Toyota Camry Hybrid or Prius????

I am looking at purchasing a TCH or Prius.

My new commute will be approximately 55 miles one-way, with the longest stretch of highway being 35 miles of the 55 miles.

I would really appreciate any feedback, insight, advice (price, comfort, cargo capacity, etc.) on what to consider when comparing these two vehicles.'

Thanks! Jeannie

Reply to
Jeannie
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The Prius gets much better gas mileage.

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

The Prius is a no-compromise car. It's a normal car. You don't lose anything by going Prius over Camry.

Some people are more comfortable with the "mainstream"-ness of a Camry, so that's why there's a Camry hybrid. But the Camry hybrid doesn't solve any other problems that the Prius doesn't solve.

Oh, with one exception--the Camry has a trunk, the Prius is a hatchback.

To offset that, the Prius gets better gas mileage. Anyone can get into a Prius and just drive it, complete with climate control on, and get

45mpg. The Camry will get significantly lower mileage.

The Prius is a surprisingly large car inside.

I just completed a couple 6+ hour road trips in my Prius, and had zero problems. It was very comfortable. And I'm not a particularly small guy.

If you can run without the AC on, you can do your commute with one gallon of gas each way in moderate weather.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Compare them side to side, sizewise. Look at door thickness, and crumple zone sizes. That rear on the Prius looks a bit tender.

Then decide which one you'd rather be in, in the event of an accident.

Reply to
Bob H

Any actual accident data, or just FUD?

Reply to
News

I compared the two carefully, with good test drives in each, and finally got a TCH. Main reason was that the seats in the Camry were much more comfortable for my back. I found the Prius seats quite uncomfortable. Obviously, that might not be at all true for you, but you should try to take long test drives in both.

Less important points in favour of the TCH, for me:

- the Prius had worse blind spots for lane changes and backing up. (No, I'm not saying it's got real problems in this area...)

- I found the TCH quieter on the highway, and more stable in windy conditions.

Of course, the Prius does have significantly better gas mileage, and that's a real plus. The TCH is pretty good though, in practice a bit better than a friend's new Corolla.

Also, the Prius definitely has more cargo room, though a bit oddly shaped, it's quite useful. Not a must-have for me, the TCH trunk is big enough for my needs.

Larry Van Wormer

Reply to
Larry Van Wormer

Aha. I forgot about that. Not too surprising; that seeems to be an issue with the Prius.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

FUD, obviously.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Is this the issue addressed by the various aftermarket chassis stiffeners and suspension upgrades? (e.g. "Tom's", etc.)

Reply to
News

So they say. BT Stiffening Plate for $165 seems expensive, but some people swear by it.

People also swear they've been in UFOs, too. When you've spent $165, are you likely to go out to a web forum and tell everyone, "I was such an idiot, that thing did nothing for me"? Or are you likely to experience the placebo effect and swear to the world that the $165 you spent absolutely was worth it and then some?

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Does the Prius wander in crosswinds or near big rigs, on the highway?

Reply to
News

Somewhat. It's very lightweight compared to other cars its size. They used a lot of aluminum in the car and kept the weight down.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

OK, so is there a "fix" for this?

Such as aero to plant the car better, or the above track stiffening approaches?

Reply to
News

The Prius handles on par with a Miata 3, Corolla, Sentra, etc. and is superior to the Kia, Hyundai equivalent. In the early days, someone told the Prius community that mileage would improve by adding 10# air pressure to the tires to reduce rolling resistance. Well, perhaps that's good for 0.1mpg, but those complaining about handling or wandering forgot what they had done, and blamed the problem on the car's design.

With Goodyear Comfortred tires on my car filled to spec, it's quiet, handles very well, doesn't "wander", and my lifetime average since October '03 is 45mpg. Aftermarket leather, 132db horns, upgraded audio, a CANBUS monitor, 120# of *EAR* sound absorption in critical areas, and it is absolutely, positively, the best car decision I've ever made.

Reply to
Ike

I will also endorse the previous comment regarding placebo effect. I will bet $10,000 that no one can drive Prius cars and reliably tell whether the car is fitted with that $165 machined-aluminum stiffener or THE STOCK PLATE IN HEAVY STAMPED STEEL (identical geometry and mounting bolts!). I have done the swap on my car, and as an old (~70) race driver am sensitive to differences -- there were none!

Noise is an issue for me, so I used a GI Sound Pressure Meter before and after installing new tires, driving on the same stretches at the same speed. I measured almost 6dB, and my daughter heard the difference without prompting, but I couldn't hear any improvement except for a $350 placebo effect, so I was satisfied.

Placebo!

Reply to
Ike

Where, and what material did you use?

I just came back from my first road trip, and am VERY happy with the sound level and seat comfort.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

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I pulled the car apart as much as was convenient, including door panels, etc. Any panel with more than a square foot that was (1) uncoated, (2) unbraced, (3) fairly flat, and (4) smooth enough for good adherence I treated with one or another of the E-A-R materials. After cutting but efore actually sticking the pieces on, I weighed everything - about 120#. I then cleaned the surfaces with a solvent, peeled the backing, and stuck it on. Even I could hear the difference and it measured more than 6dB.

Reply to
Ike

I like my Prius a lot and am happy to have it. But it sits next to my Miata in my garage, and Prius' handling is definitely not on par with the Miata. Far from it.

If there's one thing I could change on the Prius it's the suspension. Not making it sit lower or harder, but make it more balanced, more supple. A bit more like the small Alfas or Subarus.

cu .\\arc

Reply to
Marc Gerges

You're right! I meant the Mazda 3... sorry. I rented the small Mazda back east last year and was disappointed.

Reply to
Ike

Not really. The hard tires and stiff frame make Prius noisier on the highway (but it is often very quiet at lower speeds), and the sensitivity to winds is because it is relatively tall for its width.

The commonly advertised aftermarket stiffeners are snake oil, IMHO: the design of their attachments offers no tortional stiffness, and the stock part has more than enough tensile strength.

The OP needs to take some test drives to decide her questions, keeping in mind that the great majority of buyers have no trouble with high speed stability after an adjustment period of a few days or weeks.

Reply to
richard schumacher

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