went to dinner with a friend last night, in a Corolla Hybrid, he had about 5000 miles on it, 52 MPG on his commute between SF and San Jose. He even got 54 MPG in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It is NOT a plug in, just Hybrid. Asked him if he looked into Prius, and he said no, he just bought the Corolla, but when he got home, he saw the Prius was about the same price and about the same MPG.

Here is what I see. If you were in the market and had to choose between these two models: which one would you choose and why? Don't say a plug in or a tesla is better. Let's say these were the only 2 options in your budget/needs.

I would choose the Camry hybrid. The radical styling of the Prius doesn't appeal to me.

Ok, I won’t say you will regret not buying a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Nor will I add that I did last buy gas in July for one of our two PHEVs (in June for the other.)

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

I would take the Corolla based on models from pervious years, have not seen the current models yet. I found I preferred the layout of controls and instruments in the Corolla compared to that of the Prius.

Its purely a subjective decision.

They both have near identical specs, one looks like a prius, one looks like a corolla.

---

Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Tiny side-mirrors, a bar blocking the rear windshield and almost no storage in the back. The Prius sucks in traffic and parking garages and it's no good for road trips when you've got a load of stuff to take with you.

And everyone hates Prius drivers. With those tiny side-mirrors the Prius driver is practically blind, so ends up wildly switching lanes, or else driving across the lane-dividers or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway.

So, I choose the RAV4 hybrid.

---

I haven't looked at recent Corollas so I couldn't say for sure, but off the top of my head I would say the Prius is better car, or at least a higher end model than the Corolla.

Quote
Sarcany
Tiny side-mirrors, a bar blocking the rear windshield and almost no storage in the back. The Prius sucks in traffic and parking garages and it's no good for road trips when you've got a load of stuff to take with you.

And everyone hates Prius drivers. With those tiny side-mirrors the Prius driver is practically blind, so ends up wildly switching lanes, or else driving across the lane-dividers or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway.

So, I choose the RAV4 hybrid.

My sister just bought a RAV4 today. Lunar Rock color. You are correct when you say that nobody respects a Prius. They're great cars though.

"or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway."

That behavior is solely the driver's behavior. The vehicle has adequate power and is pretty nimble if you are actually a decent driver. My partner says I treat mine like a rallye car, and I average 55 mpg. Mine is a '13 plug-in, which has a different battery than the other Prii of that era.

Way too many people driving on on ramps are WAY to stupid to understand that it is far easier and faster to slow from 65 down to 40 if necessary, than go from 40 to 65 quickly to match speeds.

I do NOT like the Prius after they made the last body change in '16.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2019 01:59AM by Racer X.

Quote
Racer X
I do NOT like the Prius after they made the last body change in '16.

I think most of the car looks fine but the back end is fugly.

Quote
AllGold

Quote
Racer X
I do NOT like the Prius after they made the last body change in '16.

I think most of the car looks fine but the back end is fugly.

Most hatches would look better and be more practical using a little more sheet metal to make them wagons.

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Quote
AllGold

Quote
Racer X
I do NOT like the Prius after they made the last body change in '16.

I think most of the car looks fine but the back end is fugly.

My youngest daughter calls it the "origami car"

---

Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

They're great cars though.

True, I've just never been a fan of any of the body styles.

Nor have I been a victim of the Prii stereotype.

Only once did I see a Prius in the fast lane doing the posted speed limit and no more, and never moving slower than the speed limit and traffic flow

Regarding the stereotype or any vehicle in the 'fast'/1 lane, a driver can't be cited for adhering to the maximum posted speed limit, so offended drivers have to go around and maybe risk getting cited themselves.

Only once did I see a Prius in the fast lane doing the posted speed limit and no more.

I was in another lane and on my bike, so no worries.

I'd take the Corolla, if only for the looks. I trust the build quality.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2019 04:29AM by RAMd®d.

The Prius had a larger passenger compartment when I last shopped, and it came standard with a few more features, like automatic climate control. It has been some time since I last compared. I agree that Prius rear visibility sucks.

Quote
RAMd®d
Regarding the stereotype or any vehicle in the 'fast'/1 lane, a driver can't be cited for adhering to the maximum posted speed limit, so offended drivers have to go around and maybe risk getting cited themselves

Depends on the state. In many the driver can be ticketed for failure to keep to the right. Officers in this state will do it if the person driving in the left lane has seriously impeded traffic. And it counts as a moving violation, points that go against your insurance and may raise your rate.

Drive both

---

I would need to drive both to offer an opinion between them. Given similar performance and seating comfort, I will nearly always choose the one with better visibility for the driver. I believe the Corolla emits less Smug.

---

In tha 360. MRF User Map



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2019 10:12AM by Filliam H. Muffman.

I've never seen the interior of the Corolla but I can say the Prius has some nice bells and whistles inside. The touch display console is nice and big for fiddling with the radio, GPS, etc. Also by the shifter there is a nice storage bay that has a wireless charging pad for iPhone X, etc.

Depends on the state.

