2020 Toyota Camry vs 2020 Toyota Prius

The 2020 Toyota Camry had a renewed focus on quality and appeal, aiming to reclaim its reputation for reliability and value. Its styling was more expressive than ever, with bold front fascia and taut lines that gave it a sporty look. The interior featured uniformly nice materials and a driver-focused dashboard, making even the base trims feel upscale. The TRD model added red trim accents, including bright red seatbelts, enhancing its sporty appeal. Despite these improvements, the Camry remained a mainstream sedan with a starting price of $25,380, not quite reaching the luxury or sport sedan status.

The 2020 Toyota Prius maintained its iconic jellybean-like shape, optimized for aerodynamics. The latest generation featured visual tweaks to give it a more sedan-like appearance while retaining its hatchback functionality. The Prius had a futuristic style, with a cabin defined by centrally located instrumentation and gauges. The interior was spacious, with comfortable front seats and good driver visibility. The rear seats also offered ample space, and the hatchback design provided excellent cargo versatility, making it one of the most spacious options among hybrid and electric vehicles.

The 2020 Toyota Camry offered four distinct powertrains: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with FWD, the same engine with AWD, a FWD 3.5-liter V6, and a hybrid powertrain. The 3.5-liter V6 produced 301 horsepower and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, providing smooth and powerful performance. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine delivered 203 hp (206 in XSE trim) and offered a lighter, more agile driving experience. The AWD system, similar to that in the RAV4, could send up to half of the engine's 184 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels when needed. The front-drive Camry had an EPA combined fuel economy rating of 31 mpg, dropping to 28 mpg with AWD. The V6 models managed 26 mpg, except for the TRD, which was rated at 25 mpg.

The 2020 Toyota Prius featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The Prius AWD-e variant added a second electric motor for the rear wheels, operating at speeds up to 43 mph. The Prius offered smooth acceleration and seamless transitions between electric and conventional power. It had three drive modes: EV, Eco, and Power, each catering to different driving needs. The unique shifter design and Engine Braking mode added to its distinctive driving experience. The Prius handled well, with a low center of gravity providing sharper handling than expected for a vehicle focused on efficiency.

The 2020 Toyota Camry was user-friendly, with most controls easily accessible. The front seats offered increased legroom and hip room compared to the previous generation. However, the rear seat had slightly reduced legroom and overall passenger volume, making it tighter than some competitors. The trunk space was 15.1 cubic feet, smaller than several rivals. The addition of AWD did not compromise the trunk or passenger space, thanks to modifications in the floor structure and fuel tank.

The 2020 Toyota Prius made excellent use of its compact platform, with deep door pockets and a large tray area between the front seats for storage. The front seats were spacious and comfortable, with good headroom and legroom. The rear seats also provided ample space, though taller passengers needed to be cautious when entering and exiting. The Prius offered 50.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet with the seats up, depending on the trim. The hatchback design made loading and unloading easy, enhancing its practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Camry came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, now including Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio. The infotainment system, while functional, felt dated with low-resolution graphics. Higher trims offered an 8-inch screen and a 10-inch head-up display. A three-month trial of WiFi Connect and a one-year trial of Remote Connect were also available, enhancing connectivity and convenience.

The 2020 Toyota Prius featured a standard 7-inch touchscreen with a sensible menu layout, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi hotspot, and three USB ports. The Limited trim upgraded to an 11.6-inch screen with a customizable, tablet-like layout. This larger screen lacked Android Auto but included satellite radio, HD Radio, and a 10-speaker JBL premium audio system. The top-center instrument panel provided hybrid drivetrain status and other critical readouts, with an available HUD for added convenience.

The 2020 Toyota Camry included Toyota Safety Sense, featuring a pre-collision system with emergency braking, dynamic radar adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with steering assist, and automatic high beams. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Camry earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. There was one NHTSA recall for leaking engine coolant, affecting up to 44,191 cars with 2.5-liter engines.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, and active park assist. The Prius earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS, though it fell short of the Top Safety Pick+ rating due to "average" scores in certain crash tests and headlight performance.