Stromer emerged from his hybrid unharmed but markedly startled and in a radio interview on fellow TG USA host Adam Corolla's radio show, Stromer dishes that his primary concern during the accident was spilling his newly purchased "triple grande nonfat latte." We are looking forward to the gripping social commentary Stromer will bring to the table for the new series. [The Adam Carolla Show]

[Noob]

But first some stats on the Toyota Camry Hybrid. For starters, it's a "dual-mode" hybrid utilizing the same Toyota-branded Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the Toyota Prius. The trim level of the Camry Hybrid is relatively up-featured, including LED taillights, a DVD-based navigational system and most of the features found on the top-of-the-line Camry XLE. Though the Camry was originally advertised with a higher mileage, new EPA standards bring the over-reaching hybrid down to a city and highway rating in the low-to-mid 30 mpg range. Despite the lower rating, the Camry Hybrid is still the sales king for those who want a hybrid, aren't concerned about highway mileage, and want something that looks more normal than a Prius. However, there are alternatives to the super number one best automaker from the land of the rising sun.
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
MSRP: $26,150

2009 Honda Civic GX CNG

The Honda Civic GX CNG is an interesting study in alternative fuel sources, their advantages and what-the-hell T. Boone Pickens is talking about. The GX looks just like any other Honda Civic, but runs on compressed natural gas typically added from a home fueling station. This Civic is inferior to the Camry in terms of city or combined mileage, but slightly bests the Toyota sedan on the highway. The Civic GX also has a lower cost of ownership (it needs minimal services), has a significantly smaller carbon footprint and costs about the same. The technology is still in development, though, so less than 1,000 vehicles are typically produced each year.
City: 24 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg
Combined: 28 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $25,090

2009 Kia Rio (Auto)

The Kia is among the smallest, cheapest new cars for sale in the United States, coming in at more than half the price of the Toyota Camry Hybrid and more than 1,000 pounds lighter. Powered by a 110-horsepower fourbanger tied to a CVT transmission, the little Kia is slightly better than the Camry on the highway, though much worse in the city. While much cheaper, the Rio offers few of the features and almost none of the prestige, comfort, desirability or practicality of the Camry. Even with limited availability for Toyota, the 2008 Rio only bested the Camry Hybrid's sales by 134 cars.
City: 26 mpg
Highway: 35 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,145

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS Coupe XFE

Essentially a 2009 Chevy Cobalt with a few light tweaks, the Cobalt XFE is modified ever so slightly to improve fuel economy — and prove that an American car can make the grade without a hybrid drive. Adjustments are mostly under the hood where the engineers tweaked the intake and exhaust valve lift duration, swapped the transmission gear ratios for lower operating revs, and put on some low-rolling-resistance tires. The result may only be 1 mpg over the previous year, but that's a step in the right direction. Like the other cars that take the lighter approach, the biggest gains are found at highway speeds.
City: 25 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $15,225

2009 Mini Cooper (Manual)

Fans of the Mini Cooper have always been able to boast about all the fun they have driving their itsy-bitsy British bimmer — so much fun that they forget to mention that it gets stellar gas mileage. Though not as useful as a Camry as a family vehicle, the Mini is at least a few hundred times more fun and gets a combined mileage just 2 mpg short of the big hybrid. There are no tricks here. The Mini is just a well-engineered, sufficiently-powered small car offered with a sixth gear.
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $19,200

2009 Toyota Yaris (Manual)

All of the 2009 Yaris models equipped with the manual transmission get the same EPA mileage, so you're not necessarily stuck with a little three-door hatch if that's your route towards mileage. The five-door S hatch comes equipped with rear-window wipers, fog lights, MP3/CD player w/ iPod interface and other nice features, though you'll have to tack on $3,000 to the base price. Though it can't quite compete with the Camry in city driving, this tiny Toyota does better on the highway and is close on the combined cycle.
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,205

2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

We found the 2008 Mariner Hybrid to be a fairly decent ride with only a few flaws, many of which were addressed with the 2009 refresh. The Mariner Hybrid, and it's twin brother Escape Hybrid, is most similar to the Camry in that it offers power, luxury and good gas mileage in a single package — an SUV package at that. Though slightly off the Camry's total, this is one of the few vehicles that bests the Toyota in the city.
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $29,750

2009 Volkswagen Jetta & Jetta SportWagen TDI (Manual)

Both the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and its wagon sibling the SportWagen are within the Camry's price range and offer the utility, relative luxury and foreign car appeal of the Toyota. Unlike the Camry, the Jettas are both eligible for a tax credit. In the ongoing diesel-versus-hybrid debate the TDI twins step up with a comparable combined cycle and a substantially higher highway experience, a reflection of the efficiency and power of the diesel engine. And there's no risk of running short because of battery supplies.
City: 30 mpg
Highway: 41 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $21,990/$23,590