Yes, I forgot to mention I'm in CA.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
Sarcany
Tiny side-mirrors, a bar blocking the rear windshield and almost no storage in the back. The Prius sucks in traffic and parking garages and it's no good for road trips when you've got a load of stuff to take with you.

And everyone hates Prius drivers. With those tiny side-mirrors the Prius driver is practically blind, so ends up wildly switching lanes, or else driving across the lane-dividers or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway.

So, I choose the RAV4 hybrid.

I was thinking of selling my 2012 Highlander and scaling down to the RAV4 hybrid but ratings that I saw online generally said it was mediocre and overpriced. I know car reviews can be very subjective. How do you like your car?

---

JoeM

Kind of depends on whether you want a trunk or a hatchback, no?


BTW, I am a Prius driver (C4) but I tend to drive like I have a regular car. Sadly, that means I only average about 50 mpg rather than the 65+ I got the few times I tried driving it like a Prius.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2019 12:58PM by wurm.

We have a Prius v (the station wagon model), 2015, and it is great. Good enough rear visibility, and tons of cargo space. Highly recommended (although i think they don't make it any more.

The Rav4 Hybrid is similar, more plush, slightly lower mpg, and maybe $7K more expensive. Friend has one and loves it.

If you don't care about cargo space, probably the Corolla is a plusher car.

I bought a new Toyota Prius C (level 2) back in 2012. It was the BEST car I'd ever owned. I traded it in March, 2018 and bought a 2018 Toyota Prius Touring Four. The new Prius has been a BIG disappointment. The 17" tires are dogs in snow. It has an 11" touch screen that disappears when hit by sunlight. It has only 5" of ground clearance (which has proven to be a problem for me). I've recently been thinking of trading it in, Right now, I have no idea of WHAT I'd get to replace my current Prius. I'd have to say that I'd be more likely to buy the Corolla over the Prius.

Quote
anonymouse1
We have a Prius v (the station wagon model), 2015, and it is great. Good enough rear visibility, and tons of cargo space. Highly recommended (although i think they don't make it any more.

The Rav4 Hybrid is similar, more plush, slightly lower mpg, and maybe $7K more expensive. Friend has one and loves it.

If you don't care about cargo space, probably the Corolla is a plusher car.

the V had a different non-obscured hatch. the rav4 hybrid took its place.

Quote
testcase
The 17" tires are dogs in snow.

Have you considered winter tires?

No Wagon = No Deal!

---

Aloha, Ken


“I have developed significant attachments to several members even though I wouldn't recognize them if I sat next to one on a park bench. I'm often tempted when in an airport to walk around, hollering "The Løpe", to see if anyone other than the Homeland Security people will acknowledge me. ” - The Løpe

"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us." Justice Robert Jackson

I'm waiting on the hybrid Tacoma.

Quote
mattkime

Quote
testcase
The 17" tires are dogs in snow.

Have you considered winter tires?

I have considered that BUT, I 'm seldom in snowy conditions anymore so, I don't see that as being a good option for me.

Sometimes the manufacturers just plain put lousy tires on some of their models.

The redesigned Corolla in gas-engine form has been getting quite positive reviews, apparently it drives much better than the previous-generation Corolla.

---

Quote
JoeM

Quote
Sarcany
Tiny side-mirrors, a bar blocking the rear windshield and almost no storage in the back. The Prius sucks in traffic and parking garages and it's no good for road trips when you've got a load of stuff to take with you.

And everyone hates Prius drivers. With those tiny side-mirrors the Prius driver is practically blind, so ends up wildly switching lanes, or else driving across the lane-dividers or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway.

So, I choose the RAV4 hybrid.

I was thinking of selling my 2012 Highlander and scaling down to the RAV4 hybrid but ratings that I saw online generally said it was mediocre and overpriced. I know car reviews can be very subjective. How do you like your car?

Reviewers are going for excitement.

The RAV4 is not an exciting vehicle. It's simply and perfectly comfortable. It's both a great commuter vehicle and a great road-trip vehicle.

The hybrid has way smoother and more rapid acceleration than the regular RAV4 and the tech package gives you a heck of a lot in the way of safety features including a 360-degree camera that you would otherwise find only on luxury cars. The combination of pure comfort, plus the hybrid MPG has completely eliminated any trace of road-rage from my system even as I navigate some of the worst traffic in the nation. (MPG goes up in moderate-to-heavy traffic when the battery kicks in, but still goes down when the road becomes a parking lot.)

You know how car sales are slowing? Not on the RAV4 hybrid. Something like a 150% year-over-year increase in RAV4 hybrid sales and they'd be doing better if they could meet demand. They can't keep them on the lots. I'm pissed that Toyota raised prices so much over the last 3 years (not just tariffs, but a big profit-grab), but can understand it when this is their golden goose.

The hybrid is in such demand that (with the lease ending on my current RAV4) I had to order my new one 2 months in advance. Due to arrive in early September. I'm buying this one. First dealer I walked into told me that they don't negotiate off sticker price and are willing to let a sale go because they know that the next guy in the door will pay sticker in a heartbeat. (Next dealer knocked some off. )

...One thing that I can say that's negative: In wet snow, the collision sensors ice up. Annoying audible and animated alerts pop up in rapid succession. Have had to pull over and knock the ice off a few times.

