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(However, Side Curtains are more readily available that in past years, and the pricing of the Camrys now VERY closely matches that of the Accord.)
maxamillion- I hear your points. My take on the new design 16 alloys for the XLE is that they really sharpen the appearance of the car (Yes, I am aware that this was the rim used on the 2004 Limited edition). Along with the new fogs, grille, front bumper, and rear taillamps, I just feel it is more upscale. (Though I am a push-over for machine finished look alloys). The SE V6 is really aggressive looking, at least far as Toyota 4 doors go, lol. The alloys are very complimentary to the car's lines.
Re: the Accord's features- besides dual zone climate control and telescopic steering wheel, I'm not aware of anything impressive that the Accord offers that the Camry doesnt.
The Camry's ride is definitely more absorbent and serene than the Accord's. Certainly, the Accord offers better steering feel (than even the Camry SE), and the Accord's firmes suspension tackles evasive manuvers with better feedback and perceived agility. However, the Camry's dynamic capabilities are actually very similar to the Accord's, in terms of the data generated by instrumented testing in the car mags. One are where the Accord really shines in comparison to the Camry is the Accord V6 vs the Camry LE/XLE V6. The Accord outguns the Camry by about 8ths of a second to 60, for example.
I think Nissan's done a great job of improving the Altima for 2005- to my eyes and hands, the interior is significantly enhanced. However, the 2.5L 4 is not anywhere near as smooth or efficient as the 2.4Ls from Honda and Toyota, even if it produces 15 greater hp, which I feel is the car's biggest strike against it, as is the fact that it seems difficult to locate a 2.5S with Conv. Pkg and ABS/Side Curtains pkg around here....and why did Nissan not elect to have the IIHS re-test the Altima with the side curtains? Very interesting.
Overall, a good 2005 for midsize cars. Will be interesting to see how the new Sonata (debuting in the Spring) and G6 stack up. And dont forget, by that time... the NEXT Altima and Camry will be only about 15 months away.
~alpha
Oh well, in about four years, I will get an Accord or Camry anyway, unless the Altima improves BIG time.
Those materials in the Altima might be updated for 05, but there is still some bad [non-permissible content removed] cost cutting. Nissan just doesn't make it seem as obvious with the 05s...
Regardless, I stopped by a local Nissan dealership this past Friday and I am taking my Altima into the shop this upcoming Friday and leaving it for a couple of days while they work on my minor issues. The car will be there until the following Monday or Tuesday...:(
Because besides the ride and VSC, the Camry and Accord or pretty much equal on everything...even price wise now.
I like the Accord's interior better, but they both seem equal interior quality-wise. Both are better than the Altima.
Toyota did a good thing by making so much more stuff standard for 05.
Resale values should go up some.
However, I did not see a 2004 to make a direct comparison. I think the 2005 exhaust doesn't look so "weird" anymore that people would think it's falling off like they might think on a 2004.
Steve
Try to buy one and see what happens.
Ads like this are a bunch of bologna.
Just use the Toyota oil filter and you will be fine, no matter who changes it. I buy Toyota oil filters online and change the oil myself. You could buy filters online and have anyone change your oil using your filters.
Toyota Oil Filter
The genuine Toyota Oil Filter is designed specifically for your Toyota engine. A Toyota Oil filter will help protect your engine by trapping dirt and other contaminants while allowing the oil to flow to the engine. Features of the Genuine Toyota Oil Filter includes:
A bypass valve, which alleviates restricted oil flow in the event of a clogged filter.
An anti-drainback valve, which prevents oil from draining out of the engine and into the oil pan, helping to protect your engine from increased wear during cold starts.
A filter element which effectively filters contaminants and maintains the engine's lubrication capability during the maintenance interval. By comparison, a lesser quality filter element might clog during Toyota's recommended maintenance interval leading to engine wear, seizure or other problems. Some non-genuine oil filters do not meet all of Toyota's stringent specifications as the Genuine Toyota Oil Filter does.
You can get a Mobil 1 or Hastings/Amsoil oil filter that is not lesser quality.
2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT2
2004 Chevrolet Malibu LS
2004 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE
2004 Toyota Camry LE V6
I have only driven the GT2. I plan on test driving the others very soon.
Thanks!
Kristen
The GM products depreciate too quickly to buy new. They are a much better used purchase. Good luck.
It still is bad taking that into account, just not as bad as if you paid MSRP and discounts are available on the MSRP of the Camry also.
The rebates are smaller on a Camry than most domestic cars, but you still come out ahead in actual depreciation compared to many domestic cars even with the smaller rebates.
However, the Altima and Camry will definitely have better resale value down the road. Check Edmunds or Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) for the values of these models from, say, the year 2000.
