Prius vs Camry hybrid

I suppose that's why it costs more and wastes more fuel. Either one will take 5 people to work day after day.

And what about mileage? I'm getting 46 MPG overall in the 2004 Prius for over 93K miles; I've been seeing 35 MPG is typical for the Camry hybrid.

A Chevrolet Tahoe is bigger, has more power, and by the standards of a few years ago was more "normal".

Today's Prius provides the best comb>

They like the Camry because it's bigger, has more power and seemed more > normal.

(1) $2,775 more for the Camry. (2) 11 mpg less on the highway.

Of COURSE it's bigger, more powerful. It's in a different class.

Why didn't they compare a Maybach to a Yaris? BIG difference, there.

Id rather my 2004 Prius with a hatch than a Camry sedan anyday.

What I don't get is why they didn't compare the Camry Hybrid to the Camry. When I look at the cost difference between the Camry Hybrid (27,500 MSRP) and a Camry (22,735 for LE with traction control), It was roughly a 5000 difference. Consumer Reports reports a real world combined MPG of 34 for the hybrid and 24 for the Camry. At $5 a gallon the hybrid saves $6100 during the first 100K miles. Now if all the mileage is highway, CR claims the hybrid yields 41 and the Camry yields 36. Hybrid saves $1700 over 100K. This is based on CR data. Now factor in the fact that you should be able to get the regular Camry below MSRP. Does the Camry hybrid make sense? Yes it is greener but from an economic point of view, I doesn't seem to be debatable. Comments?

As for why compare the Camry to the Prius. Looking at the specs the interior room is somewhat similar. The Camry has 2 more inches in shoulder room in front and 3.5 in rear, 1.5 in leg room in front and 1 inch less in the rear. The usable trunk space is less in the Camry Hybrid. Overall, The Camry would be a better 5 person car than the Prius due to the rear shoulder room. I am 6' 6". Although the Camry has more leg room, I find the Prius a better (although tight) fit because the Camry center console limits my ability to bow my legs. My daughter claims that the backseat has more legroom than my 95 Camry. As for me, I would not want to be the third person in the back seat in either car.

Overall, I think it is fair to compare the two cars size wise. If you want more performance, slightly better crash safety and better seats at the cost of mileage then the Camry Hybrid or the plain Camry might be for you. If you want better gas mileage and can live with a smaller back seat and less acceleration than the Prius might be a better fit.

Because there are ride characteristics that hybrids share not found in ordinary gas engine vehicles. They are significantly quieter and smoother than the gas equivalent and don't wear out as quickly as the gas only vehicles. So instead of changing cars every 3-6 years, the hybrids keep rolling on and on and on. There is a cost of replacing a worn out, gas car more frequently than the hybrid.

Bob Wilson

So instead of changing cars every 3-6 years, the

Bob,

I agree on some of your points. However my current Camrys (one has

130k, the other 110k) are still going strong after 13 years. Many people claim the Camry is good for 200,000+. My only real issue at this point is oil leaks. I am buying a Prius so I am NOT bashiong the Prius. I happen to like it. I just think gas Toyotas are more than capable of lasting more than 3-6 year unless you are a real road warrior.

I thought Bob was going to point out the standard and hybrid Camry's ride better than a Prius.

There is no need to apologize for the way the Prius rides. Its a good, controlled, and safe ride. Its not plush. I had a 2000 Avalon XLS which was too plush. Like my 2007 Prius ride better.

We had a '91 Camry with nearly 180,000 miles on the odometer when we lost it in an accident and replaced it will a used '03 Prius. Since then, I've occasion to observe the differences.

The Prius engine works much less than the Camry engine. At speeds under

42 mph, I typically use 38 mph on city streets, the engine is off at least 1/3d of the time and off upon coming to a stop and when stopped. On the highway, the engine also loafs and getting +54 MPG at 65 mph when I could only get ~38 MPG with the Camry.

The less stress, the longer the drivetrain and engine last and that pattern is quite evident with the Prius. There is nothing wrong with a Camry, it just comes from a different technological generation.

Bob Wilson

I had a 2006 Prius that was, unfortunately, destroyed a couple of months ago (comprehensive claim--I wasn't even in the car at the time).

While I waited for a new car, I had the chance to drive a HyCam for quite a bit of the intervening months. I think I can give a pretty fair evaluation.

Before anyone jumps on the positive things I have to say about the HyCam, remember that I' now driving a Prius again, so know where my loyalties lie.

Perhaps my #1 issue with the Prius is the seats. Just don't like 'em, and I haven't found a good way to fix the deficiencies. Back in the summer of '04, BP (Before [my] Prius), I drove cross country in a '99 Solara. I absolutely would not want to attempt the same in the Prius; in the latter, even shorter trips, say 500 miles round in 1-2 days, are quite uncomfortable. I'd love adjustable electric seats--or even manually adjustable seats with more adjustment points, if it's a weight issue. The Hycam seating is *much* more comfortable, and that's not simply a luxury--I think good seats is important with something you may well sit in for hours at a time, and the Prius has the worst seats of any car I've owned since about 1990. The irony of this is that the Prius's efficiency shines with pulse-and-glide driving--which would

*really* benefit from an adjustable seat bottom for more thigh support.

Noise. Wow, the HyCam is quieter. I can listen to the radio at much lower settings in the HyCam than in the Prius (I listen to talk radio; it's not a matter of thumping bass).

This is, I am certain, a function of sound insulation. I was startled to find out how easily you can hear the Prius's sound system at even modest volume levels (e.g., even under 20) if you're standing *outside* the car with all the doors and windows closed.

The Camry is, basically, a more pleasant car to drive. I thought the "more familiar layout" statement in the Edmunds video to be just silly. I've had people sit in my Prius and state how they liked its layout better; "because I'm more familiar with it" isn't in itself a good enough reason.. Personally, I wish the MFD was a little less MF--I like being able to change AC/Heat modes without messing with switching screens.

HyCam trunkspace: pretty bad. Weekend for two at best. Prius: bring a mattress for quick camping in back.

In 2004 a good friend wanted a Prius like mine but also wanted a driver-side seat like that in his Porsche. We found one in a junkyard, ripped up, for $70.

It took a while to fabricate the adaptation between the bottom of the recycled seat and the Prius. We included the power system, wiring it to the car. The nav system was undisturbed. Works fine.

This was when leather was not a Toyota option. We had leather installed in his whole car, including the "odd" seat. It all matches and looks fine - and his Prius has a power seat!

Ike

Of course, you then give up the side airbag in the seat.

I'd considered the option (not Porsche, specifically), but decided that losing an airbag wasn't a good compromise.

There was something in Priuschat a little while ago about Volvo seats in a Prius: