Toyota Camry Hybrid in Northern VA
Hello All...
I purchased a Barcelona Red 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid last weekend and took delivery Monday. I had set out to buy a Honda Accord Hybrid, test drove it, negotiated a price, and then on a whim decided to check out the Camry.
Its relatively rare since its only options are the sunroof and mirror packages (most of them are either base or loaded all the way up). It was transfered from a dealer in Lynchburg, VA to Fitzgerald Toyota in Gaithersburg. I ended up buying it for about $900 under MSRP, which is a good deal for the market.
Let me be up front: I'm not really a "green" kind of guy. I'm a conservative Republican (I work in politics), I'm not 'anti' environment but performance has always been my top priority in cars. My motivation was to sneak in under the July 1 HOV lane changeover, which it looks like I have done (I submitted my application for VA Clean Fuel plates before the deadline, thanks to some quick work by Fitzgerald to get me a title number. DMV tells me I should be all set, I'm crossing my fingers).
Anyway, for that reason, I thought the Accord Hybrid was for me. I was about to purchase it for about $1000 under invoice ($27500). BUT, we looked at the Camry, and frankly were blown away. Performance-wise, its still pretty quick, I fit better in it and of course the fuel economy is remarkable. Plus, there is a $2600 tax credit on the TCH as opposed to $1300 on the HAH. Combined with a much better trade offer, and the Camry makes more sense.
So, off I go. My first tank I averaged 34.2 mpg. Should be interesting...I love the car so far, features wise it is top notch, everything is excellent quality and driving dynamics are good. And, sure, its nice to burn less gas!
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