07 Camry Hybrid to 10 RX450h
12-09-12, 07:42 PM
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07 Camry Hybrid to 10 RX450h
Traded my 07 Camry Hybrid last week for a 2010 AWD RX450h. I had the Camry for over 6 years so I am well familiar with driving a hybrid, but the RX450h is surprisingly quite a bit different hybrid experience.
The coasting regen is so much more aggressive than the Camry. The Camry was a coasting king, the regen was fairly light, the RX feels like the brakes are applied in comparison. Keeping my foot slightly on the gas pedal and the needle barely into the charge area was more like how the Camry felt when it coasted.
Driving the Camry was all about coaxing some EV. There was no EV button, but with experience I knew exactly how and when I could coax it into EV. I knew when it was in EV before the hybrid gauge pointed to "E". The RX is more aloof about the whole EV thing. Sure its got EV mode but you have to be going a lot slower than I could in the Camry. Also, there is no indicator that I can see to show if the engine is actually spinning or not. It may show no engine power or no fuel use, but it doesn't actually indicate if the engine is spinning or not. The Camry gauge would point to 0L/100km (Canada eh) if the engine was spinning without fuel but "E" if it wasn't. I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter, 0 fuel use is 0 fuel use in any case, but I can see the sport of chasing EV in the RX is not going to be the same type of activity.
Engine start/stops are far superior in the RX in terms of noise and rumble. The Camry gave a mildly noticeable bump with engine start from a stop, the RX is almost not there and responds more quickly. Shutdowns are a lot smoother, I really can't feel it at all, in the Camry while it was very mild, I knew by feel if the engine shutdown even in motion.
Love the feel and the sound of the CVT/Engine. Lot of people don't like the way engines rev/sound attached to a hybrid CVT (opposed to the cyclical revving through the gears of a regular automatic). I personally always liked it in the Camry, love it in the RX. The Camry was a bit nosier and a little more sewing machine like, but it was so smooth in almost every situation. The RX is just that much better at the same game. Give me a CVT over a regular auto any day.
I haven't checked out the "S" mode shifting yet. I'm not sure I "get it". Read the manual, "6 ranges of braking force", ok, why? The Camry had 1 braking force setting called "B". Never used it. Didn't see any advantage to turning my kinetic energy to engine heat instead of electricity especially in our generally not very hilly area. Why do I need 6 of them now? Is it really that useful or just a gimick for people that can't let go of shifting? On my list to play with one day...
One thing that always impressed me in the Camry was it's handling in light to moderate snow. The combination of electric drive, VDIM, and good snow tires made the Camry the best, snow taming FWD sedan I've ever driven. It was simply very hard to mess up, even on purpose. Floor the gas pedal and I could feel the electric motor gently pulsing the front wheels to get traction in a very calm manner as it gradually built speed in a perfect straight line. I'm really looking forward to how the 450h's AWD does accelerating in slippery conditions, my expectations are high.
Outside of my "hybrid transition" experience, the RX is just so, so much nicer than the Camry. It's like I'm at McDonald's all the time -- "I'm lovin' it"
The coasting regen is so much more aggressive than the Camry. The Camry was a coasting king, the regen was fairly light, the RX feels like the brakes are applied in comparison. Keeping my foot slightly on the gas pedal and the needle barely into the charge area was more like how the Camry felt when it coasted.
Driving the Camry was all about coaxing some EV. There was no EV button, but with experience I knew exactly how and when I could coax it into EV. I knew when it was in EV before the hybrid gauge pointed to "E". The RX is more aloof about the whole EV thing. Sure its got EV mode but you have to be going a lot slower than I could in the Camry. Also, there is no indicator that I can see to show if the engine is actually spinning or not. It may show no engine power or no fuel use, but it doesn't actually indicate if the engine is spinning or not. The Camry gauge would point to 0L/100km (Canada eh) if the engine was spinning without fuel but "E" if it wasn't. I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter, 0 fuel use is 0 fuel use in any case, but I can see the sport of chasing EV in the RX is not going to be the same type of activity.
Engine start/stops are far superior in the RX in terms of noise and rumble. The Camry gave a mildly noticeable bump with engine start from a stop, the RX is almost not there and responds more quickly. Shutdowns are a lot smoother, I really can't feel it at all, in the Camry while it was very mild, I knew by feel if the engine shutdown even in motion.
Love the feel and the sound of the CVT/Engine. Lot of people don't like the way engines rev/sound attached to a hybrid CVT (opposed to the cyclical revving through the gears of a regular automatic). I personally always liked it in the Camry, love it in the RX. The Camry was a bit nosier and a little more sewing machine like, but it was so smooth in almost every situation. The RX is just that much better at the same game. Give me a CVT over a regular auto any day.
I haven't checked out the "S" mode shifting yet. I'm not sure I "get it". Read the manual, "6 ranges of braking force", ok, why? The Camry had 1 braking force setting called "B". Never used it. Didn't see any advantage to turning my kinetic energy to engine heat instead of electricity especially in our generally not very hilly area. Why do I need 6 of them now? Is it really that useful or just a gimick for people that can't let go of shifting? On my list to play with one day...
One thing that always impressed me in the Camry was it's handling in light to moderate snow. The combination of electric drive, VDIM, and good snow tires made the Camry the best, snow taming FWD sedan I've ever driven. It was simply very hard to mess up, even on purpose. Floor the gas pedal and I could feel the electric motor gently pulsing the front wheels to get traction in a very calm manner as it gradually built speed in a perfect straight line. I'm really looking forward to how the 450h's AWD does accelerating in slippery conditions, my expectations are high.
Outside of my "hybrid transition" experience, the RX is just so, so much nicer than the Camry. It's like I'm at McDonald's all the time -- "I'm lovin' it"
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tempestv8 (03-06-18)
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