gavriil

I thought it’s worth writing a personal review about this best seller for the USA market. This is possibly THE most important car for Toyota for the North American market so let’s see what the buzz is about.

We decided to spend 6 days at Sand Key, FL and hence the Camry as a loaner. I have driven a Camry before as a loaner but only briefly. This time it was long enough for me to get a really good feeling about the car.

Needless to say this was a 4 cylinder, base car with no leather or any extravagant options. There were 4500 miles on the odometer and the “Maint Needed” lights flashing on the dashboard every time I started the car, ala-Acura CL. I remember reading somewhere that more than 3/4s of Camrys sold are equipped with the 4-cylinder engine.

Interior

1. Ergonomics

In a word…great. Everything was laid out within reach and logically placed. Just as expected from such an offering from Toyota.

2. Utility

In a word…better than great. OK three words. Nice touches like, when you get off Park on the auto tranny shifter all doors lock made me think,…”wow, I wish my RX300 had this option”. Don’t forget this is a base Camry and the RX330 is a Silversport, supposedly, well optioned. Of course, four years separate these two vehicles and sometimes that’s an internity these days in the auto industry.

Talking about nice touches, Interior Utility and similarities with the RX: There is a push-button on the tranny shifter which disengages overdrive. Basically, does not permit the computer to engage 4th (and final) gear. It’s very useful when on the highway and need to pass, etc. Not only the base Camry had that option, but they used the same parts as in my RX300. Even the illuminated sign on the dashboard reading “O/D Off” was the same.

Another one was the beeping sound heard when one pushes “Unlock” on their remote key approaching to get into the vehicle. Same sound as in the RX300 and while noticing that one day, I heard that same sound again a few cars back. I turn and I see someone unlocking a Highlander. Aha! That’s how you save money. Use as many of the same parts as you can without ruining the “feel of differentiation” between brands appropriately. Grin on my face with the wife asking, why am I smiling… “Oh nothing” If I really explained to her, she’d think I am crazy…

Every time I get into a Taurus, I miss knowing what the temp is outside...well this base Camry was equipped with an outside temp reading. The annoying part was that next to it was a constantly lit (in red) LED reading "Passenger Airbag ON".

Another nice touch which I also wish my RX300 had was the fact that, while locked in the car and stopped to get out, you pull the lever and it unlocks and opens the door. In the case of the RX, you have to unlock yourself first and then pull the lever. Two clicks as opposed to one. Reminds me of Usability Tests with Oracle apps or even an OS. Going crazy again. Talking about number of clicks, I still cant get over BMW’s approach which is “pull the lever twice” which unlocks and opens the door, “pull once” if not locked to just open. Talk about double-clicking activity…






3. Design

In a word, great. I love the center dashboard’s design. Overall a little utilitarian, almost bland at places, but in line with the demands of this category. Can’t take big chances when you sell half a million a year of these I guess.

4. Quality and feel of materials used

This is where the Camry signs again. Although there was mid-quality plastic used all over the place (i.e. center console, etc.), the places within the interior which your eye “catches” more often than others are made of good quality materials overall. Also, the same applies with the pieces your “hand touches”, like buttons, levers, etc. So Toyota is smart here. Yes be frugal, but only with things you can get away with… The more I think about all this, the more I don’t understand what’s so difficult with applying the same principles in the case of Ford and GM. It’s not rocket science folks, you just have to be anal about this and not let anything fall through the cracks. Be thorough, like an accounting clerk, no offense to any here. Be a pest, notice everything and just don’t let go. It’s not expensive if Toyota and others can do it. Even Opel can do it and that’s a GM subsidiary… Geee… Going crazy and off the subject again.

There was enough room for four, 6-foor tall adults for even long trips. I got the impression that the Taurus has more legroom in the rear, but it might have been my imagination.

The seats were cloth but interestingly, they were power lumbar support equipped. Although at lumbar support was way exaggerated. I love LS and I tell you, set at all the way low LS, I still had more than needed. After a few hours I got used to it and never complained. The seats were clearly more comfortable than the ones in a Taurus.

