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-   -   Driven: Toyota Camry Hybrid (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/207973-driven-toyota-camry-hybrid-3.html)

Great review of a wonderful car. While most of you dislike the grill, I actually like it a lot more than the one in Navin’s previous generation car (which seemed too boring to me). The great thing is that Toyota has actually dropped prices while getting the new generation in - my friend who bought the previous generation car less than 6 months ago is certainly miffed.

15 kmpl in Bombay traffic is just incredible mileage - I get barely 9 kmpl from my diesel X3. With the petrol - diesel price difference collapsing by the day, it makes immense sense for folks like me who get our mileage in the city. Wonder if we will see petrol hybrids in a wider range of cars.

Took a test drive of this car.
The rear seats, NVH and suspension are great, and the integrated controls in the rear armrest make it the best rear seat experience this side of the E class.
My one complaint is that the infotainment system is atrocious. Even the SA couldn't figure out how to start MirrorLink on it.

In the driver's seat, it starts off feeling like a regular boring old Toyota sedan just like the Vios and Corolla, but once you engage that Sport mode, it gains a lot of character and feels like it might be from the same stable as torquey beasts like the Innova and Fortuner.

I get the feeling that this is a car for those who care more about a comfortable and reliable ride rather than an extremely stylish one.

Looks horribly overpriced compared to the Superb and the Passat, but then I think Toyota kept the Accord Hybrid as their benchmark and ignored the Germans while deciding on their pricing strategy.

Saw zillions of them in Bangkok recently. Must say the design looks very 'tight' and the front kind of grows on you. Some of the more 'modern' Jap cars are even worse :-)

I think its fashionable to say Toyota and boring but the fact is that recent Toyota's are pretty good fun along with the benchmark reliability. Only if they could do with the front end designs, which to be honest may be polarising but definitely not boring. The Camry infact won the Medium car of the year in Australia and given its pricing here, would prefer it over any Skoda/VW in the same class.
https://www.toyota.com.au/news/toyot...mily-favourite

At 37.50 Camry is very expensive.

But good thing is that if you are a cautious buyer and intend to use it for years to come, this is a perfect car. Cost of ownership is way less than the Germans. My friend has a Camry Hybrid that has done more than 9 Lakh Km's, yes you read it correct 2012 Camry more than 9 Lakh Kms.

My pick from the range would be the V6 3.5L (Not sold in India). The best part is that you pay the same money as a top model Hybrid Camry.

"Fashionable to say Toyota and boring", I think it's not actually fashionable to say that. Fact is that they are boring. I owned a Toyota Corolla 2014 and Mazda 3 2017(MID TRIM not the sporty one) at the same time. Mazda was heaps fun to drive when compared to Corolla Sedan. At the same time, Corolla was very comfortable for all in the family (My Mum and my 2.5 years old sons). Like Akshay once said to me when we're discussing my trip on Toyota from Adelaide> Sydney> Melbourne> Adelaide. He said that Toyotas are amazing appliances but not great cars.

At 44K AUD I would never go for a Camry. If I am going to go for a Sedan of that size and it has to be Japanese, Mazda is what one wants.

Mazda 6 GT (2.4L Turbo) is one of the most premium cars from "NOT LUXURY" Brands from Japan. It is also sold as a Wagon, which makes life easier.

There's the prejudice without having driven one. Fact is they were boring once, depending on the definition of boring ofcourse, not anymore since the company has shifted focus. The new Camry is thoroughly sporty inside out. I have driven one and it not boring, not by a long shot.

The new Mazda 6 is fantastic. Mazda does not make a bad car but if I were to buy a car in that segment today, my choice would not be an emphatic "Mazda". And this comes from a previous Mazda 3 SP25 GT owner, the sportier of the Mazda 3's.

I agree with the whole prejudice thing. In the Indian Domestic market, the boring part may not stand. If i was in India and i could afford one, I would buy the CAMRY. I recently drove a Camry Hybrid (2019 January Car, Office car) for around 300ks. Also drove a Mazda 6 GT for around 150ks. and a Subaru Liberty 2014 for many many Ks. I am sure when I say it is boring, I stand correct.


I am sure if you drove a SP25 you know what I am talking about.

So you drove a Camry Hybrid, a car whose major purpose in life is to consume as little petrol as possible and being environment friendly and a Mazda 6 GT, and concluded that it is boring? An apt comparison would have been either the 2.5 petrol (not Hybrid) or the V6.

I know fully well. Mazda 3 was near perfect except when I wanted some compliance/refinement from the car on long drives. Camry combines the two like no other. Toyota's have the best mechanical refinement by far and combine that with a playful chassis and the new Camry is hard to beat. Heck it is so different to the previous Camry that they could have given it a brand new name.

My Comment is mainly around the money factor. With your choice of cars, I am a Novice in this field. By the way congrats on the Infinity.

Toyota Camry NA is actually cheaper than the Hybrid Camry. More fun for less if you will ;) Thanks.

As for the price, this new Toyota Camry Hybrid is even cheaper than the Honda Accord Hybrid, which prices at Rs 43.21 lakh. However, compared to Skoda Superb and the VW Passat with the price Rs 25.99 lakh, it is obviously costlier.
Recently, this 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid has registered over 400 bookings mark which is a good sign.

Toyota should launch the regular Camry to take on the Superb. Even if they manage to shave off 10-15% from the hybrids sticker price, it can give Superb a sight.
Currently the Camry hybrid is in a segment of it's own, between the Superb and closer to the C/3/A4 etc.

I've never been a fan of Toyotas, but This one has my interest piqued. It's a proper hybrid that's also got some shove to it, and what more could you ask for? Well appointed, and Toyotas usually don't go wrong.
My Cruze is now 7 years old, and it's run about 61,000 kms. I'll probably replace it in a year or so and I just assumed I'd be getting a pre-owned, low-mileage BMW or Merc (not a fan of the Audis) but I have to admit this Camry would be a serious contender if the long term ownership reviews are strong.

At the risk of repeating myself (original post in link below)
"the use for 2 tweeters (an upper tweeter or super tweeter on the A pillar and a lower tweeter - almost an upper midrange - on the dash) firing at 90 degrees from each other should result in a rather vague soundstage. Granted that I have not had a chance to listen to the system on anything other than FM radio (not the best source). One more point to note: what Toyota defines as a subwoofer is in actuality a single 7" woofer with a minuscule magnet (you can see this from the trunk) that produces little below 50Hz and has almost no bass authority or definition. That huge grill you see in the rear desk is just window dressing!"
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...5-lakhs-7.html

Despite the above reservations, we found the 2019 Camry to make more sense to us than the competing Passat or anything else under 50L.

Apparently there is a short waiting period for the Camry!
The phenomenal back seat, the 'green' tag, and the overdone styling (compared to the mundane Superb and Passat - which actually get my vote in terms of design), and the legendary Toyota reliability seem to tick most of the boxes of prospective buyers.

Everything said and done - in this segment, this is the car I'd want to be driven to work in just for the back seat and reliability.
Driver didn't spot a pothole - no stress. Driver didn't idle the turbo for a minute before/after driving - no stress. The gearbox isn't in N during a long signal - no stress!