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2012 Camry XLE Hybrid vs Gen III Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by saginus, Apr 22, 2012.

  1. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    Hello Prius owners,
    I am considering a hybrid car and i have narrowed it down to one of two toyata cars.... as there are lot of prius lovers here, i am sure you must have considered camry hybrid if yours is not that too old.. so i wanted to know your opinion about the two cars and why you chose Prius over Camry hybrid..
    My dilemma is that my primary concern is not really mileage.. i mean, I do not want to give up every other thing just to get a better mpg, we do not drive more than 10K/year....i do want it to be higher than normal cars just to save money but i am ok if it is not 50... that is the reason Camry hybrid is one of my choice...I excluded Sonata hybrid as i read bad reviews abt it..

    secondly, i couldnt find a Prius equivalent to Camry hybrid XLE (with leather + NAV which are a must)..would that be Gen III Prius 5?

    if possible please comment on:
    - Maintenance
    - Resale value after say 7-8 years

    Thanks for all your time....
     
  2. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    I'll leave the discussions of equivalent models, maintenance and depreciation to others.
    In our case, the Prius had the advantage of being a tall vehicle. By that I mean it's easier to get in and out of than a conventional car and its interior space is remarkable while leaving the outside very compact and easy to park and maneuver. The turning circle is quite tight. If you add the super mileage on top of that, it was an easy decision for us.

    - Chris

    P.S. - Welcome aboard!
     
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  3. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    Thanks css28... I read something otherwise, that Camry has better interior comfort than Prius.. I must have misunderstood...
     
  4. ralleia

    ralleia Active Member

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    We actually "bought" a loaded Camry hybrid XLE with the premium NAV package last month. Long story short, the car never got out of our driveway again except to go back to the dealership for troubleshooting, and the contract was canceled. But all that means is that we've had recent experience shopping for one.

    After that experience (nothing personal against the car), I'm now far more interested in a Prius four with solar package and premium NAV.

    Is it the NAV that you are looking for, or the premium NAV?

    If it's the regular NAV, then you're looking for a Prius three with NAV package.

    If it's the premium NAV, then it'll be a four or a five. The five gets you the bigger wheels and LED headlamps. I don't care about those, so I'm selecting the four.

    Reasons for the Prius four + solar + premium NAV over Camry XLE loaded + premium NAV?

    1) gas mileage (I know this isn't a consideration for you, but I like playing with my car in seeing how high I can get the fuel economy. It's kind of like a video game while driving.)
    2) I felt kind of "old" driving the Camry XLE, like it was such a distinguished-looking car that I had to drive all stodgy and responsible in it. Another person might feel fine about it.
    3) I like the solar ventilation option in the Prius four
    4) The loaded XLE came with a Blind-Spot Monitor (your side mirrors light up bright red if there's a car in your blind spot on that side). It wasn't distracting at all, but I'm concerned that if you learn to rely on that, then you may get into trouble if you drive a car without this feature.
    5) You'll never feel like a full-fledged member of Priuschat unless you buy the Prius

    Reasons that support the Camry XLE over any Prius

    1) Peppy acceleration means it doesn't even feel like a hybrid!
    2) It is one SWEET car, in the sophisticated look and feel of the displays, the ride, and the room.
    3) The Camry XLE displayed tire pressure stats *by tire* on the vehicle stats page. Prius just has the standard Toyota "dummy light" and doesn't bother to tell you which tire has an issue.
    4) The road condition information on the Premium NAV (and I think several other information feeds, like stock quotes) comes through the satellite, making the data faster and NOT consuming bandwidth on your cellular plan
    5) Camry comes in Clearwater Blue Metallic
    6) Price between the loaded Prius 4 and loaded Camry XLE is essentially the same.

    Great. Now I've talked myself 70% of the way back to a loaded hybrid Camry XLE...
     
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  5. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    Really appreciate your time.. a really consolidated response that will help us in making our decision...

    I currently have been using Audi A6 3.0 V6.... So that is where the leather is a must thing comes from... and NAV is for my wife, we are just interested in simple in Dash NAV.. no weather or traffic info needed..

    somehow i have a belief that Prius is not conventional car and that if i want a hybrid, camry will make me feel "normal" in a way..this paranoia, i guess, i got after using Audi...

    Regarding your experience, I am sorry to hear about that, may be it is just one bad car...that does not really make Camry Hybrid a bad car... I guess there were reasons why you bought it in the first place and one lemon car should not demotivate you..
     
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  6. ralleia

    ralleia Active Member

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    Leather AND the regular NAV package come standard in the Prius four and five, so start your comparisons there. The Prius four without premium NAV and solar roof runs about $29K MSRP before you start adding in floor mats and such.
     
  7. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    Mileage.

    Prius have the leather and the Nav in Prius3/4 and 3/5 level.

    Only reason I could see for a Camry Hybrid would be styling, the person did not like the Prius look.
     
  8. Tandem Rider

    Tandem Rider Junior Member

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    I bought a Prius for the milage and the liftback. My wife and I ride a tandem bicycle and with wheels off we can put the tandem in the back of or Prius. It would not fit in a Camry. On a recent trip to Florida we saved $265 in gas by driving the Prius rather than our van.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    we have had a hycam since 07 and love it. we are cureently looking at the 12, as well as ford fusion hybrid. we find the camry much more comfortible than the prius. larger, smoother, quieter. and i love my prius, but for mpg's. if you want to save money, buy a regular camry, at $4./gal. you'll never make up the price difference. all the best!
     
