2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Hybrid drivetrain gives Toyota’s best-selling sedan exceptional fuel economy.
By Nina Russin

2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Every time engineers introduce a new generation Camry, they’re faced with the challenge of making Toyota’s best-selling sedan even better. When Toyota unveiled the sixth-generation two years ago, the answer seemed to be greater diversity among trim levels, including a hybrid.

The Camry hybrid uses the same technology as the Prius. Average fuel economy is 34 miles per gallon, versus about 25 mpg for the gas-powered Camrys.

Love means never having to say “it’s empty.”

Hybrids save time as well as money. The Camry Hybrid has the same seventeen-gallon tank as the gas models, but the fuel inside goes a lot further. Seventeen gallons takes the hybrid 578 miles, versus 425 for the other models.

My husband and I had the perfect opportunity to test the hybrid’s fuel economy: on one of our trips to Ohio to see my family. Living in Phoenix, we prefer to fly the hometown budget carrier. Unfortunately, that airline flies into Columbus. The family’s in Cincinnati. In the Camry Hybrid, the trip south takes just under a quarter tank of gas.

Anyone who has driven with me can attest to the fact that I’m not good at conserving fuel. I like to drive fast. As my friend, Denise McCluggage once said: “You can buy more gas but you can’t buy more time.”

Despite my lead foot, the Camry’s average fuel economy was over 35 miles-per-gallon on the highway: better than the EPA estimates. In the city fuel economy was slightly poorer, though it’s hard to complain about 33 miles-per-gallon in stop-and-go traffic. The engine shuts off at idle to conserve gas.

At the end of our trip, we had used just over half a tank of gas: covering over two hundred highway miles, and three days of stop-and-go driving in Cincinnati.

Engineers had the foresight to install an electronic air conditioning compressor, so the car stays cool when stopped at a traffic light.

Technology that’s invisible to the driver

The best thing about hybrids is that they require no special infrastructure, maintenance or driving techniques. Unlike electric cars that have a limited range, hybrids can go at least as far as gas models on a tank of gas.

The nickel-metal-hydride battery pack is located behind the second-row seats, where it is protected from frontal and rear impacts. The batteries recharge on the go using regenerative brake power.

The gauge cluster contains an analogue gauge that gives the driver instant fuel economy information. There is also a digital display that gives average fuel economy.

The Camry Hybrid comes with Toyota’s keyless ignition as standard equipment. The driver can open the doors and start the car without removing the key fob from his pocket.

A start button turns on the electric motors, and, if power needs are high, the gas engine as well. Pressing the button a second time turns the ignition off.

Driving the Camry Hybrid is no different than the gas models. Unlike some Toyota hybrids, the Camry doesn’t feel nose-heavy on downhills. Drivers may notice better low-end power from the hybrid, since the electric motors develop peak torque at extremely low speeds.

The Camry Hybrid has the same ride and handling characteristics that have made the gasoline models so popular stateside: a quiet, vibration-free interior, precise steering, firm linear brakes, and a compliant suspension.

Visibility is quite good all the way around the car. The test car does not have a backup warning system: a technology that I would like to see on all new cars. It protects the driver against accidents involving children or small objects below the rear site line.

Well-equipped interior

The Camry’s spacious interior has all of the creature comforts most buyers want: dual-zone climate control with a standard pollen filter, keyless entry and start, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio controls, power front seats with lumbar support, and intermittent wipers.

A comfort and convenience package ($470) adds front seat heaters ad heated power outside mirrors. Other options include leather trim ($1300), a power moonroof ($940), and a premium package that upgrades the standard audio system to include XM satellite radio and Bluetooth compatibility, and the standard steel wheels with wheel covers to alloy rims ($1,150).

A separate satellite radio kit adds the XM hardware ($449). Toyota offers an optional first aid kit on the Camry ($29), and also charges for floor mats ($199).

There is plenty of room inside the car for five passengers, since the front-wheel drive configuration eliminates the tunnel through the second row. I was impressed by how wide the rear doors open, making it easier for my mother to enter and exit the car.

Second-row passengers also get ceiling vents to improve airflow: there are also vents in back of the center console bin.

The gate shifter on the floor console includes a “B” setting in lieu of low gears to enhance directional control on steep downhill grades.

The test car didn’t have optional navigation, but a compass in the rearview mirror comes with the premium upgrade package. Both front passengers get reading lamps, located in the overhead console, together with a sunglass holder.

