New Camry Hybrid

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alasta

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#175875 14-Jul-2015 15:19

I'm just wondering whether anyone has test driven one of these and, if so, is the performance as good as a petrol-only vehicle?

I want something with reasonable performance for when I drive the Rimutaka, Nelson and Kaikoura ranges so I'm wondering whether a hybrid is suitable or whether I would be better off with a petrol only engine with better headline specification. I think the peak torque is about 220Nm, and the combined petrol+electric power figure is quoted as 150Kw but I'm guessing that going uphill the battery would quickly go flat and it would revert back to the somewhat enemic 120kw?

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#1343122 14-Jul-2015 15:25

Best way is to test drive it. I would also compare fuel consumption to the mazda 3 and 6, as their new petrol engines are quite fuel efficient compared to other brands petrol engine. The Camry is quite a big car, so has more weight to move, than a smaller car, which will affect the amount of fuel it uses.

Inphinity

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#1343133 14-Jul-2015 15:46

If you are after performance, particularly on back country roads, a Camry hybrid would not be my first choice. I suspect you have other requirements / priorities that are pushing you that way. if we can understand them, it may be easier to give you an answer. The petrol engine in them isn't terrible, but unless you do a LOT of kms or just want a hybrid, it doesn't always make sense to choose one.

alasta

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#1343138 14-Jul-2015 15:54

Inphinity: If you are after performance, particularly on back country roads, a Camry hybrid would not be my first choice. I suspect you have other requirements / priorities that are pushing you that way. if we can understand them, it may be easier to give you an answer. The petrol engine in them isn't terrible, but unless you do a LOT of kms or just want a hybrid, it doesn't always make sense to choose one.

Thanks. Sounds like it's probably not what I'm after.

Requirements/usage:
- Less than 8,000km per year.
- Mainly touring - very little day-to-day use.
- Want a mid size sedan as I occassionally take friends on trips away, and ease of parking isn't an issue as I don't drive around town.
- Want good performance - current car is pretty gutless.

I currently have a Kia which has been a good car so will probably wait for the new Optima which I think is due at the end of the year. Apparently it's going to be available with a 180kw/350Nm turbo petrol engine which will have a lot more grunt than the Camry. The Skoda Octavia VRS looks good too, and the Subaru Legacy is another option although the fuel economy of the 190kw version is pretty poor.

mattwnz

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#1343139 14-Jul-2015 15:55

If you are driving the rimutukas, I suggest test driving a mazda 3 sp25 over it, as you don't lack any power with that. But I think a normal Camry will be okay too, as it has the same engine as teh rav4 which I have. But it isn't the most amazong drive, and there is body roll in the corners (bad for people in the back seat who get travel sick). You don't get that body roll with the mazda 3 which also has proper rear suspension. I don't think hybrids make financial sense, and battery needs replacing in the future. I wouldn't buy a second hand hybrid.

wasabi2k

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#1343141 14-Jul-2015 15:55

2.5L Mazda 6?

graemeh

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#1343147 14-Jul-2015 16:00

I drove one of these about a year ago between Hamilton to Auckland. It was OK but when you put your foot down it was like an old school automatic, you could count 1, 2, 3 etc before it took off. Once it took off it accelerated quickly but it took a while to get started.

Not a car I'd buy but then I wouldn't buy a Camry anyway.

Inphinity

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#1343162 14-Jul-2015 16:25

Give the Mazda3 SP25 a go, it's not blazing fast but is pretty good, economical, and fairly fun to drive. Even the standard petrol Camry might be worth a think about - in my experience it's more responsive than the hybrid, albeit at the expense of fuel economy. The Octavia RS is good, again not blazing fast but decent, and the Skoda Superb V6 is also pretty good but sacrifices a lot of fuel efficiency. Toyota's Aurion hits 200kw, and is actually a nice mid sedan tourer imo, but again the tradeoff is economy. Depending on your budget and driving preferences, have you considered a WRX? Better economy than an Aurion or Superb, while still sitting around the 200kw/350Nm mark, and a much more responsive drivers car, but potentially a less luxurious ride (stiffer suspension etc), and if you want the premium package then a bit more pricey.

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Dingbatt

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#1343218 14-Jul-2015 18:10

Unless the Camry is the type of hybrid that you can plug in then using it mainly as a tourer is counter to a hybrid's main strength which is in stop start commuter traffic. On long journeys where the engine must run almost continuously to charge the battery the only gain you will get well be going down hill or braking. But you will have used the energy gained from that by hauling the extra weight of the battery up the hill in the first place!

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Batman

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#1343235 14-Jul-2015 18:49

Hybrid is useless for long distance driving. What is the range of the electric motor?

mattwnz

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#1343255 14-Jul-2015 19:16

Inphinity: Give the Mazda3 SP25 a go, it's not blazing fast but is pretty good, economical, and fairly fun to drive.

