i can't believe how big camrys have gotten lately. i drive a 96, and recently rode in a 2005, and the thing is huge! my original plan was to buy a camry hybrid when they became available, but the suckers are only expected to get 32mpg - i get nearly that now. too darn big - just need a prius =)
My wife's Buick regal gets barely more the 22MPG real-world. The one I traded in for Priapus got the same. She refuses to give up her large car for a smaller Prius. When the HiCam comes out I'm putting her name on the list first thing.
4 cylinder hybrid only gets 32 mpg? Where did you read that? The conventional 2005 4 cylinder camry already gets 24/34... I certainly hope the mileage is up in the 40s with a 4 cylinder engine with HSD.
i'll poke around some other forums, the picture i'm looking for is MIA. In that list that estimates Tax Credits, it has a list of many different vehicles, including a few 'upcoming' vehicles, and lists their MPG and emissions ratings. It listed the camry as having an expected 32mpg, though i don't know if they got that from a legit source. i'm new to the whole scene, so i could have missed the 'that table's full of crap!' post.
Actually it probably will not be bigger at all just much different on the outside...sleeker and way more attractive. Toyota's vehicle platforms have a 10 yr cycle and this is the end of the 5th year of this Camry platform which back in 2002 WAS much bigger than the '92-2001 platform. This major redesign was due out in Sept '06 but 'Yota felt the need to stay current in order to keep up with Honda and Nissan and Hyundai. The 4c engine should'nt be a whole lot different than the present engine just tweaked upward some ( 90+% of sales ) but there is a lot of discussion on which V6 will be in the new version. Will it be a detuned Avalon 3.5L or an horsed 3.3L in the current version like in the Sienna and Highlander? The BIG new of course in this model will be the HSD version coming at the end of 2006. So they really have TWO launches for the new '06 Camry. kdhspyder, on his 4th Camry and looking SERIOUSLY at the HSD version.
Believe me, the 4 cyl Camry Hybrid will get at least 40 mpg, if not more. Perhaps the V6 will only get 32 MPG, which is in line with what we're seeing with the HiHy's MPG #s. That pic makes it look like an Acura TL/Toyota Avalon offspring.
Just speculation of course on my part but I get 33 Hwy all day long on my 2000 CE so I'd be comfortable that the Hwy rating is pretty accurate. I'd estimate the 'Average' of the current model to be ~28 mpg. If one extrapolates from the Prius and the THH I'm guessing the rating on the new TCH will be ( subject to the EPA not changing their test methods ): 45 mpg CITY 36 mpg HIGHWAY 'Average' ~ 40 mpg or abt 45% better than the ICE only model... but.. NOT significantly better than the current ICE model in the Highway rating. The HSD model as a SULEV vs the ICE-only model however will likely be much cleaner than its brother. OTOH it will be more expensive than its sibling so it doesnt fit well the profile of the majority of Camry owners/prospects. HUH? The normal Camry buyer is older and/or on a limited budget needing a family sized vehicle and/or has NO need whatsoever for performance. Well over 90% of all Camrys ( and Accords ) are the 4c version. In addition the current buyers more often than not ( 50%+ ) want the most basic Camry possible. Paying $2-3K extra for a cleaner more efficient vehicle is not in their budgets. IMHO However 'Yota may be way ahead of me ( not surprising because they dont make a lot of mistakes frankly ) :lol: They may have identified a large segment of 'conquest prospects' that are NOT the typical Camry owner or even Toyota owners at all who are poised to go Hybrid but the Prius is just too radical, too pricy or too small. The Camry is safe, well known and a proven winner. They dont need their ( fill in the blank ) monster SUV any longer. Their gas bill is $300-400 per month now and with a Camry that can be cut to under $100 again. Bingo! Disclaimer: I sell both but specialize in the Prius. It fits my style better, but I havent pulled the trigger yet because as a 4th generation Camry owner I'm awaiting the debut of the HSD Camry. kdhspyder
My dealer went to a focus group ride and drive of the new Camry HSD last August at the Toyota proving ground near Phoenix. He was impressed with the fit and finish, thought it was Lexus like, and gave high marks to the new L-Finesse type of styling inside and out. However, he also said it was sluggish with the 4-banger and four aboard. He said it will only be available with the 4, but didn't know which engine it was since he didn't look under the hood. Maybe I wouldn't want to lift a hot hood in the AZ desert in August, either!
You get nearly 32 in your 96? My 94 (same body/ engine) gets 22.5, and it's perfectly tuned. Do you have a stick shift by chance? Do you drive almost all highway? Nate
We recently took my brother's 96 to Auburn and back and averaged about 30-32 the whole way. 4 cyl automatic. That's with 4 guys in the car with luggage. I still love the way that car rides.
I drive an automatic, but i've got a great area to drive in (flat warm florida.) Lately I've been getting 28-29, but up until about last fall, I was getting 31-32. 90% of the time i drive it is at speed limits of 40 to 60, so it's pretty similar to EPAs idea of highway - seems to help a lot. the little bit of slow driving i do, i spend a lot of time in neutral. i coast to all stops in neutral, and stay there till I go again. <edit: not reccomended - possibly illegal where you are. old habits die hard, and this one saves gas.> I had a problem once where my air filter (i use the washables from Toyota) must have been 'full' ahead of schedule, and i went through four tanks of 24-25mpg before i happened to wash it, and i bumped back up. might be florida salt in the air, or pollen, or something, but i wash it at half cycle, and have not had the problem since.
Well, I guess I only get about 45 right now in my Prius, and I know I have an inefficient route. Maybe I need to drive the Camry back and forth to work for a full tank, my wife usually drives it around town. Maybe that skewed my mpg's. Nate
Odd, it looks like the re-designed Jetta, which was described by one reviewer as "looking like a Corolla". Are Toyota and VW in cahoots?
Well, that design to me look like a Mazda3. Perhaps it's an SE model shown with a colour-keyed grille. As for power, expect a Camry with up to 280hp. (260 seems more like a reasonable Toyota target). Why? I don't know but seeing how the new Passat 3.6 has 280hp and no doubt Nissan and Honda will follow soon, it makes sense for Toyota to offer an engine with roughly that amount of horsepower (perhaps the HSD V6 version?). With regards to the HSD 4 cylinder Camry, I'd expect around 200hp (to fill the gap between the 165-175hp 2.4 litre and the 240-250hp V6 version). This should be just enough power for most people while getting reasonable fuel economy. Our current 02 Camry XLE 4 cylinder gets 10L/100km city (23.5mpg) and 6.7L/100km (35mpg) hwy As for engines, I think it'll be the 3.5 litre engine. I believe the 3.3 litre was a stopgap between launching the new 3.5 litre and getting rid of the old 3.0 litre. That could be detuned down to 250-260hp (which I guess is 240-250 under the new SAE standard) to leave room for the ES and Avalon.
Heh, to me it looks like the new Avalon. Even more from the other pictures I've seen. I believe Toyota has a new "Family Look"