I liked the performance of the AC. Many times I rent cars and am disappointed at that. This Camry did something which I have never felt in a car before as far as the AC is concerned. Somehow, the moment I would set the AC to ON, cold air would come out of the vents within seconds. I mean, every other AC system I have been exposed to, takes a few minutes until you feel cold air coming out. And this is happening during 90 degree, humid Florida weather. Very impressive. The controls were excellent from a setting perspective. The Taurus controls for the AC are plain PATHETIC. I hate the fact that you only have 2 options. AC and Full? AC. The former is AC with fresh air coming in and the latter is recycled AC. Though you never get a chance to choose from which vents the air will enter. Pathetic. The Camry, just like our CL (see MODE), had all those as options, only in a mechanical/manual control, unlike the digital in our CL’s case. Whatever. It worked great and it was easy to figure out.

Bottom line, living inside a Camry was a pleasant experience.

Also, fit and finish was fine. Not Lexus-like but fine. Detroit has reached great strives with fit and finish so I cant say there was a big difference between the Taurus and the Camry.

Here I am looking at photos of a well optioned Camry with "wood" finish and leather and it looks lightyears better than the base model. Digital HVAC, heated seats, etc.








Build

Is that a new measure of quality. I could have just put a paragraph there and avoid a title, but the Camry deserves the title. Because this is another one of those measures where Detroit is so behind in this category and others. I mean, the doors felt like the ones in my RX. Both on how they opened, but also how they closed. In a word, SOLID! This is a $20K Camry for God’s sake! You close the door of a Chevy and you think you’re banging on those old, alloy garbage cans. Drrrraannnng…echo, echo. As opposed to THUMP!

And that’s how the whole car felt. Including the trunk. Our trunk for example feels like it’s made out of paper. Not the Camry’s.

Then I thought, “but of course”. The Camry is a better car because Toyota designed it to “carry” the Lexus ES. Which from what I read should feel and ride superbly. Think about this. The Camry is a better car because you derive a Lexus from it. Very, very important point. Does Lincoln get a car from the Taurus? Does the Malibu derive a Cadillac? Some might say: “no, and that’s the way it should be”. Well, I disagree. Think about it. Our CL/S was derived by the previous gen. Honda Accord coupe. Same with the TL and the Accord sedan. Do you see a trend here?

OK enough with this, I know you get the picture.

Drivetrain

Let me start with the engine here.

Most civil 4 cylinder on the planet. Well, OK. I have not driven ALL 4 Cyl. engines, but I bet I would not be way off if bet on that. This unit betrays the number of cylinders only by its buzzy sound at more than half throttle and/or at high RPM. You know how 4 cyl. engines shake at idle? Well, this thing feels as solid as our V6. It does not shake anywhere. That is, at any RPM level. Then I remembered reading about this. Something like “Toyota has gone to great lengths to make this a civil unit by incorporating dual counter balance shafts….” blah, blah, blah…etc. And it shows. This is the first 4 cylinder engine which I don’t mind living with. Imagine that.

The specs are 2.4 liters, 157HP at 5600 rpm and 162 pounds of torque at 4000 rpm. Nothing extraordinary, but enough for this car and certainly the category. Certainly the 4 cylinder in the Altima is stronger and torquier but way less civil. Plus it’s slightly of larger displacement.



This engine was tuned with two clear "kicks" in the rev-band. And I mean the VTEC kind. One would take place at 2900 rpm and the next at 3500 rpm. They would happen only at WOT and they were very evident. They reminded me of the single 2800 rpm kick I feel with my RX300, though not as pronounced. I was a little surprised at that as, I would not expect Toyota to be as aggressive with torque kicks with a Camry. Though they would not be there when not at WOT, so no big deal.

You realize how economical these units are when you drive them. In six days, we used half a tank and a lot of the driving was stop and go and the AC was always on. Combine that with the tank’s capacity of 18.5 gallons and you get the idea. I wish our tank were larger…

The overall experience of the tranny was not as favorable. It’s obvious that this tranny has no relation to the 4 speed tranny used by Lexus (at least up to last year). It did not hunt for gears per se, it was average on that respect, but it had this annoying tendency to take a while before engaging the next gear. It would sit in limbo for a second many times.