  10. Kingetula

    Kingetula New Member

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    I have both 2012 Camry Hybrid XLE and Prius 5. Wife drives the Prius as she drives more.

    I hate both cars! Why? Because one has something the other doesn't have! We wish we could breed the 2 cars together and make a Priuscam!

    What I mean is, she likes the blindspot warning on the mirrors with the camry, I like the cruise control thing that keeps you at a safe distance from the car ahead of you plus the assist thing that keeps you in the lane you are in. I love the cockpit feel of the prius and all the things that light up and go on around the dash of the prius, makes the camry feel like just another car. I love the electric seats in the camry for driver and passange but the prius is only has it for the driver. I like the avg mpg since start with the camry but the prius doesn't have that. Seriously, we want it all in one car.

    I could go on I guess... I think you get the point.

    The prius is fun to drive but not every day for me. I like the comfort of the seats in the camry.

    I told the dealer I wish I got 2 Prius' when I bought them, the Prius came in a day before and when I got in the camry I was like, this is boring but it grew on me and I love my camry now.
     
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  11. Kingetula

    Kingetula New Member

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    BTW, people do say you'll never make up the money (Not picking on the post above mine) but for me, I'd rather drive something I like than worry about making up the money... Sure money is important but I want to be happy with what I am driving and not wish I would have got the next model above mine
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    exactly. i was just responding to the o.p.'s reason for buying a hybrid. if that's the only reason, don't buy one.
     
  13. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    Thanks everyone for your time...got some valuable info..
    but, i do not quite agree with the fact that you will never be able to make up the extra money you pay for the hybrid... Like i was suggested to buy regular Camry and not hybrid, I built XLE regular and XLE hybrid, difference comes down to $2500...which i think I can recover in 3 yrs with $4/gal....
    but anyway, agree with the person who mentioned about the trunk size.. we watched a video too, and it is ridiculous...we are cancelling on Camry hybrid.. I will check out Prius 3/4/5 but as people say it is not comfortable/quieter, i am not sure how I will enjoy the long trips when it is not going to comfortable seating...
     
  14. ralleia

    ralleia Active Member

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    Kingetula,

    What package was your XLE?

    I noticed that the XLE with the regular NAV package was just "blah" on the inside, but with the premium NAV on the XLE, is looked space-agish and EXCITING.

    On the seats, I'm weird in that I dislike electric seats and prefer the manual adjustments. But I *do* like the rump warmer feature for the winter, and heated side mirrors!
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    say 25 mpg in camry and 40 in hycam will save you 150 gal./year x $4. = $600. so four year breakeven, so that's pretty good. i am surprised they are only $2500. apart. if you think the trunk is bad now, you should have seen the last gen.
     
  16. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    i was just checking out prius v (did not really know what 'v' is).... just built it with every thing that i need, comes to about $37,383..... getting expensive i guess, in 35K we can get Lexux CT200h, but considering maintenance costs 5-8 yrs down the line, prius v is still a good buy...
     
  17. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    that is exactly how i calculated... recovered in 3, max 4 years..
     
  18. ralleia

    ralleia Active Member

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    Are you certain about that sticker price? I've only driven one of the Vs, but I have the brochure here.

    Pricing a Prius V with five trim (there's no four) comes to $30,900 with no options. That already gets you heated leather seats and the regular NAV package.

    Adding on the advanced technology package gets you the premium NAV, radar cruise control, moonroof, pre-collision system, and advanced parking guidance system (is this just a fancy name for the backup camera?). That package adds $5580 and brings the total MSRP to $36,480.

    Not a big difference, I guess, but is it something in the advanced package that you were aiming to get?
     
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  19. saginus

    saginus New Member

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    I totally agree with you and think that advanced tech package (which after adding 1K worth extras price goes to 37K)is not really worth it and it actually goes well above my budget, but Prius v 3 does not have leather seats..and also wanted fog lights, 17' alloy wheels.. not sure if i can add just these..plz chk at the end.

    Also, in one review video, one guy mentioned that "Leather" used in seating is not really leather, but "synthetic". Is that true? i hope not.


    From toyota's website:
    Prius v Three
    Hybrid Synergy Drive® with EV [3]/ECO/POWER modes, Available Display Audio with Navigation and Entune™, Smart Key System [5]

    Prius v Five
    Hybrid Synergy Drive® with EV [3]/ECO/POWER modes, LED headlamps with auto on/off feature, SofTex-trimmed seats, 17-in. alloy wheels, available Advanced Technology Package

    Advanced Technology Package with Additional Options $5,580
    (AT) Advanced Technology Package
    (FE) 50 State Emissions
    (PV) 17" Alloy Wheels, LED Headlamps, Fog Lamps, SofTex-trimmed Seating, 3-Door Smart Key
     
  20. SuperchargedMR2

    SuperchargedMR2 Diehard Rams Fan

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    I took our Prius III on a 2000 mile trip to California & back. I drove straight through each way & I found the seats very comfortable. The car was plenty quiet to me too. I thought it made a great road trip car. I'm sure the Camry hybrid is nice too but it felt way too big to my wife & I when we bought our Prius last year.