2018 Camry and Camry Hybrid Official Thread

It's a question of knowing your audience. The reality for most people is that steady state driving below 50mph will never happen on their daily route. So graphing those points out is only of value to a small part of the population. For them, they plot it out themselves.

Then a full car review, and I find Wayne covers more than other pubs, requires physically having a car to begin with. Actually plotting those steady speed fuel consumptions just means he has to skip time on the skid pad. This wasn't a full review for him, and grabbing any steady speed data isn't the norm at such events.

 

2018 Camry Hybrid-specific review:

Interesting info about the beefed-up suspension specific to the hybrid.

 

don't like the center console. trunk looks uge! ugh, the dash curves.

 

For those who understand route planning, it is useful:

I do studies because I'm curious and share them without any expectations. Perhaps someday you might read:

• Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach
• High Flight - John Gillespie Magee

Today we drive a BMW i3-REx or our backup, Prius Prime Plus. Based upon the SOC, schedule, and destination, I make route decisions to arrive just ahead of time, efficiently, and without being a road hazard. The vast majority of time I'm on cruise control, a very boring and efficient driver:

That is me.

Bob Wilson

 

Now, imagine this new 2.5L HSD is in the 2nd Gen Prius v, with Li-On battery, 45mpg, 140kW, 7 seats, a little bigger like the Avensis Verso, chuck in a couple of power sliding doors... Hmmmm... I will give up my 1-month Odyssey for that in a flash!

SM-G900I ?

 

Was the Pacifica plug-in hybrid mini-van an option?

Bob Wilson

 

Not here down under... Very limited choice. Prius v, the Nissan Pathfinder, or Volvo plug in hybrid XC90 are the only options I know on sale here. I know Odyssey plug in hybrid is available in Japan only. If Toyota wants to up the game with the v, they need the 2.5L HSD engine in it to be competitive.

SM-G900I ?

 

You can tell I'm pretty brand loyal... Still after a Toyota even when I'm driving a Honda. Nothing wrong with a Honda but Toyota has been fantastic for us, we owned so many and none of them have mechanical faults, an amazing feat! Not even Mazda, or Honda come close.

SM-G900I ?

 

Camry is FWD.

 

Agree! But Avensis has been selling to fleets, sustained by the refreshing/facelift, for a veeeery long time. 8 years up to now, incredible.
Hope there will be a Camry SW... (XV10 [1991-1996 and XV20 [1996-2002] had station bodies)

 

Also under TNGA approach, model changes are less difficult to manufacture, so a SW version is "easy"...well, should be!

 

I read this a few days ago. Not too good news for the Pacifica Hybrid.


"Some dealers can't sell Chrysler's flagship hybrid family vehicle as it faces a recall.

This month, the automaker announced it would recall every 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan in the U.S. and Canada for a faulty battery diode. Now, the automaker isn't saying when those vans can be fixed, and production of the vans may have been halted at its Windsor, Ontario, Canada plant according to multiple reports. "

 

The traditional Camry buyer doesn't care about handling at all, but then, the traditional Camry buyer is buying RAV4s now.

So, try to go for a non-traditional Camry buyer, using more enthusiast-oriented design (lower, better feedback, better dynamic response, that sort of thing), and if traditional Camry buyers are scared away, well, they'll be scared into the RAV4 that they were probably already going to buy anyway. Toyota basically doesn't lose here.

So there's three different systems being discussed here.

First off is the 2AR-FXE engine and P310-family (I think it's like P312 or P313 in that application) transaxle (based on the original RX 400h transaxle). This is transverse-mounted, FWD, and optionally with a rear motor in the RAV4 and NX 300h. The outgoing Camry Hybrid also used this powertrain, as do the Alphard/Vellfire MPVs in the Japanese market.

Next is the 2AR-FSE engine and L210 transmission. This is longitudinally mounted and RWD, and used in the IS 300h, RC 300h, and GS 300h. Note that it's 2AR-FSE, not 2AR-FXS, even though it is Atkinson-cycle, apparently.

Finally, there's the A25A-FXS and what I'm guessing is called the P710 transaxle, which is what's in this new Camry Hybrid, which is transverse FWD. Completely new engine design, and the transaxle is based on the Gen 4 Prius's P610.

Now, this is going to go against my previous comments, but... more European doesn't necessarily mean it's acceptable to Europeans, and automakers like to call US-market products "more European" to mean improved handling over the previous generation, even if it's not actually good enough for the actual European market. Alternately, it could be too big for the European market, although that doesn't really apply here, the 2018 Camry is 9 mm wider than the Volkswagen Passat, and depending on trim level, 13 to 29 mm longer.

 

Although the Mazda6 is a bit of an oddball - the wagon is a shorter wheelbase Euro midsize, whereas the sedan is a long wheelbase American midsize.

 

i haven't read about camry owners moving to rav 4. i think toyota has been trying to attract younger buyers to camry for years, but i think people just grow into them as they age. look what happened to oldsmobile...