2011 Toyota Camry - Which one?

General Discussion
1

Which car would be a better used car buy - a 2011 camry with 76000 miles or a 2011 camry hybrid with the same mileage?

2

Without driving or seeing either vehicle that can’t be answered over the web. Have a mechanic check them out for problems then make your choice.

3

Depending upon where you live, the Camry Hybrid may still have a drivetrain warranty.

4

I expect both would be good as used cars. The way I’d think about it, there’s no hybrid battery to fail in a ordinary gasoline powered version. Given the cost to replace hybrid batteries I’d be inclined go with the standard gasoline engine version.

I should mention at this point that last year I was at a car dealership helping a friend decide what car to buy. The salesman accused me of being “old fashioned” b/c I wanted him to show us a car with hand crank windows rather than power windows. So my preference for the standard configuration Camry is probably just old-fogy think … lol …

5

Thanks for everyone’s insight. I’m actually looking at a 2014 xle v-6 with 42k miles and a 2011 camry hybrid with 76k. Price deference is almost $6000. Hybrid battery warranty is 8-10 years with $2000 replacement cost, I’ve heard. My thought is the hybrid is the better deal but it also comes with more parts that can break. Any experience or knowledge as to when camry hybrids start having issues?

6

That $2000 cost is for a reconditioned battery from a vendor, not the dealer, right? The one I found comes with a 5 year warranty.

Toyota hybrids are the most reliable hybrids out there, but any individual car, who knows. If you’re considering paying $6000 more for the newer V6, then the hybrid (if it checks out fine by an independent mechanic) would seem to be the better buy. But you’ll be giving up a lot of engine performance. I miss the V6 in my old car, but I like the 37 mpg in my MKZ hybrid.

1 Like
7

Same here, but I owned a 2005 Accord V6 automatic and traded in last year for a 2017 Accord 4-cyl with CVT. But 36 mpg commuting now vs 26 with the old car makes up for a lot of the loss. I actually get over 40 mpg going to work before 6am, but going home mid-afternoon and driving around home bring the average down.

8

Thanks for your perspectives. I think after initial purchase I would prefer the greater mpg.

Unfortunately the two camry’s I was looking at, 6 days ago, are no longer at the lots.

9

You got a chance to think about your purchase and have a better idea what you want. Now you are more likely to make a good decision when the next car you like comes along.

10

I didn’t realize $2000 hybrid battery replacement were for reconditioned batteries. A 5 year warranty for a $2000 part equates to close to $400 a year cost should the batteries only last 5 years + 1 day.