I thought we needed a positive thread in response. :>

But seriously, my mom just bought a Prius, and we took it out for a little spin today, and I couldn't be more glad that I chose the TCH (same price as the Prius up here). After I bought it, I had a short period of wondering, did I make the right choice, the Prius gets way better mileage, do I really need a car this big, etc...

No more. After driving mom's Prius today, I really notice the differences. The one thing that I like better is her colour scheme, which looks a lot sharper than my somewhat bland Camry interior (after all, the Camry is not known as a flashy car). However, everything else is better: the car's ride is smoother, there's a lot more room (and I'm a bigger guy, so that's important), the noise levels (both engine and road) are much, much lower, and the whole package is just way more suited to my personality.

The one thing on which I'm still torn is that energy monitor screen - the Prius has everything you need to know right there on one page: outside temp, consumption, engine status, etc. My Camry just has the little tiny display under the speedometer, and while all the same info is available, it's split up into different pages. Seems to me they could've at least fit the outside temp onto all the pages. But the Prius energy screen is so garish and in your face, it actually put me off when I was doing my initial test drives, so all in all, I think I prefer not having it.

So hey, while I had a few doubts at one point, I'm happy to say that I have now put those doubts completely to rest. This is the car I want, and I'll probably drive it into the ground (or at least until they come out with the plugin version

 

I just bought my TCH last month after 3 months of research on internet on various hybrid/non-hybrid cars. TCH is no doubt the Best let me repeat The Best for bucks.

All the standard options in TCH are almost same as high end camry xle except few. Basic Prius does not have even all standard safety features including air bags as TCH. If you want those options, price of TCH is same as Prius so why not buy bigger, safer, quieter TCH.

TCH is always good choice. Hey, I sound like TCH salesman.

Have a great day.

 

I drove both the Prius & TCH before buying my TCH in February 2007.

I wanted the Prius' hatchback & fold-down seats flexibility over the TCH's small trunk and pass-through which can be used at best for skis/snowboard (nothing wrong with these clearly).

What sold me on the TCH is that it is a bigger car, with more up-scale features and styling. As a bigger guy I felt the TCH was a better fit for me. The Prius is a great car for someone with different overall needs.

We've made the right decisions, just as others who felt the Prius met their needs better than the TCH, now let's have some fun with the best hybrid for us...

Enjoy & Safe Driving.

 

The TCH has far exceeded my expectations, after nearly a year of constant use. How else can you get this combination of size, power, style, luxury features, quality, fun (yes, FUN), and a nearly 40 MPG average???

Shoot me if I'm lyin'!

 

It just depends on your needs. I drive in excess of 40K miles per year. Every mpg more I can get the better. The Prius can't be beat for the room & comforts it has & still get more than 50 mpg. However, when it came time to get my wife a new car, I definitely wanted to get the TCH b/c she does not drive nearly as much & does not need the mpg's of the Prius. The TCH is defintely more comfortable ride, has more leg room (front passenger especially over the Prius) & is better suited for family trips. With both cars, we have the best of both worlds.

 

I test drove a Prius over two long weekends well in advance of buying my TCH. One area where the TCH shines is that it doesn't exhibit any of the skittishness of the Prius on wet roads. Not that the one I rented felt unsafe, but I did notice slight lateral movement when crossing through small puddles, etc.

 

I'm with bsteele. Both the Prius and TCH have their good points, so we have one of each as well (although I get the TCH more often even though I drive farther). It no longer my car or her car, we just take what makes sense for the trip. These are great cars, and I would do it all over again. I find that I don't really notice the small fluctuations in fuel prices anymore.

 

I love my TCH, also. I was on the 495 Beltway in DC and traffic was nearly stopped. At least I was getting 99.9 MPG. My old SUV would have been 1/2 empty.

I didn't initially intend on getting a hybrid, but I am very glad I did.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=afOlUzd30YOo