Also the gearing was longish and did not help the fact that this is a 4 cylinder Camry. But I understand the reasoning behind the choice. Overall the tranny was average, solidly better than that in a Taurus though. I don’t think I have experienced a worse tranny than that in a (base) Taurus, for the record.

Ride

This was another positive for the Camry. Let me start with NV&H. In brief, the noise factor was clearly better than our CL’s. When I was returning home in my car, from the airport, I thought….”man my car is noisy!” V&H were at better than average levels for the category, I can safely say. I went all the way to 105 mph in the Camry and I thought I was doing 85 or 90 mph in my CLS. That’s impressive in my opinion.

Overall though, comparing to the CLS, the Camry’s ride is clearly softer, as it should be and control levels are significantly higher in the case of our car.

Bottom line, the Camry is tuned to go on long trips with no drama and average overall control.

Also the steering was way softer compared to that of the CLS.

Driving my car at 95mph coming back from airport, I thought “man can I go much faster with my car”. Of course that’s to be expected due to the more powerful engine, but it’s more than that. We all know this, but ride, handling and steering are major factors for the overall feeling you get about how fast you can go, or think how fast you’re going.

Finally, this is a great offering for the money and it shows from how successful it’s been. With a V6, leather and a sunroof, I imagine this being a great offering, albeit not cheap. Bottom line, the Camry commands respect for what it is from any car enthusiast.

gavriil

Signs= shines
Strives= strides

pimpscls

its basically for the avg driver, reliable and solid for the money, but i would never get one myself

cusdaddy

Great review as always... I own a 03 Accord EX 4-cylinder which is this car's prime competitor. It's very similar to the Camry, but it's a more entertaining car to drive. I'd love to hear your comparison of the two cars.

BTW, the Accord 2.4L I-4 is very similar to the Camry's 4 cylinder engine. You can barely hear or feel it at idle. And it has very impressive power for what it is. Amazing how good some 4-cylinders are now.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

Beaut on the inside...plain on the outside...

heyitsme

Its an alright car but I think its really showing its age and is lacking next to the newer competition.

gavriil

Thanks.


I have never driven an Accord before. I have read that the Cary now comes in a sporty version which is supposed to go against the sportier Accord's character.



Amazing indeed.

gavriil

How come it's still beating everyone then?

gavriil

I disagree. I think that the outside looks pretty aggressive for the category and how safe one has to be designing a best seller. Then again, looks are subjective, hence me always avoiding to include this item in my reviews. Who cares what I think if a car looks good or not... I will include it as a sidenote though.

Talking about looks, here is the Camry Toyota just introduced in Asia: Does it not look great?





This is a comparison of old one of the left and new to the right:





More pics here:








Source: http://www.u-car.com.tw

fast_daddy_car

its also available as a ragtop

the CLs would have made a nice convertible

heyitsme

Don't think sales are an indicator of which car is best, at least not from a buyers standpoint. Doubt a camry will be winning any recent family sedan comparos though since honda has done everything toyota has done and more for a lower msrp.

123456SPEED

I looked over the new Camry 2 door (Solara). Wow, the rear of the car is not attractive, too wide and big. It's patterned after the Lex SC430 (which in itself is a love it or hate it style). I think the previous Solara is a much more integrated exterior.
It's not that bad otherwise, the interior and features are good, but still without a 6 cylinder/manual option it's a yawner. gotta have a rowable 6 for me.

F23A4

Nice review. The last Camry I drove was the 92-96 model, while working at Hertz. That motor felt bulletproof; now matter how hard you pushed it, it didnt get 'bent out of shape' or make any strange noises.

I'd like to rent a new Accord and Camry 4 cylinder to see how they feel compared with my 99 Accord.

gavriil

The market does not buy the best car, the market buys the best car for the money (in this category).

