Camry vs Corolla

[pghvolvo]

Camry would be my choice but not the Hybrid. I have a Prius and had to replace the HV battery when it gave me the death code a month after the 8 yr warranty expired. It only lasted 78K miles with a replacement cost of $2300. Toyota was kind enough to toss in $750 for the repair and the dealer took about $400 off the battery. Without Toyota and the Dealer tossing money and discounts it would have been over $3500 with sales tax for a new battery installed.

Stay away from the 1.5 Turbo Honda engines unless they fixed the gasoline / oil dilution problem. If you go with a Honda get the 2.0 liter non Turbo engine.

The Camry would be a far better car over the Corolla, if you're doing a lot of highway miles.

 

[odie]

The Corolla has a redesigned engine . Oil filter is located at the left hand side ( passenger ) of block . Not sure if easy access like older Corollas .

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I test drove a Camry vs Honda Accord Sport (2.0 with 6 speed manual). The Honda was the winner hands down for drivability. It was light on its feet and quite responsive. And if your wife likes a manual transmission, what more is there to say.

I've heard rumours that the manual transmission is being dropped for the '21 model year.

Honda already stopped making manual Accords a year ago, but they didn't tell anybody until just this summer. Nobody noticed for 7 months, which proves their point that it wasn't popular.

 

[Job]

The Prius LE is around 23k in my area for a 2020, 2000 factory discount. Minus dealer discount probably even less. Before this idea is knocked it comes with a full set of safety features and a spare tire. The features are blind spot with mitigation, lane keep with mitigation, front collision with braking, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise, all around sonar for staying away from things while parking, and assisted parking. That feature will parallel park or back in park by sensor. It has a geared cvt unlike the many others, no belt. For some reason they don’t load other base models like Camry LE with all this.
As for tires the Prius comes with 195/65/15 inch, a cheaper size.
The awd Prius has a Nimh battery too no lithium ion fires. But it deletes the spare tire I think not sure. So maybe tell her to have a look at those too.

 

[supton]

The Prius LE is around 23k in my area for a 2020, 2000 factory discount. Minus dealer discount probably even less. Before this idea is knocked it comes with a full set of safety features and a spare tire. The features are blind spot with mitigation, lane keep with mitigation, front collision with braking, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise, all around sonar for staying away from things while parking, and assisted parking. That feature will parallel park or back in park by sensor.

She might hurt me if I suggest that. She would probably tell me that she isn't currently parking nor driving "using the Braille method" and would have no need for that stuff.

It's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how good a Prius is for highway driving? Her fall gig has her driving about 3 hours each way to work, mostly backroads at 55mph or highway at 70mph.

All I know is, I drove a Prius once, and I tried to use cruise control, and one of the LCD's warned me that I was in a residential zone and that I should pay attention. I've hated them ever since. I think it was a 2017 model--maybe they have gotten better since then?

 

[atikovi]

I should clarify--wife doesn't drive 40k/year, more like 25k, but I do (or was?) over 30k, so very often we buy a set of tires every year (sometimes two in one year!).

Basing your buying decision on the cost of replacement tires seems a bit obsessive, but who am I to judge. I'd suggest Mitsubishi Mirage. Available with 14 inch tires so replacements are under $40.

 

[gregk24]

I know you said you were avoiding VW, but a new Jetta can be had for a steal. Excellent MPG and very comfortable.

 

[Job]

She might hurt me if I suggest that. She would probably tell me that she isn't currently parking nor driving "using the Braille method" and would have no need for that stuff.

It's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how good a Prius is for highway driving? Her fall gig has her driving about 3 hours each way to work, mostly backroads at 55mph or highway at 70mph.

All I know is, I drove a Prius once, and I tried to use cruise control, and one of the LCD's warned me that I was in a residential zone and that I should pay attention. I've hated them ever since. I think it was a 2017 model--maybe they have gotten better since then?

