![]() ![]() 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid | photo by Steven Pham ![]() It means the Camry Hybrid drives more like a conventional gas-only vehicle, but it also removes the option to select a setting that recaptures more energy for better mileage. One item of note: Toyota seems to have eliminated its “B” transmission mode, which allows you to engage in more powerful regenerative braking, as the last two hybrid models I’ve tried from the automaker (the 2021 RAV4 Prime and this Camry Hybrid) haven’t featured it. If your commute tends to have more stop-and-go traffic in an urban area, your mileage will likely improve as the nature of hybrid powertrains tends to improve efficiency when they have an opportunity to recapture energy with frequent decelerations. Atop all that, we achieved this fuel economy with normal driving at highway speeds. And it’s certainly better than the 31-32 mpg you’re likely to see in a traditional four-cylinder, front-drive Camry. All in all, this isn’t bad for a big, comfortable, mid-size sedan that features plenty of power, quiet operation and almost no loss in passenger space to accommodate its lithium-ion battery pack. At the pump, the car consumed 4.62 gallons of fuel for a calculated mileage of 44.1 mpg - slightly less than the trip computer’s number but well within a reasonable margin of error. We covered 203.6 miles in total with the trip computer telling me I’d achieved 44.4 mpg, or a little bit less than the 46 mpg combined that the Camry Hybrid XLE is EPA-rated to achieve. Weather was perfect: a sunny, mild fall afternoon with temperatures in the mid-50s and no wind to speak of. We keep the climate control and air conditioning on, avoid cruise control, and accelerate and brake with traffic - no stoplight drag races, but no hyper-miling strategies either. It’s a combination of about 50 miles of stop-and-go city and suburban driving at speeds under 50 mph, plus about 150 miles of highway driving at speeds in the 70s. I start in Ann Arbor, head east to Canton, north to Farmington Hills, west to Lansing, south to Jackson and back east to Ann Arbor. My mileage route consists of a roughly 200-mile loop around southeast Michigan. So there’s definite benefit on paper for going for a hybrid trim, but how does it do out in the real world? The Route A 2.5-liter four-cylinder is also available in the basic gas-only Camry (as is an optional 3.5-liter V-6), but the best EPA mileage rating you’ll get in a gas-only Camry is 31 or 32 mpg combined for the four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive models. The powertrain doesn’t change, however: It’s a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and a continuously-variable-style automatic transmission driving the front wheels. The better-equipped SE, XSE and XLE are rated a slightly less impressive 44/47/46 mpg city/highway/combined, a considerable drop all around. The LE gets 51/53/52 mpg city/highway/combined, amid slightly less weight, different wheels and tires, and (at least versus the SE and XSE) different bodywork. The Camry Hybrid’s official fuel economy ratings vary, depending if you go for the bare-bones LE trim level in search of maximum mileage or opt for a few creature comforts in the SE, XLE or XLE. View all 2021 Toyota Camry models for sale near 60606 The Specs
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |