The 2012 Toyota Camry LE Hybrid sailed through the streets of suburban Detroit more deftly than the other Camrys I drove today. Smooth, quiet and almost as responsive as it needed to be.
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Just like the SE that I had driven an hour earlier, nobody really took notice of how it looked, but as a Point A to Point B car, it fared fairly well.
I found the hybrid roomy, comfortable and easy to handle. I looked under the hood and liked what I saw. Everything was well organized, as were all of the ECO gauges.
Toyota officials said today that the Camry will continue to earn its position as America's best-selling car. If you're thinking of buying a Camry Hybrid, get the V6 so you don't feel underpowered. Like the other Camrys I drove today, this one lacked oomph. The V6 is your best bet to get that push the car needs. Toyota predicts only 11% of buyers will get the V6, but if that is true, it does a disservice to the buyer.
The best reason to get this version of the seventh-generation Camry is its mpgs: 43. Wow.
The LE Hybrid is $25,900. The XLE is $27,400. That's a lot of money for a car, but of the Toyota Camrys available for 2012, these hybrids are probably the best values for the dollar.
You can reach TN's Hawke Fracassa at hawkefracassa@aol.com and on Twitter @HawkeFracassa.
Image source: Toyota
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Mr. Fracassa: There is no
Mr. Fracassa:
There is no such thing as a V6 2012 Camry Hybrid. The Hybrid LE is powered by a 4-cylinder. The Hybrid XLE is powered by the same 4-cylinder.
So your recommendation ('if you're thinking of buying the Camry Hybrid, get the V6') is nonsensical.
Also, note that the LE Hybrid is 0-60 in under 8 seconds. That's plenty fast for most buyers. Owners describe plenty of power for merging, hill-climbing, etc. Indeed, the LE Hybrid substantially faster and more torquey than any of the NON-hybrid 2012 Camry 4-cyl models. (The 2012 XLE Hybrid is heavier, so I'm not sure whether its acceleration is still satisfactory.)
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