2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid First Drive - Who Needs a Prius?

Evan Williams
by Evan Williams

As part of a larger group of automotive publications, TTAC has access to a variety of content. We wanted to bring you some of the unique content we think lives up to TTAC’s standards and offers legitimate insight or a properly critical viewpoint to car evaluation. This story, by Hybrid Cars author Evan Williams, showcases the 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Toyota’s replacement for its popular hybrid sedan – sales of which have been falling off this year – comes along with the thorough overhaul of its entire Camry line. After years of cars that were reliable, efficient, and perceived by some to be boring, Toyota wants the new model to be reliable, efficient, and fun to drive. No, really.

Toyota is selling the new Camry as being an emotional choice, not just a rational one. Chief Engineer Masato Katsumata called it “visceral.” A strong word for a family sedan.

The all-new car is the first to completely embrace Toyota’s new global architecture, or TNGA. The platform was first seen under the 2016 Prius, but the Camry is the first to use the new engines, transmissions, and double wishbone rear suspension that make up the ethos of TNGA.

With the new Camry Hybrid comes a new hybrid system. This uses the new Toyota Hybrid System II, the successor to the Hybrid Synergy Drive system. The engine is a 2.5-liter inline four that has variable valve timing, runs on the Atkinson cycle, and has a near-diesel 14.0:1 compression ratio. It also uses a new super lightweight 0w16 grade oil that further reduces internal friction and losses. Toyota touts greater than 40-percent thermal efficiency for the new engine.

By itself, the gas engine generates 176 horsepower and produces 163 lb-ft of torque over a wide range from 3,600 to 5,200 rpm. The electric motor makes 188 horsepower and 149 lb-ft, for a total system output of 208 horsepower.

Like the Prius, it uses either a 4.0 amp-hour, 259-volt lithium-ion or 6.5 Ah 245-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack, depending on trim. But where the Prius uses the li-ion battery on the more expensive Eco trim, the Camry puts the lithium battery on the base LE trim.

Toyota thinks that the people most concerned with fuel economy and value will be buying the base trim. The SE and XLE are more expensive and heavier, so eking out every last tenth of a mile per gallon isn’t the priority. Putting the lighter li-ion battery in what is already the lightest car makes a big impact on fuel economy.

The Camry Hybrid LE has a Prius-beating EPA-rated 53 miles per gallon highway. The city number is impressive too, at 51, with 51 mpg combined. Sportier SE and luxury XLE models get 44 city, 47 highway, 44 combined. In my drive loop in an SE model, the computer reported 53 mpg on mostly rural highways. That was maintaining the speed limit, but not really trying to hypermile. Driving it like I wanted to empty the tank still achieved around 43 mpg.

Both battery packs are new, and smaller than before. Combined with the new platform, the packs go under the seat instead of in the trunk. The Camry hybrid has the same 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space as the gas-only car, and has a full-size opening when the rear seats are folded.

Toyota is offering the Camry Hybrid in the sporty SE trim, in addition to the LE and XLE luxury models. The SE is where I spent most of my day, and it’s nice to see a hybrid choice that has a sport trim available.

Unlike Camrys of the past, this SE really is sporty. It looks the part, with a new unique nose, 18-inch alloys, and vents on the rear. It also has a firmer suspension, one that actually makes this (as promised) a fun car to drive. The Camry is well damped, no longer floaty.

It will roll in corners, but it’s light years ahead of the old one. In my admittedly short drive, I thought it felt better than the 2017 Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima hybrids. I’d put it in the same class as the Mazda 6 for fun-to-drive.

The hybrid system is now completely seamless. The on/off of the gas engine is only noticeable at full throttle, and then only because you can hear it. The switch from regenerative to hydraulic braking is felt with a slightly more snug grab from the brakes, but it’s still smooth.

The electric motor can propel the car at higher speeds than before, and offers a great shove of torque for merging and passing. Feel of the CVT is greatly improved, and it responds quickly. It now offers one of the best CVT experiences on the market.

Toyota has also removed all of the strange noises the old Camry Hybrid made. No more symphony of whirrs, hums, and clicks while driving. It doesn’t make strange noises after you shut it off anymore either.

The LE and XLE trims offer a slightly softer ride, and a different nose, but still ride and handle well. The new Camry is stable, composed, and solid.

Inside, the interior is a massive improvement in design and materials from the last generation. The asymmetrical center stack may be polarizing to look at, but it’s well laid out and easy to use. Seats are comfortable, and despite the 1-inch lower roofline, there is still lots of space for passengers – even with the available panoramic roof.

The infotainment system uses Toyota’s newest Entune software. It doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but Toyota says that’s to help protect user information and privacy. If demand is there, then Toyota can add those apps in later. At launch, it has Scout GPS, NPR, Slacker radio, and Yelp. It also has a new available Safety Connect system that gives emergency assistance much like GM’s OnStar system.

Toyota steps up the Camry in every way for 2018. It’s better to drive, better to look at, and better to use. Most importantly for hybrid buyers, it’s more efficient, too. It’s a win for what has been the best-selling car in America for 15 consecutive years.

The 2018 Camry is on sale now. The hybrid starts at $28,685 USD (including delivery) for the LE, $30,385 for SE and $31,135 for the XLE model.

[Images: © Evan Williams]

(An original version of this review appeared in Hybrid Cars.)

Evan Williams
Evan Williams

More by Evan Williams

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 84 comments
  • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Sep 11, 2017

    So back to a conversation some of us had a few days ago: What Toyota offers vs what Toyota wants to sell you. Price wise 4

  • Mchan1 Mchan1 on Sep 12, 2017

    If I was in the market for a newer vehicle, I'd consider getting a hybrid so it's nice to know that the Toyota Camry Hybrid is available, for now. Then again, as I'm getting older, the CUVs look better and better as it's slowly becoming a chore getting in/out of a sedan considering how low it sits. There are reasons why CUVs sell and getting in/out of them is much easier than any sedan.

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
Next