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2019 07:43PM by Sarcany.

My wife recently bought a 2019 Camry XSE 4 cylinder. On our last tank it got 38.7mpg. Before choosing it
she drove the new Prius and wow what a cheap feeling car. We owned a 2010 Prius that was plagued with
electronic problems. The only problem I have with the Camry is it's a little intimidating with all the controls,
settings and so forth. The ride and quietness is excellent, even with 40 series 19" tires.

---

Grateful11

Quote
Sarcany

Quote
JoeM

Quote
Sarcany
Tiny side-mirrors, a bar blocking the rear windshield and almost no storage in the back. The Prius sucks in traffic and parking garages and it's no good for road trips when you've got a load of stuff to take with you.

And everyone hates Prius drivers. With those tiny side-mirrors the Prius driver is practically blind, so ends up wildly switching lanes, or else driving across the lane-dividers or else putt-putting at 30mph and blocking the entrance-lane of a 65mph highway.

So, I choose the RAV4 hybrid.

I was thinking of selling my 2012 Highlander and scaling down to the RAV4 hybrid but ratings that I saw online generally said it was mediocre and overpriced. I know car reviews can be very subjective. How do you like your car?

Reviewers are going for excitement.

The RAV4 is not an exciting vehicle. It's simply and perfectly comfortable. It's both a great commuter vehicle and a great road-trip vehicle.

The hybrid has way smoother and more rapid acceleration than the regular RAV4 and the tech package gives you a heck of a lot in the way of safety features including a 360-degree camera that you would otherwise find only on luxury cars. The combination of pure comfort, plus the hybrid MPG has completely eliminated any trace of road-rage from my system even as I navigate some of the worst traffic in the nation. (MPG goes up in moderate-to-heavy traffic when the battery kicks in, but still goes down when the road becomes a parking lot.)

You know how car sales are slowing? Not on the RAV4 hybrid. Something like a 150% year-over-year increase in RAV4 hybrid sales and they'd be doing better if they could meet demand. They can't keep them on the lots. I'm pissed that Toyota raised prices so much over the last 3 years (not just tariffs, but a big profit-grab), but can understand it when this is their golden goose.

The hybrid is in such demand that (with the lease ending on my current RAV4) I had to order my new one 2 months in advance. Due to arrive in early September. I'm buying this one. First dealer I walked into told me that they don't negotiate off sticker price and are willing to let a sale go because they know that the next guy in the door will pay sticker in a heartbeat. (Next dealer knocked some off. )

...One thing that I can say that's negative: In wet snow, the collision sensors ice up. Annoying audible and animated alerts pop up in rapid succession. Have had to pull over and knock the ice off a few times.

Thanks for the info! It's a great help. I am certainly going to consider it going towards next year.

---

JoeM

The only problem I have with the Camry is it's a little intimidating with all the controls,

That's very typical these days.

Even programming the 'radio' reminds me of using old cell phones where you had to drill down to do anything.

A friend of a friend has a newish Lexus SUV. Nice ride, but a nightmare of a radio/nav system. She told my friend that she just wants a nice car (SUV) that has a radio with pushbuttons that one can program easily. He and I both laughed.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
RAMd®d
The only problem I have with the Camry is it's a little intimidating with all the controls,

That's very typical these days.

Even programming the 'radio' reminds me of using old cell phones where you had to drill down to do anything.

A friend of a friend has a newish Lexus SUV. Nice ride, but a nightmare of a radio/nav system. She told my friend that she just wants a nice car (SUV) that has a radio with pushbuttons that one can program easily. He and I both laughed.

YouTube says "What am I here for?" Check out the HowToCarGuy [www.youtube.com] He'll walk you through that intimidation. He's got a whole Lexus Tutorial section. He's got a nice calming voice.

You can make a lot of money on YouTube babying people through confusing subjects. The more you baby your explanations, the more viewers you'll get. Too many of them assume people possess minimal knowledge about things. Lots of people don't (raising my hand). It's easy to fast forward on YouTube, the arrow key will bump you 10 seconds forward/backwards. So you can't be too specific.

YouTube says "What am I here for?"

POMTL!

That's exactly what I did.

My friend called me up and said help!

After pouring through two HUGE owner's manuals, with my takeaway being much head scratching, I hit the Tube, and walla walla's your uncle.

I have to say that a lot of YouTube presenters must never look at their posted videos, because some are terrible, and as you say assume you know some bit you don't, that turns out to be critical.

And invest in a tripod! And IS!

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
RAMd®d
YouTube says "What am I here for?"

POMTL!

That's exactly what I did.

My friend called me up and said help!

After pouring through two HUGE owner's manuals, with my takeaway being much head scratching, I hit the Tube, and walla walla's your uncle.

I have to say that a lot of YouTube presenters must never look at their posted videos, because some are terrible, and as you say assume you know some bit you don't, that turns out to be critical.

And invest in a tripod! And IS!

Yeah, and I don't need their fancy intros etc. It's better for me because I pay for YouTube Premium. The best $10 a month that I pay for. I'm expert at skipping ahead.