camry hybrid...anyone driven one? (SS may need bedrest and I need fuel eff + power)

[luckydriver]

due to my job being transferred and me driving 700 miles a week (no doesnt pay me to relocate - long story), and my SS dead in the driveway with at least a head gasket, and maybe more (mechanic friend will come over to diagnose someday), i may have to get hybrid

i know there's nothing like the SS out there that will get me the mileage i need to be able to afford a car plus my gas, so i have to go smaller and more fuel efficient. Just wondering if anyone has driven the camry or other car that would get 35 mpg or more highway (i drive 90% hiway miles and regularly get 20 to 21 in the SS even driving spirited)

i've worked out the numbers and if i can get a 35mpg car that's around 25K, i'd be paying about the same for car pymt and gas that i pay just in gas now. A bit more actually but the lack of paying for repairs on the SS should make up that small difference. i run the cars into the ground so depreciation and resale value mean nothing to me. reliablity and mileage are critical

there's NO way i would ever drive a prius, i need some power, this will be hard enough if i have to give up the SS. i need a bit of getup and go to make up for the loss

[Dustpanda]

Just recently bought a 2012 Cruze Eco with a 6 speed for about $20K. I'm getting around the EPA estimate of 42MPG. This weekend I had a nice 150 mile highway drive at 65mph and got over 48MPG. I'm buying a Trifecta tune this week and looking forward to their "Select-a-tune" where you can choose a power mode and eco mode. More Info about the Trifecta tune. While it may not have the reliability the Toyota has, it'll give you the MPG and fun you'd like.

[Heavy_SS]

Toyota and Hybrid are 2 words that I can do without in this world.

[Big Kahuna]

Volt, ya dolt!

[Needles.Kain]

Why not just get something cheap with a small engine, see what you find that you can pay cash for? Hybrids excel at city mileage, not highway...I assume you aren't driving 700 miles worth of highway miles, amirite?

[Nor-CalSS]

Talk to Noel about his ride. I picked his brain for info about his econobox when I was thinking of going that route. He has a lot of good info and you can get a lot more miles with what he has set up.

[Big Kahuna]

Just watch out for when Noel asks you to smell his handkerchief

[luckydriver]

Originally Posted by Needles.Kain

Why not just get something cheap with a small engine, see what you find that you can pay cash for? Hybrids excel at city mileage, not highway...I assume you aren't driving 700 miles worth of highway miles, amirite?

i need to find the closest thing to power and comfort with good mileage as possible....IF i have to ditch the SS, ill be depressed enough. so i need to go with a bigger small car with some power but make it MPG enough that it pays for me to get a car..if i showed you the spreadsheet i have it would make you mind spin lol

actually id say out of 140 miles a day it breaks down to about 4 miles of truly stop and go city driving but yes the rest is interstate or 4 lane state highway except for about 40 miles of 2 lane state road but that moves with zero stops on it..just slow traffic maybe doing 45, sometimes up to 60.

so 136 miles of hiway and 4 city.

oh and i have no cash..just credit cards..which is why i have to basically take the SS gas money and buy a car and pay for gas out of that...at 3.85 a gallon i'm a tad under 600 a month in gas with the SS...a car that gets 35 mpg will cost 338 in gas which leaves 254 for a car pymt. plus the savings in repairs on the SS will add up every month as well even if i go higher with the car pymt.

[luckydriver]

Originally Posted by Big Kahuna

Just watch out for when Noel asks you to smell his handkerchief

no fair picking on the newbie who has no idea who is who

[95 imp]

man up! v-8's fo evah!