I am considering buying a Hybrid Camry but have some questions from a maintenance perspective:
1) Oil changes - can I do these myself like a normal car or do I have to take it in to have this done?
2) Changing the brakes - since braking helps charge the batteries, is there magic to changing these (i.e., can my regular mechanic screw up the charging side of this just changing the brake pads)?
3) Any other maintenance issues I need to be aware of?
this car is mostly the same as very other car. you can change the oil like any other car. as for the brakes you are fine to have any place to do it. battries are the main thing that are going to need to be replaced in about 7 years. and that is spendy. also if you do alot of city driving. then this car would be great, but if you do more highway then you be better off with a small gas motor car or small diesel. the highway mpg on that car will be worse then the city mpg, becuse the electric motor only works at slow speeds ans stop and go. hope this help!!
mopar man
Can you define “highway” driving? I drive on a highway to work but it is in rush hour and therefore in stop and go traffic…sometimes going as slow as 5 - 30 mph and then sometimes getting up to 60 - 65 on stretches of the road. Any idea on what MPH the electric motor begins to give way full time to the gas motor?
The gas engine powers the car period. The car is set up like a diesel-electric locomotive. The battery recaptures braking energy and feeds it back to the electric motor when you accelerate. THAT’S why hybrids get better fuel mileage. They excel in stop and go driving. When cruising at a steady speed, they are no better than direct drive cars.
Think of the hybrid part of the car as a “green supercharger”. Agree with other posts there is a less expensive way to get good mileage in a commuter car; a Toyota Corolla or Yaris would cost much less and use about the same amount of gas. A small diesel would perform likewise.
Oil changes are no different then on a any other car.
Changing the brakes is also no different. The regenerative braking system will greatly decrease the wear and tear on brakes. Expect to easily get 100k miles on brakes.
battries are the main thing that are going to need to be replaced in about 7 years.
There are two batteries in this car. One is the normal car battery that is used for lights and such. This battery lasts as long as any other car battery.
The second battery (actually battery pack) is for the hybrid system. Toyota has a 10 year warranty on these batteries. And many expect them to last even longer. They are expensive…But the costs have been comming down. Last I checked you can get them below $1000.