All four doors have map pockets. There are two cupholders in the center console: both big enough for water bottles.

Controls for the front seat heaters are on the floor console, as well as a 12-volt power point. The center console bin is quite deep: a small removable shelf inside holds portable electronic devices.

There are several more small bins: to the right of the center stack, and in front of the center console bin. The glovebox is large enough to stash a purse or small pack.

Limited cargo space

The trunk is always the Achilles heal of hybrid sedans, since the battery pack impinges on cargo space. My husband and I were able to fit two suitcases in the trunk, with little room to spare.

The battery pack location means that there is no pass-through to extend the cargo floor for longer items. A cargo net keeps grocery bags from sliding around in back.

Standard safety

The Camry Hybrid received five-star federal crash test ratings for frontal and side impacts. Standard safety features include front, side and side curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability program.

An eight year/100,000 mile warranty covers all hybrid components.

Toyota builds the Camry hybrid at its Georgetown, Kentucky assembly plant.

Likes: A spacious, comfortable sedan with seating for five and exceptional fuel economy.

Dislike: Battery pack severely limits trunk room.

Quick facts:

Make: Toyota
Model: Camry Hybrid
Year: 2009
Base price: $25,350
As tested: $30,906
Horsepower: 147 Hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 138 lbs.-ft. @ 4400 rpm
Zero-to-sixty: N/A
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: Standard
First aid kit: Optional
Bicycle friendly: No
Off-road: No
Towing: No
Fuel economy: 33/34 mpg city/highway
Comments: A mid-year price increase raises the hybrid’s base price to $26,150, not including a $720 destination charge.

Horsepower and torque listed are for the four-cylinder gas engine only. The hybrid’s net horsepower is 187.

2008 smart fortwo cabriolet

Germany’s pint-sized commuter car makes its debut in America

By Nina Russin

2008 smart fortwo passion cabriolet

Ten years ago, Mercedes-Benz introduced a two-passenger commuter car called smart. The smart fortwo looks like the front half of a sedan, and that’s basically what it is. With a 73.5-inch wheelbase and 54-inch track, a smart fortwo can fit in half a parallel parking space, if the driver parks nose in.

The smart car made its debut in the United States last January, just in time for this country’s biggest fuel crisis since the 1970s. Drivers who wouldn’t have considered a small car two years ago are finding a lot to love in the smart: average highway fuel economy is 41 miles-per-gallon.

I recently had the chance to drive the smart fortwo cabriolet. Base price on the open-air smart is $16,590, not including a $645 delivery charge. Power steering, a tachometer/clock gauge set  and other options bring the sticker on the test car to $18,585.

I can put my arms around it

In twenty years of writing about automobiles, the smart fortwo is the first car I could put my arms around: literally. There’s something comforting in that, and also something unnerving

With my arms wrapped around the smart, I looked at the cars parked in neighboring driveways: Nissan Titan, Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Silverado. Phoenix is truck country. For a week, I’d be sharing the roads with cars three times as big as the one I was driving.

The one-liter engine was another big question mark. Here in Phoenix, the speed limit on most highways is 65 miles-per-hour, but drivers rarely travel under 70. Seventy is pretty close to the smart fortwo’s top speed: ninety miles-per-hour. I would have to get the smart up to cruising speeds on the entrance ramp, and have something in reserve if I needed to make an evasive maneuver in traffic.

Day one: testing the waters

To begin, I decided to run a few errands around the neighborhood. Entering the car, I was surprised by the amount of space in the passenger cabin.

The PR guys claim that a six foot tall adult can sit inside. To test their claim, I asked my six-foot tall husband to sit in the passenger seat. He fit just fine, with a couple inches of headroom to spare.

Then I took the smart to the running shop. One of the managers, who is about six-foot-three, got in the driver’s side. By pushing the seat back, he was also able to fit comfortably inside.

The driver’s seat is mounted forward of the passenger seat, to give both seating positions the most hip and shoulder room. Standard cloth seats are attractive and comfortable. There are two cupholders in front of the shift lever on the floor console, both big enough to hold my Phoenix-size water bottles.

A display screen in the center stack shows audio settings. Two levers near the top of the center stack control temperature and fan settings. An optional gauge set on top of the center stack includes a clock and tachometer. I would highly recommend buying the gauges, since anyone driving on the highway will be pushing the engine close to red line.

