2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid Road Test

[Tideland Prius]

5.7 is the magic number, the objective. City or highway, the Camry Hybrid's fuel economy rating is 5.7 L/100 km. I decided to take that challenge and do my very best in order to achieve that fuel consumption average.

To get there, the method to use is simple: maximize usage of the electric motor and use the combustion engine as least as possible.

A quick look at the powertrain
Under the hood of the Camry Hybrid is the same 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine as in the LE and SE models, but with an Atkinson cycle. However, it's mated to a battery lodged in the trunk, and jointly produce 187 horsepower. Instead of the conventional 5-speed automatic, Toyota included a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) to better manage the engine duo.

0 to 100 km/h acceleration takes about 9 seconds. During the Camry Hybrid's launch last year, we saw that the latter out-accelerates the conventional 4-cylinder Camry by at least 2 seconds. But driving fast isn't this car's purpose, quite the contrary.

Launching the car from standstill using only the electric motor requires a very patient right foot; imagine accelerating from 0 to 30 km/h in 5 to 8 seconds, and you'll get a good idea of how slow you'll have to drive away from a stop sign or a traffic light, and how quick people behind will get impatient. Once under way, and with the windows down, the car's so silent that I have the impression of driving a golf kart.

While braking, electricity regenerates itself, but I feel something unusual with the brake pedal; when I'm stopping the car, at the very last half-second before inertia, the brakes bite viciously and the car immobilizes itself more abruptly. It's nothing irritating, but something I simply noticed.

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[philmcneal]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Oct 8 2007, 07:03 PM) [snapback]522905[/snapback]</div>

5.7 is the magic number, the objective. City or highway, the Camry Hybrid's fuel economy rating is 5.7 L/100 km. I decided to take that challenge and do my very best in order to achieve that fuel consumption average.

To get there, the method to use is simple: maximize usage of the electric motor and use the combustion engine as least as possible.

A quick look at the powertrain
Under the hood of the Camry Hybrid is the same 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine as in the LE and SE models, but with an Atkinson cycle. However, it's mated to a battery lodged in the trunk, and jointly produce 187 horsepower. Instead of the conventional 5-speed automatic, Toyota included a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) to better manage the engine duo.

0 to 100 km/h acceleration takes about 9 seconds. During the Camry Hybrid's launch last year, we saw that the latter out-accelerates the conventional 4-cylinder Camry by at least 2 seconds. But driving fast isn't this car's purpose, quite the contrary.

Launching the car from standstill using only the electric motor requires a very patient right foot; imagine accelerating from 0 to 30 km/h in 5 to 8 seconds, and you'll get a good idea of how slow you'll have to drive away from a stop sign or a traffic light, and how quick people behind will get impatient. Once under way, and with the windows down, the car's so silent that I have the impression of driving a golf kart.

While braking, electricity regenerates itself, but I feel something unusual with the brake pedal; when I'm stopping the car, at the very last half-second before inertia, the brakes bite viciously and the car immobilizes itself more abruptly. It's nothing irritating, but something I simply noticed.

Full Article
[/b]

i replied to the author but i will paste what i said here

"Best way to maximize economy is to use the electric motor and not the engine."

NO

I hate to flame you Michel Deslauries but you have no idea where that energy for the electric motor is coming from...

you think that electricity is free lunch? haven't you heard of "conversion losses?" you know utimately all the energy from the battery comes from the engine right?

OH right there's regen braking too bad its only 30% efficent (if your lucky that is)

Listen Michel you want to get Canada's Estimates? Yes they are hard but not in the hard you think it is...

you see this is why people keep thinking "OH its so much easier to get high mileage with a diesel than a hybrid, hybrid sucks!"

its because YOUR DRIVING IT ALL WRONG WRONG WRONG

see diesel is favorated by many noobs because its characteristics are low rpm = fantastic economy, in fact diesels reach peak efficency much sooner at lower rpms than opposed to gasoline engines (which much rev higher)

so in order to get high mileage with a diesel one has to keep the revs low and in high gear

IT IS NOT THE SAME WITH TOYOTA'S HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toyota's strategy is

"Use the engine at its most efficent rpm band"

"kill the engine when that efficent band is not in use."

its really that simple... hense the term PULSE AND GLIDE made by the 100 mpg prius marathon guys.