If the individual who just bought a new Camry thought the Accord was a better car for the money, they'd buy that. And "better" in this case could mean anything...from how the car looks, to options, to ride, to anything...

gavriil

I have heard/read a ton of good things about the new Solara's interior. Especially concerning to fit and finish. They basically are at Lexus levels when it comes to that currently. I will have to check one out.

gavriil

I have never seen an Accord at Hertz. Have you? I'd love to check one out. Soon I will be asking for a Mazda 6. They are all over the place at Hertz lots now. Also, I now see some Nissan Maximas..

shaHn78

I agree its a great car but it doesnt feel as solid as expected.

My brother and my brother-in-law has an 04 and it has rattles on the inside and the body flexes going over steep drive-ins. Whats makes the Camry even more unappealing is after sitting in the new Accord.

Another of my bro-in-law has an 04 Accord and it just feels much more solid and the inside is very cozy compared to the Camry. In fact, the bro-in-law who has the 04 Camry actually wants to sell it and buy the Accord.

shaHn78

OH, there's a feature in Camry which just makes u go :

On the steering wheel, on one side there is the cruise controls and the other side has clock and MPG/Trip Info which u can switch back and forth from


I dont know what the interior designers were thinking with this feature but its quite possibly one of the dumbest ergonomic design. Why not have the stereo control there?? Who feels the need to check Trip Info. on a daily basis in this fashion?!


If i were in the market for a sedan, this feature alone would turn me off completely cos it doesnt make ANY sense

gavriil

Thank you for reminding me of a VERY annoying rattle that was coming from the center part of the dashboard. I banged on it, I played with the HVAC controls, nothing worked. It was constant, very high in pitch, very annoying and constant.

Finally, I forgot to mention anything about the brakes. That was a sour note for this car. The feel of the brakes was one of the worst ever. I got back in my car and I thought I had Porsche brakes. Mainly due to the fact that you needed to plant your foot deep into the pedal before anything happened. Unacceptable for a car with 4500 miles in my opinion and for this category. I always felt I had less braking power than needed. Never felt assured by the brakes of this car.

gavriil

ALthough an irrelevant point, here you remind me of another thing I noticed. I talked about common use of parts throughout an automakers's range of vehicles with the O/D and the beeping when unlocking the doors.

The cruise control hardware were identical to the ones in my RX300. Including the illumination in the dash.

GOOSE

Gavriil, ever thought of writng for Car and Driver or Motor Trend?

Good stuff.

gto2050

Nice review but you didn't mention SOUL. It doesn't have any personality. It's an appliance. Runs like a sewing machine.

gavriil

Thought of it? Sure. Many times. The thought was, "it'd be great to be testing all these cars out there, then write about it and get paid".

Then I did nothing about it because I dont think I'd qualify.

I also wonder what these guys get paid these days.

Thanks though.

gavriil

SOUL is less than secondary in this category. People that buy a Camry, are out there to buy an appliance. Nothing wrong with that. Most people dont demand soul from their vehicle.

Price, safety, reliability, roominess, etc. are way more important than soul for most people.

gto2050

Acura's and Infiniti's have SOUL. I find the SOUL lacking in Lexus too, with the exception of the IS300 and GS400.

123456SPEED

I don't know what cars would have 'soul' these days. Cars that are mass produced, cost cut, efficient, and low maintenace are hard to envision with 'soul'.
That's why people here do mods, large and small to give their cars at least some personality and more 'specialness'.

gto2050

Your 6 speed has no soul? Mine does!

dallison

if the us gets that it will be a nice upgrade froomt eh current one

F23A4

At the time I worked at Hertz (1994-95), I worked in the NY Owning area. We had Mazdas, Toyotas, Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns (w/ the occassional Volvos and Jags)---basically Fords and Toyotas.

However, we would get cars in from the Philadelphia Owning area which included Hondas (5G Accords and Civics) and Pontiacs. So it depended on which area, as to what types of cars were avail.

When I was down in Miami last year, they had Accords and Camrys. But if you Club Gold reserve it online, you'll get stuck with a Taurus AUTOMATICALLY!!

I first started seeing Maximas @ Hertz a couple of years ago. I never recalled seeing the Y2k/2k1 Maximas @ Hertz but I've seen plenty of 2k2/3s.

