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You didn't check very recently. In January, Camry was only #7, behind two trucks and four cars: Accord, Altima, Corolla, Malibu. Camry (and maybe Corolla too) will probably slip much more in the ranking for February.
If I bought one of these pups I would want the 6-speed manual. Which, BTW, is said to have a very smooth-operating clutch mechanism. One 2010 Suzuki Kizashi owner says his 2010 Suzuki Kizashi 6-sp.manual shifts better than the one on his Audi A3. Even.
Suzuki has managed to build a car that just invites me to take a test drive and see if it can out-handle my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS through the twisties.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Some vehicles are optimized to run on 87 but have the logic to advance the timing to take advantage of higher octanes to get more performance. I guess you could call this "tuned for premium", but there are some vehicles that are optimized only for premium and therefore "require" premium fuel. I think there is an in between that is a slight compromise on max performance but offers a wider range of operation from 87-93 octane.
I didn't think so.
I have a hard time going from my Accord to my girlfriend's Santa Fe, because the Accord handles so much better. Less tippy, feels a lot more secure taking the curvy off-ramp, and is simply more fun to drive. I've never had a ticket or caused an accident, and tend to beat EPA raings for my cars (the OLD ratings, not the new ones) so I'm not a hot-rodder.
Yes, my comparison is car to SUV, but it still demonstrates why I prefer a car with sharp handling; besides the obvious "better handling/sharper responses means better crash avoidance" argument.
I'm sure you don't mean too hard of time but it does amuse to hear of so many people having such a hard time adjusting from one vehicle to another. I used to rent cars for business trips a lot(I mean almost weekly for years at a stretch) and got quite an assortment over the years. Either I am just one super adaptable driver or there is some exagerration going on here. One person on these forums even said they got nausea from the floaty ride of a Camry. Someone else said they could hardly adjust back to their Mazda6 after driving an Optima for a week. I have a Mazda6 and I don't have much trouble adjusting after driving my pickup let alone an Optima which handles in the middle of the pack in this class from what I've read.
I think this great delta from the most cushy ride to the sharpest is a lot less than most people describe. Is there a difference? Sure, but it's not that of an Indy racer vs. a SUV. By the way, I also have a SUV and I find that taking the on/off ramps at around the posted speed is not a "tippy" affair at all.
Actually, by yearly (2010) totals the Camry is NOT the #1 selling car. For all of last year, different story. But that was last year (not minute/second/nanosecond).
You're micromeasuring, whether admitting it or not. Let's refer back to this conversation by the end of 2010 and see what the totals are.
Yes, lets. It'll be VERY interesting to see if the Camry is even in the top-five for total vehicle sales for '10.
Personally, I doubt it. Toyota's problems aren't going away anytime soon (considering they're still not even sure the acceleration problem is limited to the pedal/floor mats). From what I've seen/heard, along with talking to current Toyota owners, consumer confidence is shaky at best, and a fair amount of current owners will actually shop around for other makes/models, instead of going straight back to Toyota. I've heard some that flat-out refuses to buy another Toyota.
The Camry may stay within the top-three for midsize sales, but IMO that's still a gamble The Accord is still selling well, the new Sonata, which IMO will re-introduce Hyundai to new customers that had shunned Hyundai before, even the Fusion, Altima and Malibu may benefit from Toyota's fall from grace.
Unless Toyota dumps 'em into fleets (like Chevy with the Impala), I'm thinking there will be a new midsize sales leader for '10.
Did you ask me? I'm mulling over a Camry. You may be right, I know people who still won't buy Ford and Hyundia. I wish I could pick the stock market as easily as some of these predictions.
I think your interpretation may be exaggerating what was actually stated, what I posted was "when I got home and got in my Mazda6 I had to be careful driving home, even in changing lanes on the freeway, as I had gotten used to that vagueness and had to remember to not "oversteer"."
Note that this was with the former versions of both the 6 and the Optima. They have moved toward each other since then, based on reviews. For example, edmunds, talking about the new version of the Optima, said: "...Kia adds something that was lacking in the prior Optima – fun. With a suspension tuned by a former Mazda chassis engineer, the new Optima...makes for an enjoyable drive on a twisty road." Meanwhile many reviews have said that the new 6 does not have the handling that the prior version did.
Above just posted on Autoblog.com. To think that Ford could overcome people burning up in Pintos and getting killed rolling over in their Explorers to be where they are today. Toyota will probably overcome their tribulations as well but it will take awhile. The bigger they are the harder they fall.
What's the bigger reason the average Camry buyer bought a Camry, the way the car drives/handles or it's reputation for dependability???
Handling? That's another story. But think about how many mid-sized sedans never see a switchback or mountain canyon. They see a lot of grocery store parking lots and shopping malls, and city streets.
There are 3 categories:
Regular. Even these vehicles have knock sensors. Knock can be caused by bad gas or engine problems (carbon deposits e.g.).
Premium required. These vehicles are not designed to be run with regular fuel although they probably can be safely run with regular under certain circumstances (e.g. light throttle in a turbocharged vehicle).
