How to Compare a 2008 Toyota Camry LE & XLE to a Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry is one of the best-selling family sedans on the road today. The Camry is offered in 10 trims and can be further customized with hundreds of options. This cornucopia of choices can lead to some confusion on the part of buyers. The three most popular trims are the LE (V-6), XLE (V-6) and the hybrid Camry, which has an inline four-cylinder paired with an electric motor. The inline four-cylinder (I-4) engine is available for the LE and XLE trims, but not recommended due to its higher level of depreciation.

Instructions

1

Compare the cost of the cars. The Camry LE starts at $18,000 with no other options than an automatic transmission. Note that that is the retail price, so you can haggle your way down depending upon how much the dealership wants to make a sale. The Camry XLE starts at $18,000 but comes with a number of options in the trim level, including an automatic transmission. The LE and XLE can start at the same price because the difference between the two is only in optional extras. Because the extras are the fastest depreciating parts of a car, it is very easy to haggle those prices down. The Camry Hybrid has a base cost of $20,000 and has few options. It has a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which is basically an automatic transmission but less reliable.

2

Consider what kind of fuel economy you need or want. The LE and XLE have the same specifications since both have the same drive trains. With either car in V-6 guise, you can expect to average 23 miles per gallon (mpg) on a combination of city and highway driving, with a estimated 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The inline four-cylinder will make 25 mpg on average, with 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway The Hybrid Camry averages 33 mpg in combined city and highway driving, with an average 31 mpg for the city and 35 mpg for the highway.

3

Decide what kind of power and acceleration rates you want in your car. All the Camry trims are front-wheel drive. The V-6 LE and XLE develop 268 horsepower at 6,200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 248 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 rpm. They can go from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. The I-4 develops 158 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 161 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm. The Hybrid Camry gets only 187 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 138 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds.

4

Consider what features you may want in your car.Generally, the XLE is superior to the other trims in this regard since it is in effect a bundled discount on a number of features that are optional on the LE and Hybrid. The XLE comes with upgraded speakers, leather seats, Bluetooth, a sunroof, voice-activated controls, and alloy rather than steel wheels. If you were to add these options onto a base LE trim, you would just get a more expensive car than if you just went with the XLE to begin with. Also consider that the Hybrid lacks some "luxury" options because the additional weight adversely affects the performance of the hybrid drive train, though you still have a few options like leather and navigation.