At $27,380, the starting price of the base 2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE is about average for the segment. The most expensive model, the Hybrid XSE, costs $32,820. For fantastic savings at your neighborhood Toyota dealer, check out our U.S. News Best Price Program.
In This Article...
Does the Toyota Camry Hybrid offer value?
The base variant of the Camry Hybrid has exceptional fuel economy, exceeding 50 mpg on both the highway and city roads. This four-cylinder gas Camry may be the best one available because to its high fuel efficiency and better acceleration than the normal model.
How long is the lifespan of a Toyota Camry hybrid?
With routine maintenance and cautious driving, a Toyota Camry hybrid may travel over 300,000 miles. Your Camry Hybrid should provide 20 years of dependable service before needing costly maintenance based on an annual mileage of 15,000 miles.
What are the Toyota Camry Hybrid’s drawbacks?
Trying to reduce the hassle at the gas station? Then you’ve probably given thought to purchasing a hybrid vehicle. And the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid is probably at the top of your list. The new, sport-focused XSE Hybrid is joining the lineup this year, making the Camry Hybrid even hotter than before. The Camry Hybrid is a strong contender for this model year thanks to its outstanding fuel economy, comfortable and spacious interior, and generous load space. You will have to ignore a few drawbacks, such as its tendency to float on the highway and its very grabby brakes, which make coming to a smooth stop a little challenging. What features of the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid are appealing? Let’s investigate.
The XSE Hybrid is brand-new for the model year. It is designed to perform athletically. Check out the prices for each trim level as well! They are now more reasonably priced thanks to a base price reduction of slightly over $1,000. The Cold Weather Package is also now available as a stand-alone option rather than being bundled with particular trim levels. Everything else from 2020 is carried over, except for that.
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2021 Toyota Camry HybridThe Pros
High Fuel Efficiency
Better fuel efficiency is the main justification for why people spend their hard-earned money on hybrid vehicles. Additionally, consumers won’t be let down by the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The combined EPA estimated fuel economy for the XLE and SE Hybrid versions is 46 mpg, which is higher than normal for a mid-sized hybrid sedan. Wish there was a better option? 52 mpg combined is impressive for the base LE level. Drivers should be satisfied because real-world tests have shown that these values are generally reliable.
2. Hybrid Vehicle with Quick Acceleration
The Camry Hybrid manages to do something that not all hybrid sedans are known for: accelerate swiftly. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in around 8 seconds flat, which is faster than the majority of its competitors. That is a respectable performance for daily use. Although it might not seem like much in comparison to gas-only models, hybrid powertrains are built for efficiency above speed. More than most, the Camry Hybrid achieves a good balance.
3. Smooth and secure braking
Although the brakes occasionally seem a little grabby (which we shall examine later), they function well most of the time. You can anticipate what these brakes will do and how they will operate in real-world driving situations, such as when you have to stop frequently in congested city traffic. Low-rolling resistance tires, which are frequently seen on hybrid vehicles, don’t always provide secure stops, but they typically feel OK.
4. Reliable Steering and Handling Performance
Contrary to what it might appear on the outside, the Camry Hybrid is sportier. For the unremarkable hybrid sedan sector, which is what it is known for, its driving and handling qualities are respectable. While rounding around turns, there is little discernible body roll, and everything seems well in control. The driver receives adequate feedback from the steering.
5. Reliable climate control and comfortable seating
Toyota has the art of comfort down to a science, and the Camry Hybrid’s interior is no exception. The greatest seat in the house is unquestionably the driver’s seat, which offers lots of lateral and lumbar support while you commute. The back passengers have enough support as well. The climate control system is simple to use, and the vents make sure that even passengers in the back seat receive a fair quantity of air flow. You are in for a big treat if you choose the optional ventilated front seats. The conventional heater is also comfortable.
6. An approachable design
Toyota designed the Camry Hybrid with the user in mind. The driver can easily access and see all of the controls up front. There is no room for speculation as to what each one performs, and they frequently function as anticipated. Their designs appear rational and natural. The Camry Hybrid should make you feel perfectly at home if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. Additionally, if you are tech smart, you will see how rational the design is in its approach.
7. A Vaulted Cabin
Although mid-size sedans aren’t known for having roomy interiors, the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid does a great job with its ample fore- and aft space. Since the seat is simple to modify, most drivers should have no trouble finding a comfortable driving position regardless of size. Due to the huge door openings and ample space, even in the back seat, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting bulky rear-facing kid seats in and out.
8. Numerous Common Infotainment Features
Even the basic LE trim level comes with an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration. Toyota has advanced significantly by making smartphone app connection with both systems standard across all of its models after lacking it in earlier incarnations of those vehicles. You can get a wireless charging pad, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a head-up display that projected driver information onto the windshield in front of you by upgrading to the XLE.
