Wild, Wild West; a driving review of the Toyota Camry hybrid

a prius owners group road trip travelogue by russell g. frost

I’m not a car geek. So it’s odd that I find myself writing a review about a vehicle. Nonetheless, here I am writing one. Well, sort of. This isn’t as much a review of the car as a hyperlinked travelogue of my experience driving with three other people, a trunk full of luggage in a Camry hybrid for seven days and 1100 miles.

Let’s start with some history. I’ve owned a 2005 Prius (Super White, package four if you’re curious) since April of 2005. Before that I’ve owned and driven a number of vehicles (like all of you). Those cars include an Audi TT, Jeep Liberty, several different Volvo sedans and wagons, an Audi A4, a Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and going back to my youth, for one brief and expensive summer I owned a ’70 Dodge Challenger (340-six pack) and before that, the ’67 Mustang I started with. So I’m coming at this review with the same experience many of you reading are. I have not driven everything on the road but I have owned and driven a wide range of cars. I think this experience, or more to the point, lack of experience compared to car reviewers is going to enable me to produce something that means more to most of you; The average owner’s experience.

We had been planning this vacation for nearly a year. We had promised the kid a trip to the west coast on her 21st birthday. Since my family is scattered throughout the southwest from Vegas to San Diego we thought it would be fun to visit several places. Of course, any 21 year old would agree to the trip if Vegas is included.

So we flew into McCarran airport in Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26th. The next afternoon Toyota had graciously agreed to drop off a new 2007 Camry hybrid at Mom’s house in Summerlin, up in the hills of Las Vegas.

And good to their word they were. The next afternoon, there in the driveway was a beautiful white Camry hybrid and all I had to do was drive it until July 5th. So I did. So we did. Well, I drove: they rode.

On this trip were my stepdaughter Ashlee who turned 21 the day after we started our adventure, my lovely wife Kimberly and a friend of Ashlee’s, Brooke. This meant that the Camry would have a full compliment of passengers nearly everywhere we went.

Our travel took us from Las Vegas to San Diego. We visited several places in San Diego and then returned to Las Vegas.

Want see the rough route we took last week? Click on this Google Maps link and you can see the entire map.

Overall, about 80% of the trip was on freeway. The rest was done on surface streets. MPG you ask? We’ll get to that.

Three other important factors to keep in mind when looking at the Camry hybrid’s performance are the load in the vehicle, the climate and terrain. For nearly every mile we had the Camry loaded with all four adults and we almost always had the trunk stuffed with luggage. I could make the standard and tired joke about women and luggage but I won’t. And I won’t because I was traveling with at least much stuff as the girls (ok, I admit it, I had more stuff than they did). And my stuff was heavy.

The climate was, well, hot. The people of the collective Southwest suffered through record high temperatures in Las Vegas and an unusually warm June in San Diego while we were there. I believe the lowest daytime high was 108 degrees while we were in Vegas and during our last day it hit a new record of 116 degrees. Of course, we were traveling through desert, which is, well, hot. Suffice to say we ran the climate control on the Camry at about 70 degrees. The Camry’s climate control system performed flawlessly, quickly and with the vents to the back seat, all four of us were comfortable in the car throughout our travels.

Finally, terrain. This drive runs the gamut of terrains in the west. Our sojourn took us through the deserts of Nevada and Eastern California to the high deserts of Central California to the Mountain midsection to the beaches. We traversed a staggering array of topography in our Camry. We climbed up and down hills effortlessly. Whether on cruise control or driving by “foot” the Camry never let me down. If you think cruising up the Cajon Pass with a loaded car and the a/c running almost wide open is easy, try it sometime. And on your way up the hill, note the cars along the side that didn’t make it.

We were supposed to arrive in Las Vegas at 10:00 p.m. June 27th. Instead, we arrived around 2:00 a.m. June 28th and frankly, it is blind luck, not the hapless, intentionally unhelpful and moderately rude staff of Southwest airlines that made it happen. It was a miserable flight. We sat at the gate for two hours after loading four hours late after our original flight was cancelled “due to weather”. After arguing with the counter staff about the importance of us and our luggage arriving at our destination we, well, we waited. We did get there, eventually, but I’ll never fly Southwest again.

So we started out the afternoon of Thursday, June 28th. We left Las Vegas about 3:30 in the afternoon trying to beat rush hour traffic in Vegas and still time our travel through the Inland Empire to beat traffic slowdowns there.

We made fine time through Nevada and the deserts of California. We stopped a few times for photographs, for food and just to stretch to our legs.

As evening fell we stopped in Fontana to grab something to drink at In-N-Out and stretch our legs for a minute. And, of course, to grab a few shots of the Camry as the sun fell over the desert and a big, fat, nearly full moon rose.

Having steeled ourselves for the final leg of the voyage we got back in the car and started into the evening LA traffic. We had no problems until we ran into a forty or so minute delay because of road construction on the 215. The hybrid performed flawlessly allowing us to keep the car cool with a minimum of gasoline. We crept along with everyone until the construction stopped. Bursting out of that quagmire was a relief and shortly thereafter we found ourselves almost back on the 15 south in Temecula.

Our first destination that evening was Escondido. Escondido is located in North San Diego County about twenty miles inland and about the twenty miles north of San Diego proper. I went to high school in Escondido. My sister and brother live there now. We visited my them before continuing to our motel on the coast, in Encinitas.

Since I grew up in Escondido and know most of the roads there like the back of my proverbial hand. So rather than lumber along the 78 west to the coast, we took the Del Dios Highway through Rancho Santa Fe to Encinitas. This is beautiful, winding drive along Lake Hodges and then past the mansions of the RSF. I can remember a lot of nights leaning my motorcycle into the turns with blood warm air swirling the smell of the eucalyptus trees into my helmet. It is, in my opinion, the perfect handling test for a car and we ran the Camry through its paces. The Camry cornered extremely well and accelerated out of the turns without a hitch. Although the Camry is not designed to be a sports car, it was a blast to drive on this road and it handled much better than I had expected.

The venerable Daley Double in Encinitas. A must visit if you appreciate a classic neighborhood bar.

Around midnight we finally arrived at our motel and unpacked. Even though we’d been through a lot that day we decided to celebrate Ashlee’s birthday early and go out for a drink. Almost around the corner from the motel was the venerable Encinitas saloon The Daley Double. We stopped in for a drink and had a great time. The bartenders were awesome; treating Ashlee like a princess for her birthday and the patrons were equally cool. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our adventure or Ashlee’s majority years. When last call sounded an all too quick hour or so after our arrival, I, as the designated driver, collected my charges back in the Camry and we drove back to our hovel for a night of well-deserved rest.

Early the next morning, before the marine layer had burned off and before the girls had stirred I eased quietly out of the room for some beach shots of the Camry. I stopped by Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and got some great shots and found the time to snap a few surfers as well.

Later in the morning, once the girls could be roused from their slumber we went out to drive the Pacific Coast Highway. Brooke had never been to California before and Ashlee had never been down PCH. So we drove the road down through Solana Beach to Del Mar and La Jolla. We jumped on the 5 south briefly and continued our beach run in Pacific Beach stopping off at Trader Joe’s for some supplies for later and then to Belmont Park for some real tourist action (and I mean cheesy, touristy action).

After walking on the beach, doing some shopping and other things, we packed up in the Camry to brave the San Diego rush hour traffic north back to Escondido. We jumped on the 163 north and then onto the 15 north where we scooted into the HOV lane (not taking advantage of any hybrid exemption mind you, we had four people in the car) and thence to Escondido with minimal delay. Once again, in the heavy, fast-paced traffic of California freeways the Camry’s acceleration moved us in and out lanes smoothly and quickly and the comfortable interior made the drive less work and much more pleasurable than one would expect. The Camry does an amazing job of sealing out the outside and creating a pleasurable environment inside.

Saving our energy up for our last day full in San Diego we hit the rack early that night.

