2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid User Reviews

Pros

Fun to drive

Cons

Trunk / navigation system

Purchased As New

My Camry reminds me of my first Acura Legend. I loved driving that car. I've put on 25,000 miles in my first year and love the power and smooth, no shift transmission. I almost cried when I found out how awful the navigation system was. I have a 3D Garmin with super easy to use system controls. The Toyota folks have to be nuts to make there nav unit so slow and so confused. It tells me to turn right when I can see my destination on the left ahead. It wants to take me a mile out of the way to get to my destination. It also doesn't update to traffic info. I'd gladly pay a fee to know when the road is closed or traffic is a mess. No option for that.
The other engineering insanity is the radio. I always wanted a radio that would tell me who is singing and the name of the song.
My upgraded 4 CD unit, only flashes one word at at time to read the information. That means it takes a full minute or more staring at the screen to get the info that it would say in one fast message BUT The screen says NO Messages will be given while driving. Humm, so I have to look 6 times at the screen to see what I could see safely in one look, if it was programmed right. What about letting my passenger input info, while driving? There is a sensor in the passenger seat but it only relates to the air bag. I just use my Garmin and know I wasted a thousand bucks on an annoying Nav system. Don't try to use the voice commands, they are a JOKE.
The car rides great and feels wonderful, plus the excellent mileage in warm weather (Winter reduces the batteries use to charge fully, so it doesn't work as well and cuts millage in half, so if you live in warm weather you'll love the year around mileage. The car scratches very easily also.
Purchase the Camry Hybrid, love it but write the engineers and beg them to think about the radio and nav system, Please.....read morehide

Pros

Instantaneous feedback on driving habits!

Cons

trunk size

Purchased As New

I've driven this vehicle 1000 miles so far and it's so hard to find fault. Most of the reviews I read are accurate: trunk size is smaller because of the electric battery, does not have "pass through" but rear seats fold down providing some extra room. There is a slight and noticeable shift when in 1st gear and the electric transitions to gas, but the more I drive it the less I notice it. So that's the down side. Now let's talk about the good stuff:

Solid quality that you expect from Toyota.
Instantaneous feedback on gas consumption--gives you overall economy, current usage, etc. Instead of having a tachometer it shows you MPG consumption second by second which really makes you aware of your wasteful driving habits (and that of others!) By carefully watching this gauge, my first two tankfuls have averaged 39 MPG with mixed highway and city driving. Unbelievable!
It has the pep when you need it, and handles better than other Camry's which felt big and bulky. It actually has more the feel of an Accord which I've always felt was more sporty.
Gizmos and gadgets abound and there's really very little to separate out from other models in this price range.

Overall: 23 out of 25 stars so not perfect but nearly so. Add in the safety features: 7, count them 7, air bags which may tip the actual rating more to all 5 stars.
Appearance: Very stylish--improved over recent Camry's. Greater visibility looking forward.
Comfort: hard to complain about with so many driver's side options.
Performance: Very quiet ride--the windshield has sound dampening elements which is noticeable if you do a lot of highway driving. A very nice perk! It's not for people who like to go very fast very quickly; everyone else would appreciate the solid, comfortable ride.
Value: I downgraded this a little because the jury is still out as to whether the extra expense will pay off. At this point I'm positive it will. Also, I love sitting at stop lights, or in lines at fast food restaurants, etc., and knowing I'm not using any gas whatsoever. None, nada. Inching forward, knowing everyone else is consuming, consuming, consuming, and...I'm not!!!
Reliability: We'll see. I am confident of the Toyota brand so am optimistic.
Bottom line, if you want to feel green, are gas conscious, and still want luxury and a good ride, this is the perfect car for you!...read morehide

Pros

The mileage is Superb and the fit and finish are better than average.

Cons

Paint scuffs a tad easier than it ought to

Purchased As New

As someone who had NEVER owned any make or model other than the Big 3 before this purchase, well, I now understand I should have paid attention to Toyota way before now. I now have 16,000 miles on it and have NEVER had it in the dealer for any quirks (failed parts) and I have never done that in my 40 years of vehicle ownership before. The dealer has approached me to try and buy my Camry back since the Cash for Clunkers promo has depleted his new inventory badly. I told him I am tempted but he can't give me a date as to when I could order a new Camry Hybrid and when it would be available....read morehide

Pros

Outstanding Fuel Economy / Smooth Ride / Quiet

Cons

Styling is slightly conservative.

