Well, I got sucked into buying a TCH. The dealer offered me $1000 off list because it has sat on his lot for a few weeks, and Toyota supposedly penalizes dealers who let TCH's sit around. So, I thought I was getting a great deal, and saving the environment, etc. And I've heard about how these cars hold their resale value. This is a fully loaded model Magnetic Grey Exterior with Bisque interior. Has all the options including remote start, spoiler, and body side moldings.

I was planning on getting a loaded SE V6 Aloe Green metallic with charcoal leather interior (SHARP), but now wonder if I should have bought the SE V4 version and saved $6K. With gas around here only at $2.20/gallon, I'm afraid the gas savings will be nominal, and the potential cost of repairs with all this high tech wizardry (once out of warranty) could be a real problem. I'm afraid to have any service/repairs done I will have to go to a Toyota dealer instead of an independent repair shop, and so the cost of maintenance will be much higher than a regular non-hybrid vehicle.

Are there any TCH owners out there who regret their purchase?

No regrets on my purchase. I love the quiet of the hybrid drive, the smoothness of the transmission just to mention a few things. I've got just over 10,000 miles on mine now.

Time will tell as to how reliable the TCH is. I'm betting it will be quite reliable. The reason I feel this way is due to the track record of the Prius. A number have passed 200,000 miles in taxi service without battery, gas engine, or hybrid problems. In California the hybrid parts (including the HV battery) are covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Couple of points.

First, it should be mentioned that forums such as this tend to attract a disproportionate number of problem posts vs. people who are completely satisfied. The average joe (non-enthusiast) doesn't seek out a place like this unless he needs some kind of help. So don't take what you read here as a representative sample. It isn't.

Second, I wouldn't fret over meager fuel savings over the life of the car just because it costs $2.20/gal right now. For one thing your "savings" due to higher fuel costs necessarily mean more money out of your pocket. It looks better on paper but is not good for your wallet, so be careful what you wish for. (I tend to wish for fuel prices on the higher side, but solely in hopes of reducing consumption/environmental impact through natural market forces.) Another thing about the $2.20 gas is that there's no guarantee you will be paying that amount in four years, one year, or even six months. The long-term trend is upward as global demand increases, not down.

Please don't get worked up by worrying about problems that you have yet to encounter. Take it from someone who knows, it's a sure-fire way to drive yourself nuts.

I have a thirsty V6 Highlander and I am glad even at $2.20 a gallon I have the TCH. I would rather fill the TCH twice a month for 70 bucks than fill the Highlander 5 times a month for $180.00.

Amen!

Even though you are witnessing a lot of gripes and growing pains, understand that there are only a handful of "regulars" in here out of all the TCH's sold to people who speak the English language and have web access.

The drivetrain of TCH is more or less proven. Even though TCH is a year one vehicle, the drivetrain is from Prius. The electronics in TCH are also present in many other Toyota vehicles and I don't see them as source for troubles either. The main issue, if it can be called that, with TCH is the typical year one fit-and-finish issues. Some people find bad fits and rattles. I don't have any issues with mine.

One thing that does concern me is whether hybrid technology will advance significantly in next 3 to 4 years, leaving the Hybrid Synergy Drive system of Toyota dated. I think only that can significantly impact the resale value negatively. Having said that, I don't think that'll happen too soon. Toyota and Honda are basically only two companies that have invested significantly on hybrid technology. Nissan is licensing Toyota, and Ford and GM have a half-assed system. I think given the investment, the product life will be substantially longer than just 3-4 years.

The next breakthrough is more than likely in the battery area, and I don't think retrofitting a next generation battery in TCH will be a difficult proposition, and by then, the battery in TCH may have neared or passed its natural lifespan anyway.

Also, don't forget we have some incidental benefits. I expect the brake wear to be less due to regenerative braking. Interestingly enough, I found more brakepad dust on the rear wheels than front. Well driven TCH could very well stress the internal combustion engine less because of steady RPM. You don't have starter to fail either.

I was in your same shoes a week ago. I had just purchased the car and for some reason I didn't feel very happy about it. I was concerned that I should have bought a cheaper version of the Camry since my commute is not very long and the gas savings won't be huge. I got a good deal on the car but then I got ripped off on the extended warranty. I really wanted the extended warranty because of the potential problems of a new design year + hybrid but I felt slighted when I found out that I could have gotten the warranty for considerably less than I paid.

Now after driving the car for a week I'm totally convinced that I made the right decision. The car has a great ride, is extremely quite, has probably more electronic features than any other car in its class, and I'm getting 34mpg on my short commute. I am also in the process of cancelling my first warranty purchase (minus $25) and will pick it up again at a better rate once my tax credit clears.

My advice is to stick it out and hopefully your opinion will turn like mine. If you are really concerned about long-term relieablility then pick up an extended warranty. Warranties aren't for everyone but if it allows you to sleep better at night and provides you a better confidence level in your decision then it's probably worth the money. Just do some forum reading and research before you purchase it. It will save you a lot of money!!!

Good luck and hopefully you'll be forced to change your username!

I have not check prices recently, but can you really buy fully loaded 4 cylinder Camry for $6000 less including $1300 tax credit from IRS and any additional state incentives you get with TCH? Also do you really believe the price of gas will stay at $2.2 for next few years? You can always sell the car before warranty expires and I don't think value of the car will go down much faster than standard Camry. I have no regrets about my car, it is faster than 4 cylinder, has better mileage and saves me money on gas. As far as repairs go all the hybrid parts have much longer warranty than the rest of the car, 4 cylinder included so your worries about high repair costs of hybrid are way in the future.

I think as gas prices stabilize and/or fall, we all have second thoughts about the TCH. But if we just wanted great mileage, we would have bought VW Diesel Jettas. The TCH puts out 80% less pollution than a typical car and far less than a diesel. So, we are saving the environment on two fronts, gas savings and pollution.

Plus, we need to compare apples to apples. The TCH is so fully equipped, that it really compares better to a fully loaded XLE (and the TCH horsepower is about as much as the last generation's V-6).

I too purchased the extended warranty for peace of mind (on line so the price was fair).

How many cars in the $30k price range are truly unique? Even our son's high school friends think the Hybrid is totally cool.

Except for the lousy interier squeeks, ill fittings and rattles, it's been a great car.

All very good points. A loaded SE V4 has most of the luxury options available to the TCH except intelligent key ignition. I didn't do the math precisely but a comparably equipped model SE V4 sans intelligent key ignition would cost me approx. $6000 less not including federal and state tax credits.

I buy my cars and keep them for the long term. The car I am getting rid of is a 1991 Honda Accord (purchased new) with over 150,000 miles, and still running very strong. It has no airbags or other safety equipment other than passive restraints, so I think it is prudent to update.

Over the long term of owning this car, I have to expect that petroleum prices will exceed the rate of inflation.

I guess the strange thing is that normally buying a motor vehicle is an EMOTIONAL decision (whether one realizes it or not), and for me purchasing the TCH was more of a cerebral, intellectual decision. Perhaps that is why I am having second thoughts. My emotional attachment simply isn't there yet.

I can assure you that the blue Honda S2000 roadster convertible in the showroom was just screaming at me -- boy that's a GREAT looking car.