I have the annoying habit of waking up early (I can’t control it, I wish I could), so this morning, Saturday, June 30th; I went out to shoot some more beach shots of the Camry. I visited Solana Beach and Cardiff and got some great shots. Even though the tide was in I still got to see some of the tide pools in Cardiff.

Once the girls motivated for the day we saddled up the Camry for the drive back through Rancho Santa Fe and Del Dios to Escondido to visit the Orfila Winery at San Pasqual. The folks at Orfila were wonderful and their award winning wines were a real treat. From there we met my brother and a friend who happens to work at the new Stone Brewing Company facility in Escondido. Why not taste fine, hand brewed beer after the wine? So we did.

The $12 million dollar Stone Brewing facility is impressive to say the least. As well as their brewery it includes a gift shop, a growler filling station and an exotic restaurant featuring Stone’s very eclectic menu. It’s not for everyone but from what I understand it’s one of the hottest scenes in North County and it’s not hard to see why. The gardens, though still very new, are magnificent and there is seating throughout them (the most sought after seats in the place, expect a long wait to sit outside). The building itself is all glass facing the gardens and the glass panels are in roll-up doors which were opened to the outside blurring the distinction between being indoors and out.

Later that evening we took a brief trip out to the beach to enjoy a walk on the beach. With the moon full (or nearly so) and the marine layer just coming in it made for some spectacular images.

After a nice dinner there we drove back to our motel for a good nights sleep because the next day was the day we would travel back to Las Vegas.

The next morning we packed up and checked out and went down to Point Loma in San Diego. But before that, of course, my early morning excursion. My last chance to visit the North County beaches in the early morning. The shots below are the result of that brief trip.

Later on, at a more decent hour, the girls woke up and we did pack up the car and head south. We had two goals, one was to visit the Fort Rosecrans Military Cemetery there and the other was to visit the tide pools at Cabrillo Point. The cemetery has what might be one of the most amazing views in the county. High on a ridge on the Point it overlooks Coronado Island, San Diego bay and the city. It’s spectacular and photos do not do it justice.

On the other side of Point Loma, at Cabrillo Point are wonderful tide pools. Of course, as luck would have it, we made it there just after high tide so most of the tide pools were underwater but it’s still beautiful and we managed to clamor over the rocks and have a great time.

And it was at this point that we said our goodbyes to San Diego and started back towards Las Vegas.

Nominally a five-hour drive, we took our time stopping for food and pictures along the way and made it back to Vegas about seven PM. By the time we got to our room the sun was just setting behind the mountains and it was almost cool enough to wander outside and began the Vegas portion of the adventure.

I did a lot of driving around Las Vegas. My mother lives in Summerlin, which is, depending traffic and the route, about half an hour from the strip up in the foothills surrounding Las Vegas. So a daily trip or two to see her and my stepfather was an excellent test of the Camry’s in-town handling characteristics. As with all the other aspects of the drive, the Camry never disappointed.

Driving in Vegas is a contact sport. At least it should be designated such. I can’t imagine what the insurance rates are but it’s always amazed me at how many cars with local plates exhibit some body damage. The Camry hybrid proved to be agile and quick while maintaining it’s comfort for the driver and passengers. The roomy interior, the comfortable seating and easy to use controls made it simple to navigate the vehicle, keep it comfortable and do all this without taking my eyes off the road. The Camry is quiet. It does an excellent job of keeping other noise out and the suspension is what you would expect from Toyota’s top of the line passenger car.

I went on one more field trip before ending the trip taking the Camry out to Red Rocks Canyon one early morning (once again, my very sensible companions slept while I stirred about). Red Rocks is about forty minutes from the Strip and the drive is a slow uphill the entire way. Once you arrive you find yourself in a great valley basin nearly encircled by, one side, the steep Wilson Cliffs and bordered on the opposite by the Blue Diamond Hills. There is a scenic 13-mile drive around the rim of the valley. The views are spectacular as the pictures show and I was treated to being able to get the deep shadows of the early morning sun and the awesome sight of the nearly full moon setting over the mountains.

On my way out I encountered a BLM fire crew making sure that a wildfire that had burned some acres across from Red Rocks was out.

