Test Drive: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE

By Kevin Harrison

When I wrote about the regular gas combustion engine Camry XLE 4-cylinder a while back, I came away unexpectedly impressed with the overall package. It was sure footed, refined, luxurious, decently powerful and good on gas. At the time I asked myself why anyone would bother getting the Camry with the V6 engine. I wrote:

“So the 4-cylinder’s unexpected power and great gas mileage had me scratching my head as to why anyone would want to opt for the more expensive V6. Especially since the Camry Hybrid is the clear winner of all the trim levels. It gets better mileage than the 4-cylinder yet it’s more powerful with 200 horsepower.”

Sometimes I feel as though I should choose my words a bit more carefully. When I said the Camry Hybrid was the ‘clear’ winner, what I meant was on paper. Before now I hadn’t had the chance to actually drive one  so that’s not exactly a clear victory, is it. I’m always of the mind that people should generally reserve judgment of a car until they’ve actually driven one. But having driven plenty of Toyota hybrids in my time, I was confident that this new Camry hybrid would be just as good if not better.

Well now it’s time to be clear. Is the Camry Hybrid truly the best trim level of all the Camry’s?

 

Well one thing that is definitely clear about the Camry Hybrid LE is that it’s nowhere near as good looking as the Camry XLE, and that’s not saying much since I described the styling of the XLE as nice in some ways, but awkward and trying too hard in others. The Camry LE, which is the base trim level, tones down the front fascia that I thought was so busy, but it also tones down everything else. Those homely tiny wheels with hubcaps for instance along with very basic controls and an awful colour combo didn’t help the Camry’s cause. However I’m convinced that if you order your Camry Hybrid without that swamp green and beige interior with seat patterns that make it look like it’s from the 80’s, it’s probably a bit more agreeable.

 

Inside the biggest change inside is the gauge cluster which prominently features a gauge for indicating just how efficiently you are driving. This gauge isn’t as techy or as entertaining as some of its competition that will award efficient driving with leaves or flowers in the gauge cluster, but I almost prefer its conservativeness. On the other side is a gauge which measures real-world fuel consumption however it’s a bit confusing. The gauge uses a series of lights to indicate fuel use, but the problem is the lights are all green and it gives the impression that, the more green lights you get, the more efficiently you’re driving. But look closely and you’ll see that the green lights that go all the way up to 30 meaning you’re actually using 30 L/100 kms of gas at that point. If the lights changed to red or something, this would likely help the many oblivious drivers out there who don’t notice these sorts of things. Otherwise, everything else is typically Camry and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Materials are high quality however they lack that ‘Lexus-like’ feel that the XLE provides. However interior space is great and even though the battery pack eats up some trunk space, there is still an adequate amount and there is at least one seat that can still fold.

 

The Camry Hybrid gets a 2.4 litre 16 valve 4-cylinder engine. Combined with the electric motor, the Camry Hybrid is able to generate 200 horsepower. While 200 horsepower nowadays isn’t considered to be blisteringly fast, for a hybrid, which generally gets criticized for slowness, this is actually quite good. And the good news is, it actually feels 200 horsepower fast. With that said, this power is not intended for neck-snapping acceleration and performance, it’s more used as reserved power for when you really need it such as merging onto the highway or climbing a steep hill and it handles these situations more than adequately.

 

At cruising speed the Camry Hybrid has the same solid feel as the XLE and is comfortable but it seems to lack the same amount of refinement. In the XLE it felt as if you were driving a premium vehicle however with the LE that premium feel is omitted, however that’s not to say that it feels cheap either. Part of the reason why the premium feel could be lost is due to the Camry Hybrid’s transmission. It uses a continuously variable transmission which is typically loud and produces an annoying droning sound. Luckily this is only apparent in the Camry Hybrid when it’s pushed, but the smooth shifting automatic that I had in the XLE really made a lot of difference I now realize.

 

In terms of handling, the Camry hybrid isn’t a track star and it’s not as nimble as the 4-cylinder XLE. Unfortunately during my time with the Camry Hybrid a family emergency had me test out the agility and handing of the car. I had to get somewhere fast and what’s when the 200 horsepower really became appreciated, however grip was quite limited which could have something to do the hybrid’s weight and low profile tires. The nickel hybrid battery likely upsets any weight balance as well. Still, the hybrid’s main purpose isn’t to be a performance car, and most people don’t find themselves in emergency situations every day so in normal driving situations that Camry Hybrid’s handling is acceptable.

 

The real reason for buying a hybrid is for fuel efficiency, of course. Considering the Camry Hybrid’s size and it’s relatively decent power, the fuel consumption numbers on paper are quite appealing. The LE model specifically is rated at 4.7 L/100 kms combined. I averaged about 6.2 L/100 kms in real world driving consisting of both highway and city mixed driving, which isn’t too bad. But when people consider buying hybrids one of the main reasons why they end up going with something else in the end is their general cost. With some hybrids the amount of time it takes to actually make up the difference from gas savings to paying a premium in initial cost is astounding. With the Camry Hybrid, specifically the LE, this argument almost becomes nullified. It’s base price of $26,990 is completely reasonable for what you get, the LE model is well equipped. You can also opt up to the XLE version of the Camry hybrid which likely takes care of some visual complaints and refinement complaints that I had.

 

But looking back at the original question, is the Camry Hybrid the ‘clear’ winning of all the Camry trim levels? Yes. It has adequate power, great real world fuel consumption numbers, top quality materials, lots of usable space and can even look decent if you opt for the XLE. I truly did love the 4-cylinder that I drove and if it were my money I’d opt for it over the Camry Hybrid, but for those who don’t care about things such as handling, transmission types and droning engines, this Camry pretty much has it all.

Base Price: $26,990

Pros:

  • Finally a hybrid with a decent amount of power
  • High quality materials
  • Still lots of space despite impeding battery pack
  • Able to realize good real world fuel efficiency numbers

Cons:

  • Not exactly a looker
  • Handling abilities compromised
  • Not as refined in LE trim as XLE trim
  • Instant fuel meter a bit confusing

Overall: 8/10

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1 Response to "Test Drive: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE"

  1. As compared to the 2010 edition, there have been some clear exterior body styling changes made to the the new 2012 Camry hybrid. The new 2012 model looks more spacious from its exterior outlook, and offers comfortable and luxury cabin for long journeys.

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