Road review: Best of Both Worlds

Which hybrid is right, and reliable? EnCompass tested Toyota’s 2015 Prius and Camry to help you decide.

Wherever gas prices currently sit, there’s no question Colorado, like the rest of the country, has been experiencing some of the lowest levels in years. This has meant great things for consumers hurting from the recession, but done little to fire up fuel-efficient fervor. Toyota cut sales expectations for the next generation of its market-leading Prius after last year’s numbers were down 12 percent as of November.

Meanwhile, the Global Fuel Economy Initiative issued a report saying average fuel economy is improving — at a rate of two percent per year since 2005 — but not at the pace needed to hit goals for 2050. Either way, said Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk in December while advocating for a carbon tax, “It is inevitable that we will exit the fossil fuels era, because at a certain point we will simply run out of carbon to mine or burn.”

But the green-minded can still find plenty of options when it comes to greater fuel efficiency, so the question has started to become one of style or substance? Or can you have both? To that end EnCompass used AAA Colorado AutoSource, AAA’s personal car-buying service, to compare the 2015 Toyota Prius Two hatchback with the style of 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE sedan.

Both cars are on the lower end of available options, yet still offer touchscreens, back-up cameras and push-button starts. However, the Prius is cheaper at $25,260, compared with a sticker price of $28,455 for the hybrid Camry. Rebates and dealer discounts often knock another three or four grand off either asking price.

The Prius felt much cheaper, as it seemed that it was built to savor gas and do little else. Its swooping space-age console fills the driver’s vision with plastic, a variety of confusing information displays, and the steering wheel is comically small. This as compared to the Camry, where black stitched-leather, silver trim and dual-zone climate control mimicked more expensive cars, while the dash provided attractive graphics showing the crucial battery/wheels/engine power trifecta. The Prius’ FM radio quality was even noticeably worse than the Camry, though the latter was equipped with Toyota’s optional Entune. Its six-speaker system yielded crisp sound, and OK call quality after being paired with my Samsung Galaxy.

Meanwhile, the Camry was clear that it was yielding 44.4 miles per gallon from its 17-gallon tank, beating the combined EPA fuel estimate of 41 MPG. If the Prius offered more than a generic 0-50-100 graphic to give me real-time miles-per-gallon information, I missed it. It did offer a trip summary when parked that said I got 64.6 MPG from its 11.9-gallon tank over 12 miles, better than the EPA’s combined estimate of 50 MPG.

Obviously that’s an exceptional return on your fuel investment, beaten only by fully electric vehicles. But it’s very painfully achieved, because the Prius basically hates being driven. Start with the fact that it beeps continuously while in reverse, and then add that going forward almost feels like a question of if. Between the mushy steering and anemic 134-horsepower Hybrid Synergy Drive engine, the Prius is a little less responsive than an anesthetized slug. It’s loud, it’s bumpy, and the only way to shake the feeling that you’re in a waiting room is to put it in “power” mode. (There’s also an “eco” mode for the true fuel sipper, who is obviously the target consumer and possibly an automotive masochist.)

On the other hand, despite weighing 400 more pounds, the Camry flew. Its gas-electric powertrain unleashes 200 frantic ponies that reach 60 mph in about seven seconds, with the help of skinny, low-resistance tires and lots of low-end torque. Believe me: The wheels squeal from a dead stop, and you might too.

Inside, the Prius offers a little more legroom in the front than the Camry and a little less in the back—though seating all around was comfortable for this average-sized adult—and kills the Camry in luggage space: 21.6 cubic feet to 13.1. It also offered better sightlines than the Camry, which felt a little more wrapped and had its headrests positioned right in my left blind spot. Crash-test-wise, the Prius scored four stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as compared to the Camry’s five.

Overall, the Camry is an impossible car not to love, and offers an impressive package of performance, accoutrements and fuel economy, and for only a little more than the Prius. However, the latter is the undisputed king of the hypermilers. And early reviews of the 2016 Prius suggest Toyota has fixed some of what ails the previous generation—it’s quieter and handles better—while improving fuel efficiency and expanding trunk space.

But for now, to answer the question of style or substance: We’ll take both. We’ll take the Camry.