Love my 2011 Prius (original owner), but time to get a new(er) car. Test drove both the '25 Camry and a '24 Prius. Was impressed with the Prius' 'feel' when driving, but preferred the Camry interior much more. Anyone have experience with both of these cars? Assuming I can get a Camry XSE and a Prius Prime SE for 35K, which one would you choose, and why? thanks for any help! this is so difficult!!
i don't see how it can be a difficult decision. they are such different cars. i'd buy the prius, but mrs b bought the camry. and we use it for longer trips, much more comfortable. but i'm not a fan of sedans.
it's difficult because I like both of them. I like the *feel* of the Prius when driving, but it seemed less room than my 3rd gen, so the Camry's interior seemed roomier. I like the way the Prius looks a little better, but it just seems way more cramped. So yah, difficult.
after much anticipation, i didn't go for the gen 5 prius for exactly the reasons you describe. i love the roominess when i drive the camry, but for local driving, i like the prius size and hatch. if i had to choose one, i'd probably take the prius, but it's nice to have both.
gotcha. I do drive 2 hrs (each way) couple times a month. hmmmm. what kind of MPG are you getting in the camry?
she averages low to high 50's around town, depending on the weather. on a 4,000 mile trip from here to florida and back, we got 48 overall. we're very careful drivers
i heard the SEs dont' get as good because of weight (also according to Toyota I believe) nevertheless,, still not bad for being a heavier car.
2013 Prius? my 2011 gets about 44-45,, sometimes little better, little worse. Def improved a couple years ago when I cleaned the EGR system.
To clarify, bisco's Camry is a 2024, the last generation. The EPA ratings are very close for the FWD 2025 though. Most of the SE and higher trims lower efficiency is from the larger wheels. They add weight to the worst spot for fuel economy. Swapping to wheels of the size/weight of the LE's will improve the MPG.
I just picked up my 2025 Camry XLE FWD with the Premium Plus package a couple of weeks ago. I suspect you will notice a vast improvement in ride comfort compared to your Prius. The trim levels above LE are heavier, Adding the panoramic moon roof, like I have, adds even more weight. I got the Premium Plus package to get all the safety features. My personal opinion is that some features, like the speed limit sign reading & the lane centering are not quite ready for prime time. The radar cruise control has matured a lot since my 2017 Prius. Here is my Toyota hybrid experience. My son started with a 2005 Prius and later traded to a 2015 Prius V. I bought a 2017 Prius 2. In September, my Prius got totalled by a 4Runner (no injuries) so I started looking for a replacement vehicle. This time I did not want a hatchback so I did not look too long at the newer Prius. The Prius is smaller than the Camry and, personally, its appearance is ugly. I like the way the multimedia display in the Camry is more integrated into the dashboard instead of sticking up above it like a last minute addon.
You think the lane-tracing on the new Camry is not smooth? Perhaps it takes a while to get used to it. If you fight for the steering wheel, it will feel more erratic—let the car do its job. Does the radar cruise immediately detect the cars cutting in front of you and handle the distance keeping smoothly without sudden acceleration or last-second braking? I have TSS 2.0 for lane tracing and distance keeping. I have warmed up to the looks of Gen 5. It could always be better, but it is certainly modern-looking. The interior is decent, too. The color choices are dismal though. I would have probably picked the premium red.
One aspect of a car's exterior we sometimes miss is that as the driver you mostly won't see it. A Camry is bigger as about as quick, likely quieter too, it has a spare tire, and the other four wheels have a normal tire size. The Prius represents some challenges for people over six feet. It doesn't just lack a spare; in the AWD models there isn't any great place to put one. I'll probably buy a fifth wheel and leave it in the seat behind me. I dislike large cars and sedans, so I opted for the Prius.
On some curvy roads, it fails, even if the lanes are a decent width. On one road, it was off enough to trigger lane departure warnings. Radar cruise now does not seem to get confused by cars in adjacent lanes. It also detects when a car has pulled in front of you and shows an animation.
How curvy? My TSS 2.0 handles mild curves perfectly fine but won't work at sharp curves. It's the same distance-keeping behavior in my TSS 2.0 as you described your TSS 3.0, but I wouldn't trust my TSS 2.0 with vehicles cutting in front of me.
Very mild curves seem OK, Moderate curves are not and I have not tried on severe curves.Moderate curves with no traffic gave me a chance to test. Gentle curves on my 3.5 hour drive home from the dealership were no issue. Vehicles cutting in front are handles well now, muche improved over my 2017 Prius.
