Camry Hybrid takes on the Prius

Apples and Oranges

 

there wasn't much of a comparison.. all they mentioned was sunroof and seats = style and comfort therefore camry was a better option...

 

Its not a bad review, but they forget to say a few very important parts.

1) The Prius has 38% more luggage capacity that the Campy Hybrid. That might mean the road trip I just took with the 2 kids wasn't possible in the Camry. The capacity was fine, but I can't imagine losing almost 40% of it.
2) The Prius has more (although a tiny bit more) rear legroom.

3) The Prius has more headroom making for a more spacious feeling interior. Of course a sunroof is a Camry option.

4) The Camry has more shoulder/hip room being wider. Essentially, if you're a fat load, the Camry might indeed work better. Although at 6'2", I don't feel at all cramped horizontally in the Prius and luckily the seat goes just far enough back. Seat adjustment as noted is a huge benefit to the Camry that could affect many people.

5) The Camry will cost $3k more, and more than that if you get other nice options which aren't however available in the Prius. Over 5 years, with added cost of car, finance charges, and fuel, you will pay roughly $7-8k more for the Camry. Of course to some people, this comparison may be like those who say why pay so much more for the Prius over the Yaris - the value might be there for some even though its not an apples to apples comparison.

 

Should have mentioned if you ever need to haul anything that requires space, the Prius is WAY better than the Camry simply because all the back seats can go down, with the Camry there's a little hole that pops open is it due to the placement of the battery packs.

 

Well, you know... When Edmunds compare Prius to any other car, Prius will loose. You should see the pattern by now.

 

I prefer the styling of the Prius over the TCH, but that's subjective. The report emphasized horsepower and acceleration numbers but neglected to quote stats on fuel economy, price or cargo space. That (especially the fuel economy differences) was negligent IMO, but the report still made some valid points on other features.

 

My wife and I accompanied our daughter when she bought her Prius and went along on the test drive. About six months later my Miata gave up the ghost and we decided to buy a TCH. Took the TCH out for a test drive, my wife's comment was this is just like my Camry. Well ... not quite as her's was a '94 and the '08 TCH had a lot more, but yes it was a Camry. An excellent, comfortable family sedan that felt familiar. But I wanted the gee whiz factor that our daughter's Prius had, so we got a Prius, which is now my wife's car and I got her hand-me-down Camry. I think that Toyota made a great decision in making both the Prius and TCH as the TCH is more comfortable for those in the market for good FE but want a car more like the one they are familiar with.

 

I checked the Autotrader.ca site for both used cars.
The Prii are listed for more than their new price, despite 20,000 plus Km.
The Camry Hybrids are listed for less than their new price, by about 5000 bucks.

I sat in a Camry Hybrid and found the driver's position claustrophobic compared to the Subaru Legacy I had at the time, and went with the Prius. No regrets.

 

They make different cars to satisfy different peoples needs and desires. If you never need to haul something, then a TCH might work better for those people. I don't believe a week goes by that I have not needed to do something in my Prius that I could not have been able to do in a TCH.

I donate a large bag of packing paper every few days (wadded up newpapers, shreaded paper, small boxes, etc.) that come in packages at my business. I store the paper scraps in a large bag would not fit in a TCH. Yet it is not an inconvenience to put in the hatchback. It is a mini SUV that works for those of us that need that versatility a sedan cannot handle. That is not counting my resale value. I got 95% back for my first Prius and it looks like I could get 100% back if i wanted to sell my second Prius. I love the smart start. I have no regrets, either.

 

One thing to consider with the Camry Hybrid. AWD.

Front wheels are electric only. Rear wheels HSD.

Then the comfort and finishing, better overall. That said, I still got a Prius in late 2006, because I had too little information on the Camry Hybrid.

In 2010 when I change (or buy out the lease) I'm not so sure. AWD in stormy and snowy Quebec is a big plus.

 

awd hybrid Camry? is that new? last time i checked they didn't have one... front wheel drive only.

i was going to get a Camry hybrid but there was no way for me to fit construction material inside the cab. with my prius, i can fit 8ft lumber and 10ft pvc with the hatch closed... and that was my deal breaker. i later found out that i can fit a wheelbarrow inside my prius with the hatch closed.. and a 5500watt generator... items that would never fit inside a camry.

 

I'm hoping one the gurus here will explain the Camry Hybrid better.

It has the HSD connected to the rear wheels, and for the front wheels, a totally separate electric motor.

Thus if the front, and rear wheels, have propulsion - that makes it AWD in my mind.

 

The TCH is front wheel drive only with HSD to the front wheels, no motor to the rear wheels, same as the Prius.

Only the Highlander Hybrid SUV has AWD with HSD to front wheels and motor to rear wheels.

 

You cannot fit one set of golf clubs in the trunk of a TCH. That was the deal breaker for us.

You can easily fit two bags of clubs (or even three bags, a passenger and an ice chest) in the back of a Prius.

 

I just drove my 2007 Camry XLE 4 cyl today for the first time in 2 weeks. I've had it for 2 years. I've been driving "Ruby" (my new Red 2008 Prius) exclusively for the last 700 miles. My thoughts on driving the Camry again (though we are selling it because we were lucky enough to receive the Prius as a gift):

• The Camry does have a softer, quieter ride, with a slightly more comfortable driver seat
• The Camry gets about 26 mpg mixed (lifetime), and I'm getting almost 47 mpg mixed in Ruby. I always drive with a light foot and not faster than 62 on highways. Yes I stay to the right.
• I pumped up Ruby's tires after 2 days. I wonder if I should back off on the pressure a couple of PSI. I set it to 40/38 initially
• My non-hybrid Camry can't beat the high tech and Gee Whiz factor of the Prius. I am still really enjoying Ruby, but wondering a little how I'll feel in a couple of years.

Granted, my Camry is not a hybrid. I still have to do the "suitcase test" in Ruby but I think it will be fine (make sure the standard set of family suitcases fit in the back - I bet they will). I can hear the stereo just fine in Ruby, but I was thinking about adding an extra layer under the floor mat in the back to help sound proof a little. I wonder if it will help reduce the road noise in Ruby.

To make this roughly relevant to the topic, I agree it is hard to compare the Camry and the Prius - they are designed for different audiences.