After the highway trip, the average fuel economy on the Camry (with a little over a quarter tank left) is 38MPG. And that’s with running the AC in both directions, and the not-so-good initial mileage averaged in. 🙂 The AC on the Camry has an “ECO” mode, which seems to work pretty well at restricting the drain while just taking a little longer to get the cabin to the desired temperature.
We also got stuck in a traffic jam on the way home, for something like half an hour of stop-and-go driving… it handled it beautifully, turning the motor completely off when we were stopped and running on battery when we could only move forward at a snail’s pace. I’m sure that greatly helped the efficiency.
On other fronts, I had a chance to use the Camry’s engine braking “gear” for a few seconds on the trip, and it worked well. I also found that you can hear some road noise while on the highway with it. Not much though, and what’s there is a lot quieter than what we heard in the Corolla.
Very satisfied customer. 🙂
Congrats on your new Toyota Hybrid, they’re very nice. My aunt loves her Toyota Hybrid mini-SUV (forget what its called) which she uses for her and the twins. (And occasionally me if I need a ride.) It’s great for city driving, which here in NYC, is mostly what it gets used for.
I’ve never understood the SUV concept. 99% of people who buy one never take it off the road, and even the hybrid version has ridiculously low fuel efficiency. The only reason for its popularity seems to be “it’s big,” and while I know that size matters, other things matter a lot more.
It’s not a regular SUV, it’s a lot smaller, and they have kids, but yes, I prefer sedans as well.