I drive the earlier model, NHW11 Prius, but had the Camry hybrid been available, I'd have probably gone with that model. Yes, the newer Prius has a substantial number of improvements but the comfort of a Camry would make my wife much happier and we'd still get excellent mileage.

What it really comes down to is getting the right tool for the right job so that goes back to your family transportation needs. As a general rule:

1. Civic hybrid - excellent high-speed vehicle but somewhat small.
2. Prius hybrid - larger vehicle with excellent urban performance.
3. Camry - a nice boat, a comfortable sedan with good mileage.
4. Accord - a sedan with more performance but a little less fuel efficient.
5. Ford Escape - a small sized SUV with respectable mileage.
6. Highlander - a little larger (?) SUV with respectable mileage.
7. Lexus - creature comforts with darn good mileage.
8. Saturn SUV - lots of power but not so hot mileage.
9. Silverado - a whole lot of power but not so great mileage.

For urban driving, the Prius, Camry and Ford would be excellent choices. For highway driving, the Civic, Accord and others would work out just fine.

GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

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My other 1500 cc car:

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Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Bob,

That was precisely the type of info I was looking for to help my narrow the field. Thanks alot!!

based on what I have read on this forum, I am going to take a long hard look at the Camry. If only the Accord had the mileage of the Camry

I would have given you info, but I wasn't going to do so until you either confirmed or denied my question. I wasn't about to type a long review on a car if you (or your wife) had already thrown it out the window as you have done for almost every hybrid car there is. If you had not considered it and wanted more information I would have glady given it to you after you requested it.

Good luck in the rest of your research.

sorry Jonathan No intent to offend

my real commen was intended to defend why I didn't reply to the question of whether I had considered a Camry. I had not considered anything other than the Accord or Civic as my initial post indicated. I was not upset at you, I just didn't see the relavance of your first post. I am not trying to be mean or anything at all like that. Sorry if my comments were rude

I have kept an open mind. I just started to research the Camry. It is much better looking than the Civic, but I am not sure if it is too big for my wife to consider sporty. She really likes the handling of our 2003 Accord. Do you think the Camry is in the same league?

Ah, I understand now. It's cool. I'm sorry if I sounded too harsh. My dad is leasing a 2005 Accord hybrid (HAH) and he loves it. It has a lot of horsepower compared to say the civic and prius and the camry too if I am right (?), which is why the HAH doesnt get outstanding Fuel efficiency (FE). I don't have any personal experiance with the camry, but if you want more FE than the accord but want a car in that "league" that's what I would reccomend. I still think the HAH is a "better car" overall, just not a better hybrid.

You and your wife will have to decide what the most important "feature" you are looking for. Only once you get a heirarchy of your preferences made will you be able to decide which car is best for you. As has been mentioned before, no hybrid is "perfect." There may not even be one that is best for you. I would recommend not jumping into anything and see if a certain car grows on you, it is then that you can be happy with whatever you decide.

If at all possible, try to negotiate an over-night test and/or see if there are any rental units around. We rented a 2001 Prius from the dealer and though we didn't buy, it answered a lot of questions.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Hey guys thanks for the great advice. Glad there was no hard feelings. This site is real helpful

Hi Johnny,

For what it's worth, I'm not too impressed with my first two weeks with the Prius. It feels cramped to me, and the handling leaves much to be desired. When my lease gets close (it's an inherited company car), I'm going to take a very close look at the Civic & Accord. Although, you never know...I have a habit of getting very attached to cars...lol!

Good luck with your search!

Yes, but ... if only the Camry Hybrid had the acceleration and handling of the Accord Hybrid. Owning a HAH and having driven a Camry, I much prefer the Accord.

BTW, you'll probably get a much better deal on a HAH than a Camry and, now that the Tax Credit for Toyotas has been halved, the Tax Credit is about the same for both vehicles.

If you are just looking for good mileage and don't necessarily want a hybrid, then the VW Jetta TDI or Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI diesels might be an option. Highway fuel economy of the Jetta is well over 40 mpg. Of course, the fly in the ointment is that both V-dub and MB have horrible reputations for reliability.