Camry Hybrid mpg

I got to drive the '12 HyCam briefly at Green Drive Expo last year. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the much improved EPA estimates over the previous gen while upping the power and improving rear trunk space. It makes the Prius v wagon's mileage seem disappointing given it has much less power.

From some "bench racing", it's just about as fast as the now defunct NAH.

 

why does the le get better mileage?

 

That seems to indicate rolling resistance is the primary difference, but only is about 1 mpg combined. Hwy mileage is likely almost the same, but one rounded down the other up

 

Most XLE's come with a sunroof standard. The extra weight of this might increase the weight along with the larger wheels. Automakers often have intra-company fights over increases of 1 or 2 lbs of additional weight.

 

funny, when i asked why the prius touring showed same epa as regular prius, i was told testing was a generality and same numbers go on all the vehicles.
when we bought our 08 hycam, xle and le had same numbers i believe, but i could be mistaken.

 

they clearly did it differently, probably because XLE gets more than a minor share of the market... so they tested both versions.

 

thanks, that's good news, more info to help decide between models. now i'm wondering if we had purchased the le if we would be getting even better mileage than the 35-45 we get now.

 

My Prius driving car pool partner just got the hy cam for his wife. He / we discovered (talking about the sunroof) that you do NOT get lighted vanity mirrors on the sun visors unless you get the sunroof. His wife is P.O.'d about not having the vanity mirrors. They bought, XLE ... but they didn't want the extra cost of the sunroof. How's THAT for a weird arrangement of accessories.

 

The US Toyota website shows identical mpg's for all three sizes of the Tacoma truck line with the same engine/trans/rear axle ratios yet growing 17 inches in wheelbase and 400 lbs. Toyota has defied the laws of physics!

 

that's brutal. the one thing that drives me crazy about toyota is the way they change option accessories on new model packages. when they figure out that an accessory is popular, they move it up a package.

 

My back seat has rarely been used, except with it folded down for bikes. The passenger's vanity mirror gets used all the time.

What were they thinking on a car like that? I bought a model II, because I didn't like the toyota packages on my prius and ended up adding my own stuff. It should be easier. You shouldn't have to buy leather to get big wheels or fog lamps.

I think EPA allows you to average based on expected sales or spell out different ones for models. They want to sell the big ones and they don't need to tell you they get worse mileage. Let's face it though 17s don't make all that much worse mpg difference on a truck.