The 17 is like the 21 on that probably, same basic car. Whatever she wants is whats best just threw an idea out. The parking assist turns off. I would never use it or cruise control. I haven't used a cruise control since the 80’s but have it. If i drove like that it would be some kind of hybrid, fits what they do best.

 

[Amkeer]

I am enjoying the new Camry. The SE is only a little more and will pay dividends with the added features.

 

[SatinSilver]

I’d get the Corolla SE manual and ask the dealer to put on 16 inch wheels from the LE or XLE model. The SE comes with the bigger engine in it. The redesign of the current Corolla is much different than previous generations in a good way. My friend who travels a lot asks for Corollas now instead of the Camry like they used to. The 8 speed auto in the Camry shifts funny to the point that it’s annoying even as a rental. If the Corolla didn’t exist then the Camry would be my first choice.

 

[pbm]

I am enjoying the new Camry. The SE is only a little more and will pay dividends with the added features.

What kind of MPGs are you getting with the 2020 Camry? Did the dealer discount it much?

 

[Leo99]

Wouldn't a Camry with a 4 cylinder engine give you more working room in the engine bay, or doesn't it work that way in the newer Camry's?

Hopefully, it won't matter. I can change the plugs in my 4 cyl Camry in under 15 minutes easily and I'm pretty slow.

Honda already stopped making manual Accords a year ago, but they didn't tell anybody until just this summer. Nobody noticed for 7 months, which proves their point that it wasn't popular.

I almost bought a new 2015 Accord coupe V6 with the manual tranny. Beautiful car in red with black leather interior. I just couldn't get past how they engineered the passenger side blind spot monitoring. Instead of a light in the mirror, they had a camera in the mirror that displayed on the dash when you turned on the turn signal. I would have purchased it the BSM was like everyone else does it with a simple light in the side mirror.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Hopefully, it won't matter. I can change the plugs in my 4 cyl Camry in under 15 minutes easily and I'm pretty slow.

Yes, the 4-cylinder is very easy. The V6 is almost impossible. Getting to the back of a 1MZ or 2GR takes a week!

The only transverse V6 you can actually change the spark plugs on is the 4th gen Maxima VQ30DE because it has cutouts in the intake to access the rear plugs and coils. Unfortunately, other VQ's no longer provide this cutout.

I almost bought a new 2015 Accord coupe V6 with the manual tranny. Beautiful car in red with black leather interior. I just couldn't get past how they engineered the passenger side blind spot monitoring. Instead of a light in the mirror, they had a camera in the mirror that displayed on the dash when you turned on the turn signal. I would have purchased it the BSM was like everyone else does it with a simple light in the side mirror.

Honestly, I like the camera system better!

Sadly, Honda is phasing the camera out because apparently a lot of people agreed with you, so the new Accord (18+) switched to the BSM light you like (it also beeps). The only Hondas that still have the camera are the HR-V and Clarity

 

[JTK]

Not everything can be captured by dollars alone.

You don't know supton very well..

I'm KIDDING!!

One thing I can add from doing oil changes and basic maintenance on my mom's 2015 Camry LE over the years, I'm always impressed at how well put together that car is. Solid from top down. Not sure how today's camry compares and I haven't been in or driven a corola in some time. I do know my BIL still rocks his 2000 model year Chevy Prizm corolla clone. It's rough, but still usable.

 

[02SE]

What kind of MPGs are you getting with the 2020 Camry? Did the dealer discount it much?

I don't own a late model Camry, but I've driven several 2019 and 2020's as rentals. Usually they're SE models. I don't abuse rentals, but I don't drive like an old lady on her way to church either. 40 MPG average city/highway has seemed to be the norm for me hand calculated.

 

[dareo]

The seats and noise comfort in the 2018+ Regal and Regal TourX are quite nice for that kind of seat time. Might be worth looking into if you can find a good deal on a lightly used one.

 

[eljefino]

Wife's got a 2019 AWD-e prius.

