Camry Hybrid Could Best Prius

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is all that according to Edmunds.com and could challenge the Prius for the top spot among hybrid vehicles. The Camry Hybrid has enough juice for all but the tallest of hills, and the real-world test showed 38 mpg city and 42 highway, not too shabby for a sedan. Toyota sold 3,032 […]

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is all that according to Edmunds.com and could challenge the Prius for the top spot among hybrid vehicles.

The Camry Hybrid has enough juice for all but the tallest of hills, and the real-world test showed 38 mpg city and 42 highway, not too shabby for a sedan. Toyota sold 3,032 Camry Hybrids in May, or less than half of the 8,103 Prius, which remained in short supply. But with good reviews and an audience of consumers wanting something with more room, the Camry Hybrids could sell even faster before long.

With gas prices unlikely to recede anytime soon, hybrids are looking more like cost-effective purchases. Many of the estimates published assume that hybrids will cost much more to maintain, but my Civic Hybrid (knock wood) hasn't cost me a dime other than oil changes in three years.

Speaking of the Prius, the California Air Resources Board just added four hydrogen hybrids to its fleet. Should Arnie lose the governorship (today this looks unlikely) it would be interesting if his successor would be willing to continue to invest heavily in the hydrogen highway.