Stalks on the steering wheel operate the lights and windshield wipers,, while paddles in back offer one method of shifting the transmission manually. A large dished shelf beneath the steering wheel holds paperwork or small electronic devices. A 12-volt powerpoint at the base of the center stack recharges those devices on the go.

The ignition lock is in the floor console: an idea borrowed from Saab. The idea is to keep the key away from the driver’s knee, where it could cause injury in the event of a collision. Relocating the ignition lock also enabled engineers to install kneepads as part of the car’s safety system.

A toggle switch on the floor console opens the cabriolet top, while a button in back of the car opens the rear glass window.

Keeping the revs up

The smart car has an automated manual transmission: basically, a manual gearbox with no clutch. A dedicated on-board computer applies shift logic, and can shift the car automatically. The problem is that shifting is rough, and the computer applies shift points for maximum fuel economy rather than power.

The best way to drive the car is to shift it manually, using the shift lever or paddles on the steering wheel. It takes some getting used to, but it’s the only way to keep up with traffic, on or off the highway.

Although the gearbox has five speeds, I rarely took the car out of fourth. The overdrive gear is fine outside of town, but in the city, it robs the car of power necessary to make evasive maneuvers.

Day two: hitting the highway

I’ll admit that I was pretty apprehensive about taking an 1800-pound car with a one-liter engine on the interstate. I’ll also admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the smart car’s performance. 

I took the car up to seventy-five miles-per-hour on the highway, which put me at the speed of traffic. In fourth gear, that’s about 4500 rpm; 1500 rpm below redline. It’s the point at which the engine reaches peak torque, and I felt comfortable with the car’s ability to maneuver around drivers in high-profile vehicles who might not see me.

I was pleasantly surprised by how stable the smart car feels at speed. A careful look at the back off the car explains why. Engineers pushed the wheels as far to the corners as possible.

Not only does widening the track enhance the car’s cornering ability: it also allows engineers to use the biggest wheels possible. Small as it is, the smart fortwo rides on fifteen-inch rims: the same size wheels as many compact cars.

Visibility around the car is pretty good, although the cabriolet’s rear glass is rather small. To my surprise, road noise was not excessive.

Since I was pushing fourth gear to maintain power, my fuel economy was not as good as the EPA figures. Average for highway and city driving was about 33 miles-per-gallon.

Not bicycle-friendly

Though the smart has enough room inside for groceries or small duffle bags, there is no way to fit a bicycle in. US distributors will carry a dealer-installed bike rack, that will retail for about $600.

Standard safety

Knowing that their car would share the road with much bigger vehicles, engineers spent a lot of time designing active and passive safety systems to protect smart occupants.

Much of the metal in the vehicle is high-strength steel: a material which is as light, but much more robust than regular steel. Bumpers in the US models have larger crashboxes than the European cars, to absorb impacts at higher speeds.

A safety cage that surrounds the passengers is designed to trigger crumple zones on the cars it comes into contact with, so the larger vehicle will absorb more of the crash energy. The engine, battery and fuel tank are located in impact-resistant locations, and are protected by high-strength steel components.

All models come standard with front, side and knee airbags, antilock brakes, electronic stability program and traction control. Hill start assist keeps the car from rolling backwards when accelerating from a stop on a steep hill.

A smart choice for active lifestyles?

The smart fortwo makes a good second car for families who commute through traffic on a daily basis. It’s environmentally friendly, has excellent fuel economy, and can fit in parking spots that normal cars cannot.

As a driver’s only car, the smart is not the best choice. Extended road trips would be difficult, due to the limited engine power and lack of cargo space. If two people go on a weekend holiday, the luggage has to go on the roof. Buyers who want an inexpensive compact car are better served with a small hatchback.

Likes: A unique car with extremely compact dimensions, excellent gas mileage, and a high level of standard safety. The smart is an excellent choice for drivers who spend most of their time in urban traffic.

Dislikes: Engine lacks the power for extended road trips. Cargo space is extremely limited, especially with two people in the car.

Quick facts:

Make: smart: a division of Mercedes-Benz
Model: smart fortwo passion cabriolet
Year: 2008
Base price: $16,500
As tested: $18,585
Horsepower: 70  Hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque: 68 lbs.-ft. @ 4500 rpm
Zero-to-sixty: 12.8 seconds
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: N/A
First aid kit: N/A
Bicycle friendly: No
Off-road: No
Towing: No
Fuel economy: 33/41 mpg
Comments: The manufacturer recommends the use of premium unleaded fuel.