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Why I changed my order to a 07 Camry

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by sloopG, Jan 11, 2006.

  1. sloopG

    sloopG New Member

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    Just changed my order from an '06 Prius to an '07 Camry. I still think the Prius is a great car but I think the Camry Hybrid is a better fit for me. Here's why...

    Primary reasons...

    1) Figured out last weekend that I will be subject to AMT for '06 taxes. Will get no benefit from the Prius tax credit so the car's cost just went up $3k for me. (bummer)

    2) Fully adjustable seats on the Camry. We really need the height adjustment for my wife.

    3) Independent suspension and disc brakes on all four wheels. Sorry, after all these years of the auto industry pounding the benefits of disc brakes into my head, it was hard for me to be happy with drum brakes on the rear wheels.

    4) 192 hp engine. That's a decent amount of HP.

    5) I'm blessed with a short comute so I don't need the HOV lane stickers.

    6) 43 city/37 highway MPG for a sedan like the Camry is very good and well within my target range for fuel efficency.


    Secondary reasons....

    1) do not need the hatchback though it is a nice feature on the Prius

    2) looks like the color palette will be nicer for the Camry. None of the Prius colors appealed to me. If they stay with the current Camry color palette, I'll be a happy.

    3) A 10-15% price premium over a Prius did not seem that much more expensive given items 2,3 & 4 above.

    4) a little wider interior for us "full figured" adults

    5) the interior does not look as spartan or spacey as the Prius

    6) the new Camry styling is definitely more agressive which I like.

    We've had very good luck with Toyota's (a great Land Cruiser that we currently own and love) and a very reliable Celica back in the 80s. Their build quality is very good so I'm OK taking a chance on a first year model.

    I can always change my order back to a Prius if the Camry Hybrid doesn't look as good once all the facts and figures come out. Didn't want to buy the Prius and then be sorry if the Camry Hybrid was a better fit.


    Now I have to wait until June or July. Again. I think I've found a new way of saving money... keep delaying your car purchase.

    Maybe we can have a separate section on this forum for the Camry Hybrid?
     
  2. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

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    Well, there is, sorta. It's the Other Cars forum.
     
  3. longjohn931

    longjohn931 New Member

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    Sounds to me like your just pushing biting the big $$$$ bullet forward a year.

    The Camry is a fine vehicle and will probably suit your needs just fine, however it is still a Camry just like every other on the road only with a choice of drive train. Why don't you wait to see what the 07 Prius might bring. It will always be a hybrid and unique.
     
  4. bobr1

    bobr1 New Member

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    I understand your reasons and comments but have one thing to counter:

    Braking works quite differently on a Prius (and presumably the Camry Hybrid) because of regeneration. You are using electromagnetic energy for most of the deceleration, and the friction brakes kick in only around 7MPH and below.

    I'm not sure that the switch from rear drum to disc would really buy you much of anything in the way of performance or feel. I _almost_ suspect that Toyota put 4-wheel disc on the Camry because it is a feature many people ask for, coming from the mindset of conventional cars, and Toyota didn't want to have to explain it away. But it's probably just so they could standardize on a common rear brake configuration among Camry models and save on tooling and supply line costs.

    - Bob R.
     
  5. SomervillePrius

    SomervillePrius New Member

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    I had a hard time making up my mind on a Prius or Camry. In the end I choose Prius. I just can't deal with driving a Camry... "the most sold sedan on the road". I just wand something a little less common and the more I think about it the more I like "rubbing it in" with the Prius. It stands out in a good way and makes people think about their SUV and those guilty feeling they know to be true (that it's not "cool", it's unsafe, bad for the environment and really just a mini van) :)

    The Prius is also a car you can drive to meet you boss even if he shows up with a BMW. You will stil get the looks and questions :)
     
  6. syncmaster

    syncmaster Member

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    I really don't think you will be getting the estimated MPG.
    you will more likely get 28 highway, I hope that is good enough for you.

    Here is a link to REAL MPG numbers.
    I think the accord hybrid mpg is close to what the camry hybrid will be.
    http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/


    hope your happy with it.


    PS. I would never buy the first year a new model comes out.
    I bought the prius because it is a 3rd generation.
     
  7. sloopG

    sloopG New Member

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    On the brakes comment.... I viewed putting the rear drum brakes in the North American Prius as purely a cost saving measure by Toyota. Especially when they do put 4 wheel disc brakes in the overseas models. Nothing wrong with drum brakes but my mindset was changed over to disc brakes by the car manufacturers many years ago. Drum brakes just sound so 1970ish. Now watch the Camry Hybrid's final spec release include rear drum brakes.... Dohhhhhhhhh

    On the unique look of the Prius... I personally like the look of the Prius but was not happy with the color choices. My wife and son think the Prius looks like a rolling sneaker but that did not affect the decision to buy one. Heck, we actually bought a Nissan Axxess back in the 80s if anyone remembers them. People thought we were driving a hover van.

    I placed my order for a Prius because at the time, it was a better fit for what we were looking for in a hybrid than the HCH or the Accord Hybrid. I now think the Camry Hybrid does an even better job of meeting our hybrid wish list. It's very nice to have a choice.
     
