I’ve owned a Corolla, Camry, and Lexus ES350 as daily drivers before. Right now, I daily drive an F250, but I don’t need its size, rough ride, or 14mpg fuel economy just to get to work. My wife has a three-row SUV for family use.
I have an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. I’m considering buying a 1-2 year old Camry as my daily driver, keeping the truck parked for towing, and eventually passing the Camry down to my kids—first to my daughter in 8 years, then to my son 3 years after that.
For a long-term ownership plan of 10-15 years, which engine would you choose and why? I loved driving my 3.5 ES350, but I’m open to anything. The hybrid is appealing for its fuel efficiency, but I also appreciate the simplicity of a traditional gas Toyota. Would I be overcomplicating maintenance with a hybrid?
Toyota’s eCVT is one of the most reliable powertrains around. It’s also a smoother drive than the ICE-only version. Brake wear is significantly lower due to regenerative braking, which reduces long-term maintenance costs. If you can find an ES hybrid, that might be worth considering too.
@BrianCopland
Thanks. We rented a hybrid Sienna recently, and I was very impressed. A similar system in a Camry seems like a great fit. The ES is likely out of my budget for this use, but I’ll check.
Get the hybrid. We had a 2009 Camry Hybrid for 14 years and only replaced it to upgrade to a RAV4 Hybrid for extra space. The Camry was still in excellent condition with minimal maintenance. At 160k miles, the original brake pads still had 80% remaining. Would definitely recommend it.
If you plan on keeping the truck parked, remember to drive it at least once a month to prevent issues. Sitting for too long without use can cause problems. If you didn’t need it for towing, I’d suggest selling it and investing the money instead.
I used to think hybrids were less reliable because of their complexity, but Toyota’s hybrid systems are actually more robust. The eCVT has fewer failure points than a traditional automatic transmission, and regenerative braking extends the life of brake pads significantly.
Worked for Toyota for 15 years. Hybrids have the fewest warranty repairs out of all Toyota models. If reliability is your concern, a Toyota hybrid is a solid bet.
Toyota has been making hybrids for over 20 years, and they hold up extremely well. There are many examples of Camry, Corolla, and RAV4 Hybrids lasting over 200,000 miles. Taxi and Uber drivers choose them for a reason—they’re built to last.
Marlon said:
The problem no one mentions is that in 10 years, you’ll need a new hybrid battery, which costs $6,000–$10,000. Not worth the trouble. ICE all day.
That’s simply not true. Plenty of 2015+ Toyota hybrids are still running on their original battery. Replacement costs have also come down significantly, with third-party options available in many areas.
Marlon said:
The problem no one mentions is that in 10 years, you’ll need a new hybrid battery, which costs $6,000–$10,000. Not worth the trouble. ICE all day.
Very few Toyota hybrids ever need a battery replacement. We had a 2009 Camry Hybrid for 14 years with zero battery issues. Even if a replacement was needed, Toyota’s battery costs are much lower than the numbers you mentioned.