Should I buy a Camry Hybrid?

Should I buy a Toyota Camry Hybrid?

Yes that was my first question when I was  pondering at the just released Toyota Camry Hybrid in Malaysia a few months ago. Hybrid vehicles are basically totally new in the country except for the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. But the Honda Insight is not a full hybrid compared to the Prius. So there were not many hybrids vehicles in the country and also not many people who could advise me on the purchase. My fear was valid and not unfounded.

But I did get more info from the Internet especially based on the reviews of hybrid cars in the United States and in other countries. So what did sway me to buy the car?

The Hybrid

First and foremost is the tax exemption that is given to hybrid vehicles assembled in Malaysia. The exemption I believe is extended until at the end of the 2015 year and I don't know whether it is going to be extended again in the future. But I believe it will because the market now is very soft , fluid and rather  unstable because of many reasons. One of them is the fluctuating Malaysian currency that has lost its strength or value  rather markedly.The car assemblers will definitely push the government to give them the extension beyond 2015. If there's no tax exemption I believe the price of the Camry could well go beyond RM 200,000. If you care to check the price of a locally assembled Camry in Thailand  hovers around RM 225,00-RM 250,000 depending on the options. So, basically the price of the Camry at RM 170,00 in Malaysia is actually a very good value. And that pricing actually twisted my arms to consider buying a Camry hybrid. So far , UMW has sold more than 3,00 Camry Hybrids. Their target for the year is around  8-9000 units.

The V8 Firebird

Another reason is the smooth power delivery of the Camry. Driving the Camry Hybrid is almost like driving a V 6. I had the experience of driving the V 8 Corvette and the Firebird in the United States and believe me driving the full electric vehicle is not a slouch either. It's not extremely fast but its not very slow either. It has enough power to motivate the rather heavy car to 110 km hour in around less than 9 seconds. The huge torque in the electric vehicle makes driving the Camry rather easy and undeniably fast, The power delivery is just so creamy and smooth .Now,  I would just dust of all the boy racers driving their Myvis. and the end end they would just toe the line behind my Camry Hybrid. They know who's the Boss now.

The Camry Hybrid would demand respect from Myvi owners 

The serenity and the quiet ambiance driving the car is also a main contributory factor in deciding to buy the Camry. When it is on the battery mode the car is dead silence. The only noise would be the rumbling noise made by the Bridgestone tires. The tires are not very quiet but excellent in terms of handling. The Bridgestone shoes make handling around B roads easy despite being a Hybrid. The serenity  driving a Camry is a blessing when driving slowly in your quiet neighborhood. Nobody will notice that you have arrived home silently in th emiddle of the night - not even your wife. That is the pleasure that you get when driving a Camry Hybrid.

Other than the NVH, another important aspect that made me decide to get the Hybrid is the reliability of the Toyota Cars. I had the experience of driving the Corolla for more than 13 years with all the abuse that the car endured and the only thing that I had to change was a rubber stopper that cost me RM 5. It was such a reliable car. I hope the Camry would be as reliable as my Corolla. So far I have had no problem with the car and my hope is that it will continue to be in good condition. I will keep on posting long term reviews of the  Camry Hybrid.