  8. rogerSC

    rogerSC Member

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    Given the choice between the Prius and the Camry, I'd take the Prius without a second thought (maybe that's a problem in itself). The Prius is quite roomy inside, while not being penalized by styling that requires a larger size on the outside. This makes it easier to park, shorter turning radius, generally easier to get around where I live, while still accommodating my family. The hatchback is also very important to me. The car that I had before this one was also a hatchback, and I love their utility and the ability to use the whole back part of the car for carrying stuff when necessary is great. And throw in the extra gas mileage, and that's a slam dunk for me. Color is a minor consideration relative to the above.

    -Roger
     
  9. LaughingMan

    LaughingMan Active Member

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    Completely disagree.

    You're wrong that the Camry will get the same mileage as the Accord. The Accord is a mild hybrid (assist type) based on a hungry V6 engine. The Camry Hybrid is based on a 4cylinder atkinson cycle engine... much like the Prius, but a little bigger. Certainly not a gas guzzling V6 Plus, the Camry is a full hybrid system.

    The Camry should be able to get up close to 40 all around... just like how the Prius is able to get 50 highway.
     
  10. sloopG

    sloopG New Member

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    "The Camry Hybrid is based on a 4cylinder atkinson cycle engine... much like the Prius, but a little bigger. Certainly not a gas guzzling V6 Plus, the Camry is a full hybrid system."

    I agree. I usually decrease the advertised MPG by 10% for my expected MPG. Even with that adjustment, average mileage of 39/33 is an acceptable MPG range for me. That's still over 500 miles on a tank of gas. Hopefully I'll get closer to 40/40 MPG.
     
  11. sanguis

    sanguis Member

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    camry hybrid should be a great car! go toyota!
     
  12. driveprius

    driveprius New Member

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    Actually, in a video link that was posted here the Camry Hybrid and Accord Hybrid both got a test drive over a 200 km course in Canada. The Camry Hybrid beat out the Accord Hybrid. Actually, I think even the Ford Escape Hybrid might have beat out the Accord Hybrid.

    I think the big difference between the two vehicles is that the Accord was mostly Hybridized to be a high performance car. Honda mated a high horsepower 6 cylinder engine with a small electric engine to give it extra punch. So for Honda the Accord Hybrid is the top of the line package in price, features and gas mileage.

    The Camry Hybrid still uses a 4 cylinder gas engine with the electric engine and so while it won't out accelerate the Accord it will tend to get better mileage.

    Finally, there is the issue that the Camry has is a full Hybrid while the Accord is a "partial" hybrid, in that it can not ever run on pure electric.
     
  13. bobr1

    bobr1 New Member

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    The video link posted in the other threads was with a conventional Camry, NOT a Camry hybrid. This has been noted by several followups in the other threads.

    - Bob R.
     
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yes, it's NOT a camry hybrid.

    btw, the 2007 Camry should have a longer EV period. It has rear regenerative braking. The Prius only regenerates from the front.
     
  15. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    They are vitually the same for space, but the camry is bigger on the outside and weighs more even with the bigger engine, give more power, the worse aerodynamics and weigh offset the benifits.

    True all in all, the camry will have more get up and go, but I would never use it.. the prius has "plenty!".... I think the extra mpg will be more of a blessing over the long haul, and yes.. I don't care for the looks... it looks like every other car out there.

    There would be alot of improvements that manufacturers would do if they would sell, but so many people have trouble with things that look too different than the norm.... That is the very feature I like.. not just for looks alone, but its all about aerodynamics....

    I'm still having trouble getting used to the smaller tires, but the prius has become an luxury car that is hard to challenge.
    The camry would be a very nice car too, but at the cost of mph, I don't think it has enough to offer to make it worth it for me.
     
  16. sloopG

    sloopG New Member

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    Giving the Prius electric adjustable seats would be huge. it's difficult to consider it a luxury car without the feature. it was the biggst objection of my wife. She felt like she would have to sit on a pillow to see properly out the front window.

    I also believe that the wider track of the Camry hybrid will give it a more stable feel in heavy crosswinds at highway speeds.
     
  17. tomdeimos

    tomdeimos New Member

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    I can't see why anyone would buy a hybrid Camry. It is not aerodynamic to start with so no power system will ever give it decent mpg.

    If you don't care about mpg why not just buy the regular one?

    It's not like a Ford Escape hybrid, where there might be some needed functionality to having that shape of a car.
     
  18. Clar

    Clar Member

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    How aerodynamic do you want CH to be? Coefficient of Drag is 0.27.
     
  19. Astrotoy7

    Astrotoy7 New Member

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    good luck with the camry.... though the prius looks cooler by far :D
     
  20. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    My thoughts exactly. 0.27 is pretty damn aerodynamic. It employs the same features as the Prius with wheel spats and underbody fairings to control air flow under the vehicle. Honestly, for a big car 0.27 is good. A Mazda3 only gets 0.30 ditto for the NSX.