles and the transmission was starting to slip. Facing a possible 2K repair on the transmission I went to the dealer, They gave me 4500 trade and that, coupled with 2600 at tax time, sealed the deal for me. I figure if I waited a year, I'd have a trade worth zilch, would have put money into repairs on the Subie, and lost out on the tax credit.

 

The Camry Hybrid replaced my 2005 Ford Mustang GT.

Why? Fuel economy was not the reason - but is a nice perk. The Mustang did well with 18 city/26 hwy - not bad for a 300hp V8.

We bought this car as a sensible way to show our support to those auto manufacturers that need to know that the public IS interested in Hybrid technology as a means to reduce our overall dependance on oil (regardless of it's origin).. When Toyota / Honda / Ford / Nissan finally step up with a Diesel Electric Hybrid and a Flex Fuel Hybrid (Ford Escape 2008?) they will have proven to the world that they really do care about the resources of the Earth.

Demographics drawn from what make/model car that's owned? That's pretty funny.. I live in Minneapolis (inner city) and can drive 3 miles further in and show you Hummers, Lexus', Cadillacs, you name it - parked in front of homes that are falling apart with half naked babies playing in the street...

So - for me? I work professionally in Technology - Semi professionally I build/roadrace and drag cars. My wife is a clerk in a public high school.
I am currently engaged in a project to build a Diesel-Electric Hybrid based on a VW Cabriolet donor platform.

 

Sold our 04 Ford Exploder with 49K for the TCH. Didn't need the larger vehicle.

Mrs Scooters wanted something a little less SUV like and we wanted to sell the car before the bottom dropped out of the market.

Gas mileage was, of course, important and didn't mind helping the environment too.

So far, she is getting an honest 40 MPG. It's a perfect fit all of the way around.

 

Replaced a 2002 Toyota RAV4 (22 mpg avg) with 88,000 miles. Needed a commute vehicle with more room inside for family hauling on weekends... love it!!

 

Traded my wife's 1998 loaded v-6 Camry XLE, 58000 miles. I bought the TCH for the technology involved. I worked in process computer control all my working career.