Prius v. Camry Hybrid

I test-drove a TCH earlier this year. It felt ... big. I didn't
like the huge center-console and traditional shifter lever; one
feature of the prius was getting *away* from that in my prior car.
.
"... for better MPG and more storage, choose the Prius" ... wow,
following that logic, where's my 120 mpg box truck?? [no slight
intended, it just struck me as funny]
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MBPR @ Nov 14 2006, 02:18 PM) [snapback]348884[/snapback]</div>

I, too, am wondering about the robustness of the Prius interior. The kickpanels seem lighter and less resistant to scuffing than my '96 RAV4; the dash panel does indeed seem pretty flimsy and vibrates up and down (the TRD suspension on my car makes this worse, though), and I get this feeling that the car was definitely designed down to its curb weight.

I feel like the workmanship on the Prius is good (cut lines are even, etc.) but the materials do seem a bit on the cheap side. To Toyota's credit, they've used textures and finishes to good effect, but living with the car for a while does reveal some things which seem a little underbuilt.

Whether this will be a problem as the car ages, I don't know.

Oh, and regarding the Camry Hybrid, I agree with the observation about the big shift lever and center console. I feel like that's expensive real estate when it comes to a car interior...what a waste to use it for a gearshift lever and (in some cars) a hand brake lever, too! This strikes me as really regressive. Also, those big rotary knobs and whatnot just looked so...overstyled...to my eye.

 

What I liked about the new Prius Touring made the difference in my choosing it over a HyCam.

The large cargo space was used so many times in my driving a 2004 Prius. I had to remind myself you can't do those thing with a Camry.
The MPG is so much better than anything close to a Prius.
I can turn the car around in a very small space.
I like the start button and park button.
The leather seats with Liquicell are so much more comfortable than the 04 cloth seats.
The tuned suspension and whatever else they added to the 07 Touring has really impressed.
I wasn't interested in a sunroof. (have one on our Murano never use it).
I personally would not trade my 07 Touring for a loaded Camry Hybrid.

You said MPG was not that important to you. You wanted a sunroof. The audio is said to be better on the Camry. It is also said to be more comfortable. If the trunk isn't important to you. You probably want a Camry. It just bolied down to what you want in a car. Add the pluses and minuses.

Good luck and enjoy which ever hybrid you choose.

 

Another owner of both weighing in. I went to a 2006 Prius (from a 2005) in July, and my wife got a hyCam in September. She had a Prius too, before that. Both fully loaded, and the difference in msrp was only a little over $1000, not 2-4k as indicated previously. Maybe prices have changed since then, but the msrp on the Prius was 29.4 or so, and the hyCam was 30.5 or so, as I recall.

Bottom line, the Camry is a much nicer car and better value for the small difference in money. It is simply a better deal.

That said, my next car will be a 2007 Prius, when my mag. grey comes in. For me, the extra 10 MPG and the better storage space/utility made the difference. I also can't stand having to put the Camry into Park!

As the previous posters so ably indicated, it really comes down to your overall needs/preference, not so much that one has a backup camera or the other has heated seats. Those differences can be solved aftermarket, anyway.

rpm

 

ok, i haven't read all 24 posts here but i can see one huge difference off the top of my head that may be overlooked

the gas bladder.

as in, the prius has one and the camry doesn't. and if you take a short look here you'll see all the drama (although most of it unnecessary) that the bladder causes.

anyway i personally would stick with the prius simply because when we go on cross country trips we need a lot of space to carry stuff. the prius is awesome for hauling bigger items you wouldn't fit in a camry.

 

All the hybrids I'm aware of regenerate through the drivetrain. It could be done at the hub (and likely will be in the future), but this is not the case with any production cars I've seen to date. And since the rear wheels aren't powered (no driveshafts, halfshafts, etc), there is no system by which power can be recovered there. Also, the disc brakes couldn't possibly be part of the regen since the pads don't even touch during anything resembling a normal stop. (exception: very low speeds)

Also, your implication that having MORE WHEELS integrated into hybrid regen would mean MORE REGENERATED POWER needs some rethinking. In a rolling Prius there is "X" amount of kinetic energy to capture, and you can capture "X" with 2-wheels, 4-wheels, or one wheel... and it's still "X."

It's likely you already know all these things, but you probably just haven't thought it through.

GeronimoPFudgemuffin

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LuvMy06Prius @ Nov 14 2006, 12:53 PM) [snapback]348799[/snapback]</div>

That doesn't make any sense. The 05 and the 06 are identical save the option of leather seats, and even then the seat structure is the same. The seat isn't even my concern (although I don't find them particularly comfortable), the issue is the upright driving position, the small awkwardly positioned steering wheel, and the lack of ways to comfortably position my arms while driving the car. Its kind of like driving a golf cart. These things are the same in every 04-07 Prius. They alone would cause me to purchase a Hybrid Camry for myself to drive every day over a Prius. If they don't bother you thats great, but any comfort differences you felt between an 05 and an 06 are purely in your head.

The ES330 is no longer made, its been replaced by the ES350. In order to get an ES350 with nav like he wants is going to cost him $41k, $9k more than a hybrid Camry.

 

I waited for the hCamry but went for the Prius instead. I felt Toyota's Camry concept - basically keep the same body style but allow consumer to decide on engine type - maybe is not the right direction. I was turned off by the lack of trunk space in the sedan style thinking maybe they will come up a hCamry wagon or hatch-back someday that would be more consistent with the hybrid battery. I was also swayed by the lower cost w/ the tax credit low $20's and higher mileage.

