2021 Toyota Camry vs 2020 Toyota Prius

The 2020 Toyota Prius maintained its well-known shape influenced by aerodynamics, offering a futuristic style that continued to appear contemporary. Toyota tweaked its styling to make it seem more like a sedan, yet it retained its hatchback practicality. The cabin's most distinctive feature was the central location of its instrumentation and gauges, a unique setup embraced for over 20 years.

Trim levels included L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited, each bringing a range of standard and additional features. The entry-level L Eco came with 15-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Camry aimed to stand out from its conservative predecessors with eye-catching styling details like flared wheel arches and thin headlights and taillights, which helped widen its appearance. However, SE, XSE, and TRD trims added fake vents that some may find visually cluttered. The cleaner LE and XLE models still featured a sizeable grille. Built on the TNGA-K platform used by other Toyota vehicles, the Camry aimed for more dynamic design attributes.

Toyota updated the front-fascia styling for many 2021 trims and kept the Nightshade Edition from 2020, which offered blacked-out trim and wheels for a sportier look.

The 2020 Toyota Prius featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor and battery, delivering a total of 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The Prius came standard with front-wheel drive, though an all-wheel-drive version—Prius AWD-e—was also offered. This AWD system ran independently of the front-wheel-drive components and only activated up to 43 mph.

It offered smooth acceleration, particularly at lower speeds, with seamless transitions between electric and conventional power. Three driving modes (EV, Eco, and Power) catered to different performance and efficiency needs. Unique shifter design and Engine Braking mode helped navigate tricky terrains like mountainous regions.

The 2021 Toyota Camry offered more powertrain options. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, named Dynamic Force, ranged from 202 to 206 horsepower, depending on the trim and drivetrain. The V6 engine pushed out 301 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque. A hybrid option combined a 2.5-liter engine with electric assist for a total of 208 hp.

Our SE Nightshade Edition test car, featuring the base engine and AWD, showed off its lively, eager-to-rev nature and impressive power. The TRD performance model from 2020 added sportier tweaks, while the AWD system could send up to 50% of torque to the rear wheels.

The 2020 Toyota Prius offered practical interior spaces and clever storage solutions. The interior had spacious and comfortable front seats with ample headroom and legroom. Rear-seat space was decent, though taller passengers might find it a bit tight getting in and out. Cargo capacity was impressive with 50.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet with the seats up, depending on the trim.

The 2021 Toyota Camry, meanwhile, excelled in rear headroom and legroom but sacrificed some front space. The seats were adjustable and comfortable, and outward visibility was excellent. Cargo space was 15.1 cubic feet—average for the segment but behind the Honda Accord’s 16.7 cubic feet.

Storage within the cabin felt restricted, with small cupholders and door storage bins that caused items to get stuck.

The 2020 Toyota Prius featured a standard 7-inch touchscreen with a sensible menu layout, offering Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, a WiFi hotspot, and three USB ports. The Limited trim upgraded the infotainment to an 11.6-inch tablet-like screen, though it lost Android Auto support. Additional tech features included satellite and HD radio, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker JBL audio system.

The 2021 Toyota Camry also came equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Siri Eyes Free. Higher trims got a 9-inch screen, WiFi support, navigation, and a nine-speaker JBL audio system. It also offered a head-up display on XSE and XLE trims.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included 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 lane-tracing assist. The Prius earned five stars from NHTSA and was a “Top Safety Pick” from IIHS.

The 2021 Toyota Camry earned top safety honors with a “Top Safety Pick+” rating from IIHS and a five-star rating from NHTSA. Standard safety features in the new TSS 2.5+ package included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and traffic-sign recognition. The enhanced systems improved lane-change and left-turn safety. The Camry also introduced a new Rear Seat Reminder system as standard.