9. An enormous cargo area
The 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid has a large trunk room for a mid-size hybrid automobile. There is plenty of room for storing all the items you need to transport back there because the battery pack does not obstruct the route. There is no need to give up any of the functionality that you may with other hybrids.
10. A Budget-Friendly Choice
The Camry Hybrid is one of the most affordable hybrid mid-size sedans available because Toyota is lowering the base MSRPs across the board for this model year. This really helps sweeten the bargain and demonstrates that Toyota is trying to keep customers coming back to them for dependable, long-lasting vehicles for the features that you even receive on the lowest trim.
buying advice
Compare prices online before buying a new car to avoid paying too much. Find out the price in advance before entering a dealership. The following free services are suggested by us: Car Clearance Deals, NADAguides, CarsDirect, and Motortrend.
These free sites will provide you the best deals and provide you with numerous price quotations from rival businesses. Before visiting the dealer, you will be aware of the best pricing.
Reasons Not to Buy a 2021 Toyota Camry HybridThe Cons
1. The XLE Can Float Too Much at High Speeds
If you choose the top-of-the-line XLE trim level for the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid, be aware that it might become floaty when driven at highway speeds. The other trim levels don’t exhibit this problem as much, and it feels great about town. The absence of emotion might not be apparent immediately away, but it might start to annoy you after a while. However, it is only a minor issue.
2. Sly Driving Aids
The Camry Hybrid has certain driver assistance features that can get a little overly touchy, which is another item on our list of very minor issues. With Toyota’s Safety Sense system, you get a ton of them, but not all of them function as intended. Some of these features cannot be completely disabled, and you could receive a few too many warnings.
3. The Brakes Have a Grip.
The Camry Hybrid’s brakes can occasionally seem a little grabby, hindering a completely smooth stop. Normally, the car stops securely in city traffic just well, but emergency stops might be a little unsettling because the brakes have a tendency to grasp too hard. Again, this is not a common issue, but you can see it on occasion.
4. The Line-topping XLE does not have memory settings.
Customers frequently adore the XLE, but they are perplexed as to why this trim level lacks memory settings for the driver’s seat and side mirrors. The majority of line-topping vehicles in this market do, however Toyota has omitted it from the Camry Hybrid’s list of standard amenities. It would be an excellent addition and increase the already fantastic XLE trim level’s value.
How It Stacks Up to the Competition:
One of the Camry Hybrid’s main rivals for the model year is the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid. It offers a roomy interior and lots of cargo capacity with lots of versatility, just like the Camry Hybrid. It almost matches the Camry Hybrid’s fuel economy, but the Camry LE’s remarkable 52 combined mpg gives the Camry Hybrid the advantage. However, because to the low seating position of the Accord Hybrid, getting in and out might be challenging. The brakes also result in unusually large panic braking distances for this market.
The 2021 Ford Fusion Hybrid competes with the Camry Hybrid in a number of areas, including its slick Sync 3 infotainment system and the premium cabin layout that is immediately apparent. Even at highway speeds, this car is well-insulated from noise and is wonderfully quiet. The Fusion Hybrid’s sloping roofline reduces sight and headroom in the back seat, which is a drawback. The fuel economy figures also don’t really compare favorably to the Camry Hybrid or many other rivals.
Overall, the Toyota Camry Hybrid for 2021 is a practical solution to the growing need for fuel-efficient hybrid technology in modern cars. Toyota appears to be making every effort to make the Camry Hybrid affordable for more purchasers despite the fact that 2020 has been a challenging year for many. This mid-size hybrid sedan has a lot of power under the hood and is one of the better alternatives in its category. While the brakes may use some work, overall driving performance is good, and the fuel economy is more than adequate.
Which Camry hybrid year should you steer clear of?
Avoid the aforementioned models as well as the 2008, 2013, 2014, and 2015 if you have your heart set on a used Toyota Camry. They have issues that are well-known and not worth addressing.
Is buying a hybrid car worthwhile?
We’re getting this one fundamental query more frequently: Is a hybrid worth it? as more hybrid cars hit the market and prices slowly decline.
Although there are numerous factors to consider before making the decision to spend more money on a hybrid car, for the majority of drivers, cost is the primary consideration. In order for you to determine whether a hybrid vehicle makes sense for the way you drive, we’ll go over some fundamental hybrid arithmetic here.
It’s important to keep in mind that the answer to the question is not straightforward until we run some calculations. The value of lowering carbon dioxide emissions and the satisfaction you have from doing so, the sort of power generation in your area, or the cradle-to-grave emissions for a vehicle and its lithium-ion battery might all be taken into account. You may even attempt to place a value on the pleasure of driving an electric vehicle that accelerates instantly or the added comfort of getting into a vehicle that has been preheated by mains power.
