The Camry is nice, the Fusion drives better though. However, the Camry does get EPA, Fusion Still open on that verdict. Again, do a side by side, not on paper, but the real thing and then decide.
Wait and get the 2015 Prius which will have better gadgets and 60 mpg. If you keeping the car 10 years, you need to get the highest mileage possible which will be the 60 mpg Prius. Consider the Plug-In. Get the high end model with power seats as Prius has uncomfortable manual seats for long rides. High end model has other necessities like auto-on-off headlights, auto dimming mirror. Hopefully 2015 will add blind spot indicator and allow the solar moonroof with the high tech options. Consider the 2015 Plug in for 10 years in future. Fusion would be good if you are like me and get a new car every three years. Currently the Fusion Energi looks good with 20 miles EV and 40 mpg hybrid mode but there seems to be a problem with the Ford hybrids meeting EPA mileage and that could be a killer problem if you are keeping the car 10 years. Also Toyota is a more proven system, more likely to last 10 years.
I love the new Fusion, but if you want a fully loaded car, go for the Lincoln MKZ, it looks awesome and is exactly the same, if the fusion is something you are interested in. The regular and hybrid versions of the MKZ are priced exactly the same. But, have you looked at the Ford C-Max? My Dad has one and overall, I prefer it to the v. It doesn't have nearly as much cargo space, but the difference is negligible. Plus, it gets better gas mileage than the v. I didn't know what to think about the C-Max initially, but it is a nice car. I would definitely choose the C-Max over the v any day. Oops, nevermind. Guess cargo space didn't end up being important after all with choosing the four?
In practice, the CMAX doesn't get better FE than the Prius v. Cargo room is quite a bit smaller too. Ford C-Max Does Not Beat Prius V Wagon In Real-World Use
Maybe in those tests, but I know a few C-Max owners including my Dad, and several V owners and those with the C-Max routinely beat the gas mileage of the V. Looking at data on Fuelly, I find the same to be true. Regardless, my favorite feature with the C-Max is the liftgate with the foot sensor. Super convenient. I wish my Prius had that with all the traveling I do!
You are looking at averages...and as you know on fuelly, assuming you use it, the averages are not a fair comparison, especially considering that the number of cars is not the same per model, nor are all of the users consistent with reporting their mileage.
But you are comparing cars used by different people, different driving styles and different commutes. That doesn't tell us anything. Put the Prius v in the hands of one of the CMAX owners and I bet their FE goes up.
A couple of PC members did that with their Volt and Prius Plug In. In this case though, if you read the entire article and links, all three cars were driven at the same time and on identical routes in as controlled a manner as possible. With Wayne Gerdes and crew behind the test I feel pretty secure in their methodology.
congrats on the new car purchase. maybe i'm being overly critical, but the road noise in our prius is annoying. we have the 17" wheels, so maybe it's better with the smaller wheels/taller tires?