Premium recommended. These vehicles will run just fine all day on regular but will provide better performance with higher octane premium fuel.
All of these have knock sensors. It has nothing to do with the octane rating. The knock sensor is there to prevent engine damage which can occur on any engine. I would imagine only the cheapest engines from the cheapest mfrs would not have them today.
the recent things with Toyota look like they have factored in since they have dropped a little bit!!!
https://www.alg.com/ResidualValueAwards
direct injection in a volume vehicle is new technology for most manufacturers.
Perhaps it is because I went from a A4 to the TL. The TL is nowhere near as sharp as the A4. I'm already lusting for a better handling car once I put a few more years on the TL. I already have 94K miles, will probably go to about 150K.
This leads me to think that if Toyota can get their act together safetywise, design some decent looking cars and upgrade their interiors.....they will be right back at or near the top.
Wow, didn't I pretty much just describe what Hyundai is doing right now?
It'll be interesting to see how much VW gives in to the majority of American's desires in their new US midsizer.
A lot of technologies have been around for a while. HID for one. The cost on these have to be cheap enough that every car should have them, why don't they? Just because a technology has been around for decades doesn't mean it's on the vehicle. In order to squeeze the maximum fuel economy out of these cars, what you will see is any technology like direct injection, variable valve timing, etc. will be on every make.
the bmw 4.0 V8 has eight knock sensors.
Didn't VW try to do that in the '80s with the Rabbit? It got them nowhere. So they are going to take what makes them special and Americanize their cars. Then they can be soft AND have crappy reliability. It will be a disaster if they go this way.
They have the SE for so called enthusiasts but they estimate that market, for them, to be only about 10% of total Sonata sales.
Adjusting your expectations to various vehicles is part of driving, that doesn't make it more enjoyable. Sure, when I am driving one of the E350 work vans, I don't expect it to handle like a Miata. That doesn't mean I enjoy driving the work van.
My Accord is a FWD car with all seasons, the wife has an AWD Legacy with snows (we see who gets the love in my house, eh). After a snow greases up the streets in the subdivision, its hard to re-adjust driving styles back to the the Accord after driving the Legacy.
The Subaru is a much more active driving experience than the Accord. It handles more sharply, you feel more of the road, it gives better feedback. I like it better. Does that mean I can't drive the Accord? No, it just means its not as much fun.
That said, before we got the Legacy, we test drove a Forrester and a CRV. Both made me feel nervous and less stable.
That's kind of what I mean. I actually find it enjoyable to experience different vehicles and the way they drive differently. I don't think anything I've driven in the last 20 years was a terrible drive....just different.
I don't necessarily like to drive my 2wd V8 p/up when the streets are snow covered but I don't find it hard to make the adjustment, I just slow down.
That's kind of what I mean. I actually find it enjoyable to experience different vehicles and the way they drive differently. I don't think anything I've driven in the last 20 years was a terrible drive....just different.
Ahh okay I gotcha; the variety itself is what makes it enjoyable. I can understand that. I really like pizza but sometimes I want a cheeseburger instead.
West Coasters: Hamburger Habit
Mid-Westerners: Casey's Tavern
Mid-size sedan content: Perhaps the consumption of these as a populace is why the "mid-size" sedans are bumping the "large car" category as we expand. It might also be why we suddenly need more horsepower to move around. And heavier duty suspensions.
Maybe you should go drive a Camry/Accord/Malibu V6 then head on over to your Hyundai dealer and check out one of the turbo 4's. Then when you realize the Sonata is the winner in almost every category over the competition with more standard features and a better looking car, check out the price tag and the warranty.
West Coasters: Hamburger Habit
Lilengineer,
You must be from my area. Everybody says In'N'Out is best, but I swear by the Habit. Ventura County?
To stay on topic, anybody noticed how the definition of mid-sized has changed? I still think of mid-sized as the Accords and Camry's from around 2000, but those are about the size of current Civics and Corollas, are they not? I personally think the current Accord and Camry are near boat-sized. The problem is I still want a premium car, but MY definition of mid-sized has not changed. That means I'm more attracted to current Jetta or TSX sized cars. Something around 180-185 inches long.
Turbo has a lot of heat associated with it. You might be able to get away with alloy or composite intake or exhaust manifolds with a NA engine, while the turbo might require cast iron or something like that. The pre-cat is so close to the exhaust on a modern engine anyway, I don't know if its going to notice a difference between the cat and a turbo in terms of heat.
Direct injection vehicles use the fuel as a coolant in the cylinder (adding gas directly into the cylinder cools it slightly). I don't know if that helps cool exhaust charge as well.
A small turbo is more responsive, helps with torque, while a larger turbo helps more at the top. Some of the twin turbo cars used sequential turbos (I think the 93-95 RX7 did this) so the first turbo would actually help the second spool up faster.
Anyway, my original point wasn't that the turbos themselves were big and heavy, but the heat generated by a turbo required stronger, heavier materials than a naturally-asperated engine.