No wonder the Toyota Camry cracks the top 10: For eight of the past nine years it's been the best-selling car in the U.S. After a complete redesign for 2007, it has a fresh look and a new gas/electric hybrid variant. "With gas prices the way they are, all hybrids are doing well," says Neal Oddes of J.D. Power and Associates.
Up until recently, driving a hybrid car required some sort of sacrifice, whether it be space, performance or anonymity. However, with the introduction of the Camry Hybrid, one could argue that Toyota has given the buying public a hybrid that demands no sacrifices.
If judged only on its merits as a competent (if not superior) midsize sedan, the Toyota Camry Hybrid would score well. We've found that it shares all the attributes that makes the conventional Camry one of the best family sedans out there: a comfortable cruiser, more than adequate power, a top-notch interior, lots of amenities and plenty of room for five. The fact that its fuel economy betters that of most compact cars in the process and is priced well within the normal range for an average car is icing on the hybrid cake.
Current Toyota Camry Hybrid
As its name implies, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is a regular Camry sedan with a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. The hybrid system is comprised of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine (producing 147 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque) and a 45-hp electric motor. The Camry Hybrid can run on any combination of the two power sources.
