At 6'4″ and 340 Pounds, a 2025 Prius Plug-In Owner Calls It “Way More Comfortable” Than His Camry - Goes on To Say His Prior 200,000-Mile Prius “Made Us Fall in Love With Toyota”

The Toyota Camry has long worn the crown of sensible, comfortable midsize sedan, while the Prius was cast as the worthy but slightly austere efficiency champion. 

Yet real ownership has a way of puncturing assumptions, and sometimes it takes nothing more than a routine service visit and an unexpectedly expensive headlight to rewrite the script entirely.

That is exactly what happened to Craig Jones, a rising contributor in the Toyota Prius 5th Gen Club community, who recently shared how a trip to replace a headlight on a 2022 Camry XSE Hybrid ended with the keys to a 2025 Prius Premium XSE Plug-in. What began as maintenance turned into a full-blown reassessment of what comfort, value, and long-term sense actually look like when you drive 25,000 miles a year. 

The irony was not lost on him. The headlight may have been covered under warranty, but the solution ultimately cost far more and delivered far more in return.

“Well, we took our 2022 Camry XSE Hybrid to get a new headlight and ended up trading it in for a 2025 Prius Premium XSE Plug-in. Absolutely love it. The Camry was not very comfortable, but the Prius is much more comfortable.  I'm 6'4", 340 pounds, and it's a little tight and would much rather drive my Cummins Mega Cab every day, but for all miles I drive 25,000 miles a year, that wouldn't make sense lol. We also have a 2009 Prius that made us fall in love with Toyota, with over 200k, and the only things we've had to do are tires, oil changes, and brakes. I hope this will last us that long with no issues. Well, just over 3 months, and we are at our 10k-mile service. This car has been nothing short of amazing

I don't understand how all the write-ups say the Camry is more comfortable and has a smoother ride. That can't be further from the truth. Seats in the Camry are like a park bench, and the suspension on it is like a horse carriage. I will say I'll miss the red interior of the Camry, but we still have the red accents in the Prius.”

Jones’ perspective carries weight because it is grounded in lived experience, not spec sheets. At 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, he is candid about the realities of vehicle fit. The Prius is a bit tight, he admits, and given the choice alone, he would happily pilot his Cummins Mega Cab daily. But reason intervenes where desire often overreaches. For the volume of miles he covers annually, the Prius makes sense in a way a heavy-duty pickup never could, and crucially, it does so without feeling like a punishment.

Toyota Prius: Technical Details Explained 

• The Prius prioritizes aerodynamic efficiency through a low, tapered profile that supports fuel economy but slightly limits rear visibility and headroom for taller passengers.
• Its hybrid system emphasizes smooth, predictable operation, favoring steady acceleration and low fuel consumption over rapid response or sporty character.
• Interior controls balance digital displays with physical buttons, helping reduce distraction for common functions while maintaining a modern layout.
• Suspension tuning focuses on comfort and stability in everyday driving, filtering out most road imperfections while offering limited engagement on more demanding roads.

What stands out most in his account is the comfort comparison. Against nearly every published review, Jones finds the Prius notably more comfortable than the Camry it replaced. The Camry’s seats, in his words, felt more like a park bench, while the suspension rode with a brittle, horse-drawn harshness that wore thin over time. The Prius, by contrast, delivers a smoother, more agreeable ride that better suits long stints behind the wheel. It is a reminder that comfort is not dictated solely by size or segment, but by execution.

There is also a sense of continuity in his story. Jones and his family already own a 2009 Prius with more than 200,000 miles, a car that required little more than routine maintenance over its life. That kind of ownership experience leaves an impression, and it explains why the leap to a new Prius was not taken lightly but with confidence. Ten thousand miles into ownership, the new plug-in has done nothing to erode that trust.

The comments surrounding the post add a human dimension that marketing departments cannot manufacture. Jokes about the “expensive headlight” acknowledge the sting of a $45,000 transaction, even when it is made with humor. Reassurance flows naturally to those considering the same move, including Camry owners feeling uneasy about switching platforms. Jones’ response is simple and telling. It gets better every day, and the Camry is not missed.

What this exchange quietly exposes is a disconnect between conventional wisdom and day-to-day reality. On paper, the Camry should ride better and feel more accommodating. On the road, at least for some drivers, the Prius proves otherwise. Lower center of gravity, thoughtful seat design, and a chassis tuned for calm efficiency can add up to real comfort that no brochure can adequately describe.

The fifth-generation Prius continues to surprise, not by abandoning its mission, but by executing it with a level of refinement that invites loyalty. Sometimes the most convincing endorsement does not come from a comparison test or a polished review, but from an owner who simply drove both, lived with both, and chose the one that made the miles easier.

Image Sources: Toyota Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.