TOM VOELK

The Toyota Camry hybrid near the famous (and often fogged in) Golden Gate Bridge.

As the summer wears on it appears fuel prices have stunted America's vacation plans. Owners of restaurants, inns and campgrounds all say business is down. These economic forces have hit my clan too and yet we've decided to flog the Visa card and head down to the Bay Area to visit family. No "staycation" for us. There are ways to keep costs down. For one we're mooching off the relatives and staking out space on their couches. In the spirit of frugality and to keep these reviews coming, I'm driving a Toyota Camry hybrid while we trek from Mill Valley to the ritzy community of Carmel. I'll tell you straight up we never spot Clint Eastwood.

Prius is of course the poster child for gas electric hybrid vehicles. With an armadillo design, it shouts "I drink organic beet juice and recycle my Birkenstocks" just driving by. Toyota figures not everyone wants to make such a strong sheet metal statement and has given less adventuresome buyers a more conservative choice. Camry also has more power and interior room though as a sedan it offers less utility than the hatchback Prius.

There is no video this week since my home camera is on the fritz. Flying into San Jose airport, the first test of the Camry is simple but crucial: Stuffing luggage for four and a cornucopia of gifts into the trunk. It's where the battery pack is mounted, making it a smaller space than the one found in a gas-only Camry. With a bit of persistence everything wedges in. While we can't use this feature, the backseats fold to provide a trunk pass through, again smaller than a regular model. In Toyota's defense, Honda Civic and the late Accord hybrids have fixed seatbacks. The kids have plenty of room in the back and feeling right at home, begin to argue and bicker.

TOM VOELK

My wife Mariko with her aunt Yuri Hanamoto. The stuffed trunk is a perfect example of the "Yuri Theory of Tupperware."

I can hear this racket quite clearly because like other Synergy Drive Toyotas, Camry hybrid pulls away silently on electric power and the gas engine dovetails in when the system senses you need more power (nearly instantly if the pedal is floored, around 25 mph if you're very light on the throttle). To entertain the children I give them a simple primer on how Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive works. The gas engine (in this case a 2.4-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder making 147 horsepower) is teamed up with a torque rich electric motor/generator. Net horsepower is 192. An enormous amount of computing power keeps the gas engine, electric motor and a continuously variable transmission running smoothly. By the time I get to the part where I explain how the engine shuts down automatically at stoplights and regenerative braking charges the battery, both the boy and girl are fast asleep. So is my wife. My plan has worked, or perhaps it's the moderately quiet cabin.

Our first stop is Mill Valley. My wife's aunt and uncle, Asa and Yuri, have a wonderful home, hundreds of bonsai trees and a classic 60s Mercedes 250SL convertible that I covet. This house is also where the "Yuri Theory of Tupperware" was developed which is this: Always pick the food storage container that seems slightly smaller than the amount of leftovers you need to put away. It is lore in our family and works every time. OK back to the car. Except for the "hybrid" badges, neither Asa or Yuri, as smart as they are, can tell this from standard Camry models. To be sure they all look similar. Only car geeks will notice the slight tweaks to the front and back ends that distinguish the models. Hybrids get LED tailamps, blue tinted headlights and a metal trimmed grille. 

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The interior is large enough to seat five comfortably, even with the trunk-mounted battery pack.

While I would rather drive the SL, Asa and I take the hybrid to the grocery store while everyone else unpacks. I point out the dual-zone climate control, and an iPod friendly JBL Premium six-disc in-dash changer sound system and the standard Plasmacluster air filtration system. We both appreciate the Smart Key, which features push button start with the transponder "key" stashed in pocket or purse. But Asa, like many others, is most fascinated by the mesmerizing center console screen that shows the power flow of the hybrid system. 

Inevitably the topic of fuel economy comes up and a quick check of the LCD display finds the Camry hybrid getting 32 MPG. Up until now it's been pretty much freeway driving and that figure is close to a 4-cylinder Camry. EPA figures are 33 city, 34 highway for the hybrid, 21/31 for a standard 4-cylinder Camry. 

