2020 Toyota Camry vs 2019 Toyota Prius

The 2019 Toyota Prius was not known for its looks. Its design, which had evolved to be more extroverted since the second-generation model, was polarizing. The fourth-generation Prius, introduced in 2016, continued this trend, but some argued that its bold styling hurt sales more than it helped. Despite its unconventional appearance, the Prius offered a practical solution for daily driving, with a new lineup in 2019 that included L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited trims. The XLE AWD model, painted in Electric Storm Blue, featured an Advanced Technology Package and various upgrades, bringing its price to $32,146.

Inside, the Prius had an unusual design with centralized controls, including a digital instrumentation strip and a joystick-style gear selector. While the offbeat interior design worked functionally, it took time to get used to the transmission controls. The 2019 model added gloss black interior trim, which attracted dust. Despite these quirks, the Prius provided a comfortable and functional interior for daily use.

The 2020 Toyota Camry marked a return to form for the model, with a renewed focus on quality and appeal. The styling was more expressive than ever, with a bold front fascia and taut lines that gave it a sporty look. The Camry offered 14 exterior color options, including a black roof, making it a fashionable choice. Inside, the Camry used high-quality materials and a driver-focused dashboard design, making even the lower trim levels feel upscale. The TRD model featured red trim accents and bright red seatbelts, adding a sporty touch.

The Camry's interior was designed with comfort and functionality in mind. The front seats offered increased legroom and hip room compared to the previous generation, while the rear seat had slightly reduced legroom. The trunk space was also smaller than some competitors, with 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space. However, the addition of AWD did not compromise the trunk or passenger space, making the Camry a practical choice for various driving conditions.

The 2019 Toyota Prius featured a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 121 horsepower. The optional AWD system added a 5-kilowatt rear electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery. The rear motor powered the wheels up to 6 mph and provided extra traction up to 43 mph. The AWD system resulted in lower gas mileage, with the AWD Prius averaging 50 mpg compared to the standard front-drive model's 52 mpg. The Prius used a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and offered different driving modes, including Eco, Normal, and Power. The car provided a good ride and decent handling, with the CVT creating a characteristic drone when driving uphill. The Prius also featured an EV driving mode for speeds under 25 mph and blended regenerative brakes to recharge the battery.

The 2020 Toyota Camry offered four distinct powertrains: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with FWD, the same engine with AWD, a 3.5-liter V6 with FWD, and a hybrid powertrain. The 3.5-liter V6 produced 301 horsepower and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, providing a smooth and powerful driving experience. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produced 203 horsepower (206 in XSE trim) and was also paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The AWD system, similar to that used in the RAV4, could send up to half of the engine's torque to the rear wheels when needed. The front-drive Camry had an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 31 mpg, which dropped to 28 mpg with AWD. The V6 models managed 26 mpg, except for the TRD, which was rated at 25 mpg.

The 2019 Toyota Prius offered comfortable seating for four adults, with manual height adjustment for the driver's seat and a high seating position for the front passenger. Both front seats were heated, as was the steering wheel. Rear passengers enjoyed good thigh support and decent legroom, though the second row lacked air conditioning vents. The Prius XLE and Limited trims featured SofTex leatherette upholstery, which tended to trap sweat on hot days. The Prius had a commodious trunk, offering up to 27.4 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seat (24.2 in the LE, XLE, and Limited) and up to 65.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down (62.7 with AWD-e).

The 2020 Toyota Camry was designed for ease of use, with most controls falling easily to hand. The front seats offered increased legroom and hip room compared to the previous generation, while the rear seat had slightly reduced legroom. The trunk space was smaller than some competitors, with 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space. The addition of AWD did not compromise the trunk or passenger space, making the Camry a practical choice for various driving conditions.

The 2019 Toyota Prius Limited trim featured an impressive infotainment system with an 11.6-inch split-screen display, navigation, the Entune App Suite, a premium JBL sound system, satellite radio, and Safety Connect subscription services. The XLE AWD-e test car had a standard infotainment setup with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, and a CD player. The Prius' instrumentation was housed in a horizontal strip below the windshield, with some displays looking modern and others outdated. The Advanced Technology Package included a head-up display, adaptive headlights, and a Hybrid System Indicator. However, the Prius lacked Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which were slowly being rolled out to other Toyota models.

The 2020 Toyota Camry added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment, along with Amazon Alexa compatibility and a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio. The standard infotainment system had low-resolution graphics and inferior navigation software compared to Google Maps and Apple Maps. However, the touchscreen was functional and quick to respond, with hard buttons for major functions. The standard 7-inch screen could be upgraded to an 8-inch display. The Camry also offered a three-month trial of WiFi Connect and a one-year trial of Remote Connect for locking and unlocking the doors and starting the vehicle remotely. Higher trim levels featured a 7-inch multi-information display and an optional 10-inch head-up display.

The 2019 Toyota Prius Limited trim included Safety Connect, providing automatic collision notification, emergency assistance, and roadside assistance. Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The LE trim added a blind-spot-monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and an Intelligent Clearance Sonar system with parking assist. The Prius received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.

The 2020 Toyota Camry included a version of the Safety Sense suite with a pre-collision system, emergency braking, pedestrian detection, dynamic radar adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist, and automatic high beams. A one-year trial of Safety Connect was included with every Camry. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional. The Camry had 10 airbags, stability control, and a backup camera. Higher trim levels offered Bird's Eye View for a 360-degree view of the car's surroundings. The Camry received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. There was one NHTSA recall for leaking engine coolant, affecting up to 44,191 cars with 2.5-liter engines.