Please help! Camry vs. Prius

Tracy, you'll be well served wether you choose the Prius or the Camry. They're excellent vehicles.

Here's my feedback concerning my experiences:
I have a 2006 Civic Hybrid (bought in may 2006) and a 2007 Prius (bought last November). When I was looking for a second hybrid vehicle two cars were on my list, the Prius and the Camry. When I looked at the Camry, it excelled in interior space but it was no better than my 2006 Civic Hybrid for trunk space. It was a very finely assembled vehicle but it did not improve on the cargo carrying attributes of my HCH.
The Prius on the other hand was the ultimate choice because it is as cleaner (if not marginally more so) than the Civic and it offered the hatchback versatility I was looking for (you know, those runs to Home depot). By going with the Prius I did not lose on mileage and it was a little cheaper the Camry anyway.

In terms of safety, the four star safety rating you mentioned applies to the lower models that do not offer side curtain airbags like the Civic Hybrid and the Camry do which may offer negligible benefits for small kids traveling in the rear seats. (please anyone, correct me if I am wrong).
My opinion is that the Prius is still a very safe automobile (safer than average) with a good statistical safety record, and you would not make a bad choice if you were to buy it.

Cheers;

MSantos

Maria,
The side air bags are standard for the Prius in the 2007 models.

The car that was tested in the safety ratings included:

Tested vehicle specifications:
2006 Toyota Prius 4-door
Class: Small car
Weight: 2,972 lbs.
Side airbags: front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags
Wheelbase: 106 in.
Length: 175 in.
Width: 68 in.
Engine: 1.5 L 4-cylinder (gasoline) and electric motor
EPA ratings: 60 mpg city | 51 mpg highway

Hello all;

Thanks for all of your comments. We ended up buying a Prius. The style of the prius and the 2.9% financing sold us.

Those who are wondering, I don't look back on my minivan. The Odyssey was a great minivan, but it was big and even with two kids I rarely used the all of the space. I know that the Prius is going to serve all of our needs and get great gas mileage! (So far I am averaging 43.8mpg)

Thanks again,
Tracy

Ok...so the Prius' Hebrew-Latin-English translation tends to refer to "nine camels" as it relates to references in the Bible (especially King James translation). Anyhow, the answer to the versus question depends. If you want comfort go with Camry. If you want better mpg go with the camel. You will love either. I can say this as my family has ownership of each of them and we usethem for different reasons related to the aforementioned philosophy. cheerio.

To make a difference on your comments, let me give you some Tips in car buying in general..Here are some tips on how you can buy and have a quality used car, so as you would not be replacing unnecessary parts along the way...Hope, this might help...
Tips & Warning
• As a final precaution, take the car to a mechanic, who should charge a reasonable fee to check over a used car. The seller should agree to this, but may require that you leave a deposit. If the seller won't let you take the car, offer to meet him or her at a mutually convenient garage.
• If you give the seller a deposit in order to take the car to have it checked, make sure to write out an agreement stating that the deposit will be returned immediately if you decide not to buy the car.
If the vehicle's mileage appears unusually low, have a mechanic determine whether someone has tampered with the odometer. If so, the seller must refund any money you have paid and may be liable for punitive damages under federal and state odometer laws…
This is how I acquire my car; I inspected all its auto parts from exterior and interior aspect down to its toyota header and other accessories. By doing so, you could be sure of the quality of vehicle you are getting...;)

"More generically, the term "arms race" is used to describe any competition where there is no absolute goal, only the relative goal of staying ahead of the other competitors." - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_race

There are two approaches for safety:

There are two approaches for safety on the streets:

a) To limit and reverse the arms race on the streets - no problem if every body drives a car like Prius;

b) To take part in this arms race. Then no matter what car you buy soon you will be "outmassed" and the big car does not provide safety in the court room when you are liable for killing somebody.

Here is a two dimensional chart representing statistical data for both risks:
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-SUV-Safety-newWin.html

Every time the heaviest cars get heavier they force everybody else to become heavier. Unfortunately this does not work in the other direction - toward decreasing the weight.
I personally argued with a representative of Audi. My question for him was why I should drive one of their cars instead of my Toyota Prius. He was very passionate to scare me with the big vehicles.

The elementary physics tells us that for safety we need bulky and light cars - bulky to provide more cushion and light to contribute less destructive energy. This immediately will help to solve two other problems - the global warming and the oil addiction.

I want to see class action law suits against the heavy car industry as it was with the tobacco industry,

As far as the unsafe issue goes, you should decide for your self:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KxKmvBJn27Q
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rAAGeCG_TAU

Tax the mass, tax the horse powers and tax the fossil carbon content. With this tax money create oil crisis risk fund; global warming risk fund and energy science fund.

(The following lyrics are to be sung to Rawhide.)

Trollin', Trollin',Trollin

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Don't try to understand 'em
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My true love will be baiting, be baiting and see how I lied.

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Geiserman, you always seem to rant about the american economy, as a Canadian, and a driver of Toyota products, I know that there are a lot of North Americans who are employed by Toyota right here in North America. therefore there are Americans working building cars that Americans are buying. We drove a prius recently , we rented it in Florida. we loved it, and enjoyed the fuel economy that we experienced. averaging 46 miles per gallon. I read with interest about the cold weather issues and lower mileage etc. thus I am sticking to my 2000 Avalon for the time being. but while we were defrosting in 80 degree weather we sure enjoyed the prius. glad we chose it over the Impala that the rental agency initially offered us. Janis

Please get the Prius checked out for the electro-magnetic field before considering it especially for your children. I bought a new Prius (2006) and have been sick since. My grandkids will not ride in my car which I bought because it was reported to be safe.
As a new car the chemical odor gave us headaches. A year later the odor lessened but one of my kids will not ride in it as she still get headaches after 10 minutes in car. Finally, after being sick for 2 years and not getting any conclusive diagnosis I had it checked out for the EMF's and it is over the top. I will not longer use it and have used another car instead. Guess, what? I am already beginning to be able to breath better and feel better. Is it in my head? Who cares the EMF's are good enought for me to get rid of it and start anew. Not sure how I will go about it but it will be soon.
Susie
Don't put anyone in a Prius

I love how someone can change only one thing in their live, get sick, and draw the conclusion that it must have been that one thing that made them sick and not all the things they did in their life up to that point. Like the guy who smokes for 40 years. Finally quits. Two months later, he finds out he has cancer and draws the conclusion that quitting smoking gave him cancer not the prior 40 years of smoking.

By the way, if you are really worried about EMFs, try not to think about the cell phone you keep in your pocket right next to your gonad. Going hands-free doesn’t solve that problem. Also try not to think about the computer screen you sat at while you typed your post sitting right next to your hands and head.

I’d also like to know what, “Over the top” means. Its not a standard unit.

I will say, however, my wife had issues with the new-car smell in our Prius for the three months. For some reason she has a sensitivity to it. But all new cars have that smell. It even has a name, “new car smell”. For the most part its residual VOCs coming off of the new plastics in the interior. It takes a couple of months, but they gradually dissipate.

I’m an environmental engineer, by the way. The stuff I’m exposed to while doing my job concern me far more than EMFs in my Prius.

Another crazy was released.... so Let me guess, do you cover your mouth with cotton when a city bus passes? Or do you go to the hosptial for a clean air treatment? Persons which make such stupid claims are purely STUPID.