Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

hawks1

Good luck today on your new car purchase. I4 or V6, either way you can't go wrong with the new Camry. Engine preference is a personal thing depending on specfically what you want from the car, and of course what your driving needs are. As I posted earlier, my driving needs are basically open highway driving where acceleration is a non-factor. The I4 is just fine for my needs. Someone posted earlier about the handling differences between the I4 & V6. I could see the difference in the LE models but not so much in the XLE. In the XLE's both have 16-inch wheels and 4-wheel disc breaks. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they have the very same suspension systems. The V6 is slightly heavier though due to its engine weight.

tiger8

Apparently as you say the XLE has the bigger wheels, whether with the 4 or V6. I would argue that in whatever configuration, the V6 is a big step up from the 4 and transforms the car from a decent compact to a little Lexus.

vic19

We usually have a BMW or a MB and a family sized Japanese car.

My general observation is that Japanese cars are far more reliable than German luxury cars.

We currently have a 3 year old BMW and purchased a Camry LE with a 4 banger as our new second car. It's about half the price of the BWM and you might say it's an unfair comparison. But here goes.

The Camry as expected is perfect, there is not one thing wrong with it which was also true of the BMW. The build quality is every bit as good as the Bimmer. Of course, the Bimmer uses real wood and leather, but the overall look of the Camry interior is the best I've seen in a family sedan. The switches and latches on the Toyota convey the same quality feel as the BMW.

Where the difference lies is in the heft of the cars. The BMW is more planted to the ground and it just seems like a much heavier car. The Camry has a more willowy ride and simply feels lighter.

On balance, considering the price of the Camry, it's a great car. We purchased package 3 with the JBL sound system and I prefer feeding CD's into the slot compared with having to load CD's in the Bimmers trunk. I have no idea what the Toyotas standard radio sounds like, but the JBL is great, every bit as good as the premium sound system that we have in the Bimmer.

I guess it's obvious since we bought one, but after looking at various family sedans, we thought the new Camry blew the doors offer of everything.

Ford really has a problem. I still have a credit of about $1,000 from the Citibank Ford credit card. That and a $2,500 rebate on the Tarus put a car comparably equipped to the Camry (the Tarus even has a V6) at about $15,500 compared to the Camry's $21,000. Both my wife and I thought the Ford was no bargain.

For whatever it's worth, the car listed for $23,218 and we received a $2,200 discount.

jrct9454

...is still what it is...and even after the reduced new-car selling price, will be barely worth $10k wholesale at the end of a year or so. Around here, advertised prices in the mid-teens are still not low enough to move Tauruses off the lots. They make great throw-away cars when they're 2-3 years old and can be acquired for $8k - but no serious competition for the Japanese at any stage in their service lives.

tiger8

This fall when the new Accord comes out, there will be furious competition between the two and probably great price pressure on the Camry. Already Toyota is offering low financing on the '02 Camry to match the end of cycle Accord, the first time in Camry history, I believe.

Also, when can we expect Xenons on the Camry? Originally, Xenons were retricted to luxury or near-luxury cars. This year Nissan broke the vow with Maxima and also I think even Altima. That will create pressure on both Honda and Toyota to move Xenons down the ladder.

lilybean

OK, here's the latest. I ordered the 2002 XLE 4 cyl w/ alloy wheels! Still have the warranty issue to consider. Sounds like a lot of people prefer the Toyota waranty over the online varirety. (Was/Am concidering "Warranty Direct@ $900 - 7 yrs-100,000miles) Can I negotiate the Toyota Warranty at the finance desk when I sign for the car & the loan? Any advice as to how to get that lower price you were talking about ($1100-1200)? They don't seem to be really horrible on the car details, but not especially pliable on the warranty. So far I got the base XLE plus car mats & 3 free oil changes & dest. chgs for 20,460 + $328 extra for the Alloy wheels.

Can anyone speak to the pros & cons of dealer vs. generic warrantees? Specific concerns would really be helpful.

Thanx again & again for all your input. "Lily"

lilybean

I heard this from the Toyota dearer, so take it for what it is worth. After testing a variety of cars and doing a lot of on-line research I tend to believe this story. If you have any more info, I'd love to hear it...

