I hope no one comes in here sayng anything about reducing emissions saving the environment... blah blah blah... because the best way to lower emissions and save gas is to buy the smallest motor available. A 1.3 - 1.5 liter Honda Fit/Jazz will emit less emissions, use less gas, and cost less resources than any full-sized hybrid.

Really, a full-sized hybrid is a status symbol and a tech car. As it is, for 35k, your friend got his money's worth... too bad it's just a Camry. Still, not a bad car, but not really worth the money unless your friend really uses it to go long distances.

But not bad. Hybrid batteries are a long term maintenance problem, but nobody knows yet the effective lifespan of the battery pack in the real world, as they haven't worn out yet (maybe you can pass them on to your grandchildren? :lol: ) and another hidden benefit is less mechanical wear on your brakes (regenerative brakes lessen pad wear) and your engine (from lesser use and smoother start-stop cycles due to the electric-assist engine).

But as it is, the only people who are seeing full benefits from hybrid technology are taxi owners, who can put over 60k miles on their cars within a year.