The Camry's quality is apparently a little better than the Altima. If you go for the Camry, also consider the 2005 model which is already on the dealer lots. Unless you can get the 2004 model for about $2,000 less than the '05 you might want to consider the '05 if it fits your budget. The '05 will be worth $1,000 more a year from now than the '04 will be -- assuming equal miles on both. Good luck in getting what you want!
Thanks,
Manny
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You'll probably get a lot of opinions on this one. And a lot of it depends on how well you really want to take care of your car. Many of us are advocates of the Zaino method and you can enter Zaino in the search area to go to that forum to learn about that method, Mequir's and others.
In short many of us "clay", wash, and wax our cars on Day 1. I just bought a new Camry XLE in April and the amount of sap and other contaminants on this brand new car was truly surprising. A good initial claying, washing and waxing will make your car look BETTER than the day you bought it.
Back in the old days before clear-coat paint, it was common to let the paint "cure" before the initial waxing. That's no longer necessary or recommended.
We also own a 2000 Red Camry Solara and we have used nothing but Zaino since we bought it 4 years ago and the "Absolute Red" paint looks, literally, as good today as the day we bought the car.
I'm not recommending Zaino over any other method, but my point is to tell you that you should probably put on some good polish/wax the sooner the better. Also, I never knew of or used a Clay Bar before coming to this site, but if you ever get sap, brake dust, or other stubborn contaminants on your car, the Clay bar will really clean your car to a squeaky finish. Even if you don't use the Clay Bar, you'll want to give your new car a thorough washing with Dawn and then apply one or two coats of polish after that. After applying the polish or wax, you don't want to use Dawn. It's too harsh for frequent washings. Use something milder that doesn't contain a degreaser.
Good luck.......and don't wait.
P.S. As I first mentioned, a lot depends on how "fanatic" you are about your car. Many of us really like a deep, wet shine and you have to do a little extra to get that. But your Salsa Red Camry sounds like one that deserves that little extra TLC.
Whatever you use, the best advice I've ever received was to use 100% pure cotton towels for all washings and waxings. Red and other dark-colored cars are very susceptible to scratch/swirl marks and you can avoid a lot of that by using only 100% cotton towels.
I don't sell wax or towels or cars...........by the way!
That said, I would think a reputable provider could put on the wax and sealant that would do a great job for you. By the time you buy all the Zaino you would need, you'd be into $100 anyway. So cost-wise it's a wash you might say. In my area $80-$100 for a shop to do this is about what I would expect to pay.
I'm sure the Salsa Red will look good either way. Congrats.
Cars that are constantly exposed to the elements should be waxed several times each year.
On the other hand, I can wax our car once a year (with Turtle Wax, if you can believe that) and it looks great since it spends every night in a covered garage.
If you're thinking of trading in within a couple of years, you'll be unpleasantly surprised at trade-in prices. Trust me, I own an Olds Intrigue and it's "worth" only $3500 on a trade - car is a 98 with 39000 miles.
GM's reliability is less than stellar, also, so be prepared to spend time in the service department, and you might want to get an extended warranty.
I drove the Altima and was not impressed with the interior finish/materials. The 3.5 V6, IIRC, takes premium fuel only, so there's no savings there.
The Camry LE V6 was our choice and we've only had problems with the crappy Continental tires - soon to be replaced before another winter rears its ugly head.
Drive all four, decide what is best for you, but keep in mind future value.....
Deke
Zaino for me seems like too much work and you can't really use different products on that car once zaino is set, unless you wash your car with dawn to strip all the zaino products off your car.
Good consumer product is meguiars 3 step deep crystal cleaner, since you have a new car all you need is step 1 to clean the paint(dirt that's embedded in the paint, won't come out during washing) and then you can use their wax, step 3 or use any other wax you'd like, NXT is a nice, but a little expensive, wax. very easy to apply and remove, I would use microfiber towels only.
as the other poster suggested, you can also clay the car first (it's a small soap like bar for contaminants bonded to your paint on the outside, above the paint, then you would clean the paint as I mentioned above and then protect the paint with wax) but it depends on how enthusiastic you are about car detailing.
I had pretty much made up my mind to get a Camry XLE V6. I ruled out the Accord V6 as being too noisy for my liking (too much tire noise).
But then I took a test drive in a a preowned 2002 Lexus ES 300 with about 30K miles on it. I think I could get it for about roughly the same price as the Camry (I live in Bergen county NJ).
Now, the Camry is one of the quietest cars around but the Lexus manages to improve even on that! Now, I cant make up my mind! Any suggestions?
No they don't modify cars to the next model year.