Prius vs. Camry vs Honda

Please take extended test-drives of all the vehicles under consideration. They are all pretty darned nice rides.

 

For a city car you can't go wrong with the prius! It fits 4 grown people comfortably. Have nav, bluetooth, Automatic climate, VSC, ABS, traction, Decent sound system with (resonable) ipod/AUX input. Quiet ride, GREAT turning radius; easy to parallel park (back-up camera) and has (at least here in North East) a lot more status then the other cars mentioned.

 

My wife purchased a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid, I bought a 2007 Prius Touring.
Her choice was based on how she fit into these vehicles, and her annoyance at the placement of the rear view mirror in the Prius - just bugged her. And she found herself distracted by the split view in that mirror.
So she sacrificed a little efficiency for the visibility factor, and she loves that Civic HB.

I am pretty hefty, and after driving a Camry for the last three years, found the height of the Prius to be just right for me. I enter the car rear end first, plant that into the seat, and rotate and lift my legs into "battery".
And exiting is the simple reverse. No more climbing out of the Camry (although I have to climb out of the Civic). The Prius fits me just fine. It gives me the illusion of riding higher as in a van.

As for the Accord and Camry hybrids (I guess the Nissan Altima HB is another choice), I was looking for better fuel economy. My old Camry with its V6 averaged 32 mpg. So I couldn't see an advantage.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ormond @ Mar 5 2007, 04:56 PM) [snapback]400556[/snapback]</div>

All these vehicles are fine. My impressions are prius unique vehicle excellant gas mileage,camry hybrid seems more refined than prius,honda civic another fine vehicle and very nimble, the crv is also very well rated for safety and has higher ground clearance which could be a blessing driving in florida rain storms.Only you can decide.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ormond @ Mar 5 2007, 08:05 PM) [snapback]400621[/snapback]</div>

my prius replaces a 05 civic that was rear ended ,the civic will absorb a lot of energy.

 

I test "sat" in a Civic hybrid this weekend, and really like the seats, and steering wheel feel. I didn't have a change to drive it, but the interior seemed to fit me and be more sporty than the Prius, better seat support, etc. I talked to a Civic guy at the gas station, and he was "only" getting 38 compared to my Prius's 50 + mpg, so I'm happy with my choice. Better seats would be nice though....
Also, the hatchback makes the choice a no-brainer for me anyway.

 

I compared the civic and prius and for me the Prius won in all categories. Having said that, I would consider the Nissan Altima because I think you will be able to get the full tax credit in the Nissan, while you will only be able to get a partial on the Prius. Not sure on the Honda. My objections to the Honda were that it was slow and that the rear seat didn't fold down. Other than that, I thought it was a truly excellant car. I'm not a fan of Camrys for no rational reason. I just don't like them. So go ride around in all of them and see what kind of deal you can get, and if you want/need a hatchback or something with decent storage capacity, then you're getting a Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gamiller @ Mar 5 2007, 07:46 PM) [snapback]400614[/snapback]</div>

Last I heard, Honda places the battery behind the rear seats therefore reducing the trunk space and no folding seats! Personally, I think that is unforgivable in a modern automobile, but then again I am a huge fan of hatchback versatility. I'll take a hatch over a sedan anyday, but that's just me.

Other than that, you can't really go wrong with any of them... give them all a test drive and see what you like best!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(scoot @ Mar 6 2007, 04:13 PM) [snapback]401170[/snapback]</div>

I looked it up and the Altima's credit is $2,350, the Civic's credit is $2,100 and the Prius is $1,575.

 

I made the mistake of buying a 2006 Civic Hybrid because I still had not gotten used to the look of a Prius but as has been said, I was only averaging 38 MPG, and Gass mileage was my primary aim.

I traded my 2006 Civic for a 2007 Prius that now has 2000 miles and as far as I can tell, the seat are every bit as comfortable. I am averaging 54 mpg and have grown to prefer the look of the Prius as well.

As far as the Civic Battery behind the rear seat, it will not fold down, the trunk is very small, and I just got a recall notice for the Civic saying that if people sit in the back seat, thy can bend the metal cover over the battery terminals, break the insulation, short out the traction battery and cause a dangerous stall. Like when you just pulled out in front of that big 18 wheeler?

I agree, personal choice and fit are huge factors.

As far as the Camry, what is that hump in the middle front of the hood that looks like a pimple or a cold sore?

 

As others have noted, it depends a lot on how you plan on using your 'city' car. I really liked the CR-V for its general versatility and stellar safety and reliability ratings. I think if you plan to carry around a medium-sized family, tow things, or just haul a lot of cargo, then you may find the Prius a little less flexible. In our case, we opted for some sacrifices in safety/utility for the significant improvement in environmental friendliness -- plus, the Prius actually made economic sense for us, factoring in tax credit, fuel efficiency, etc. Also, I just enjoyed driving the Prius more!

 

I purchased the 2005 prius new and in 06 traded for a 2006 prius.I drove both about 14,000 miles and
had no problems at all,loved them both.
In nov. last yr i traded for the camry highbrid and enjoy the extra room front,side and back.The trunk
space is much smaller than the reg camry but i can live with it.I figure i lost about 8 mpg.I love the extra power
when i step on it.
When i first got my 05 prius i drove it like most people here do trying to get all the mpg i could but after
about 10,000 miles i just drove it like a reg car and still do today.One thing i learned here that i still do is
back off on the gas when i reach the speed i want.
At first i really missed my 06 prius and it had the rear camera but i found i never looked at.After putting on
about 2000 miles on the camry i wouldnt look back on the prius.I feel for my needs the camry is the best
for my needs.
My wife works at tmmk in quality control at georgetown Ky and when i brought the camry home to try it out
she took me for a ride and showed me things the dealership didnt know about the car.I get her discount on
the cars and thats how i was able to trade every yr.
I would say the camry is the best to have but your need to try both. good luck

 

I'm in the same boat. I picked the Prius because I already have other cars and didn't want the same type car. You have an Audi A8 so why get a Camry? You'll just be disappointed in it. But the Prius is so different that you can't compare it to any other car.