To keep things straightforward, though, we’ll concentrate on the price difference between a comparable ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle and a hybrid, and determine how long it will take to make up the difference in fuel savings.
Your driving habits
A few numbers will be necessary for this. The first is an estimate of how much of your driving is done in cities versus on highways. City driving is regarded as stop-and-go traffic for testing purposes, with an average speed of 34 km/h and a top speed of 90 km/h. Highway driving is defined as traveling at speeds between 78 and 97 km/h on interstates and rural roads. According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the ratio of gasoline consumption is 55 percent city and 45 percent highway. The division between your city and highway may be significantly different. When driving in cities, hybrids typically give the greatest fuel savings.
The cost of gasoline where you reside is the second important factor to know. According to Statistics Canada, the average price of regular gas in Edmonton as of January 2019 is $0.92/litre. In Vancouver, a litre costs $1.34. In Toronto, a litre costs $1.02.
How many kilometers you drive annually is the last figure you’ll need to know. It will take much longer to repay the additional expense of a hybrid vehicle if you travel 10,000 less miles per year than if you drive 25,000 more.
Types of hybrids
Hybrids are not created equally. Some people use electricity far more than others. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have larger battery packs that can be recharged from an electrical outlet in comparison to mild hybrids that can charge on their own. PHEVs produce no tailpipe emissions when operating exclusively on electricity. Your driving style has a significant impact on the annual operating cost of plug-in vehicles. A PHEV makes sense if you primarily do short trips (3050 km) and have access to overnight charging.
The calculation
Take the difference in purchase price and divide it by the difference in annual fuel cost to determine whether a hybrid is cost-effective. That will tell you how many years of driving it will take to make up for the higher initial cost of a hybrid.
In other words: Years to recover hybrid cost = Purchase Price Delta / Annual Cost Delta.
A helpful tool for evaluating vehicles is the online “fuel consumption ratings search tool” from NRCan.
We’ll make the same assumptions as NRCan for the examples below: 20,000 miles per year, 55 percent city, ordinary gas at $1.02 per litre, and electricity at $0.13 per kWh.
Toyota Rav4
Costing $32,090, the 2019 Toyota Rav4 hybrid AWD. Costs for a standard Rav4 AWD are $30,690. The difference in buying price is $1,400. Fuel costs for the hybrid will be $1,224 annually, while those for the standard Rav4 will be $1,693. The difference in cost per year is $469.
Continue with us? As a result, 1,400/469 = 2.99 years. After that, owning a hybrid will be less expensive.
Honda Accord
Costs for the 2019 Accord Hybrid Touring are $41,876 plus $1,020 in year fuel costs. The Touring grade without a hybrid costs $37,876 and $1,550 annually. To make up the gap in this example, it would take around 7.5 years. It would take 5.8 years if you reside in Vancouver, where the cost of gas is $1.32 a litre.
You’ll recover the additional cost of the hybrid in 1.2 years when compared to the Accord 2.0 Touring, which costs $40,876 and features a thirstier 2.0-litre engine.
Kia Niro and the trouble with estimating PHEV cost
Fuel expenditures for the standard Kia Niro hybrid are $938 per year. The annual maintenance fee for the front-wheel drive Kia Sportage SUV is $1,877. After only a few months, the Niro hybrid will become more affordable because the difference in purchase price is only $200.
The Niro is also offered as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which has annual gas and energy expenses of $33,965 and $753/year. Compare that to a similarly equipped Niro hybrid’s $29,695 and $979 yearly cost. You won’t make back the additional expense until you drive the PHEV for more than 17 years. That may sound terrible for a PHEV, but it can be deceptive. Depending on how you drive, the NRCan annual cost estimate that we are providing here may be drastically off. You might quickly recoup the investment if you generally make short journeys and run down the battery before starting the gas engine. Or, if you never plug the PHEV in, you might never recoup the additional expense. Remember that the NRCan estimate uses an assumed power price of $0.13 per kWh, but if you charge overnight, as most people do, the price in Ontario is now $0.065 per kWh, which is half that amount. The employment of different PHEVs’ gas and electric motors creates comparative challenges, which further complicates problems. But we’re now getting really lost in the weeds.
Is it worth it?
There isn’t a firm rule in this situation, so I apologize if you didn’t want to perform all that arithmetic. As you can see, the time it takes for any hybrid to make up for the extra cost depends greatly on your driving habits, the cost of petrol where you reside, and how far you go. From brand to brand and model to model, there are huge differences in the extra pricing for hybrids. If you reside in British Columbia or Quebec, the government provides sizeable discounts on PHEVs, which frequently tips the cost equation in favor of greener options. However, conducting your research could end up saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the course of your next vehicle.