FWIW the newer versions (the 330 400h 350) are wider / longer then the antique 300's of bygone days. I actually would have prefered that Toyota/Lexus wouldn't continue the fattening trend on their SUV highlander/RX's but perhaps they feal they have to follow suit with other manufacturers, regardless of oil supply / consumer wants.
And notice the funny way the fenderwell liners stick into the space, making it almost useless for straight-shot-into-the-back loading of objects. The Highlander had the same problem when I went to take some measurements back when I had almost deluded myself that I wanted one. . _H*
It maybe illusional to look at the cargo floor space for comparison, but the interior height plays a major factor in cargo capacity indeed. The RX300 is almost 3X more than our Prius hatch: 40 cu.ft. vs 14 cu.ft. That's truly amazing too.
I have a Prius and an RX400h. The Prius doesn't even come close to the cargo capacity of the RX (as Qlara pointed out). Height is indeed a huge factor.
I know, but come on, one is a compact economy car that gets 47 mpg and the other a luxury SUV that gets 17 mpg (these are my averages). The fact that they have nearly the same cargo footprint is pretty amazing. Back seat room is nearly the same in both (legroom, not width).
Actually, both the 2004-present Prius and Lexus RX are considered midsize vehicles. Also, my RX400h gets 30 mpg (summer) and 27 mpg (winter)!! I love both vehicles!
My hat is off to you for the visual comparison using the back mat! What a great way to visualize two of the three dimensions.
Actually the Prius is considered a midsize ... to the bane of many here, who continue to hear it being called compact, little, tiny, etc... BTW, HEY Rockville1, nice car combo ya got there!
I have an RX 330 and a Prius. The RX averages 22 mpg in winter and 25 mpg in summer. ABout half of the Prius average.
I suppose it also depends on the country - in some developing countries it would even be considered "Large" Or if you are 5'6". As far as the US goes, the '01-'03 Prius is considered "Compact" per my insurance agency's listing. So does Edmunds.com here: Hybrid Center at Edmunds.com As much as I want to, and being 6'4" I can't compare the Prius to a Camry for size and comfort. The Camry is squarely in the "mid-size" american segment... The Prius is a 'compact' car to me. As a consolation, it is still larger than the sub-compacts of the like of Aveo or Fiesta - but not much larger. Especially true for the '01-03 models and to a lesser degree for the '04+
I don't think UK is a developing country and they consider the Prius as a large car. The Corolla is a good size (hence they can sell 3 series, C-Classes and A4s. They're small for our standards but a good size for them).
