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| Toyota's Camry is already a big name in the industry. Now it's gone green. (Photo: Budd Stanley, Canadian Auto Press) |
It's AJAC's Car of the Year and Best New Family Car to boot. It's North America's most popular car with over ten million sold. It's been the heart and soul of Toyota for 24 years, and now its out to save the world. Well maybe not save it, but help do its part to lower pollution. The Camry now has a Hybrid option, for those who are looking to be a little greener.
It's only been eight months since Camry Hybrids hit the streets, and they already make up 10 percent of total Camry sales in Canada. Proof positive that Canadians really do care about the environment and are willing to put their money where their mouths are. Money spent wisely as a Hybrid Camry can be had for $31,900, only $2,000 more than a similarly equipped V6 Camry. This car represents the first Hybrid that I've been able to drive, so I was eager to find out if all the hype Toyota is making about saving the planet is true, and if the half electric Camry really does get the fuel economy of a Yaris.
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| Looks like a Camry, and once you're on the move it drives like a Camry (sort of), but the start-up and idle process is different. (Photo: Budd Stanley, Canadian Auto Press) |
Stepping into the car for the first time I knew that there would be a keyless ignition, due to the fact the key fob had no traditional key. I sat down, put my foot on the brake and pushed the "Start" button. The lights on the dash lit up, but other than that nothing else happened. I pushed the button again and the lights turned off. I repeated this process a couple of more times, confused at why the car would not start. Then a voice rang out, "It is started, put it in gear." My feeble mind could not grasp the absolute silence of the electric motor. I've had the starting sequence of a regular car engraved so deeply into my mind, that the Hybrid had me in uncharted territory. Every other time I've started a car, I put the key in, turned it, the starter whined as it turned over the engine, then soon after there was the familiar growl of internal combustion sparking radiating through the air. It's a routine I have done several times a day for nearly 10 years now, so this is my excuse for looking like a fool.