Our final favorite fast food stops, Del Taco and In-N-Out.

And as for the travelogue, that’s about it. All four of us had a great time and there is no doubt that the luxury of having a car like the Camry hybrid made it that much better. We were able to do some serious traveling without gasoline being a burden. The long drives can kill a vacation like this. We rode in comfort and frankly the driving was inconsequential. There’s no question in my mind, nor the minds of my passengers that we would love to take the Camry hybrid on other road trips. It’s the perfect combination of comfort, elegance, performance and sensible gas mileage. While the Navigators and the Denalis on the freeway with us lumbered from one gas station to the next, we rode in similar comfort without worries. When we were stuck in traffic, we weren’t contributing to overall pall of exhaust fumes; we glided along on our batteries and did so quietly and comfortably.

Speaking of the way. Up top I mentioned how terrible and just plain stupid the Southwest flight from Baltimore to Las Vegas was. The trip back home? Wonderful. I still doubt I’ll ever fly Southwest again but credit where it is due. The plane left just a little late and the flight crew, especially Southwest flight attendant Janet, were marvelous and took great care of us. Almost like flying used to be. So cheers to the crew of Flight #1241 and I hope you find lucrative careers with other airlines soon.

So, what about the gas mileage?

I’ll get to that.

The Camry has some interesting displays on the dash. The model we had was not at all like my Prius lacking an MFD. I’m not sure if most other Camrys are like this or not. What’s really different about the Camry hybrid compared to the Prius is ultimately the complete invisibility of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Other than a white LED readout of average MPG per tank and a wonderful analog needle that tracks ongoing MPG, there’s really no way to tell what’s going on. And I suppose that is intentional on Toyota’s part. I think their motivation with the Camry hybrid was to integrate the HSD system into the Camry with almost no difference in comfort or performance. The only difference is, the hybrid version uses less fuel.

So it’s the real lack of any overt “hybridness” that first struck me with the Camry hybrid. It just does what it does. Sure, the Prius does that as well but with the Prius, you see it on the MFD. The Prius experience brings the driver much closer to what is going on. In the Camry, it’s almost (for a Prius owner) frustrating in its not bothering you with the details.

And that is a good thing.

The Camry is slightly larger than the Prius. The Passenger space is, by design, more comfortable and plusher than the Prius. The Camry is heavier and much quieter than the Prius. The Prius’ lightness gives more of a feeling of being connected to the car. The low-slung, blunt design of the new Camry hybrid is, while being very low on drag, much less prone to the side winds than the Prius. Driving the Camry over long distances is effortless, the Prius a little more attention to the road and the surroundings.

A few shots of the Camry the Camry interior. The Bondi blue center console looks ultra-cool at night and the clean blue and white light scheme of the instrument panel is legible and yes, like the center console, looks great. One observation my mom, the long-time Camry owner made is that the trunk on the 2007 Camry hybrid is a bit smaller than the trunk on her 2002. We lined up the cars to compare and it’s true. It’s my assumption that the space lost contains the batteries for the HSD and something that looks, from the exterior, like an air compressor (possible cooling for the batteries?). That said, keep in mind, we stuffed this trunk with a ton of luggage.

So there had to be something I didn’t like, right?

Of course.

I absolutely hate the gear shifter in the Camry. I was never really confident what position it was in and while that staggered pattern may be cool in sports cars, it’s irrelevant in this vehicle. Frankly, I think the joystick that is in the Prius would be perfect. Or pushbuttons, or something. But that stick and that silly layout are annoying. Trivial, but irritating.

I found I really like the smaller steering wheel on my Prius to the larger, standard wheel on the Camry. It’s a shame they have not changed that in the hybrid version.

I also found it difficult to adjust the steering wheel to where it was comfortable and that allowed me to read all the gauges easily. Of course, this is a very personal and subjective issue. It really depends on your personal geometry and driving habits.

