From the pricing you indicate, it sounds as though they are going to make the Camry Hybrid in OZ and continue importing the Prius.
package II is not 27,500 MSRP. I hope you didn't buy your Prius based on that number otherwise you got robbed! It's 22,000.
They don't sell a package II in Canada. The models are different, the prices are different, and the $ you pay with are different
<sigh> You didn't get the clue, did you? Ok then I will say it bluntly. Not everything revolves around the United States. We have plenty of members here that are proud owners of the same vehicle but live outside of the land of the free. Also please note that whilst you might be wondering why the Prius is so expensive, your country is at the bottom of the pile to which the rest of us, barring any other social impacts such as population size and economic impacts such as exchange rates and taxes, are compensating in purchase price for the sole enjoyment of pleasing America's wants for instant gratification with minimal impact on personal savings. IOW, our base Prius costs $27,500 and yours cost $22,000.
Considering all the Canadians (and some Europeans I think?) here, the other thing we need here is an automatic metric to british converter (and vice versa), so everyone can be on the same page with regards to speed and gas usage per distance. Either that, or the US has to get with the picture and start upgrading. If sodas and other bottles (as well as car engine units) can switch to liters, and all medical units (ml, grams, etc) have progressed with no problems, i'm sure distance measurements should be no problem. When the wife and I go to Mexico (or China, or wherever), we quickly get used to using km and kph, and we're no geniuses
Yep, that's correct. Toyota Australia are talking about 8 different models getting a hybrid version on the Australian market within the next 3-4 years. Apparently this will include one of the big 4WD's (LC200 or LC150 Prado) as well.
I own a Gen2Pri and during the Cash for Clunkers this summer looked at both the Camry Hybrid and Gen3Pri. My main complaint about Gen2Pri is the lack of seat comfort. Although the car gets great mileage, i do not like to sit in it for extended periods of time. However, in test driving the Camry Hybrid, I did not find its seats to be much better. More room maybe. but not more comfort. Seats were still stiff and thigh support was limited. Also, to get some of the Pri features i like such as smart key, I was limited to the high end (e.g. expensive) Camry. I think the Pri3 seats are a big improvement over prior generation, I liked the whole cockpit thing, I like hatchback functionality and finally, I don't need a big car like the Camry since its usually just newly empty nesting me in the car.......so Gen34me.
I have both. An 08 Camry Hb and an 09 Prius. I see them as two totally different vehicles. Prius 50 mpg - Camry 36-37 mpg Ride quality - Camry wins Sound Levels - Camry wins Trunk Space - Prius wins Fun to Drive - Prius wins Seat comfort - Camry wins Number of neet gadgets - Prius wins big The Camry is my wife's and the Prius is mine. I would not trade with her and she would not trade with me. The Prius is used as a local hauler. Anything under a 100 miles the Camry stays at home. Anything over 100 miles, we take the Camry.
My son bought a new Camry Hybrid before I my IV Prius came in. The first time he saw and took a ride in my Prius he was bummed. I get much better mpg and he was really impressed with the room and the ride. He was thinking about getting the Prius, now he wishes he had. He paid about the same money.
@asj2009: That and to stop people from misquoting the imperial MPGs... like omg the Prius gets 75mpg in the UK. Well that's 75 imp. MPG. (Diesel lovers like to quote the wrong MPG too)
I actually looked at both as I would have been able to get a TCH for much less money than the Prius. However, I was swayed by spaciousness first and utility second. The Prius (surprisingly) had more headroom. And the fold-down rear seats were a major bonus. Plus, after 12 years of VW ownership, the Camry was, well, a Camry. :bored:
For us the decision came down to 2010 Prius vs 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. In that comparison, I think it really comes down to tastes, which in our case meant fuel economy & hatchback versatility vs better ride/handling & the safety of a larger car. But both my wife and I clearly preferred the Fusion over the Camry (and this despite the fact that both of us come from families that consistently buy Toyotas...). I suspect that we'll buy another Prius at some point in the future (we had a 2005, and sold it to my inlaws when we moved), but for now we're very happy with the FFH.
It seems most people don't really want to shell out extra bucks for a hybrid version of an existing traditional car - thus the popularity of the Prius and the low sales of cars like TCH, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the various Honda Hybrids. Since no one else can tell they're driving a hybrid, what's the point? i doubt they make up in gas savings what they're initially shelling out for the higher priced hybrid
I think it is because the popularity of using Prius as taxi cabs in Canada. A lot of people will not buy a car that associates with taxis.
Actually that was the attraction for me in 2007. I liked the redesign of the Camry but would never at that time bought a car in that class if it wasn't for the hybrid feature. I didn't like the funkiness of the Prius. When the 2010 Prius came out though I was sold on the looks and the handling (my major complaint of the TCH)
ASJ, Ironically enough, I would have preferred the relative anonymity of the Camry as opposed to the attention-garnering Prius. However, it was still a Camry.
IMHO, this vanity theory is a myth, especially as it becomes more mainstream. People are simply going for the best known hybrid, with the best known mileage and pollution reduction. When I bought my 2007 HyCam, there essentially was no Hybrid premium, if I compared it to the 6 cylinder high end Camry, which was a fair comparison based on how they were both equipped. I got a much more economical car, and probably greater reliability, with roughly the same performance and features, for about the same price.