Compare Camry Hybrid & Prius Hybrid

Hybrid cars use a combination of technologies in their engines to deliver better fuel consumption, as well as produce less carbon monoxide waste. Having moved out of the realm of the novelty car, hybrid cars are gaining widespread acceptance. The more that the public accepts and purchases hybrid cars, the more models are going to be released, which means comparison shopping is needed in order to find the hybrid car that is best suited for the individual.

Instructions

1

Compare the EPA ratings on the Camry Hybrid to the Prius Hybrid to determine if one car is more fuel-efficient than the other. The 2010 Toyota Prius has an EPA rating of 50 mpg overall, while the 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid has an EPA rating of 34 mpg.

2

Check the ratings provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for each car. The 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid gets the highest ratings in the IIHS crash tests (which include front-end collision, rear-end collision and rollover crashes), with the only weakness found in the rear-end collision sector. The 2010 Toyota Prius scored high in all areas.

3

Find out the engine size and determine if your driving conditions require more or less horsepower than the models you are comparing. According to Kelley Blue Book, the Toyota Camry Hyrid has a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine rated at 147 horsepower, while the Toyota Prius has 1.8L 4-cylinder engine rated at 98 horsepower. Depending upon the driving conditions, the horsepower might not make a great deal of difference. Driving in the city requires much less horsepower than driving on the highway, for example.

4

Check out the price for each car. According to the 2010 Kelley Blue Book, the Toyota Prius (when it is fully loaded) has a price tag of slightly over $32,000. The Toyota Camry, when it has all options added, has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of slightly over $27,000.

5

Find areas where there are overlapping features. Both cars are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as midsize cars, while the Camry is a sedan and the Prius is a hatchback. Both cars come with the basic 3-year or 36,000 mile warranty and a powertrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles. Both cars also have a 5-year warranty for corrosion or rust damage.