A chev exec went to a Toyota factory and "got the tour". He noticed 5 parking spaces on the line for rejected cars. The Toyota people said that the workers were "incentivized" for finding flaws in the cars as they came down the line. The Chev Exec wondered why there were only 5 stalls. He said that they had a whole back-lot for their "flawed vehicles". The Toyota Exec said that they only needed 5 stalls because if the 5th stall ever filled up they shut down the whole line to find out "what the problem was".

So you tell me, does this sound like anything you've heard before? The quality of the Camry sure blew me away. I'd love to believe this story. I guess it's too late for me, cos I ordered the car already, but if you are undecided, as I was...I loved this story and found it at the very least, pleasant to the ear and comfortable to hear.

"Lily"

cliffy1

The story is true. Actually, the GM guy was hired to run the plant at Georgetown and has been with Toyota for many years now. That little story was part of a training video given to us about two years ago.

I want you to take the next thing I have to say in the context it is intended. I sell warranties as part of my job and that may make me a bit biased.

The dealership I work for used to sell "aftermarket" warranties because we made more money on them. We were not doing our customers any favors. The plan we offered was through First Extended and we still see them from time to time because we only switched about 3 years ago. The First Extended warranty does not cover a lot of things that Toyota does. An example of this is the moonroof cable. Those things cost about $800 to replace because they are so labor intensive. The Toyota warranty specifically includes this but the other does not.

Another down side is how claims are processed. If you bring the car back to the dealership that sold you the warranty, claims are easy. If you take it elsewhere (such as when you are on a trip), claims are MUCH more difficult. There are so many poorly run warranty companies in this world, dealers don't know if they will ever get payment for work they do. Even companies that give credit card numbers to the servicing dealer can cancel payment and leave the dealership holding the bag. Because of this, you might be asked to pay up-front for repairs and then file paperwork to get reimbursed.

One thing you may want to consider is buying the car from the dealership you have found, but buying the warranty from another. It may take a little effort on your part to find one that offers Toyota warranties, but it can be done.

If you want more details on the Toyota Platinum warranty go to this link: http://www.toyotafinancial.com/pyv/extended_service_coverage/n_index.html Click on component comparison and see if your dealer's warranty covers as much.

Again, it sounds like you found a pretty good dealership to work with. This is extremely important. I think having honest people selling you the car is more important than saving that last $100 on the price. Stick with them, but don't feel like you have to get the warranty from them.

pham2001

Updated.

After I tested drive both v4 and v6, I decided that v6 is a better choice for me. It fitted my personal habit is that most of time I drive the car in the fast line. Don't get wrong idea about me here. The last time I got a ticket was back in 1988 for driving in the carpoll lane.

Any way I purchased a2002 XLE V6 with package #8, heated seated and driver and front side and curtain airbags for a MSRP $29,025 - $3,400 = $25,625 plus tax & license fees. I also got 1.9% finance for 36mos too.

I drove the car home and felt wonderfull. The car was so quiet and the acceleration is very good. I'm glad that I bought the V6. The car now had 20 miles on the speedometer. No trouble yet.

alpha01

"The car now had 20 miles on the speedometer. No trouble yet."

You almost sound as if you expect trouble, which should not be the case- isnt quality one of the reasons why you chose the Camry?!

Happy motoring! That seems like a great deal you got, congratulations. What color did you pick?
Personally, I think the new Camry looks great in any color, though less so in Silver or White.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone, please remember why we have this day.
~alpha

PS- its actually called an I4 not a V4. no biggie, but the distinction should be made, cause they are two completely different things.

rkade

Like many of you I have just purchased my second Camry. I traded in a 97 LE4 on a 02 XLE4. I tried out an Acura 3.2TL and a Volvo S60 both with more power and a bigger price than a Camry. I came back to the Camry because of the great reliability and quality dealer service. While I seriously considered an SE version I decided the black interior wasn't for me although my dealer does a great job with an after market chrome upgrade.