Purchased As New

This car consistently exceeds expectations. Gas mileage is between 39-41 MPG in the 65-70 MPH range and 35-36 MPG in combined city/highway driving. There are no rattles, the seats are comfortable, and all other systems (sound, ventilation, cruise control, etc.) work well. I traded a 2007 Honda Civic and a 2004 Honda Accord for this car. I have a lot of brand loyalty to Honda, but I believe this is a better car - although the driving experience is definitely different. The passenger cabin in the Toyota is much more insulated from road noise than either of my previous Honda vehicles, making the driving experience much more enjoyable. I was initially skeptical about the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), but if you want a Toyota Hybrid, that's what you get so I went forward. Now that I'm used to the CVT, I think it is a tremendous improvement over a 5 or 6 speed automatic transmission. I highly recommend this product!...read morehide

Pros

obvious gas economy,size ,comfort

Cons

ac make some kind of black dust

Purchased As New

good material, nice leather,looks almost have a lexus ,smooth ride,
bought it fully load and very please with packages, in top of that i am helping the planet
driving almost higway no problem to pass other racing cars plenty of power after take off ,initially a little sluggish but kick in pretty soon .
i am getting average 38 MPG driving 65 to 70 mph...read morehide

Pros

Technology has been done with Perfection!

Cons

A terrific 'premium cost" for the Hybrid, even w/ now-expired Rebates of last April !

Purchased As New

This was purchased 10 April, w/o the customary "loaded" & quite useless Navigation, Moon roof, etc., accessories . . . .

Did have Leather added locally, w /same 3 yrs/36,000 warranty against workmanship defects . . . .

At that time, grand total reflected the amazing $2,000 Rebate plus a nearly-matching amount by Dealer! (Had & kept another Camry - No trade) . . ..

Do NOT get Toyota Navigation! - - - -

Did select Camry Hybrid because of the cheaper 'out-the-door' cost over the 12 Prius units on the dealer's lot! - - - -

Recently completed a very quick vacation to Grand Canyon & Las Vegas of ~ 4,000 miles @ the prevailing Interstate 80 mph speeds plus ambient tempts of 109 . . . CVT performed flawlessly, up and down mountain passes or flat desert - - - -

Dual A/C with it's 20 degree variation + all-electric powered while car's engine is stopped simply performed fantastically! . . . . .

Least mileage was 36.1 and many tank fulls of 42-44 mpg.....

I strongly recommend the shear necessity of the Toyota Platinum Plus 7 years/100,000 miles/zero deductible added protection - because of the MANY exclusions within their 8 years "standard warranty" - i.e. - NONE of the extremely-costly electronic controls, cabling, computers or the Toyota Shop Labor while trouble-shooting @ $100/hr is covered! - - -

And, this 'blackmail policy' will & does transfer to any subsequent owner ! So, not a gamble, in my opinion - - - -

The added weight of the Hybrid verses our 4 cyl / 5 speed auto Camry IS noticeable & does cause a more-noticeable "harsh" ride - - - -

There is NO debate that there never will be any "pay back" even IF gasoline should reach $5/gallon - as a Mechanical Engineer & life-long new car auto enthusiast - just wanted to experience this current technological marvel . . . .

Also do definitely find this a real treat when used strictly In-town ... that unique power train really does superbly ! . . . . .

{ p.s. - DID use "paragraphs" but do not appear in final post ?}...read morehide

Pros

mileage, comfortable ride, quiet, spaciousness

Cons

trunk

Purchased As New

We've only had this car a week, but thus far it has been a near religious experience. Coming form a Suburban, we're amazed at the mileage difference--appears to get 35 highway and 40 in town. We're saving triple the gas around town and double on the highway. Power seems plenty--quality feel throughout the car. Feels heavier and safer than the Civic and Elantra that we were considering....read morehide

Pros

38-39 mpg , quiet, smooth ride, lots of leg room

Cons

only problem i've had is it didn't start at 20 below zero

Purchased As Used

i own an 07 i bought it last summer with 59,000 miles on it. i've put another 14,000 miles since.i've only had the one problem. not starting at 20 below zero. my biggest suprise was the power this car has. 0 - 70 in no time at all. you want to pass on the hi-way no problem. and it is so smooth in doing so since there is no shifting. they say the hybrid camry only gets 34 mpg. but that is only in the winter when your running the heat. but i'm allways close to 40 mpg the rest of the year in the city and on the hi-way. on top of that i'm told my brake pads will last for 250,000 miles...read morehide

Pros

Has all the "bells & whistles" needed, MPG!!!

Cons

The trunk is a little smaller

Purchased As New

Before I purchased my car I was very sceptical about bying a "hybrid" as I was coming from a SUV. I have had my 2009 Camry Hybrid for about 9 months now and am very happy. I drive a lot for work and have to tell you I have NEVER got less than 38.5 MPG for the tank!

The trunk is a little smaller than a normal trunk, but I can still fit golf clubs and suitcases in it. Once again, I was coming from a SUV so my perception/expectations of space was a little biased. This being said, the smaller trunk space is well worth the 25 MPG gained/or over 500 miles per tank gained over the SUV!

I would recommend it to anyone who does not NEED a SUV....read morehide

Pros

Great fuel economy

Cons

I cannt thnk of any

Purchased As New

We have owned a Camry Hybrid for year and the longer I drive it the better the mileage. My to-work and home is mostly freeway traffic but I now average between 39 and 41 mpg. I think Toyota should be more honest about the upper end of the expected mpg.