I drove a Camry

[daniel]

Today I drove a Camry. I had finally decided to get the gas gauge / filler pipe work done after twice being unable to fill the tank. Once it wouldn't put any gas in, and once it stopped at 2/3 full.

Anyway, the Camry - Prius comparison:

The Camry has more power and the heater puts out a lot more heat. Both to be expected, since I suppose it has double the engine displacement and burns twice as much gas. It was also easier to see out the back for general visibility and lane changes.

Those were its only advantages. The Camry was comfortable enough, but the brakes were squishy, it was easy to spin the wheels (no traction control, I suppose) and of course it did not have VSC or SKS. I had nearly forgotten how much of a hassle it is to fumble for the key while holding 3 bags of groceries.

Conclusion: there's no comparison. The Prius is a much nicer car to drive than the Camry, unless you're addicted to the power of a gas-guzzler. And while I don't know the price of a Camry, I think it's more than a Prius.

I guess I did prefer the simpler manual climate control in the Camry.

In the next-generation Prius, presumably with lots more battery capacity, I'd like to see a humungous electric cabin heater for BIG instant heat in winter.

[daniel]

Correction: The base model Camry (which may be what I drove) is $2,000 less than the base model Prius. But an XLE with side curtain air bags was $26,000, about $2,000 more than I paid for my "AM" pkg Prius.

[Tideland Prius]

We own a 2002 Camry XLE (4 cylinder). It feels larger (I guess b/c of its width since the rear legroom is 1" shy of the Prius'). I do agree with you about the soft brake pedal feel. Actually, I did drive the Camry the other day when my dad took the Prius.

First thing I noticed was that the steering wheel rim is 'too thin' and that the wheel is 'too large' hehe. Took me a while to modulate the accelerator since it's not as stiff as the Prius' accelerator. I was able to work the brake pedal to a smooth stop since I'm used to braking lightly on the Prius. While the Camry's auto transmission shifts smoothly but it's now more noticeable than before. I do find myself time and time again at traffic lights thinking to myself (can I turn the engine off? Why do I have to the burn the fuel when I'm not moving).

However, will I give up the Camry to the drive the Prius? no. Will I give up the Prius to drive the Camry? no. I guess that's why we kept both =). I just wish Toyota would bring the hybrid Camry so that I can convince my dad to trade in the current one for the new one.

[daniel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"58304)</div>

... I do find myself time and time again at traffic lights thinking to myself (can I turn the engine off? Why do I have to the burn the fuel when I'm not moving). ...[/b]

I wasn't paying for the gas in the loaner, but it did annoy me, pointlessly running the engine at stoplights.

Of course, in that car, shutting off the engine would wear out the starter and greatly add stress and wear to the engine. Without the HV battery, MG1, the Atkinson/Miller engine, and the Prius's unique starting procedure, sutting off the engine would be a pretty bad idea. On the other hand, having to start a car just to move it to the other side of the street to avoid a parking ticket is a pretty bad idea also. Kinda feels like the rest of the world is still living in the 19th century.