In the past I did not like the Camry sunroof because loss of head room for me...don't know if that is still the case.

Clearly Prius is great fun so far but is less comfortable on long trips...great for short trips/commute.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darwhisp @ Nov 15 2006, 01:26 AM) [snapback]349346[/snapback]</div>

I agonized over the same decision back in September - or whenever I bought the Prius. I went to the store to buy a Prius – wasn’t even thinking Camry Hybrid. But there was a midnight blue Camry at the dealer that just looked sweet!

It reminded me of the dark blue 2001 S4 I had before my 2005 Maxima. It was just more stylish – more car like. And being a performance car guy, I wavered.

But it just felt less special in there. It was much more pseudo-luxurious, in a slightly tacky kind of way. But –

The mileage was nowhere near as good and the space was limited. And it was $5000 more than the Prius. I got the #3 package – I don’t know what was on the Camry – probably everything.

The bottom line for me - it drives like a freakin’ Camry, after all – not a BMW 3 series or an Audi S4 or even a Maxima. Grandmothers and actuaries drive Camrys. It is the most vanilla vehicle ever manufactured. It feels like you splurged for the full-sized rental car at the airport.

So I bought the Prius and spent $500 having it sound proofed. Car is as quiet as a big fat American car now. There was no mileage hit. And then I installed the mother of all audio systems. You can hear whether Miles has been smoking menthol or regular.

And now I am one very happy, not very cool, middle-aged, suburban daddy-o.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ Nov 14 2006, 01:50 PM) [snapback]348790[/snapback]</div>

Positive. Someone else already beat me to the explanation, but it's also worth mentioning that the HyCam has a smaller battery than the Prius, which is probably why it goes green far sooner than the Prius's battery.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ Nov 14 2006, 09:50 AM) [snapback]348790[/snapback]</div>

The measure of pollution is not a matter of how much time the car is in electric mode. It's a matter of how much gas is burned, and how effective is the pollution-control system. Since the Camry burns more gas per mile than the Prius, it puts more carbon into the atmosphere. And the Prius was designed first and foremost for low emissions, so can be counted upon to be Toyota's lowest-pollution car in production today.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TJandGENESIS @ Nov 14 2006, 09:50 AM) [snapback]348790[/snapback]</div>

Johnnycat pointed out that a smaller battery will get to green faster. In addition, since all the energy ultimately comes from gas, the Camry's bigger gas engine will charge the battery faster.

These two facts make the HyCam less efficient and more polluting than the Prius.

The Camry has more power. But the Prius has all the power I need. The Camry looks more like a conventional car, which may be important to some people, but certainly not to me. And people seem to think the Camry is more comfortable, which can be important for long trips, though some of us are willing to make that small sacrifice for the environment.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Actual Mileage @ Nov 15 2006, 08:48 AM) [snapback]349410[/snapback]</div>

what did you do for sound proofing? What was most effective?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cobra9 @ Nov 15 2006, 01:56 PM) [snapback]349616[/snapback]</div>

Hey - just saw this.

I went with Cascade - great stuff.

 

I have driven both vehicles (my wife is a "hybrid specialist" at our local Toyota dealer)... The Camry has a more expenive feel to it in the way it drives and handles and I like that better than the Prius (personal preference). However if my primary concern was fuel economy or the convenience of the hatchback I would buy the Prius.

I would not consider the Toyota online navigation, period. I have used several aftermarket models and even my wife agrees they are "light years ahead" of what Toyota offers from the factory. Same deal for a good stereo. Much better can be had at a better price by a professional aftermarket installer.

Both cars ride well and would serve just about any normal person's needs. Seats can be upgraded... Our local Toyota dealer outsources seating upgrades.

It really comes down to personal preference and how you intend on using the car. You can't really go wrong with either choice.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roshr @ Nov 14 2006, 05:34 AM) [snapback]348626[/snapback]</div>

Well I know it's YOUR thread, but the Highlander / Rx-400h ALSO give you a lot of towing capacity, as well as your other features listed. Of course you gota sink more cash into your consideration, too. But there IS something to be said for the hybrid SUV's.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Dec 2 2006, 01:40 AM) [snapback]356568[/snapback]</div>

Yes, yes there is.
I ust traded my '07 HyCam for a '07 HiHy.

More room. More acceleration. But less bells and overall whistles.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tnthub @ Dec 1 2006, 04:52 PM) [snapback]356412[/snapback]</div>

This I disagree with. I have two Toyota OEM navigation systems and have never been dissapointed with either of them. I've used aftermarket systems and while they do have more features, the basic features are really all you need, and having it built in and integrated with the car vs some cheesy bolt-on-the-dash unit or a aftermarket install is more than worth it to me. I would never consider an aftermarket system, period.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Dec 2 2006, 06:13 PM) [snapback]356822[/snapback]</div>

I prefer my Garmin because it sits up on the dash, right in my line of sight, so I don't have to look over at the MFD to see the map. And the "beanbag" system means I can set it on the floor, or even take it with me when I travel to use in a rental car. It is not installed permanently. It was cheaper than the built-in would have been, and easier and cheaper to upgrade. And finally, I can use the GPS while still displaying other info on the MFD (especially the CAN-View display). Oh, sorry, one more thing: I can bring it indoors to program in locations. That can be useful when preparing for a trip which will involve multiple destinations.