Like all of you I carefully weighed the V6 versus 4 issue. Yes the V6 is great on the highway for acceleration and maintaining the same gear. However it is not anywhere near as impressive as the Acura V6 or the Volvo I5. So is it worth the extra $3500 it costs in Canada after taxes. For get the specs. In real world city and traffic driving the 4 is plenty of power. I also felt that the 4 is much quicker off the mark in city stop and go. The 6 takes a while to launch the car in controlled city traffic starts. The 4 is litte ron the front wheels and therefore handles better. Perhaps even better than a SE6. In Canada we cant get an SE4 which is a disappointment. By gettin an XLE you get the 4 discs and the bigger tires. Several friends are happy with their LE versions but I felt the XLE has much more to offer.

My question?? And current worry is that I was advised that my car was being built and shipped from Japan. Will it be better or worse than a USA version? Will there be any differences in components. I know that Canadian built Corollas are equal or better than Japanese. But I had heard that Japanese built Accords were better than USA versions. What about Camry? Do I have anything to worry about? Do you know which port they come into? Do they come into Jacksonville for Eastern Canada?

webguyster

Japanese manufactured vehicles are better RKADE san! Even the Toyota people in Japan did not believe, and still do not believe, according to a source, that the Americans can make vehicles comparable to the Japanese. The Japanese people seem to take pride in their work, and it is not just a paycheck to them, as may be in the U.S. and Canada. And they don't have all those environmental laws, so you might get better paint, too!

luckystar

I'm not so sure if paint will be any better. My 6 month old red LE V6 (from Japan) has a bunch of rock chips on the hood and along the side of the car and it breaks my heart. From observation only, I find that Japanese cars have thinner and more brittle paint (esp. Honda- no offense), and Euro cars have really nice paint, like VW's. There are so many chips it's going to be too expensive to professionally fix every one of them, so I ordered a touch-up pen. =T

boston14

Yes, 62k orginal miles. Now my overdrive works about 60 to 70 % of the time. Its a 1990 LE v-6 and I bought it with 52k on it. Needless to say I am very dissapointed with Toyota and now if I had money would rather get a Ford Or Chrysler.

The Camry still will get me from here to there but when the overdrive is not working its feels like its pulling a bus compared to before. The o/d light just flashes whenever it feels like it.

Since its an auto, a repair would need a total overhaul of the tranny and will be over 2 grand. Not worth it and not worth selling now as It lost a lot of value with the defect.

jrct9454

It's always bemusing to hear of complaints about paint from Toyota and Honda boards, each assuming that there is something "different" about the paint on their cars that causes chipping. EVERY car board I follow from every part of the world has complaints about paint - and everyone is absolutely convinced that their brand has changed something that makes their cars particularly vulnerable.

Water-based paints are now virtually universal in the car business. They are generally sourced from the same 3-4 suppliers worldwide. None of these are as flexible and chip-resistant as the oil-based enamels of yore...it's a fact of life in the auto business.

jrct9454

I doubt seriously you have any problem with the transmission that wouldn't be fixed with a new overdrive switch. This is neither as complicated nor expensive as overhauling the transmission. Have you actually had a qualified tech look at the problem?

boston14

No, I havent check the od switch. I think my od swith works just fine. When the overdrive is working ever time I hit the od button it does what it is supposed. It goes on and off every time I hit the button.

But, I will take your advice and take it to a mechanic to check the switch.

acuraowner

Im not sure where Toyota sends the Japanese built Camrys but I have noticed that almost all the Camrys here in California are Japanese built.

As far as Japanese quality, I feel it is better then the American built counterparts.

