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What's the Prius platform?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by kgall, Mar 22, 2011.

  1. kgall

    kgall Active Member

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    My wife and I were driving down the highway today and saw a Camry hybrid.
    She was surprised that the Prius got better mileage, because she thought they were about the same size and based on the same platform--i.e., the bottom frame on which everything is built.
    I said I thought the Prius was a different platform--new.
    Who's right?

    This oughta be a newbie question and not something from a guy with over 400 posts on this website, but I just don't know.
     
    #1 kgall, Mar 22, 2011
  2. theloop82

    theloop82 Member

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    Im sure someone will correct me- but I remember reading its based on the Avensis (Japanese only model).

    "Platforms" are less important than you think nowadays. Car to car they share very little tooling other than a few key points that stuff mounts to. These arent 90's GM plastic clad crapboxes were talking about where they changed the headlights and the color of the gagues from one car to another. If you go to swap parts between a Matrix and a Carolla, or a Camry and a Highlander, you will be suprised how few parts (other than engines and switches) fit.
     
    #2 theloop82, Mar 22, 2011
  3. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    Not correcting you, but I read that the GEN III shared a Corolla/Auris platform with a stretched wheelbase. OTOH, we could both be right:cool:
     
    #3 xs650, Mar 23, 2011
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    The platform isn't really relevant to mileage. Weight, drag, and propulsion efficiency are the key. The Camry is heavier, with a larger engine and more aerodynamic drag.

    Tom
     
    #4 qbee42, Mar 23, 2011
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