Testing out the EV waters
Camry Hybrid delivers ideal balance of fuel efficiency, reliability and technology
Frank Huang’s two-vehicle family always included an SUV and a sedan. Prepandemic, Huang drove a 2017 Camry Hybrid for his frequent commutes between his Oakville home, his office in Kitchener-Waterloo and client visits in Toronto. While Huang currently works from home, he replaced his sedan with a 2021 model leased from Oakville Toyota this year.
Admitting that he upgrades his daily car every few years, Huang always seeks the latest safety features, improvements in fuel efficiency, reliability and technology. Thanks to its comfort and fuel efficiency, he’s been using the Camry for longer family trips — something he formerly designated to the SUV. Frank tells us why he loves his 2021 Camry Hybrid.
“There’s a lot of features I like,” said Huang. “It’s fuel efficient (which has improved from 6.3 to 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres). One tank of gas drives over 900 kilometres, so it’s great for long drives. (My wife, Karen and I) try to be more sustainable, and do every little bit we can.
“What I love about these hybrids is that they have a lot of the tech. Even on long distance trips it kind of drives itself because it has adaptive cruise control. I literally put my hands on the steering wheel and the system allows me to maintain distance with the vehicle on the highway, and keeps me in my lane. It can stop and go as needed; I just set the target speed. I don’t have to think about it too much,” said. Huang.
A firm subscriber of leasing his hybrids, Huang confessed he wants to upgrade to a fully electric vehicle when the industry has matured.
“I use this analogy: It’s like having a cellphone these days and not wanting to keep it more than three years. The hardware gets old, the tech is dated, and you want to refresh, right? The software now is ramping up even in cars, which is interesting for me to see because I’m also in software. But I tend not to go for the bleeding edge, because I don’t need to be the one that ends up ironing out the bugs. I’m more interested in using reliable tech.
“Plus, I get positive equity when I swap into a new lease, so I get a pretty good deal. And I’m in that new car again with the latest tech, safety features, and quality. I just like to keep things simple. I think electric vehicles are worth considering but with the hybrid, I don’t have to plan my route. An electric car you have to plan in your (charging) stations for travel, and that’s too much work personally. So in another couple of years when it becomes more widely adopted, and people are all driving electric cars we will pivot to that. But for now, I think gas is still quite convenient. As long as it’s efficient, that’s what I’m aiming for.
“I like Toyota. I think for the value, you get a lot. I’m not willing to pay for a brand. I just don’t see the point. In premium vehicles you might get nicer interiors by default and then everything else is an add-on.
For cars like the Toyota, they start off with a very humble interior but it pretty much comes with everything else, like the highest safety standards. It’s super reliable, fuel efficient, and has a good amount of tech without splurging on the most expensive car. Toyota was the first (to mass produce) the hybrid (Prius), so it’s kind of like they’re the leader in hybrid.
“I like the quality; with Toyotas, I hardly do anything to them. (Laughs) I do, maybe, two to three oil changes in a year. My maintenance is like 300 bucks. So if you think about that, the cost of ownership is relatively low.”
This article was edited for space and clarity.