2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE Package $13,990

The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid is a solid hybrid family sedan thanks to improved fuel economy and enhanced driving dynamics. Can the most popular family sedan in America afford to take a risk? Not likely. The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid doesn't aim to find out, either. Sure, the seventh generation of Toyota's bread-and-butter sedan shows a sharper look, including a more aggressive front grille and side profile. Tougher, more angular lines ring the exterior. There's even lip service paid to sporty handling, an effort to woo buyers who've already written off Toyota as the New Old Buick. That's not where the changes end, however. For one thing, the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid offers an improved version of last year's engine: a respectably powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder that, combined with the electric drive motor produces a total of 200 horsepower and by far the strongest acceleration in its admittedly small class of hybrid sedans. An improved regenerative braking system that converts more braking energy into electricity also helps the new Camry Hybrid achieve an EPA-estimated 41 mpg in combined driving (39 with the XLE trim) and a substantial 10 mpg gain in city driving. Suspension improvements have also enlivened the Camry Hybrid's handling dynamics. That's not to say the new hybrid is particularly sporty, but it does infuse slightly more enthusiasm into a rock-solid legacy of cushy, comfortable ride quality. The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid offers a more refined hybrid system than the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and essentially matches the Ford Fusion Hybrid for best-in-class fuel economy. Overall, the Hybrid should be a solid, blue-chip choice for a family car.