Hey Scotty, I’m looking into getting a 2021 Toyota Camry hybrid, but I was wondering why the XSE trim gets almost a 10 MPG decrease compared to the standard LE trim. I know it might be something to do with the fact that the XSE has 19 inch wheels and the LE has 16 inch, but could it also be because of the XSE’s sport tuned suspension? I would also like to know if I can increase the MPG on the XSE by replacing the 19 inch wheels with 16 inch? Or is the suspension something that’ll get in the way of that? I love your videos btw I look forward to binging them every weekend haha much love!
The XSE and XLE models will get worse gas mileage because of the tires. Wider and bigger tires have more rolling resistance against the ground because you have more surface area which gives you better steering response and handling, but worse gas mileage. Also, the tires being wider will also slightly increase the coefficient of drag of the car because wider tires do not slice through the air as well as smaller tires. I wouldn't recommend swapping the rim size of the vehicle because the suspension was set up to handle with those specific wheels and it might throw off the handling that way. Also, the ABS system was set up to account for slippage on 19 inch tires and 16 inch ones will give it some problems. There is also the fact that the XSE model lowers the suspension by a little bit so you might have more clearance issues if you swap the wheels.
@samotoda can you please copy + paste your response as ‘Your Answer’, below? Thanks.
It’s 100% mechanically the same so I’m guessing it’s the wheels but at the same time with the fusion hybrid it didn’t make a difference if it had bigger rims or not so probably Toyota did something to make it more sportier (which there’s small differences as you can see on the comparison probably meant for more performance) it’s a complete joke I think if they’re trying to make a hybrid powertrain with a CVT designed for good mpg more sportier. If you want sportiness just get the V6 XSE Camry or if you simply want good mpg get a Prius or midrange Camry.
