Comparing the TCH to the 2010 Prius

[wvgasguy]

Originally Posted by JPJ

Hi wvgasguy,

Originally Posted by JPJ

So, how does TCH compare to Prius V? which is better handling?
and, is TCH guieter? (if so, by much or a little?)

I was asked this question on a PM but thought it might be of interest to people considering a Prius or a TCH.

I don't get my V until later this week. I'll let you know more then. I was very pleased with my TCH overall although the handling was a little mushy. But since I never intended to push it, it wasn't really a problem. However, I did find on mildly twisty 2 lane roads I had to slow for the curves which was something I never had to do in previous sporting cars (Infiniti FX45 / 350Z / Audi TT, etc...) I felt that by needing to slow down it actually cost me FE since I had to then accelerate coming out of the curve. I'm only guessing the Prius II thru IV may have a similar concern thus my decision to go with the V. I live on that 2 lane road so every drive starts out with that route before I hit the interstate.

I'm guessing that both the TCH and Prius will be equally quiet with the tires being the main factor. Although I have heard the Prius may be noisy, I really didn't notice it on my short test drive of a 2009 with that being one of the things I wanted to check. My TCH came with V rated Bridgestones that didn't last long (24,000 miles to completely worn out) and as they wore they became noisier and they had a lot of road noise. I later changed them out for Michellin's and they were much better. They lasted longer and were much quieter.

The TCH was a comfortable car. While it is wider, it still is not large enough (like most mid-size cars) to be comfortable for three in the back, although it can be done if everyone is friends.

It has a limited size trunk that I never found to be an issue. It is shaped well and easy to pack a lot of stuff. People that looked at the trunk complained but I don't remember anyone who bought one really saying it wasn't enough. However, the pass through space was small.

The TCH did have more than adequate power. Once a novice (me at that time) gained confidence that the car at a standstill with no ICE running could pull out in front of traffic safely there was no further concern. The same will be the experience for the Prius owner. I will have to thromp on the Prius when I get it to feel comfortable with how much power it has, which will be less than the TCH (but it is a lighter car so may be proportinate).

Interestingly, the new Lexus 250h has the power of the TCH but I believe it to be in a smaller package more similar to the Prius. Smaller size, more power. Might interest a lot of people, but it will be a $40K car. I thought of waiting for it, but since the Prius will be my third car and daily driver I really don't need the added cost and luxuries. Plus, I really like the looks of the 2010 Prius.

The new EPA ratings on the TCH are silly. It seems to be more in line with what Motor Trend and others achieved when testing cars. And they didn't test them for FE they did performance tests. Without doing anything more than sensable driving I was able to easily average 38 mpg. Later when my wife started commuting daily to babysit the grandkids did our average drop to 37.5. That was over 67,000 trouble free miles.

I traded the TCH for a HH because my only 4wd was an Expedition and my wife was driving that in the winter (I never bought snow tires for the tCH because we had a 4wd). I don't like the 14mpg of the Expedition so thus the 24 mpg HH suits us fine as an all around vehicle. I still thought for a large % of our driving the Prius sould serve us well and thus we'll put the Expedition out to pasture for use in towing and vacations. I may get rid of it this fall.

I am absolutely sold on Toyota's hybrid technology. I laugh at articles saying it will be obsolete. How is that? Untill all the current cars are off the road it will still be a better used car in 5 to 10 years than the rest. New technology will come out, but this system will never be bad, just maybe not as good as the newer technology.

It will be interesting to see how American makers attack the 35mpg mandate. Will it simply mix snall economy cars with Gas guzzlers as in the past for an average OR will it develop entire lines of cars with good FE? They still seem to be stuck on putting large V8's to make their power. I don't trust them to develop overall good FE products but they might. I don't want a cheap econo car. I'd love to have a Vette or even new Camaro that gets 35 mpg. A Tahoe that gets 25+ would be great too. I'll just have to wait and see.

