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New Toyota Camry Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report

646 messages,  Last post on Jan 27, 2013 at 2:14 PM

You are in the Toyota Camry Hybrid Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry Hybrid, Car Buying, Sedan

Messages Page 61 of 65

#600 of 646 considering a purchase of xle camry hybrid by gidgeto

Feb 19, 2012 (12:40 pm)

I am in the learning process here..I owned a 2012 camry and felt the overall look of the car was good but thought it was uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time..Im of an average build and constantly had a backache from the seat..also drove the prius..I but too cramped..I'm on the road alot..with Toyota announcing a new design, comfort and with the fuel efficiency this vehicle seems to be an option..I drove one yesterday and it is definitely more quiet..still a bit cheesy..on the interior..the seat seems comfortable but am still on the fence..is there any info on the redesign of the comfort of the seats? yes, Im a bit obsessed here on the comfort on the seat as I can be on the road for 12 hrs a day..comfort and fuel efficiency is my priority..
 
anyone with suggestions..

#601 of 646 Re: considering a purchase of xle camry hybrid [gidgeto] by texases

Feb 19, 2012 (8:35 pm)

Replying to: gidgeto (Feb 19, 2012 12:40 pm)
You'll just need to take a very long test drive, seat comfort is very individual.

#602 of 646 2012 TCH XLE - First Impressions by joon

Mar 14, 2012 (10:53 pm)

I bought a new TCH XLE (Convenience Package and Display Audio w/ Nav and Entune options) last weekend and have driven 135 miles so far and here are my first impressions. This car is my first hybrid and is by far the most luxurious and loaded car I have owned up to now; my other car is a 2005 Accord EX. So far the car has been great and I give it a 9 out of 10. The hybrid system works great switching effortlessly between the gas engine and the electric motor and there is plenty of power when needed. On my 50 mile round trip commute (80% highway and 20% local) I averaged about 45MPG on two different trips. The morning part of the commute is stop and go traffic for about half of way and the night commute I drive about 60-65 MPH. I'm very impressed with these numbers, although I feel I can do a bit better as I further learn all the quirks and tricks of driving a hybrid vehicle ("feathering" anyone?).
 
I really like the display audio system with Navi and Entune. It does not have the JBL speakers, but the stereo is fine for my needs. I spent some time reading the manual and learning to operate the stereo, phone, energy consumption display, navi and Entune. Quite a lot of functions in such little box. I have an Iphone 4S and had no trouble pairing both the music and phone to the car system using Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the connection to the internet, which is needed to access Entune, apparently can only be done currently through the use of a USB cable from the Camry to Iphone. My understanding is that with Android phones this is not an issue. I also understand from reading a different forum that Toyota is working on a firmware to resolve this issue. Is anybody else on this forum having similar issues with the Iphone?
 
One other thing I noticed in the Energy Monitor screen under the Fuel Consumption (the screen that graphically shows when the car is being powered by the engine, motor or the battery is being charged) is that the battery level indicator on the right hand side never quite get to completely full even after 135 miles. The best I was able to get still shows two empty squares (about 70-75% charged). Is this normal or the battery charge icon somehow needs to be re-calibrated? Is anybody else having the same problem? I hope that it will eventually show fully charged.
 
One final thing I noticed that I wanted to get other people's view is that when I push the accelerator from a complete stop, the car vibrates / hesitates just enough to be noticeable as it starts moving. I'm thinking that this may be normal; perhaps the electric motor is so quiet while the car is stopped that the slightiest acceleration and movement will cause us to notice this small vibration, but I'm not sure. I noticed this a little bit when I was test driving the car last week and drove another Camry hybrid to be sure. I thought there was a small vibration with that car as well, but somehow appeared to be a little less, and I thought it would go away as I drove my car a few more miles.
 
Other than these relatively minor things, the car has been absolutely a delight to drive. Even the cosmic gray mica color matches the car very well and makes it look more upscale and expensive.

#603 of 646 Re: 2012 TCH XLE - First Impressions [joon] by larsb

Mar 15, 2012 (8:25 am)

Replying to: joon (Mar 14, 2012 10:53 pm)
joon says, "I thought there was a small vibration with that car as well, but somehow appeared to be a little less, and I thought it would go away as I drove my car a few more miles. "
 
It won't go away, but your perception of it being a problem WILL go away.