For example my Japanese tooled 97 Integra has had 1 problem (minor oil leak at 78k miles) in 100,000+ miles, the paint (except for the hood) is holding up very well. There are no squeaks and the only rattle I have is in the headliner somewhere (only when driving over bumpy roads).

monte4

Well the Tiger the Maxima really doesnt compete with the Camry its the Altima. The Maxima is considered near luxury in some publications and others call it a niche car that can compete with more expensive cars or "genearally" cheaper in price cars like the Camry. Nissan had to do something to further differentiate it from the Altima.

jrct9454

The fact that the switch is lighting up the dash doesn't mean that the electronic signal is always getting to the controller for the transmission itself. My guess is that there is an intermittent connection problem between the switch and the trans.

parnola

They import Camrys from Japan to meet demand. The plant in Kentucky cannot currently produce enough Camrys annually to meet US demand (it also produces Avalons and Siennas).

coolguyky7

Solara production will soon shift to Georgetown while Sienna production moves to Canada.

tiger8

The Nissan Maxima is in the same general price range as the Camry and heavily discounted. A loaded SE or GLE with Xenons can be got for $26,000, maybe less, while a fully loaded Camry lists for near 30 and street price is probably above 26. My point was that Xenons, like every other new feature, begins at the top and filters down to lower priced cars. While Xenons so far have been mainly restricted to luxury or near luxury, Nissan broke the consensus and moved Xenons down from the Inifnitis to the Maxima. ( I'm not sure whether the new Altima has Xenons.)

maxamillion1

They are an option on the Altima 3.5SE I think they are available for $432 MSRP...worth the money...

alpha01

For anyone interested, the three Toyota products included in the most recent round of IIHS offset crash testing (including the Camry, Lexus ES300, and IS 300) all received the top rating of "Good" and a "Best Pick" designation. Camry sits at the top of its class.
~alpha

alpha01

Check it out: This is a link to the IIHS highest scorers.. Toyota fans... note the number of models on the "Best Pick" list

http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/best_picks.htm

~alpha

bjck

now have 2000miles on new camry, love it wife has 01 and no problems at 20,ooomiles not happy with tires on 02, continetal 15 inch, not a good griping tire although it is low noise and good riding which i like, would like to get rid of these and upgrade tire, and wheel, hate the plastic hubcaps any ideas? would like to spend less than $1000.

alpha01

Upgrade to Michelins or Pirellis. I'm not sure about the Michelin, but the Pirelli P400 series is a great tire. About the hubcaps--yea, they are ugly. At the time of negotiation, we got a great deal on the "Star Split 5 spoke" 15 in alloy with wheel locks included. I really like the look of this stock rim, the only bad part is that they were also available for the 2000-2001 Camry 15 inch tire, but I have seen few in this area equipped as such. This rim really looks good on 02 Camrys in dark colors. Originally, we wanted the 15 inch rim that is standard on the 02 LE V6 (so called "Beveled 5 spoke") but none were going to be available.
Good luck
~alpha

manimal79

i also live in NJ (Bergen County) and we're about to buy a 2002 Camry LE 4 cylinder w/ ABS and Package #1 for $19,500. what do u think? is this a fair price? should i negotiate further to lower the price? also, which camry do u have and what options did u put in? how much did u pay for it?

Thanks.

alpha01

Actually, our Camry is very similar to the one you are looking at. It is an LE 4 auto (Stratosphere Mica) with ABS, Pkg 1, 15 in. Split 5 spoke alloys and locks, Carpeted Floor/Trunkmats, and MVID window etching. The sticker read something like $21,400, but adding the dealer installed alloys and locks and MVID bought the actual MSRP to $22,155. In December, we purchased the car for about $400-$500 (i dont remember exactly) over invoice (meaning around $20,350), and were happy with that. Your deal sounds really great. Go for it. Which dealer are you using?
~alpha

PS- Sorry for the million posts today, my internship was really boring, i finished a project early, so today has been kind of a free day.

jrct9454

Go to TireRack.com, or call them. They allow you to configure tire and wheel combinations that they know will fit your car. You should be easily able to get good 15" alloys and appropriate Michelin X-Ones [my personal recommendation for this car] at a package price that will give you change back from $1000.

sam_beaver

Just drove 6 hours (each way) for Memorial Day weekend in our new '02 4-cylinder XLE. I'd been happy with the car's driving in town, but miserable with the drivers' seat comfort. Just before leaving I bought a $30 sheepskin cover for the driver's seat. Wow, does that make a difference! I was getting back pain every day from driving the car 20 minutes; this week I had no trouble whatever (we shared the driving but I was still in the driver's seat over 3 hours each way). For $30 you'd think Toyota could come up with a more comfortable seat on its own, but anyway, I'm glad there's a solution.

