Camry Hybrid vs Prius: Pluses and Minuses

The Camry Hybrid trunk is not that great. If you really care about trunk space, the regular Camry is much better. Even the Fusion Hybrid has a notably larger trunk.

The main reason many people get the Camry vs the Prius is because they can't stand the way the Prius looks and they want a "normal" looking car instead or may want some optional features missing on the Prius such as power seats. The Camry isn't as practical of a car as the Prius.
It's not as if the extra power in the Camry allows you to pull a trailer or anything.

 

GenII Prius:
Surges too much, at rest and sometimes when driving.

Camry:
Surges? What surges?

GenII Prius:
Way way WAY too sensitive ABS system. (I blink the yellow light routinely as roads in Detroit Metro are pothole or ripple ridden.) Losing power ain't cool.

Camry:
Lose power? Who loses power?


Sincerely,

ZC1

 

Lets say power mode was 25% faster than eco Mode, couldn't someone pull out in front of a big truck get hit then try to blame toyota for having a mode that makes the car alot slower than it normally is? Or they could say the car switched modes on it's own causing the accident?

I'm sure 0-60 times in eco and power modes are within 1 or 2% of each other. Thus if you floor it it really doesn't matter much.

 

Thanks for the clarification - in particular the fact of "the car switched modes on it's own causing the accident" is a *very* compelling reason to make sure the car provides, when flooring it, the same power.
But then, I am really "fooled" by the switch. The behaviour of the car is really different when using ECO or PWR (or normal for that matter). And unfortunately I don't have a GPS to record the 0-60mph - sure it is going to be the same, but still, when you are not flooring the behaviour is too different to justify just a different accelerator mapping.
I mean, I cannot have the same behaviour I get in PWR, when in ECO - either I am too shy in ECO always with the gas pedal (likely - possibly influenced by the HSI bar which *does* show different lengths in different modes for the same applied gas pedal pressure) or there is something really different.
It would be interesting to see, for example, if 60mph are reached (in the same time), in different way - say in ECO, more slowly at the beginning and faster afterwards, normal could be linear and PWR faster at the beginning and slower at the end. But this would mean be able to stop acceleration (from "flooring it" to "not pressing it") when reaching exactly 60mph... .

Otherwise, I am really trapped by the "magic" of the mode...
I hope to read soon somebody with a Prius Gen 3 fitted with a Scangauge that can tell us exactly how the modes affect the car, if only, just the accelerator response...

 

are we on topic? different experience between hycam and prius? i think some people here are referring to non hybrid camry.

 

You might think so, but then think about the 2, 3, or even 4 layer high interstate interchanges in the US. There are many ramps I have used that are ~345degrees - ~375degrees once all is said and done (roads cross at very slightly different angles, usually with another running perpendicular underneath, over, or inbetween.

As for camry hybrid vs. prius, I test drove both, and I liked the camry better. But the price + drop in mpg did not outweigh the best benefit of looks.

That really is all it is. Nobody cares too much about performance, it is mostly appearances. I dont like the look of my new prius, but that wasnt high on my priority list.

I can accelerate onto a 75mph interstate with a 4-5 car length merging area (rediculous this is even legal in the states...) at full speed uphill gradient. Yeah, you have to floor the pedal, but it is fast enough. Actually, isnt this a reason for the increased engine size of most american import cars? Some US DOT regulation of minimum 0-60mph time (maybe 55mph in the regulation) because of freeway merging speeds and merging lane length requirements... I seem to remember reading up on this when I was reading up on other reasons why the US outlaws all the highly efficient cars (like the 5mph bumber test rule, what bologna that is...)

 

Having an 08 TCH & our 10 Prius V, they are both unique in their own right. The TCH IMO is much more quieter, smoother, luxurious, & more comfortable on longer trips and has no problems getting on the freeway. Obviously it is much more bigger and powerful and I get around 38-40s on the HWY, mid 30s combined. Downside for some of course is the smaller trunk and lesser MPGs and depending on the person, is a sedan and not a hatch. The 07-09 models with nav didn't come with a backup camera which I'm finding extremely helpful.

The Prius however is a whole different driving experience. It is fun to drive and definitely is not your average car. The huge trunk space is great and I'm getting used to the digital display compared to the old fashioned one on the TCH. Also on the TCH I it takes about 12-14 gallons to fill up for about 400+ miles, while on the Prius I'm only having to fill about 9 gallons for 400+ miles before the indicator starts bleeping. I'm finally hitting the 50's as the weather is now in the mid 70s, thank you Spring!

Either way, it's a great feeling when you're at a stoplight on both cars and you're not idling.

 

Yes I am, I drove the Gen III Prius in Sydney Australia before it was released in Australia.

The Prius accelerates just as hard in EV also at full throttle because it comes out of EV mode at full throttle. The modes only affect the first half of accelerator pedal signal, once the pedal is pressed past half way the signal to the ECU controling power output is the same.

 

You probably mean a 2007?

I put 67000 miles on my 07 TCH. Looking back I liked it better than the prius in all respects EXCEPT:
1) I like the handling of the Prius V. The TCH was mushy and wallowed all over the road.
2) I like the looks of the Prius V. The TCH was rather bland.

I had no problems with the trunk of the TCH and unless one lowers the seats on the Prius I would prefer the TCH trunk.

The TCH seemed to be easier to beat EPA, even in cold weather. The Prius seems to be on the edge and anything detrimental (wind, rain, cold, the 17's) hurt the milage pretty significantly). However 45 mpg is still pretty awesome.

I really hate NOT having power seats. My wife and I have completely different seating requirements and the Prius is a pain. Additionally the way the seat cusion rotates around the front fixed pivot rather than raising limits the adjustment.

Bottom line, if the TCH was offered with the SE suspension and looks I would live with the lower FE and take the Camry.

 

New cars have spoiled us. I believe the early smog equiped 280Z took almost 12 sec for 0-60 and it was considered a "sports" car.

 

I totally agree, I wish it also had power seats ever since I was introduced to it on our previous 2000 Sienna. I would LOVE a TCH SE edition too!

 

Here's a big Camry plus for you ....

In the driver's seat/steering wheel full back position, Camry steering wheel reach is about 3" closer than the 2010 Prius. 3" closer is a lot.

 

Yea I was going to buy the Prius. I really like everything about the car except:

Terrible steering wheel position and ergonomics.
Rattles!!!!!!!! (I can not take rattles esp. on a new car!)

so...... now im leaning toward the hybrid camry. (but hate the crappy trunk!)

 

Probably veering off topic, but I have seen this comment before about "all the same once the pedal is further than half way down." My mind keeps going back to this graph:



My question: Does the X axis of this graph (pedal opening) intend to show the entire range of the pedal's travel, or only some portion of it (half)??