For some reason I kept having trouble with the SmartKey system. I would power down the car and then it would not allow me to lock it. Or the car did not seem to power down “correctly” all the time. It’s hard to quantify exactly what was taking aside from saying that there were half a dozen instances during the week when I would have to get back in the car, power it up and then power it down before I could lock the doors. It’s just odd. I could not come up with a consistent explanation for it. It may very well have been my own ineptitude.

I also thought the vehicle took just a few seconds longer to power up and down than the Prius. Something you would never know if you weren’t a Prius owner.

I wish the windows would stay powered for a short time after you turn the car off. I love that feature in the Prius and it seemed as though one of the girls always left a window opened after I powered down forcing me back into the car to turn it on, roll up the window and then turn it off again.

And then there are the things I loved about the Camry.

Performance. The car is made for freeways and long trips (it’s also made for cruising in-town but I’ll get to that in minute). The Camry has no trouble passing cars, going up a 4,000 foot mountain grade in 110 degree desert heat. That’s impressive. I’ve driven a lot of cars back and forth to Vegas and the temp gauge on the Camry never left its optimum position. Very impressive indeed especially with a car packed with people and luggage.

Did I mention performance? Anyone who thinks hybrid means whimp is quickly proven wrong in the Camry and I shocked more than a few people on the freeway easily pacing them in turbo speed California traffic (myself, I prefer to drive the speed limit but, when in Rome and all that…). While the boats of the highway lumbered up the mountain making their fuel gauge needles sag the entire way, we easily floated up the highways at top speed and managed what I think is impressive MPG performance.

Comfort. The Camry is the very paradigm of the big-small car. The Camry thinks it’s my dad’s old 76 Town Car. It rides like a dream. It has the oversteer and softness you would expect in a car like that (it’s not supposed to be a sports car, remember?) but those qualities are not implemented to the point where the car is a mushy boat. It handles amazingly well and keeps everyone inside safely ensconced in quiet splendor. The aux-in jack for the iPod rocks. We listened to my classic lounge collection heading into Vegas and it was perfect.

So while I’ve compared the Camry hybrid to the Prius more than a few times, I want to clearly acknowledge these are two very different vehicles intentionally designed for different purposes. The Prius is, first and foremost, designed to be a fuel-efficient vehicle. The Camry is designed to a comfortable passenger car that also has the HSD system to give it better performance both in speed and in MPG.

And speaking of MPG. We drove 1100 miles during our week with the Camry hybrid. During that time we used about 30 gallons of fuel giving us an overall MPG of 35.48 MPG. I found that on the highway runs we easily managed just under 40 MPG and in the city, where the stop and go kill you, we got around 30. I cannot reinforce enough that, I think, this is amazing performance given the conditions. We had a full car, full trunk and we drove through mountains and in 110+ degree heat for much of the time. If there is another vehicle that can do that, and do it as elegantly as the Camry hybrid does, I’d love to drive it. I believe the model we had runs $31,000, so it’s hardly cheap but it’s also not expensive given what the Camry hybrid does.

My mom has driven a Camry (two of them) for the last fifteen years. My brother has her old one and it’s approaching 240,000 miles. My mother’s 2002 Camry just topped 110,000. Both cars run flawlessly. That’s a huge testament to Toyota’s engineering and build quality. Both my mother and brother loved the 2007 Camry hybrid as did the girls and I. There’s no reason to think the Camry hybrid wouldn’t offer the same user experience and lifespan that the standard Camry does. And given what the Camry hybrid does over that lifetime, that’s an excellent investment indeed.

Of course, if you have any questions about my experience with the Camry please do not hesitate to drop me a line:

I’d love to chat with you about it. If you’re considering a Camry hybrid, go for it. You’ll get the very best of both worlds. If you considering either a Camry hybrid or a Prius, carefully consider what I’ve written and what your needs are. If absolute MPG performance is what you want, you probably want a Prius. If comfort and a little dash of panache is more your ticket, I think you’ll be delighted with the Camry hybrid. I know I was.

Thanks for stopping by reading.

Have fun and drive safe.

-russell

P.S. Not enough pictures in this review? If you’re hardcore and want to see all 392 images I shot for this review visit the POG Flickr Gallery by clicking here.