2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Nissan is still technically selling the Altima Hybrid, a car that is a direct competitor with the Camry, but sales have lagged far behind nearly all of its competitors. Why? It may have something to do with battery supply, but it also may have something to do with the reason why people are choosing the regular Camry over the regular Altima: age. The Altima, though refreshed, is a rather tired design that lacks the same appeal and luxury of the Toyota. It trumps the better-selling green sedan in the city, but no one seems to care.
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $26,650

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

It should come as no surprise that the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, currently the third-best selling hybrid car behind the Camry, bests the Camry in all areas of fuel economy by a large margin. It's smaller. It's lighter. The Prius is more of a competitor to this hybrid than the Camry, though Toyota has done a good job of making their larger hybrid price competitive with the Civic sedan.
City: 40
Highway: 45
Combined: 42 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $23,550

2009 Toyota Prius

The king. The reigning champ. The green boss. You can't touch the Prius and neither can the Camry Hybrid — at least not in mileage. Though all of these buyers are likely eco-minded, some hybrid huggers just don't like the Prius, don't want a hatchback or maybe just think the larger hybrid sedan is a perfect foil.
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Combined: 46 mpg
Advantage: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $22,000

[Hybrid Sales Data: HybridCars.com. Fuel Economy Data: FuelEconomy.gov]

1st – 29 Kielbasa Kids Racing

2nd – 11 Team Eliminators

3rd – 1 Schumacher Taxi Service 1

4th – 21 Team Pro-crass-Duh-Nation

5th – 07 Team Go Green

NASCAR, for its part, has been trying to reach out to minority audiences so it's no surprise this sponsorship will include a fundraiser with NASCAR fan Randy Moss and Fergie. The team is run by staunch Republicans, but they're not going to turn down the money and, after years in racing, seem to know how to spot a winner. (h/t to Brian) [CNN.SI]

It's especially tough to see someone work themselves to death in a white-collar job as opposed to going out doing what they love. We're not saying engineers don't enjoy what they do, but it's a shame to see a life wasted creating a boring mid-size sedan that gets slightly better fuel economy. We imagine that somewhere, Eric Stromer is laying a single rose on his Camry Hybrid. [Yahoo News](image)

Toyota Camry Hybrid Thailand Production Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that, as part of an effort to further popularize hybrid vehicles worldwide, it will begin producing the "Camry Hybrid" at Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. (TMT), TMC's vehicle production base in Thailand. Production of the Camry Hybrid at TMT's Gateway Plant will commence in 2009, with an annual production target of 9,000 vehicles. "Thailand is the first ASEAN country to build hybrid vehicles. As the Camry has received a warm welcome from Thai customers, we are sure these customers will be satisfied not only with the product but also with its environmental performance", said TMT President Mitsuhiro Sonoda at a joint press conference in Bangkok with Siam Toyota Manufacturing Co., Ltd., attended by Thai government officials. Ever since the introduction in 1997 of the Toyota Prius—the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle—TMC has actively been promoting and popularizing hybrid technology, as part of its high-priority environmental management policy. Toyota aims to sell 1 million or more hybrid vehicles annually as early as possible in the 2010s and is working to establish a worldwide optimal hybrid vehicle production system that reflects market needs.

"A New Jersey woman's Toyota Camry last week suffered a sciurine kamikaze attack during which a flaming squirrel fell onto the vehicle, slid into the engine compartment and provoked an explosion which destroyed the parked vehicle, the Jersey Journal reports.

Lindsey Millar, 23, and bruv Tony, 22, were at home in Bayonne last Wednesday lunchtime when the incident occurred. The animal had apparently decided it was a really good move to chew through overhead powerlines directly above the motor, and was duly fried for its trouble.

Tony Millar explained: "The squirrel chewed through the wire, was set on fire, fell down directly to where the car was. The squirrel, on fire, slid into the engine compartment and blew up the car.

He added: "They're always coming around here, chewing through the garbage."

Models with improved reliability

BMW 7 Series

BMW X3

Cadillac STS (V6)

Chrysler 300 (V8)

Dodge Charger

Ford Explorer (V6)

Ford F-150

Ford Mustang

Jaguar S-Type

Jeep Commander

Kia Sportage

Mazda RX-8

Porsche 911

Saab 9-3

VW Jetta (5-cylinder)

Volvo S40 (non-turbo)

Models with declining reliability

BMW 6 Series

Chevrolet Suburban

Chevrolet Tahoe

Chrysler 300 (V6)

Dodge Ram 1500

GMC Yukon

GMC Yukon XL

Hyundai Entourage

Kia Amanti

Kia Sedona

Lexus GS (V6, AWD)

Pontiac G6

Toyota Camry (V6)

Toyota Tundra (V8, 4WD)

VW Passat (V6)

[via Freep]