I am considering buying a TCH and planning on going to take a test drive tomorrow or Saturday night. I have been reading through the forums on and off for a while. I have a couple of questions that I have seen many or any answers to so thought I would ask. First I'll give a little background info. I am 6'4 and 245lbs. I currently drive a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI that's fully loaded except for the heated seats. Now for my questions.

1. How is the leg room in the TCH from a 'big" guys perspective?

2. Is there enough room for 2 car seats in the back seat? I currently have my sons car seat in the middle of the back seat and he can now put his feet on the top of the backside of the front seats. He would not be able to sit behind me with my seat all of the way back. My wife will be having our second child in December, so I will be having 2 car seats in my vehicle at times.

3. How is the quality of the cloth seats in the TCH? I have read some mixed reviews so far. I like leather and have had it on 3 of my last 4 vehicles. I don't want to get cloth and then be disappointed if it doesn't hold up. I plan on keeping this vehicle for a long time. I haven't had a vehicle for more than 2 years for the last 3 vehicles.

4. Would it be fair to say that it wouldn't be too hard to average 35mpg? This seems to be the middle of the road of what everyone claims they get. 2 years ago I traded in my Expedition for the Bonneville and doubled my mpg (it was a spur of the moment decision and wasn't the smartest as I now have to buy premium fuel.) I had just changed jobs and went from driving 15 miles 1 way to work to 40 miles 1 way. Now I am tired of paying $100/wk for gas.

5. Would I have better luck getting a good deal on an '07 since the '08's are coming out or should I just look towards an '08?

Any advise or answers would be greatly appreciated. This will be the 2nd new car i have ever owned. My first was about 16 years ago and was a base Plymouth Laser.

 

I'm 6'2", 235lb, and my son is 6'4". You'll do fine with legroom, but I strongly recommend avoiding the moonroof-- it is the headroom that is marginal.

If you can get a good deal on a 2007 (w.o. moonroof) and plan to keep the car long enough that the difference in depreciation won't predominate, take it! There is no real difference between the 2007 and 2008 other than the 2008 has a lower price with some options removed and is $150 more with the same equipment.

 

1. I'm 6'3" about 195 and have no problem, but I always have my seat reclined to the back, if you sit straight up you may have less headroom than you like but test drive should make it clear for you. Headrest is pushed way too far for my liking, but that could be fixed and you'll know after driving if it's good for you anyway, just remember the seat is 6 ways, can go up and down as well.
2. I have no kids yet, but I don't see why not?
3. If you like the leather, get the leather, you live only once.
4. I average about 38 for the lifetime but it can vary greatly even in the same conditions. For example this morning going to work 30 miles, traffic was ok most of the time but dense, I averaged 45 mpg, the same way going back home, traffic was really bad especially in some spots, I barely got 37mpg. One thing for sure: a lot of short trips, very fast, hard highway driving, you won't break any mpg records. My personal theory: if you met old EPA ratings on your previous cars, you should meet EPA ratings in TCH, if you didn't, then you should get similar percentage wise drop. You'll get lower mpg in winter by few miles.

 

Thanks guys. The moonroof was actually a must have for me. I've had it on 2 of my vehicles and love it. My head actually brushes the roof in my Bonneville now if I sit up too straight. I plan on keeping my next vehicle for atleast 5-6 years.

As far as the mpg now...I have a lead foot but I know I can break that habit as it sound like seeing how many miles you can squeeze out of a tank can be addictive. I was a medic for 13 years and my wife says I drive my car like it was my ambulance. I have tried to be good with my mpg now but even after I babied my car for a few weeks the best I could squeak out was 25mpg and when i drive like a bat out of h#$$ I can still get 22-23 even with the supercharger.

I knew there was another question I forgot to ask. How sound quality of the radio? I love music....on a system that sounds good. I flip flop between my XM radio and my IPOD right now. I just recently added a subwoofer that has a built in amp. I am not looking for sound you can hear blocks away but I do like solid bass. Has anyone added a sub inthere TCH or does the stock radio give enough without it?