We wanted the proven CVT in the prius, vs the 6-10 speed automatics in everything else. Also the proven NiMH batteries. There is no spare tire.

This car is cheaper than the 2nd gen prius. The underbody plastic feels flimsy, like from a yugo honestly. Someone tapped the rear bumper and the seam alignment isn't great anymore, like some of these hidden clips let go. Visibility is worse. 2005 had side windows in the hatchback area. Current gen just has a black plastic piece you'd think was a tinted window until you look at it closely.

The rear suspension is a crazy multi-link affair vs the semi-independent axle with struts. I make sure to fluid-film the bejeezus out of this as it looks like lots of pockets for salt to collect in.

We turned off most of the nannies. It squawked at us for crossing the center line on a two-lane crowned-center road. I cross the line all the time when there's no traffic to stay out of the crumbling tar near the shoulder.

I do like the radar cruise control, though. Pick an 18 wheeler in the right lane, set the cruise, chill.

The LED headlights are bright but must be obnoxious to oncoming traffic with their sharp cutoff.

You can get prius tech in the corolla hybrid, but IDK if the same CVT trans made it over.

I worry about the thousands of dollars of catalytic converters hanging underneath, but those are on many new cars now.

The EPA is giving cars size classes based on how much ground they shade, so a bigger car has looser MPG standards. I think this explains the growth of the corolla. Had an 02 camry, it was a brick outhouse and easy to work on. You see more camrys and prii as taxis than you do corollas.

 

[Leo99]

I don't own a late model Camry, but I've driven several 2019 and 2020's as rentals. Usually they're SE models. I don't abuse rentals, but I don't drive like an old lady on her way to church either. 40 MPG average city/highway has seemed to be the norm for me hand calculated.

I get 30 mpg in my Camry with a lot of highway driving. Maybe I drive too fast. My old Corolla got 36 mpg with same type of driving.

 

[RennWerks]

supton, I think if you and your wife drive the two Toyotas you're considering back-to-back, the choice will jump out at you. Ten minutes each will probably do the trick.

And if you drive, say, the a Camry LE within a few minutes of driving the only Corolla available with a manual transmission, the SE, I think you'll find that the Corolla will feel smaller (for obvious reasons; it is smaller) and more nimble (because it weighs several hundred poinds less) than the Camry LE. Also, given one of your stated priorities -- namely, a car with 17" wheels and tires -- only the Camry LE has them. The manual transmission Corolla SE comes equipped with 18" alloys (pretty good looking ones, too). With regard to cost, you'll find the Camry's MSRP is roughly $2k more than the Corolla SE's ($25k+$1k shipping vs. $23k+$1k shipping), but almost certainly the Camry will be discounted more, and thus the two cars will probably end up being similarly priced "OTD," if for no other reason that Corolla SE with a manual transmission may command a surcharge depending on the dealer, because that model is somewhat harder to find and buyers in their 20s are willing to pay more for one.

As for which one will last longer and cost less to own in the long run, my money's on the Camry lasting a week longer and costing $100 more to own than the Corolla over a ten-year period. Why, you ask? Because the larger 2.5-liter engine in the Camry will be doing less work than the 2-liter 163-hp engine in the Corolla. (The Camry barely ticks over 1k rpm at 60 mph.) The Camry's transmission, on the other hand, will be more expensive to service. (Doubt that? Check the cost of the Camry's transmission fluid; not cheap. The Camry's transmission also has a complex service procedure.)

There you have it. My hunch is you're going to opt for the Camry. Your wife, on the other hand, is going to prefer driving the Corolla SE with a manual transmission, assuming you can find one. Hope it works out for you. Let us know which one you choose

 

[02SE]

I get 30 mpg in my Camry with a lot of highway driving. Maybe I drive too fast. My old Corolla got 36 mpg with same type of driving.

I have an older Camry too. I bought it for my mom, but she no longer drives. So now I drive it when I go visit the folks. While in perfect running order, it simply doesn't do as well for MPG, as the '18 and newer models.