PULSE (use engine at most efficent rpm for the prius its 1500-2300, anything below 1500 rpm and boy your taxing the prius/camry's engine efficency, its like your choking the engine because it doesn't have enough air (throttle) to breathe and let out its maximum potenial.


and glide coasting with the engine off, MINIMIZING electric assist as much as possible (i call it gliding in neutral with the engine off)


We've have been taught as drivers to keep your speed low and cruise.


HSD does the opposite, its teaching you how to ride a bike, you don't pedal forever do you? You pedal then coast, because you'll get tired.


Same idea with a car, just it doesn't get tired for a long time (running out of gas)

Practice makes perfect if you don't mind the 30 km/h average speeds (i might as well ride a bike heh)

Philmcneal
180,000 km prius earning 4L/100km in 10 degrees C weather with an average of 30 km/h.[/b]

[Tideland Prius]

Yeah I saw your "talkback" lol. 6.7L/100km isn't too bad although yeah, they still have the "use the battery as often as possible" idea to boost mileage.. which in reality does the opposite.

[philmcneal]

all i want to say to the public is, if your going to drive the prius, drive it the way it was designed for! then getting 50 mpgUS tanks (4.7L/100km) should be a natural habit for one.

When the time allows it I will coast as long as I can, if someone is behind me then I have no choice do I? Actually now that I've think about it I can't remember the last time I've been honked at, so I've been pretty fair for people behind me. I speed up when I have to. But still being able to get Canada's Estimates and not being honked at just to show other Prius drivers that its really possible and you just have to drive the car differently.

I wish the Prius had engine RPM at least, (one can add it via CANVIEW or Scangauge) or a sweet spot indicator when the engine is on. There are inefficiencies within the prius engine and those times prevent drivers from breaking the magic 50 mpg mark. Take note to achieve this magic number one has to limit themselfs to the accessories such as heat or A/C as that will rob engine heat as well, so I guess one can wear more clothes!

Block heater helps a lot too, I wish it was more powerful to get into the final stage of the prius immediately, and skip the cold start penalty every time you off/on the prius. I guess that's where plug in hybrid steps in, I CAN"T WAIT FOR THE FUTURE!!!

[Tideland Prius]

yep. I was talking to another Prius owner and they were getting 4.7L/100km without doing anything special! Not bad if you ask me.

This past summer was the first time I've matched Transport Canada's city rating (3 times) and US' old EPA (3.9L/100km once).

[nerfer]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(philmcneal @ Oct 8 2007, 09:19 PM) [snapback]522914[/snapback]</div>

i replied to the author but i will paste what i said here
[/b]

You could have said the exact same information but in a nice way (at least tactful), and it wouldn't leave such a bad impression of hybrid drivers.

[philmcneal]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nerfer @ Oct 9 2007, 10:14 AM) [snapback]523163[/snapback]</div>

You could have said the exact same information but in a nice way (at least tactful), and it wouldn't leave such a bad impression of hybrid drivers.
[/b]

kinda hard when you see the same garbage over and over again about how hybrids never achieve not even close to their original old school EPA standards while a diesel owner is ranting how easy it is for him to get 40 + ish mpg, although don't get me wrong I think diesels has some wonder characteristics that would make a wonderful diesel hybrid BUT


ultimately the solution lies in electricity in my honest opinion anyways

[Evilshin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(philmcneal @ Oct 10 2007, 01:24 AM) [snapback]523466[/snapback]</div>

kinda hard when you see the same garbage over and over again about how hybrids never achieve not even close to their original old school EPA standards while a diesel owner is ranting how easy it is for him to get 40 + ish mpg, although don't get me wrong I think diesels has some wonder characteristics that would make a wonderful diesel hybrid BUT
ultimately the solution lies in electricity in my honest opinion anyways
[/b]

Well, it's the crazy inefficiencies of a spark plug ignition based internal combustion engine that allows a hybrid to get much better fuel efficiencies than it's not hybrid counter parts. So while there is nothing wrong with a diesel hybrid (submarines have been doing it for years but for entirely different reasons... lol), there is not nearly as much to be gained by them. But they would certainly cost more than a gasoline hybrid.

Let's face it, the prius is a cool car. If you are a man in his fifties and a father of teens, being cool isn't for you. You need to drive a boxey looking sedan with no futuristic looks. That way your teenaged son/daughter won't want to borrow the car... And that's the market the Camary is targetted at... Not the recent college grad who just got a good paying job and doesn't quite understand that the variable rate mortgage is going to bite one's behind and goes for a neat tech toy... That's the prius' target market...