I am not sure if she is willing to wait another year. Boy o boy isn't it frustrating that you want to buy new technology now, but much better offerings are close at hand, but just far enough from reach. grrrr.

What about the camry hybrid?

I would tell her to wait, be a man, grrrr.

Ahh, if only it were that easy young one.

One day when you get married you will see what I am talking about.

What, she would put you in the doghouse if you told her to wait?

Yes, yes she would. I dont like being in the doghouse. I am a cat lover

Not sure exactly what you mean by "adversely." It certainly won't hurt the car mechanically, assuming normal driving and care.

Cold weather will cause a hit in fuel mileage, especially if you're doing short trips with a cold engine. That's true in any car, but it seems more exaggerated in hybrids: 10% of 60 MPG is more apparent than 10% of 20 MPG. Whether the percentage change is more than in other cars, I can't say for sure.

I can't give you first-hand info on the Prius' performance in snow. Even though this is my second winter with the car, we've seen little to no snow since I bought it. On the Prius forums there are mixed opinions. The car's traction control seems to be key, good or bad. Some have reported not being able to move at all when the traction control kicks in. Others report good results with simply keeping their foot on the accelerator (a bit counterintuitive, it seems, for slippery pavement) and letting the traction control do what it's designed to do: keep the wheels from spinning out of control (and potentially damaging the hybrid drive system), and instead gradually begin moving as they gain traction. Having the proper tires seems to be key as well. Consensus seems to be that the stock Goodyear Integritys are not the tires of choice for driving in snow.

Jim

Lifetime fuel mileage:

After learning how to hypermile:

Yes, the Civic Hybrid will not look appealing to everyone that is for sure, but like the Prius, it can grow on you if you consider each vehicle's positive sides. And those saucer wheels on the Civic Hybrid can turn off their fair share of people !

On the other hand, the Prius is definitely NOT a sporty vehicle in the handling department - especially when compared to the Civic Hybrid. It is a great city vehicle and has slightly better acceleration that a Civic Hybrid but in the handling department is can be a little scary for some folks. This is also true for driving at highway speeds with cross-winds in the mix. The Civic while not a "sporty" machine is more driver friendly and has a more "buttoned down" and stable behavior.

If you are subject to cold weather especially in times when the gas engines are forced to operate more fequently, the Civic Hybrid will likely give you better fuel economy than the Prius. Depending on how low the temperature is that we are talking about, both the Civic Hybrid and the Prius's mileage can be really depressing but the Prius is the worse of the two.
In the warm weather the roles reverse to the point where the Prius undeniably has the slight milleage edge.
On Ice and snow, the Prius can be a little challenging especially in the traction department - nothing like a humbling experience for an owner to get the message in this department (PM me if you want my personal details). Winter tires are an absolute necessity for both because frankly their OEM tires are the worst possible tires for safe winter driving.
Cargo room on the Prius is amazing, on the other hand the Civic trunk space is approximately the same as that of the Camry Hybrid - which is not too bad but not great either.
I know an equal number of people who will say The Prius is better than the HCH (and vice-versa) in the confort and seating department. It appears that much of this is subjective depending on the person's size and frame. I find them both very confortable and quiet. My wife loves the HCH's seats better because she's smaller and the HCH has height adjustable seats. But she hates the HCH's head rests and the discomfort they cause her. As you can see, neither is a perfect car.

Nevertheless, I love both cars but I do not consider myself 'smug' blinded by either. I see more positives in both than I see negatives... which motivates me to tell you that whichever of the two cars you purchase you'll make an excellent choice.


Cheers;

MSantos

First time, this suggestion seemed to get ignored, so I'll try...

Have you considered the Camry Hybrid?

It's a good sized sedan, feels a bit larger than the Accord, with a great, but not really sporty ride. It can comfortably take a particular 25 miles per hour exit loop near me at 48-50 MPH without squealing a tire or intimidating the driver just fine, but it is not as nimble feeling vehicle in general as is the Civic or the Accord. That is, it handles better than it inspires! I think the Odyssey minivan feels much better than the Sienna, but on that same exit loop, the Odyssey is barely able to get this driver through it at 35-38 MPH, while the Sienna is still secure on all 4 at 40 MPH. (No doubt a better driver might have a different result, and a T5 Volvo would probably feel fine on this loop at 60!)

Seats are very personal: I love my Camry's seats much better than my Sienna Limited's seats, and my wife is the opposite opinion. However, it adjusts to extremes of driver's size. You will need to move the seat back before you enter!!!

The Camry has far better set of creature comforts than the Accord, and I expect the long term maintenance will be appreciably lower on the Camry. My four previous Toyota and Lexus products have all gone over 50K miles with one or zero unscheduled services, and all have gone over 60K before the first non-trivial service (U-joint on one, power window regulator on another, radiator overflow tank on a third). I am comfortable that my TCH will likely do as well. (However, the included 100 K mile warranty on the hybrid components is nice to have!)

-- Alan

Sorry Alan, but the first time someone mentioned a Camry, they offered no info to help me narrow the field. I may as well have been asked if I had considered a highlander, or have I considered a RX400h. Asking if I have considered a model does not help me narrow the selection.

You however have given my good food for thought.

Based on your review, the Camry appears to be a viable candidate, but I do like the handling edge that appears to be going toward the Honda offerings.