Feature: 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid

The new-generation Toyota Camry showed up at the beginning of 2006 as a 2007 model. The hybrid version was out about one month later. Here in Los Angeles, we see lots of new Camrys every day. The styling is decidedly sportier and less dull than the previous model. It wears Toyota's new "T" nose and the sides sweep back to the protruding taillights. The colors are new too. It's like Toyota mixed metallic silver with every other color -- blue, green, red, black, gray -- to come up with the new colors.

I drove to San Francisco recently to visit a friend and persuade him to let me drive his brand new Camry Hybrid. He was tired of his older gas hog Infiniti I30, and it was really time for a new car. Steve is a transplant from Los Angeles to San Francisco. He's been in SF about 3 years now and the SF activist-green-save-the-planet haze has set in. The Honda Civic Hybrid and the Toyota Prius were just too small for his needs. He regularly transports some senior citizens around the city so a larger car that rides a bit higher for ease of entry and exit was a priority. He looked at the Honda Accord Hybrid, but with the Accord's V6, its green credentials for SF were a bit weak. I think the Ford Escape Hybrid wasn't even on his radar screen as it constitutes an SUV -- something not currently on the "approved" driving list in SF. The new Camry Hybrid was the logical choice.

Finding a Camry Hybrid isn't easy in big California cities like SF and LA. There are waiting lists and then the dealers try to pile on their markups. Steve got lucky. He went to the Toyota dealer on the night that the couple who originally ordered the car failed the credit check to buy it. He settled for the color (silver) and lack of top-kit just to get the car. Credit isn't an issue when you pay cash.

This was the base hybrid without the one (and only) big factory option Package A. The sticker price was $26,480 + tax and license and that's what he paid. He got lucky and avoided the dealer trying to overcharge for a hot car. Steve is not a car guy. For him, it needs to be comfortable basic transportation with a high-end sound system to listen to CDs. He doesn't drive that much in SF as he lives near the several main Muni lines and is able to walk to many shops, restaurants, clubs, etc. But when he does drive, the trips are usually fairly short as SF isn't that big. A few times a year, he drives to LA or north to Portland to visit friends and attend performing arts events.

The base model has the keyless entry and ignition standard. I like that, but he's still getting used to it. But driving this hybrid is what we want to talk about. Like other hybrids, when you turn it on, it is very quiet. Everything is lit up and you are ready to go, but the silence of electricity takes some getting used to. Put the car in reverse and there is the ever so slight tremor when the little 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine comes to life.

This engine isn't that powerful -- only 147 hp and 138 lb ft of torque at a relatively high 4400 rpm peak. The electric motor is where the low end torque comes from. You get 199 lb-ft @ 0-1500 rpm. Toyota uses a continuously variable transmission in all its hybrids to maximize efficiency and torque. It definitely doesn't have the feel of an automatic transmission that changes gears. It sort of just buzzes along -- albeit quietly.

My main impression is that the Camry hybrid, tipping the scales at a porky 3680 pounds curb weight, isn't the best car for steep streets in San Francisco. When you add two adult males -- approximately 400 lbs -- to the front seats, the medium-sized Camry becomes almost too heavy to make the grades.

The Camry Hybrid struggled to get up to speed when stopped on significant grades. Each time the gasoline engine kicked in it was like a rough shift from first to second gear. Of course, there are no shifts with a CVT, so it's merely the engine management computer activating the gas engine after the initial start up on electric power.

In the SF, any north/south street was a chore when going up the grades. An east/west relatively flat street like Market was more to the Camry's liking. When winding through traffic on Market Street, the Camry was in its element. It was able to operate in electric mode longer and the switch to gasoline/electric power was less noticeable as it happened at a higher speed.

You notice the little things like the gasoline engine kick in because this car is quiet. With each new generation Toyota, the line between Lexus silent refrigerators and their Toyota cousins blurs ever closer. The interior styling is typical Toyota with well-fit controls, panels and switches. I found the basic controls and functions to be in logical, easy to learn places. The silver color on the center console was pleasant and non-reflective; but I wonder how it will hold up to scratches, fingernails, dog paws and other potential scratch sources.

The standard sound system was excellent and very little road noise intruded on the screeching opera voices. I turned those off so I could concentrate on the drive. My friend smiled knowing how much I disliked the opera he had playing. The dual zone digital climate control system worked very well. The fans were also very quiet -- again so as to make sure your attention doesn't turn to anything mechanical.