Peace.

gavriil

I agree. Mass production is inherently anti-soul-like.

gavriil

I am club gold and I do reserve online. Not on Hertz.com but on eTravel, which is a company website and it's mandatory. And yes, I do get a Taurus 90% of the time.

What's the easiest way to know what cars are available and get what I want? Get there and changing it at the gold counter?

I love what Avis? does (or is it Enterprise?). Go out and pick a car as long as it's on the appropriate size.

F23A4

I'm not totally sure how Avis (or Enterprise) works exactly with regard to picking a car. I do know that of all the major rental outlets, Enterprise seems to have the most variety of vehicles; of course they dont have the fleet size Hertz and Avis have.

As far as Hertz Club Gold, you'd probably have to book it online and then call their Reservation hotline to make certain the car is a Honda or Toyota (or just not a Ford ). In my case, the only caveat is that the Neverlost Navi is only available in certain models (i.e.: Mazda 626 and Taurus, I think); I always try to get the Navi if I'm outside of the Northeast.

Peace.

gavriil

That's exactly what I need too. I never NOT get the Neverlost option. They tell me only full size vehicles have it, so I have had it with this Camry in Florida for example.

1SICKLEX

Gav great review. Those looking for a soul in a Camry need to get their head examined. The car is flawless, the best built car family car in the world. The Accord for all intents in purposes is it's equal. These cars have been battling for awhile now. The Camry has won the sale route more often. The market says it is the best car to them. Period.

As stated by Gav, a Lexus is going to be built off this car. Nuff said. Weird but I have buds that can afford more expensive cars but they just keep buying Camry's. They are not into modding or cars much so it fulfills their needs to a T.

WTF is a soul in a car? GOd people take these magazines and run with them....

gto2050

Go stick your head back in the sand.

1SICKLEX

Go fuck yourself. Better yet, go fuck the flying pig in your avatar:gaylaugh: :bananahump: You want soul go buy a James Brown 8-track.

F23A4

Similar to your friends, I could easily fit a new $50G car into my budget but I figured why?? There are so many great cars under $40G. And the Camry is one of them. (not to mention TL, Accord and G35S)

Abiding by the OEM maintenance schedule, Camrys are great 'purchase and forget' cars as they last well past 200k and 10 years w/o issue.

If I had to get a car that I would almost never (relative sense) have to worry about (i.e.: defective parts, build quality, resale value, theft, etc,...) the Camry would be my first choice.

I bought the Maxima only because I'm still more into performance (but need a 4dr in this price range) than other features. The Camry V6 and 6G Accord V6 (at that time) didnt have performance comparable to the 3.5L Maxima (though the Accord has now come a bit closer) but, do excel in every other area against the Max.

If the Camry XLE V6 had something like 240hp/240lb-ft w/5AT for under $30G, I'd buy it in a heartbeat over the Maxima, Altima and Accord. Granted it probably wouldnt run 14s like the Maxima but, it would do everything else so well that I might not care as much.

just my $.02.

gto2050

You really are an asshole aren't you?

Ferrari's have soul. Maybe you're such an asshole that yu can't comprehend that. YOur name says it all "one sick lex" asshole.

gavriil

Hehehehe...

gavriil

Relax boys. I think we all know what one means when they refer to "soul" in a car. Yes, Ferraris have it, M cars have it, even a Miata has it. It does not have to be expensive to have soul. But as I said, most people dont care about soul in a car. Reliability and idiot-proof driving characteristics are way more important to them. Safety and price are way more important also.

The Camry belongs to that market. It's made for that market. The market that does not care about soul. And it does a great job at that. Possibly better than everyone else in the category and the sales figures back that argument. And for that, it deserves a round of applause and respect from all of us.

I always said, a true auto enthusiast, finds "greatness" (something to like) in every car, in every category. In my opinion, belonging to schools of thought, take brand sides, etc. is not apporpriate from a true car enthusiast.

I love all cars for different reasons, but if you ask me what I believe in, my answer would be: "value". When Acura comes out with this new TL with all these features and benefits packed into it and prices it at $33K, I just cannot NOT say "my hat's off to them" and recognize the great job they did. Same with the Camry, the Accord, the G35/C, etc., etc.