Used to be that hybrid owners had to give up something to get good gas mileage, and the feeling of superiority generated by spewing fewer foul emissions into the air.

Now all they have to give up is more money.
In fact, Toyota has enhanced its Hybrid Synergy Drive, making it better than similar technology available in the company’s popular Prius. That’s significant when you consider how good ride, handling and acceleration are with the Prius – the most popular hybrid vehicle currently on sale. The Prius is good, but not great, and the Camry slides in between the Camry four-cylinder and the V6 model, making it the second-best driving car in the lineup. Add to that fuel economy that reaches the high 30s combined, and the Camry’s appeal is readily apparent. Indeed, once people get a load of the Camry Hybrid’s quiet, torquey and virtually transparent powertrain performance, Toyota may have to rethink its volume targets for the car. Really, the only reason to choose a standard Camry is sticker shock and a probable waiting list for the Hybrid.

Good luck with that. When you do get yours, you’ll notice how Toyota engineers were able to apply the upgrades made on all Camry models to the Hybrid, making it an excellent mainstream vehicle with an advanced hybrid powertrain that saves fuel and keeps you lovin’ the ride. Aside from some brake pedal fuzziness, the Camry Hybrid is easy to control, with little body lean when tackling a corner. The engine pulls the extra weight of the electric motor and battery pack with ease, steering feels spot on and there’s plenty of passing power on hand.

Sounds just like a regular ‘ole car. And that’s the point, to make this new technology invisible to the driver until they pull up to the gas tank, fill up and see first hand how this Camry Hybrid is very much the same – but entirely different than all other cars on the road.