I found the electric power rack-and-pinion steering to be nearly numb. There was very little road feedback, despite the shoes being new. The turning radius is a very respectable 36.1 feet and I found that in real driving, it was better than most front-drive vehicles the same size. I've always considered Mercedes to have the best turning radii with the steep tip-in of the front wheels and rear drive. The 2007 E-Class sedan is 191 inches long to the Camry's 189.2 inches and the Mercedes' turning radius is 37.4 feet. Toyota has hit a pretty good benchmark here. This kind of thing matters in real-world driving.

The brakes were good. Not great. Again, the heft of the hybrid makes braking distances a bit longer. I found my self pushing hard on the brakes on streets with steep declines. There are lots of stop signs in SF and when you are riding the brakes from block to block on a steep decline, you need all the power the brakes have. Toyota offers the "B" position on the transmission shiftgate. It throws the CVT into a lower band position to give you engine braking power. It can be useful in these situations.

I never felt unsafe; I just don't like having to lay on brakes that hard. I predict that the brake pads will need changing a bit more often in an urban environment like SF. It also would have been nice to have the hill-assist option that stops the car from rolling back when stopped on an incline. In LA, my concerns wouldn't be nearly as great as most of LA is flat and the daily commuting crawl is something the Camry Hybrid would do very well in.

The steering column adjusts for both reach and rake. I was able to find a comfortable position with those adjustments. The seats are a different story. As with most Toyota products, I find the seats to be too small for my 6' 1" frame. I have long legs and the small seat bottoms don't have enough thigh support for me. And lateral support is almost non-existent. Toyota figures that its customers are using these cars as appliances, not as sports sedans. They are right about that. I also didn't think the seats went back far enough. While I was able to fit, it was as far back as the seat was going to go and what little rake adjustment the seat had wasn't enough. Taller or larger drivers may have a hard time finding a good fit.

We took the Camry on the freeway to see how it does. It's not going to win any acceleration competitions and passing power was strained. If there was a steep grade, it wouldn't have been able to muster enough speed to pass with confidence. But darting in and out of highway traffic isn't what the Camry Hybrid is made for. Toyota's customers don't care about those things. Most are content to cruise along in the second to the left lane or in the HOV lane at a comfortable 65 mph.

The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is really a bargain at the base $27,000. Of course I'd opt for the big Option Combination B which, for $3,910 gives you the following:

Comfort & Convenience package includes heated fronts seats and outside mirrors; Moonroof Package gives you a power tilt/slide moonroof with a sliding sun shade, dual illuminated visor vanity mirror with dimmer control and rear personal reading lights; the Sport Leather package adds leather-trimmed seats with integrated armrests and dual front and rear map pockets; the Technology Package adds a voice-activated DVD navigation system, JBL AM/FM 4-disc in-dash CD changer with satellite radio capability, MP3/WMA playback capability, AUX audio jack (for use with MP3 players like Apple's iPod), hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth wireless technology, 8 speakers in 6 locations and FM diversity reception.

In my opinion, that's a great value.

The new Camry Hybrid is a great hybrid car, if that is what you are looking for. It has real-world drivability, fits four adults and carries a decent amount of cargo. As a daily driver in urban traffic, I believe it will pay back the hybrid premium in only a few years, depending on how much and where you drive. The Camry Hybrid is EPA rated at 40 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. My friend reports getting about 35 mpg, which is way better than the 12 to 15 city economy he experienced with his aging Infiniti I30. If you do lots of urban driving and gasoline prices continue at $3.00 or more per gallon, saving 50% on your fuel bill can add up fairly quickly. The hybrid will also earn you nice comments and green envy wherever you drive. Be prepared to brag to questioning minds.

I wouldn't buy this car because it is the ultimate refrigerator. While I admire the heaps of technology loaded into this vehicle, there is no reward (other than fuel economy) to the driver. The seats don't hug you or give much thigh support; the steering is dead with little or no road feel. Acceleration is nearly non-existent and there is no fun in winding through some of the small, tightly-curved streets of San Francisco. I like being able to pass slow-moving traffic on the highway -- something this car wasn't built to do. The Camry Hybrid is devoid of soul and character. It is a highly-sophisticated, deadly boring refrigerator.

If you have questions or comments about this review write us at: letters@acarisnotarefrigerator.com