#604 of 646 Re: 2012 TCH XLE - First Impressions [larsb] by guillenrocks

Mar 20, 2012 (2:42 am)

Replying to: larsb (Mar 15, 2012 8:25 am)
Just got my new 2012 XLE TCH. LOVE IT so far! Just want to tell Joon that I am having the same issues with the I-phone 4 internet integration. Hoping that they come up with a fix. I don't mind tethering my phone to the USB on long trips, as it keeps the battery charged...but in short trips to work, it is kind of a pain. I'm also waiting for the promised Iheart Radio ap. It doesn't show up on my display at all.

#605 of 646 Re: 2012 TCH XLE - First Impressions [guillenrocks] by joon

Mar 20, 2012 (9:53 pm)

Replying to: guillenrocks (Mar 20, 2012 2:42 am)
guillenrocks,
 
Congrats on your new new TCH. I contacted Toyota about not being able to connect to Entune via Bluetooth and they confirmed this is the case with the basic Display Audio w/ Nav and Entune system, although with the higher end Premium HDD w/ Nav, Entune and JBL system one is able to do so. I specifically asked twice if they were working on a fix, but they did not answer, so I'm assuming no fix is on the way. Below are a couple of excerpts from Toyota's reply:
 
"To connect your iPhone to the vehicle and ensure internet connectivity you will need to utilize the USB cable that came with the phone. This is specific to utilizing the Entune system and specific to the software on the iPhone; you can still pair your phone to the Bluetooth system for hands-free calling.
 
As noted above this is an issue with the iPhone's Apple iOS operating system, neither the Android nor Blackberry operating system have this issue. Toyota provides the capability but it is up to the phone manufacturer to decide to take advantage of these features. One plus is that with your phone connected through the USB cord, it will stay fully charged."
 
"The reason the iPhone requires the use of the USB cable is due to the internal design of the iPhone. When connected via Bluetooth to the audio/navigation system on your Camry, the data flow is not fast enough. The upgraded HDD navigation system that is available as an option on some Camry grades is better able to compensate for the data flow capacity design of the iPhone and the USB cable is not needed.
 
Going forward there will continue to be different head units that offer different levels of performance."
 
Although this is a bit disappointing, I don't think it is a major deal for me. I'm very happy with the car otherwise. BTW, do you also notice this little hesitation I described in my original post, when you accelerate from a dead stop, a little bit like the car wants to stall? I know it won't stall but the feeling is still there. Thanks.

#606 of 646 Re: 2012 TCH XLE - First Impressions [joon] by guillenrocks

Mar 21, 2012 (1:45 am)

Replying to: joon (Mar 20, 2012 9:53 pm)
Joon,
 
Yes, I do notice the slight hesitation. I think I may be already used to it, though, and hadn't given it a lot of thought until I read your post. I am amazed how smooth the transition is between the gas engine and the battery. I really need to look at the dashboard a lot of times to determine which I am on. Thanks for relaying the message from Toyota. I think you are right. I'm not going to expect a fix soon. Still don't really think the extra cost of the JBL is worth it. They are right...at least it does keep your phone charged this way, and I won't use Entune unless I am on a long trip, anyway.

#607 of 646 Love my new 2012 Camry Hybrid and... by pshecket

Mar 26, 2012 (5:03 pm)

After 500 miles including one 2 hour road trip, I am very impressed with my new Camry Hybrid in every way. LOVE the way it handles. LOVE the stereo sounds! Love the bluetooth link to my phone. I DO wonder though if anyone can tell me how the heck to turn OFF the navigation lady once a destination is chosen. We have already looked at ALL the manuals and can't find the answer. Seems like the only way to turn her off is to arrive at the destination. Can anyone help?
By the way, I got the XLE with ALL the bells and whistles. Love it!

#608 of 646 Re: Love my new 2012 Camry Hybrid and... [pshecket] by snaab93se1

Mar 27, 2012 (6:45 am)

Replying to: pshecket (Mar 26, 2012 5:03 pm)
Not sure if it has changed but on the 2008 you hit Menu button and there is an option to suspend guidance.

#609 of 646 Re: Love my new 2012 Camry Hybrid and... [snaab93se1] by pshecket

Mar 28, 2012 (5:06 pm)

Replying to: snaab93se1 (Mar 27, 2012 6:45 am)
Thank you for replying but we cannot find a "menu" button. Again, I need help with how to CANCEL the navigation before reaching the destination. I do know how to turn off the voice, but I mean cancel the whole trip.
 
And also, can someone please help with this: voice recognition does not respond when we say "call ------" and a name. We can only do calls by saying each digit of the number. I have a lot of contact names in there, transferred from iphone, and I would really like to use this feature which was demonstrated to me before I chose the car. Help!

Messages Page 61 of 65

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