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Toyota Camry Hybrid Test Drive - What Did You Think? - READ ONLY

52 messages,  Last post on May 02, 2008 at 5:21 AM

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

Messages Page 6 of 6

#43 of 52 Re: It's Nice to be in the 21st Century! [stryker2] by larsb

Mar 26, 2007 (2:21 pm)

Replying to: stryker2 (Mar 26, 2007 2:17 pm)
Congrats !!
 
That's one less person in the antiquated and outdated WWII hangover "never thought I'd buy a Japanese car" mindset.
 
I've had my white 2007 TCH for 12K absolutely trouble-free miles and I am looking forward to many thousand more.
 
Hope you enjoy your car as much as I do.....

#44 of 52 Re: It's Nice to be in the 21st Century! [stryker2] by wvgasguy

Mar 26, 2007 (5:40 pm)

Replying to: stryker2 (Mar 26, 2007 2:17 pm)
Seriously, your choices were a Crown Vic and a TCH???
 
The TCH doesn't even compare! With the Crown Vic you get the car with the worst depreciation rate, lousy handling, terrible seats.... Then again, if you're driving like some of us in our TCH you'll have the Blue Hairs in their Crown Vics running over you

#45 of 52 Re: It's Nice to be in the 21st Century! [wvgasguy] by stryker2

Mar 27, 2007 (2:54 pm)

Replying to: wvgasguy (Mar 26, 2007 5:40 pm)
Yup, those were the opposite poles that I explored!
 
We may come to the TCH from different backgrounds, but we're united in our admiration of this product.
 
LOL, my hair is sort of blue... and I've been known to coast with the Crown Vic to conserve fuel. Must have been in training for the the TCH, eh?

#46 of 52 Re: It's Nice to be in the 21st Century! [stryker2] by wvgasguy

Mar 28, 2007 (4:24 am)

Replying to: stryker2 (Mar 27, 2007 2:54 pm)
LOL, my hair is sort of blue...
 
Ha, I "have" to drive a Crown Vic when visiting my wifes parents. That's all they ever had and they simply "have" to have a BIG car (they drive about 2000 miles a year). I absolutely hate it and have never been able to adjust the seat to fit (ignore the sliding around while doing curves at 30mph).
 
I'm trying to convince them a Ford 500 AWD would be much safer for them to see out of and drive year round. (Also, I don't want to inherit a low milage Crown Vic some day )
 
I'll have to admit though that the TCH leaves me wanting more suspension. I came from an Infiniti FX45 and a Nissan 350Z and I want to do curves without leaning and applying my brakes (even if it does charge my battery, it loses momentum that costs me FE)

#47 of 52 Re: Toyota Camry Hybrid Test Drive - What Did You Think? [pf_flyer] by tiredmom1

Jul 16, 2007 (2:11 pm)

Replying to: pf_flyer (Jul 18, 2006 12:08 pm)
I really liked driving the TCH and am getting close to making a decision to buy. However, one thing that is holding us up is the trunk size. We currently have a BMW X3 with appx. 14.5 cubic feet of storage, and we'd be moving to 10.5 cubic feet...and a somewhat strange shape.
 
Any families out there? Do the groceries fit? Strollers? Overnight bags for weekend trips?
 
Would appreciate your comments and experiences.

#48 of 52 Re: Toyota Camry Hybrid Test Drive - What Did You Think? [tiredmom1] by larsb

Jul 16, 2007 (2:42 pm)

Replying to: tiredmom1 (Jul 16, 2007 2:11 pm)
I have owned my TCH for 13.5 months, and we have made multiple long vacation trips in it since then.
 
Never had anything we wanted to take that would not fit.
 
In fact, on my first trip to Texas my Grandmother was helping me unload and commented "I never would have thought you could get so much stuff into that trunk" when she saw it empty.
 
It holds more than meets the eye, and with good logistical planning it more than suffices.
 
Good luck on your decision.......I've never regretted mine......

#49 of 52 08 HYBRID TEST by loves2read

May 01, 2008 (12:20 pm)

drove a hybrid camry last night at dealership in grapevine tx near dallas--
have wanted to considr hybrid car for more than year but husband did not want to hear about maybe buying one--we have friend who just bought top line V6 camry and this one except for the truck is the same size--he has ridden in her back seat quite a few times and is tall and it fits him ok...
this camry we did not take on freeway--I wanted to see how it would do in city driving--it was ok--stumbled little when I was doing right turn on red with some traffic but did not mind the noise of the whirrrr
could see fairly well out of the mirrors and back window
it felt pretty good to me -- for a big car the Avalon has pretty good mpg but it is just a BIG car
I am used todriving a PT cruiser
 
want to take one on on freeway drive next but will bring a set of golf clubs and couple of suitcases to see how the trunk packs
 
dealer wanted to sell us a grey/grey leather loaded one but was not really talking a deal--the list on the grey was 34500--and they wanted my 02 PT Cruiser with fewer than 36000 miles and 29000---
 
not a good deal and I don't want a grey hybrid--think they are too silent and you are much more likely to get hit by bicycle riders or other cars or even pedestrians who are not payng attention
they should make them in some brighter colors besides the red--and there are so many grey ones out there
 
at least there are some camry hybrids--you can't find a mariner hybrid around this area at all...

#50 of 52 Re: 08 HYBRID TEST [loves2read] by wvgasguy

May 02, 2008 (4:14 am)

Replying to: loves2read (May 01, 2008 12:20 pm)
You'd be better off donating your PT to a charity since you can buy a loaded TCH for $29,000 easily in a cash deal
 
I just don't understand some dealers. I just went to the Toyota.com site and built a TCH with every option they offer, including the 18" TRD wheels and the list was $33,483. $31,000 is pretty much a loaded TCH without the remote start , glass breakage sensors, etc

#51 of 52 Re: 08 HYBRID TEST [wvgasguy] by jcihak

May 02, 2008 (4:50 am)

Replying to: wvgasguy (May 02, 2008 4:14 am)
I strongly agree that the dealer is trying to take advantage of you. I just purchased a loaded '08 for 28K. The '09s go for a few thousand more. Even sticker of a fully loaded Camry hybrid is <33K. You should go to Edmunds.com to check prices/trade-in. Definitely look for another dealer - why work with someone who is trying to rob you blind?

#52 of 52 Re: 08 HYBRID TEST [jcihak] by loves2read

May 02, 2008 (5:21 am)

Replying to: jcihak (May 02, 2008 4:50 am)
I wasn't there to BUY I was there to drive one and see how the transition from battery to gas that I had read was noisy and "jolting" really acted...
I knew what a good price was--she was trying to scare us into buying it right then by saying they were going to start making people pay a premium to "order" one--
they could have found a car with what I wanted in stock at another dealer--I found two of them fairly close the next day on line--
they did not really want to sell me a TCH==they wanted to sell me THAT car--
and I don't mean to sound self-important but I BUY cars--
people don't sell me cars...if you understand my difference

Messages Page 6 of 6

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