Road Test: state-of-the-art Toyota Camry Hybrid

Stable gasoline prices plus an end to federal tax credits on many hybrid cars, including the Toyota Camry, have made it more difficult to justify their higher upfront costs - at least in purely economic terms.

And, not to ignore the elephant in the room, daily headlines about Toyota's troubles might give some of you understandable pause about buying any of its vehicles.

Toyota's success with hybrids - its now-maligned Prius has been the bestseller - has exhausted the federal tax credits available on them. Same for Honda's hybrids. That raises the upfront cost to would-be buyers and makes competing hybrid cars a little more attractive. The Camry Hybrid begins at $26,400. A conventionally powered Camry XLE lists for less - $26,125 - and has a long list of features not included in the hybrid.

Opting for Ford's Fusion Hybrid earns you an $850 credit from Uncle Sam - though you'll have to move fast; it expires March 31. There's a $1,550 credit on the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid but a big catch: GM has suspended production of them - possibly permanently - and the number of leftovers is dwindling. And there's the Nissan Altima Hybrid, available with a $2,350 tax credit - open-ended at this point.

Costs aside, there's satisfaction in driving a hybrid - in helping to keep the air a little cleaner and in passing by gasoline stations and directing silent raspberries in their directions.

Like the rest, the Camry Hybrid is a state-of-the-art family car. While there's an unpleasant drone from the engine that results from the continuously variable (as opposed to fixed-ratio) automatic transmission - favored in hybrids for contributions to fuel economy - it disappears at cruising speed. The Camry's ride is quiet and comfortable. Handling is competent, and interior ergonomics are excellent.

The government estimates the Camry Hybrid at 33 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway, but the city rating assumes a lot of time creeping along on the electric motor - more than you probably will do in local suburban driving. I averaged 31 mpg in seven days with the Camry.

As for "the elephant," note that the Camry Hybrid is not involved (at least so far) in any of the recalls. And to regain trust Toyota is offering sweeteners like cut-rate financing and leases and free maintenance on many of its products. It's also worth noting, more generally, that other carmakers have had their times in hell - Ford with its exploding Pintos, Audi with its runaway 5000s, Ford with its Explorers and failing Firestone tires, and GM with its fire-prone pickups, for example. Each of those carmakers solved their problems and survived, and so, eventually, will Toyota.