Should I buy a Camry Hybrid?

The answer is definitely yes. This car is a totally reliable car to own. So far I've not heard of any major problems regarding the engine or hybrid system. The mechanicals and drive-trains are just bulletproof with nothing to complain about. There are of course some issues with the premature battery failure of the traction battery but the number that is involved is still extremely small like at least less than 3 % of the total number of cars (at least based on the input that we get). Majority of the owners including me have no problems with the car in general and with the main battery. The best thing is the cost of the battery is now expected to be much cheaper since the pattern has been lifted and more companies in China and elsewhere are producing it. Currently, the cost of the main battery hovers around RM 6K. It will be much cheaper in the future.

What's so good about Camry hybrid?

It's so economical. I spend less than RM 200 for my petrol per month. The consumption is better than a Myvi or Iriz. If you are not a heavy footer and thinks and drives like an uncle you can easily get 19-20 km a liter, which is even better than an Axia in real-world driving. If you're a high mileage driver, this is a perfect car for you. You can save a lot of petrol money and instead spend it on your family for a good weekend "makan".

It's lightning fast at the traffic light because of the electric torque available. the power is instantaneous and you can just burst up the speed leaving the Civic 1.5 Turbo gasping for breath only to narrowly overtake at the end of the century sprint. You can even "Taupau" a Mercedes Benz 200. With a Passat, you can try your luck and can even " bungkus" the car depending on how good your driving skills are.

The car is so refined because the change from combustion to electric is seamless you don't even realize it. It changes all the time in the complex mode of driving types in silence manner. When driving the car below 40 Km it would automatically turn into the "stealth" mode. This is good especially for men in the midnight run returning home after a "Teh tarik" session with your buddies without your wife or your busybody neighbors aware of you coming home.

What's the drawback?

The car is not equipped with the Mirror-link function, an essential feature in the modern world. The car came with an outdated head unit that could only connect using archaic phones like Samsung 2. Anything modern than that will render the connection useless.

The speaker or sound system is pleasing to listen but those enjoying brutal songs will cry their hearts out. The power wattage is so low in consumption to even accommodate powerful speakers. Some owners don't even realize that there's only one speaker in the back of the car.

The paint job on the car is of low quality. Even Proton can have glossy finishings on their cars in which Toyota Malaysia could not even provide. Despite the extra RM 800 for the white color, the paint job leaves much to be desired.

Conclusion

If you can live with the shortcomings, this is will be one of the best cars you will ever own. There are no two ways about it. This hybrid car is one grade higher than your conventional car. The hybrid system in the car is probably the best most reliable unit in any car that money can buy.

Yours truly

Dr. Salleh

CHOCoM

P.S.This post is targeted towards members (non-owners) of CHOCoM who are considering buying or at least recommending the car to their friends and relatives.