It does have good acceleration for a normal car, around 7-8 secends from 1-100 and also has good torgue, which is great for overtaking those slow drivers on the Rimutukas. Pity the Wairarapa side of the road is in such poor condition these days, and often has slips these day that causes queues, otherwise it would be a great drive. I would get the sp25 over the 2 litre g models, if doing a lot of hill driving, as it should be far more enjpyable, as you will have the power there. I would be tempted to get a manual for more control of the driving experience, but the auto is 6 speed, and makes it more economical. I think the Toyotas are CVTs these days, which I hate driving.

alasta

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#1343256 14-Jul-2015 19:18

Thanks everyone. I'm really not a fan of cars in cities and tend to walk or use public transport day-to-day, so I guess a hybrid isn't for me.

I've considered the Mazda 6 but the GSX, although cheap, is lacking a bit of equipment that I'd like and the Limited seems overpriced for what it offers. The Mazda 3 is probably a bit small. If I were going to get a Subaru I'd go with the Legacy over the WRX because at my age I don't want the stigma of a boy racer car.

I'm going to go to the Canterbury A&P show this year which is a great place to see what vehicle manufacturers have to showcase. I suspect I'll probably end up with the Kia, but I don't intend to buy until early next year so there's no rush.

grant_k

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#1343257 14-Jul-2015 19:19

alasta: ...
I want something with reasonable performance for when I drive the Rimutaka, Nelson and Kaikoura ranges so I'm wondering whether a hybrid is suitable or whether I would be better off with a petrol only engine with better headline specification. I think the peak torque is about 220Nm, and the combined petrol+electric power figure is quoted as 150Kw...

If you're driving up and down mountain ranges with many sharp bends, you should be looking at a Diesel. Reasons why:

Far more torque which gets you out of corners quickly without needing to constantly kick down to high revs / burning a lot of fuel as a petrol engine does
My VW Golf with a 2L engine puts out 320Nm of torque while still consuming only 5L / 100km of fuel, or even less on a long trip
Price difference between petrol and diesel is currently around 80c per L, which means you're better off, even after paying RUCs
Service interval for modern diesels is 15,000km, which is much the same as a petrol engine, and it doesn't cost any more to service

Try driving a modern European diesel and you'll be very pleasantly surprised at the performance, and the cornering ability. If you're looking at a Camry Hybrid, it sounds like you have a reasonable budget to play with, so you could easily afford a low-mid range VW or perhaps an entry-level Audi. Or if you're willing to overlook the negative connotations of a Skoda badge, consider that the parts underneath are basically the same as a VW, at a cheaper price.

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#1343261 14-Jul-2015 19:24

Mazda 6 diesel

alasta

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#1343285 14-Jul-2015 20:09

grant_k: If you're driving up and down mountain ranges with many sharp bends, you should be looking at a Diesel.

Try driving a modern European diesel and you'll be very pleasantly surprised at the performance, and the cornering ability. If you're looking at a Camry Hybrid, it sounds like you have a reasonable budget to play with, so you could easily afford a low-mid range VW or perhaps an entry-level Audi. Or if you're willing to overlook the negative connotations of a Skoda badge, consider that the parts underneath are basically the same as a VW, at a cheaper price.

Actually the Camry hybrid ranges from $44k to $52k so they're a lot cheaper than they used to be, hence why it grabbed my attention.

A diesel is definitely worth considering - as someone else mentioned the Mazda 6 is available as a diesel. Some of the latest turbo petrol engines have a heap of torque and good efficiency though, including the one in the upcoming Optima.

mattwnz

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#1343290 14-Jul-2015 20:16

alasta:
grant_k: If you're driving up and down mountain ranges with many sharp bends, you should be looking at a Diesel.

Try driving a modern European diesel and you'll be very pleasantly surprised at the performance, and the cornering ability. If you're looking at a Camry Hybrid, it sounds like you have a reasonable budget to play with, so you could easily afford a low-mid range VW or perhaps an entry-level Audi. Or if you're willing to overlook the negative connotations of a Skoda badge, consider that the parts underneath are basically the same as a VW, at a cheaper price.

Actually the Camry hybrid ranges from $44k to $52k so they're a lot cheaper than they used to be, hence why it grabbed my attention.

A diesel is definitely worth considering - as someone else mentioned the Mazda 6 is available as a diesel. Some of the latest turbo petrol engines have a heap of torque and good efficiency though, including the one in the upcoming Optima.

The mazda 6 is a nice vehicle, and I believe they have facelifted it quite recently , so has a lot of the new tech in it. Don't think they sell too many diesels though, because unless you are doing lots of km's the additional costs don't really add up. I sold my diesel recently for this very reason, and it did have quite a lot of torque up the Rimutukas.

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