Great selection of Camry and Camry Hybrid at Peace Arch Toyota
One is a full-blown hybrid able to run entirely on electricity for periods at a time while the other is hybrid light, adding just enough technology to make a dent in fuel costs but keeping development costs to a minimum.
Not surprisingly, the former approach has a much greater impact on fuel economy.
The Camry Hybrid is Toyota’s latest generation of Hybrid Synergy Drive, which combines a four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine with an electric motor for a combined 200 horsepower.
The two motors feed into a planetary-gear transmission that lets each operate independently, meaning it can run in electric vehicle (EV) mode under the right conditions.
The Buick Regal eAssist combines a conventional 2.4-litre gasoline engine with a beefy, belt-driven combination alternator/motor to “assist” the gas engine, allow for engine shutdown at idle and recapture energy during braking.
Now, before we get into the comparison, there’s a little reality about all hybrids that you should know: if your goal is lowest cost of ownership of a vehicle, a hybrid anything isn’t for you.
There are cheaper cars that get fuel economy that’s as good or only slightly worse than hybrids. You have to save a LOT of fuel to just break even on a hybrid.
Where hybrids make sense is when you’re already in the market for the underlying car. The jump in price from a fuel-sipping $14,400 Yaris to the $27,000 Camry Hybrid is virtually insurmountable in fuel savings, but the jump in price from a non-hybrid Camry to a hybrid is worth considering.
Similarly, getting eAssist in a Regal is quite cheap relative to other Regals
2012 Buick Regal eAssist
The base price of the comparable Regal (Canadian comfort package plus) is $31,195. The base price of the Regal eAssist 1SU is $34,335. That doesn’t quite tell the whole story about the price difference, however.
The eAssist adds 17-inch alloy wheels, EZ start keyless start, ultrasonic park assist, tire inflator kit, universal home remote, 120-volt outlet and body coloured door handles with chrome inserts (in addition to the 115-volt lithium-ion battery pack and alternator/motor). The Regal closest to that in terms of equipment is the Canadian comfort package convenience group at $34,390.
According to the Fuel Consumption Guide prepared by Natural Resources Canada, fuel savings — at the NRCan standard for fuel-consumption testing — would be about $400 per year. So from a base Regal, payback is about three years out. From a comparably equipped Regal, you’re saving money out of the gate.
The eAssist is certainly a worthwhile consideration for Regal shoppers. The electric drive adds near-V-6-like power to the four-banger, and the car is just as luxurious as any other Regal. And like the other Regals, the drive characteristics are outstanding.
You do give up some cargo ability to drive the eAssist, however. The hybrid battery pack is mounted just behind the passenger-side rear seat. Which means it intrudes somewhat into trunk space and that only the driver’s side rear seat folds to accommodate longer items.
Aside from that, if you like the Regal, there’s no reason to dislike the eAssist
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
The hybrid comes in two versions: LE and XLE. In keeping with Toyota parlance, LE is the base model and XLE is the more-equipped version. The LE starts at $26,990 while the XLE adds $2,000. For that, you get an upgraded audio system, fog lamps, power driver’s seat, 17-inch alloy wheels instead of the 16-inch steels with covers, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and access to options not available on the LE, including heated seats, power moonroof, leather-trimmed ultra-suede seating surfaces and a cool new navigation system.
Toyota has had about 14 years now to refine and further develop its hybrid synergy drive system, and it shows. The auto-stop and restart feature, which shuts down the engine under the right conditions when stopped, as at a red light, and instantly restarts when it’s time to go, works the most seamlessly of all in this iteration. In some previous models, there was some shudder on restart.
Refinements to the battery pack mean the hybrid now has more cargo space than the previous model.
NRCan’s fuel consumption guide suggests a savings of about $500 per year from the four-cylinder and $700 per year from the six. Payback is then about six years out from the four-cylinder model, but the fairest comparison is to the V-6, given the V-6-like power of the hybrid powertrain. In that case, payback is immediate, since the V-6 starts about $900 more than the XLE Hybrid.
Conclusion
The NRCan rating for the Regal is 10.7 litres per 100 km city and 6.3 on the highway. For the eAssist, it’s 8.3 city and 5.4 highway. My city driving combined with some minor highway travel averaged 9.5.
The NRCan rating for the Camry (four-cylinder) is 8.2 city and 5.6 highway. For the hybrid, it’s 4.5 city and 4.9 highway. My average, with roughly the same cycle of driving as with the Regal, was 6.5 litres per 100 km. I also found that if I really paid attention to fuel-saving driving techniques, I could get the average to below 6.
The Camry Hybrid is clearly the fuel-sipping champ of this duo. And if the goal is to have a mid-size sedan with the best fuel-economy and lowest price of the two (the Camry Hybrid is about $7,000 less), it’s the winner.
May 22, 2012 - 11:24am Kelly Taylor | Road Noise
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