 

When I was buying my TCH they had 2 options: Fully loaded with moonroof, leather and navigation or striped down, without. I don't know what options they have now, if it's build here maybe they can do custom order, but just in case double check, they can put moonroof afterwords but it won't be the same as factory and many dealers won't have factory moonroof without a leather. My radio sounds good (it's the one with navigation), you can always replace speakers inside the car for better sound, especially the main speakers inside trunk are easy. I wouldn't judge the car for the sound, even if it was total crap, it would be the easiest and least expensive thing to upgrade, but with 2 kids in the back I would actually look to install DVD player instead.
I used to have old Trans Am, I could smoke tires for 100ft, I could go up to 60 MPH in first gear etc. One time I was driving from Fla to NY and this guy in beat up Honda Accord pulled up and asked me if he can follow me, since I was driving fast with radar detector. Anyway, I was cruising 110-120 MPH when the highway was empty and he kept pretty much right behind me, the only difference was I was driving from gas station to gas station and he would fill up half as many times as I did even with smaller tank. I felt stupid and it was last muscle car I ever had. If you will drive like you were going to the fire, then you shouldn't expect too much. One time I was running really late and got a little upset, driving pretty much full accelerator until lights, full breaks etc. I think I got high 20's on that trip even with TCH, so I'm sure you could get low MPG if you work hard for it. My saving grace is I get stuck in traffic most of the time and that's where hybrids shine. If you get the engine started ahead of time, 0-60 TCH can do in about 7.5 sec, not the race car but not a slouch either. But don't listen to any of us, drive the car and see for yourself.

 

I'd stick with leather esp. with kids. It just makes cleaning up easier as stuff won't soak into the upholstery like it will with cloth.


The JBL audio on the Camry has a DSS or Distributed Subwoofer System. It's the first car to use JBL's DSS. Instead of a dedicated subwoofer, you have 4 of the 8 speakers acting like subwoofers and their separate channels running to the speakers. Each of the 8 speakers have their own channel at 55W each (total 440).

Click here to learn more:
http://www.jbltoyota.com/toyota_camr...advantages.asp

 

The sound system is great. I use the iPod interface (you need to buy a cable that connects to the docking port, not the headphone jack if you want the system to control the sound) and the sound quality is great. I also have the full up TCH and think the nav, et. al. really adds to the overal quality of the vehicle. You can't get the Nav with cloth seats for some reason.

 

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Hey Dan! Above are some links that I sent one of our friends who is 6'4" and is in the market for a new car. Can't remember which one of them had some quick tests to tell if the car would fit you or not. I did them in my TCH and was surprised at how accurate I had set my car up and I am only 5'4"!

Most of my driving is in hilly Pacifica CA with some time out on flatter roads and I am getting 35mpg per tank with some serious low flying time.

Good luck with your car buying!

 

Do remember the hyrbird's roof is about one inch lower than the standard camry. I did not get the moonroof with mine. I'm 6'4" and fit comfortable in the front seat. I had a Ford 500 and the camry shows similar leg room. Not so, I seem to have lots more leg room in the camry.

I had asked a internet dealer in my region for leather. I found out they send the cars in my state to Albuquerque to have the leather installed. Not sure why that is. There are other regions i'm sure that could get the Toyota factory leather.

Take a good look at toyota's cloth seats. There very impressive. We got the gray interior which we found out looked really nice.

I am very impressed with this JBL (no navigation) radio. I did go in on each radio band, AM, FM1 and FM2. I also found the disc has its own set of controls. I set the bass, treble to max on each. There is a mid-range adjustment I put on about 2. Then the fader to get the front back sound just right.

I read the 2008's may be already trickling in. I doubt there is much change.

 

Just going to add my voice to what has already been said here. I am 6'2" and was suprised by the amount of room in the TCH. On my first test drive I got in the drivers seat, adjusted it to pretty to almost exactly where I wanted it, jumped out of the drivers seat (much to the suprise of a very confused sales man) and got in the back seat behind the driver's seat, I was floored that my knees still had a couple of inches of room and I wasnt sitting bolt upright.
I have the sunroof and head clearance has not been a problem, but try to sit in a TCH with a sunroof first.
On the cloth seating...I have a three year old son, got leather (my old car was stained beyond belief on the cloth seats) because the Wife's Subaru is so easy to wipe up those juice, cookie or general kid type stains.

Just my 2 cents...


MT