Toyota Camry Hybrid vs. Volkswagen Passat TDI: Which Would You Buy?

Monday, July 2, 2012

Toyota Camry Hybrid vs. Volkswagen Passat TDI: Which Would You Buy?

Hybrid or diesel? For peak fuel economy in a $30,000 midsize sedan you need one or the other. The Toyota Camry is the most efficient of the five available hybrids (until the 2013 Ford Fusion arrives). If you live in Europe, the diesel world is your oyster. In North America, you have one option for an oil-burning mid-size sedan, the Volkswagen Passat. Which would you pick?

Neither sedan's design would have blazed any trails even a decade ago. But the Passat's styling, both inside and out, is cleaner and more harmonious. Toyota's designers can't seem to step back far enough from the trees to envision a forest. The Camry Hybrid XLE's interior, with some materials a little better and others a little worse than those in the Passat TDI SEL Premium, has too much going on stylistically. Most jarring are the upper doors halfheartedly attempt to flow into the instrument panel, despite lacking the latter's stitching. The "stitching" molded into the center stack trim is similarly counterproductive, as it actually cheapens the interior. Of course, many people (including the one I'm married to) don't notice such things. Though both cars have seats trimmed in faux suede, and the Passat additionally includes faux timber, they'll likely find the ambiance warmer inside the Camry.

Both interiors have been designed to maximize perceived room with fairly flat door panels that meet the instrument panel at a right angle. The previous-generation Camry's interior, with curvier panels, feels much tighter. Both cars have broad, supportive front seats that provide little in the way of lateral support, though the Passat's cushions are firmer and the Camry's headrests jut forward to an uncomfortable degree. There's plenty of room for adults in the back of the Camry. The Passat, with another inch of combined legroom that somehow seems like three inches, invites limo comparisons…until you notice that, unlike in the Toyota, there are no rear air vents.

Then there's cargo hauling. Both cars are offered only as sedans. By working in shifts to compact the Camry's hybrid bits, Toyota engineers bumped trunk volume 2.5 cubic feet, to 13.1. A worthwhile increase, but still not close to the Passat's 15.9. Both trunks can be expanded by folding the rear seat, but you only have a mail slot on the right side in the Camry.

Though the new Camry Hybrid is more firmly suspended than the previous one, and the Americanized Passat is softer than the typical German sedan, the two cars haven't met in the middle. The Camry remains a considerably softer, cushier, quieter car, with some float and bobble through rough curves, while the Passat provides more nuanced feedback (through the seat of the pants much more than the electrically assisted steering) and has more tightly controlled body motions. Your ears will only report that the VW is a diesel at idle, and then only if you're paying attention. The additional noise inside its cabin mostly comes from the wind and the road.

Unlike some smaller fuel sippers, both cars have more than enough power for scooting about the 'burbs or popping onto the freeway. Both feel torquey at low-to-moderate engine speeds, the Camry because of the assist provided by its electric motor, the Passat because it's a diesel. With far more peak horsepower, 200 vs. 140, the Camry Hybrid's powertrain can get you to sixty sooner. But it's not a joy to wind out, so this advantage isn't large in the real world. If you have a lead foot, neither car is your best bet.

The EPA MPG numbers—43 city, 39 highway for the Camry and 30 city, 40 highway for the Passat—rightly suggest that the two cars excel in different types of driving. But the EPA shortchanges both cars. Judging from its trip computer (which I initially doubted, but owners report similar numbers), the Passat TDI can manage high 30s in suburban driving and low 50s on the highway without too much effort. In straight highway driving, the Camry cannot match it, checking in around 45. A hybrid's additional fuel efficiency is derived from its ability to recoup energy while decelerating. If there's no deceleration, the hybrid powertrain not only provides no benefit but, through its additional mass, actually becomes a disadvantage. Off the highway the tables are turned. The more stops per mile, the better the Camry becomes, especially if you factor in the higher cost per gallon of diesel.

It also helps if one does not drive the Camry "normally." My wife managed 38 miles-per-gallon in the Camry Hybrid, about the same as I observed in the Passat TDI when driving with the flow of traffic. But when I was behind the wheel, the trip computer regularly reported averages in the low 50s and as high as 63 on my standard suburban route. The hybrid's operation makes a very casual driving style feel "right," and I personally enjoy the experience. But many people simply don't want to drive with a light enough foot to achieve these numbers. For them, the TDI is the better way to go, as its efficiency varies much less with driving style.

Load both cars up, and the Camry stickers for a couple grand more, $35,330 vs. $33,090. But, based on the car price comparison tool, the Toyota includes about $900 in additional features, cutting the difference to $1,300. Also note that Toyota dealers enjoy wider margins. Compare invoices, and the VW has only a $554 advantage before adjusting for feature differences, and a $300 disadvantage afterwards.

Consumers are likely to decide between the two based on styling, ride, handling, amenities, driving conditions, driving style, and the strength of each brand. The 2012 Passat has done well in TrueDelta's car reliability survey so far, but it's very early. If you had to choose between the two, which would you buy?

Camry Hybrid provided with fuel and insurance by Toyota.

Passat TDI provided by Dan Kelley, Suburban VW in Farmington Hills, MI, 248-741-7903

Michael Karesh operates TrueDelta, an online source of automotive pricing and reliability data.