So I need a commuter car that can squeeze all five of us in a pinch. Here are the choices stack ranked thanks to among other things a “Road & Track”:http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=3430 shoot out between the Civic Hybrid and the Camry Hybrid.
# 2007 Camry Hybrid. Expensive at $25,900 MSRP, but it is large and has good fuel economy. The 2007 Camry’s a much more stylish (heck, they look like the late model BMWs to me and the Lexus, but then all these cars look the same now IMHO). Rated at 43 mpg city and 37 mpg highway, it has all the luxury features including a DVD navigation system, iPod input, keyless entry. It uses a 2.4 liter engine with a 105kW electric motor.”Forbesauto.com”:http://www.forbesautos.com/showmodel/2007/toyota/camry_hybrid/, “Cnet”:http://reviews.cnet.com/2007_Toyota_Camry_Hybrid/4505-10865_7-31690653.html with a 7/10 rating. Some “folks”:http://reviews.cnet.com/2007_Toyota_Camry_Hybrid/4864-10865_7-31690653.html?ctype=msgid&messageSiteID=7&messageID=1919385&cval=1919385&tag=uolst complain though that the cruise control doesn’t work well and the batteries are a huge hump in the trunk (unlike the Prius where the batteries are under the passenger seat). “Road & Track”:http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=3430 had a good comparison lately.
# Honda Fit. This is the original Civic come back again. Not a hybrid, but very small, so it gets 30 mpg plus. It is really a four passenger car.
# Scion xB. This is actually the car I love because it is huge, but it is just too ugly for the family to want. The most practical. Not a hybrid so it gets about 30 mpg and perhaps the biggest negative is that at highway speeds it positively howls both from wind noise given its shape and the tiny 90 hp engine screaming at 4,000 rpm.
By the way in terms of actually buying a car, the web has made things so easier. So on “TMSBuyatoyota.com”:http://www.tmsbuyatoyota.com/configurator/configuratorFrame.aspx?tda_id=20&dealer_id=1201&zip_code=98004&series_id=25&s_van=GM_STN_BYO&from_bat=1, you can get all your options. For us that is:
* Color. Blue Ribbon Metallic (looks like dark blue to me) or Titanium Metallic (looks like silver to me :_)
* Interior. Bisque Leather (looks like tan to me) or Ash Leather (looks like a lighter grey to me)*
* Accessories. Floor Mats ($159???), Security systme ($359)
For the Hybrid at least, there weren’t any other options. List is $27,038 including the $580 delivery charge.