[Midpack]

My wife has a 2007 TCH, we absolutely love the car. We just set a new record for us for a tank of gas at 42.5 mpg - and we are by no means hypermilers. We pretty much drive the speed limit everywhere (no higher or lower), use cruise control, keep the tires inflated (not over) and avoid "jack rabbit starts," that's pretty much it. It is astonishing the mileage the car gets considering all the bells & whistles it has.

I plan to buy a new Prius, so we'll have two Toyota hybrids. I'd love to have some other make like a Honda, but the Insight just falls short...

[Manolo1]

I have both. Ended up paying more for the 2010 Prius than the 2007 TCH. Both good cars. The TCH seems more substantial, but handles much worse. At least that is my impression. The Prius being smaller gives me the impression of having much better handling. Also my Prius is brand new and the TCH has 30K miles and is 2 years old and the tires (!) will need replacement soon (those darn OEM tires are a joke...). The Yokohamas in the Prius have better grip than the Michelins on the TCH. Not an apples to apples comparison.

[wvgasguy]

Originally Posted by Midpack

We just set a new record for a tank of gas at 42.5 mpg - and we are by no means hypermilers.

I was able to average 44.5 for 300 miles when on vacation at Nags Head. Mostly 40 to 45 mph driving all flat. My 37.5 lifetime was mostly driving in the hills of WV.

I'm really curious to see what I can do in the Prius. That's part of what made me lean towards the Prius originally.

[ggood]

I also got a PM. Here's my reply:

There have been other threads and posts on this, so you may want to do some searches or browse the TCH forum.

Sharp handling is not a camry forte. The TCH is much more ponderous than the prius. Some people say it drives like a boat. Whereas the Prius has always been a fun runabout, the TCH is geared more for comfort. It can be a little bit bouncy or floaty over large bumps. TCH is always well mannered and under control, but there's never any excitement connected with it. All that being said, it's a very comfortable boat! Ignoring mpg, I would still rather drive the heavier TCH than a prius on a long highway trip, even though the highway handling on the gen 3 Prius is much improved. The Prius still doesn't compare in terms of seat comfort, ease of long distance driving, and ride.

As I said in another post somewhere, the Prius V goes where you point it and has very good cornering (with very little body roll), but noone is going to mistake it for carving turns at Indy. The steering is tight, but still very light (typical Toyota). The 2010 Prius is quieter than the gen 2 prius, but the TCH is quieter. TCH is after all built to be a highway cruiser, whereas the Prius is still a relatively light, small hatchback. You also have to keep in mind my Prius is riding on low profile tires, which are going to give a stiffer, noisier ride, especially if you pump up the tires like I have. The Prius will get at least 10 mpg more than the TCH.

If you are trying to decide between the two, you really just have to decide which factors are most important to you.

[gmalis1]

Okay, I admit to being an idiot.

What's a TCH?

Never mind....the light bulb just went on in my head....Toyota Camry Hybrid! Duh!

[ggood]

Originally Posted by gmalis1

Okay, I admit to being an idiot.

What's a TCH?

Never mind....the light bulb just went on in my head....Toyota Camry Hybrid! Duh!

Yeah, I usually prefer HyCam. Much more colorful and descriptive. I've been breaking down lately and using that awful acronym, since most people posting here seem to have a love affair with an alphabet soup of abbreviations!

[wvgasguy]

Originally Posted by ggood

TCH is after all built to be a highway cruiser, whereas the Prius is still a relatively light, small hatchback.

I would think all things considered a hatchback would put more road noise into the cabin that a car with a trunk

[patsparks]

HyCam or Hicam, my sons old Corolla has Hicam badges on the side.

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by wvgasguy

I would think all things considered a hatchback would put more road noise into the cabin that a car with a trunk

Yeah I'd agree with that logic (one reason why we have a cargo mat [not cargo liner] in the back in an attempt to help muffle some noise).

The new Camry also has sound insulation in the rear wheel wells. It's that fuzzy felt material that you see when you look into the rear wheel well.