The next day we venture into San Francisco for some sightseeing and to check the city fuel economy. Touring the Presidio, Marina district, Chinatown, Lombard Street and Ghirardelli Square returns just over 30 MPG. Not bad considering the hilly terrain. While a driver can sense the gas engine starting up to assist the electric motor, it's very smooth, almost like a transmission shift. After consuming enormous sundaes at Ghirardelli we walk down to Fisherman's Terminal to burn some of it off. That's where we discover a hotel that offers free parking for people who drive hybrid cars. And to think we just fed the parking meter. While this is a nice gesture to reward eco minded folks, not all hybrids are fuel-sippers, including most of the Lexus models which are meant more for performance. While they might offer cleaner tailpipes, it's important to do your mathematics on any car you're considering if you're after maximum miles per gallon.

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Our best mileage obtained at Point Lobos state park cruising at a steady 25 mph. This speed might induce road rage on city streets.

Camry hybrid's performance is meant to slot in between the standard 4-cylinder and V6 models. In reality it's closer to the 4. Rated at 192 HP, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system has more power than the 158 HP 4-cylinder but weighs 400 pounds more. On our way to Muir Woods I put my foot in it to find the gas engine winds up near redline and stays there until the desired speed is reached. This is the way CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) maximize power. As we discover on our travels, handling is about average for a five-passenger family sedan. Nothing here will raise the pulse of an enthusiast.

The kids are getting restless so it's time to bore them to sleep with more tech talk. Tw0-, three- and four-letter acronyms seem to do the trick nicely. All Camrys including the standard powered CE, LE, SE and XLE models get 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBFD. That's Anti-lock braking System and Electronic Brake Force Distribution. Hybrids get Toyota's VDIM (Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management System), which is a cut above normal electronic stability controls. Normal Camrys can be ordered with VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) and TC (traction control). Now you're INK (In The Know) and the children are again producing plenty of ZZZZs. 

We pack up the Camry, say goodbye to Asa and Yuri's B&B and head south across the Golden Gate bridge to see cousins and nephews in Salinas. Slogging through heavy traffic I remember that California allows solo drivers in hybrids into the HOV lanes. Unfortunately I have neither the required sticker nor the right car. Hybrids must achieve 45 MPG to gain access to that privilege. During our entire trip we average around 32 MPG with some brief slow stretches closing in on 34. If you are the kind of driver that spends most of your time on the freeway, a standard 4-cylinder Camry might be all you need since Synergy Drive shines brightest in stop-and-go city maneuvering.  

Even if an owner doesn't make their money back by saving gas, buyers may still be happy since there's something to be said about driving a high-tech environmental statement. Others manufacturers build mid-sized hybrid sedans but Nissan's Altima is only available in certain states and GM's mild hybrid system offers only the slightest bump in gas mileage at best. There's competition on the horizon though. Ford's Fusion hybrid is finally heading to showrooms and GM says their Two-Mode system will be scaled for mid-sized rigs like Saturn Vue. 

Reaching Salinas we are greeted to a meal of Francis Gatanaga's world famous chicken (well, it should be anyways). Being a car guy I just can't help thinking the frying oil could be used for bio-diesel. In the next few days the Camry hybrid continues to deliver a steady 32 mpg average as we tour Point Lobos, the Monterey Aquarium and Carmel. In the end we find the Camry hybrid to be a nice alternative to Prius. It's not a "save the planet" icon but it hauls a family of four and their stuff well and economically. 

Prices for the Camry hybrid start at $27,550 and can reach $31,430 if you order up options like nav system, leather seating and sunroof. Whatever you're driving these days let me suggest a little travel before the summer is over. It's important to connect with family and friends. Camp in their back yard if that's what it takes to afford the trip (though I suggest asking first). We may have used a little less gas with the Camry hybrid, but what we've really saved is memories. And those are priceless.