The first Australian built Toyota Camry Hybrid has been purchased by an owner of a Prius that has done 240,000km.
The Prius will be kept as the families second car.
Colin and Eunice Elvey came to Australia from New Zeland and loved their car so much they bought it with them.
“It’s the best car I’ve ever owned – I couldn’t leave it behind,” Colin said. ”I race go-karts and I drive the Prius like a go-kart.” Eunice loves the car so much Colin was left with a small car for his daily commute to work.
“I was just about to buy a latest-model Prius when I heard about Hybrid Camry,” Colin said. ”I’ve always had a policy of buying locally. In New Zealand I always bought locally, and because later this year I qualify for Australian citizenship, I’ve now decided to buy Australian. “ ”I got on the waiting list last July to make sure I got one of the first cars.”
Most of the kilometres on the Prius were done touring New Zealand. With their next trip planned for the Easter holidays, the family are taking the new Camry from Melbourne to Byron Bay and Colin has high expectations.
“I drive the old Prius really hard and still get 5.3litres/100km,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we get from the Hybrid Camry.”
“The Camry will be the first new car we’ve ever bought and we intend keeping it a long time,” he said. “Round Australia has to be the ultimate goal.”
Colin and Eunice took delivery of their Hybrid Camry on February 15th, the first day it was on sale.
With 140kW of power produced by the combined 2.4 litre petrol engine and the electric motor, the Camry uses 6.0 litres per 100kms. This is almost 32 per cent more fuel efficient than the petrol engine Camry.
The Hybrid Camry is the first built in Australia car that combines electric power steering, electronic brake control, regenerative braking and electric air conditioning.
Enjoy the pedal recall, Colin. Hope your floormats don’t kill you.
Im glad I clicked on the show comment caused it made me laugh, I will give you a plus :D
Agreed !
We need to keep the truth about toyota alive. Otherwise those clever Toyota hackers will try and shut down any negative news about them.
Boring !
He looks like a cardigan wearer…
Looks more like a business shirt to me ;)
“Drive the Prius like a go-kart”? Is that even possible? Would’ve thought it’d have to be a smallish car like a Mini to be capable of that. The Prius isn’t exactly small.
Good for him… Not many Kiwi’s at bondi can afford the price tag on one of these babies! :) for me though its to big a car for the city and why not just get an ix35 and have some turbo diesel fun. Aussie made Toyota! :) oh what a feeling lol
driving 240,000km interesting to see what problems they have had inc things that have been replaced. petrol motor must be coming to the end soon. 240000/100*5.3*$1.15 about $15000 in fuel.
How much do u save with the electric motor
Or how many km
any one
Maybe not he best financial choice but 15K in fuel is a good saving and a heap of carbon. Given were probably going to see some kind of ETS soon thats a pretty good advert right there.
The real question would be resale. I’ve recently auctioned off my old Toyota, and at the same auction were 2 Prius’s. They do appear to be holding their value better than i’d expect. I though the saving would be offset by used battery fear.
The other question is service costs. I observed during my last service a Prius Taxi being serviced and they seem to spend an awful lot of time working on it. At one point pulling out the entire engine and front axle. Impressive to watch how quick they did it. But i was also wonder why and how much!!
the only hybrid that sounds interesting to drive is the porsche one
Sure, most cars at that price range would be interesting to drive.
Not sure about the split drivetrain setup in the porsche, different levels of torque on different axles can’t be good.
Fisker Karma or BMW Active-E please
The only Hybrid id be going for is the BMW Vision concept if it ever comes to fruition
Oh what a failing!
He races Go Karts? Hahahahahahahaha, yeah and I bet he hangs his arm out the side of the kart to signal as he approaches a bend or Corner, good one Colin. I can also see from the picture he has no hat, must be on the shelf in the back window already!
Wow, an unbroken line of smart-a$s comments !
Ok then, I’ll play too..
“and loved their car so much they bought it with them”
um.. you might mean “brought”
There you go.. NEXT!
LOL, now I’ll pay that one!
Didn’t realize you could drive a Prius like a go kart, let alone still achieve those fuel figures as quoted. I drive one for work now and then and I struggle to keep it under 6 litres per 100km and that’s not speeding or accelerating at a stupid pace.
Colin, If you think you can drive a Prius like a Go-Kart, I’d hate to be on the track with you racing real karts as you would be the slowest their.
Definately a Cardigan wearer with no sense of driving enjoyment to purchase a Prius and a Camry Hybrid.
On another car review web site the Camry Hybrid used 6.3L per hundred K’s from Melbourne to Sydney and a whopping 11.1L per hundred K’s on a 142 kilometer run around Melbourne………HOW is Toybota allowed to quote what is in my opinion is a complete and corrupt lie that it only uses 6 litres per hundred K’s????
Our i30 diesel wagon has more torque and uses much much less fuel on both urban and highway cycles…..BUT……it doesn’t have the “wanker bragging rights” factor, and I’m very glad for that!
For the same reason loads of U.S reviewers could never reach Prius claim in everyday driving, but Toyota were allowed to quote the claimed figure, because they are Toyota and can seemingly do nothing wrong, except maybe kill nineteen people and make history with their massive recalls.
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Mr Sumodog…….if you are going to bag the city consumption of the Falcon you should have the courage to print the incredibly good highway consumption number,the fact that it has more power,torque, much more room, comfort AND it also uses less fuel than the Commodore……..but I’ll wait to see if you have the balls to print the figure yourself
Gas Guzzler
It is truely time that the ADR fuel numbers were delivered independently from the manufacture. IE fat bloke from Government Fuel watch turns up at random. Takes a few of each model away, tests them and returns them with an Independant fuel figure. Letting the manufacturer do the testing is dodgy at best.
Hmm, maybe…
All the same, I achieve my Golf’s stated 5.5l/100km claim just by driving normally, and I live on the fringe of the city. Allowing for a bit of ambition in the trip computer read out, it’s close enough and I reckon I’d be able to replicate most makers’ claims. I’d be interested to see what I could do with a SIDI Commodore, but I’d have to buy one and that’s not going to happen any time soon.
As always, it comes down to driving style. I watch drivers around me brake, accelerate, brake, accelerate and then nervously apply the brakes to go around an easy bend that I don’t even have to lift off for.
Some people deserve their high fuel usage and premature pad wear.
Very true golfschwein, but it has to be said (without flicking or pointing the finger) that some manufacturers are more honest than others over ADR numbers. Especially now when they are all trying get the bragging rights for whos got the lowest consumption.
I’d like to see not just independant ADR on fuel, but power,torque,0-100
“The Prius will be kept as the families second car.”
Perhaps the family’s Adam?
You’re right, Grammar Nazi. Journalists, lift your game!
Can the new Camry Hybrid recharge pacemakers while you drive it?
I can’t believe my eyes. He races go carts and drive the Prius like a go cart???? You can’t be serious!
It must be electric go karts. I saw one doing about 20 km/h in a Coles the other day. The lady was having the time of her life.
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One Free Recall with every car
can CA organise an article about how exactly hybrid cars benefit us? Considering it is not going to save an owner any money in 5-10 years time? And the production involve materials even more harmful to the environment than traditional ones? Or it is just we have to roll out not-so-beneficial hybrid cars first, then get to more advanced hybrids that really make a difference some day eventually?
God I hope he and his family are not killed by Toyota build quality…
i reckon he stuck a kick me sign on his own back. Go kart prius. haha, probably drives around with a stack hat on
The one with hair bought the car not the old dude, I’d laugh my arse off if he did wear cardigans but he doesn’t. you’ll never see him in a hat, he’s drives it the way all cars should be driven HARD, Australian made products are good quality, Toyota Prius is a Japanense made car and it has faults but toyota will sort that (i hope), I support Australian made goods and i’m glad dad has too!!!
Another boring Toyota……..how long before it gets recalled? No thanks…….I will buy a Fiesta econetic and then an EcoBoost Falcon when they come out……Because I like cars that are good to drive and look great……Toyotas miss the point on both these things. I can see it now…the lawn bowls clubs will have carparks full of these with bowling hats on the rear parcel shelves!!! They will get good economy because they will never be driven over 50kph !!
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I must have been absent for ‘bascic’ english Cassie. Not to mention your poor sentence construction, (no i didn’t thinks so) unquote. Were you the second owner of the new camry hybrid to take delivery?
Let me correct your basic english, Cassie. Proper english spelling is B-A-S-I-C.
Next time look yourself in the mirror first before bashing someone else.
Back to the topic, how can a Prius handle like a go-kart is beyond imagination. My test drive was filled with understeer. I doubt this new Camry is any better. Just my 5 cents.
It is spelt “basic”
C’mon its not Cassie’s fault her spell chokker isn’t working.
“Do any of you know this guy?”, Nope.
I don’t know the PM either but we love hanging sh*t off him also. Thats life when you jump into the media even for a short spell. Get over it.
As for Colin, “I’ve always had a policy of buying locally”
But yet you own a Prius….interesting policy
Do we know Colin Elvey? You mean Colin Elvey who bought his Camry hybrid from Peter Davey Toyota in Werribee? Yes Cassie, uncle Colin loves to race Go karts and is often seen hooning down our street drifting in his Prius. You should see him do a Dukes of Hazzard jump, even got the airhor put in his Prius. I wonder if he’ll put on in the Camry?
HAHAHAHAHAHA Thats funny!!!!
Woof i smell one big rat with this story , another set up.
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Colin, when Playing with Modern Toyotas, get extra coverage on that life insurance policy my friend.
Actually, when I renewed my life and accident insurance the other day, they did ask if I drive a Toyota.
Apparently if you do, they now put you in the high risk category…….
(Just jokes, but I had to say it)
I just read all the comments, and I must say, some were quite a laugh.
This guy would be quite a case study.
Apparently races Go Karts, yet drives a prius in apparently the same manner….
So does he lean out of the turns????
Clipping the gutters (kerbs/ripple strips), and switching from side to side on the road is something I would expect from Toyota drivers, but leaning out of the corners would be quite funny to see in a Prius.
I also race Go Karts and have never seen a single Prius in the parking lot. In fact I would have to think very hard about if Ive ever seen a Toyota passenger vehicle of any kind in the paddock……
Further to my thinking efforts, I seem to recall in the license renewals, those that are used to Toyota dynamics are unfit for racing.
Toyota driving competitors are also to submit their Karts for extensive scrutineering of the brake and accelerator operation
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