According to our trip computer we made 33 MPG going down, which was about 80% highway driving, but by my calculation (odometer plus gas fill reading) we only made 30 MPG. So either the trip computer is way off, or the second station filled us up much higher than the original one. I've only filled the gas tank three times since we bought the car (twice for this trip) -- I had visions for a while of returning to the dealership for our first oil change still on the same tank of gas they gave us!

I didn't have much trouble merging onto the highway with the 4-cylinder, and it was whisper-quiet at 70 MPH which is approximately where I like to drive. The Crown Victoria we used to use was quite noisy at that speed range.

I do still get the sulphur smell now and then at stop lights, and I'm still having trouble closing the trunk. But I assume every car has some problem or other. The smell goes away as soon as I start driving again, and the trunk does close if you hit it right.

fwatson

According to the news, ALL vehicles tested so far this year have received the top rating of "Good".

wmquan

All the sedans tested by IIHS in the most recent series scored "Good," but not all of them scored "Best Pick."

Frankly, I am surprised when a newer vehicle does not score at least "Good" (though it does happen!). The test methodology is well known and reproducible by the manufacturer's own internal testing facilities.

Thus, I think IIHS will have to "raise the bar" pretty soon.

Positive thing is that Toyota has added other safety measures, such as available side curtain airbags, and VSC (V6 models only).

pham2001

The car had 215 miles now. No rattle anywhere. Its
engine runs so quiet even at 80mph. I'm happy that I got the v6 instead of the I4. I4 (got it).

I picked the Luna mist metalic over the red and white. To me it looks more elegant.

alpha01

Yea, I realize that all the cars tested this round got the "Good" rating. Like wmquan mentioned, though, not all of them got the "Best Pick" designation. I was also refering to the fact that if you look at the IIHS website, Camry is ranked the highest of all the current models, above the Suburu Legacy (another "Best Pick) which formerly sat at the top of the class.
~alpha

p_g_00

includes power seats and JBL, which according to Edmunds are standard on XLE, could anybody tell me what the difference is other than pkg#8's JBL has CD Changer?

hawks1

hawks1

Sorry for no narrative on #3689! Inadvertently posted it. I take it you must mean the difference between the LE I4 with package 8 versus The XLE I4 with its standard features. First, the XLE has 16-inch wheels and 4-wheel disc brakes. Second, it has automatic climate control. Other features on the XLE include a security system, rear window sunscreen, auto dimming rearview mirror, power seats for both driver and front seat passenger, multi-information dispay (range, gas mileage, etc), Homelink, keyless entry, heated mirrors, and an upgraded interior. If you're looking at just pkg 8 for the LE, take a hard look at the XLE for comparison. Think you will find the XLE to be a lot more car for the extra money.

p_g_00

hawks1, thanks for replying, but I think pkg #8 is for XLE only. I checked kbb and edmunds both, am sure about that. When I was looking at www.buyatoyota.com, it seems all the XLEs in Northwest come w/ either AW/FE or FE/GV/HD. so I really want to know what's in GV, aka pkg #8.

lehr

Hi,
I am new to posting, but have benefitted greatly
from "Town Hall" - Thanks
We have settled on a 2002 Camry Toyota XLE after
years of debating other cars and holding on for the best one. Well, we think we found it.
My question is, we just put $500 down at a no-haggle car dealership on a basic 2002 Camry XLE, Lunar Mist, Stone Interior with only carpet mats added. Their price is $20,742. This seemed fair to me so I went for it. He said it was $100 under
invoice because South Carolina has to pay some port fee. From Edmunds, I had invoice around $20,500. Is this a good-fair deal?
Thanks for your help.

Lehr

And another question, we just bought a hurricane emergency kit and it had a packet of "Powdered Water". So what do you add?................J/K

tiger8

Add water. And a V-6 engine on your XLE. Otherwise a very good deal. And what was that the dealer told you about a "port fee"? On a shipment from Kentucky? What about the fee to go through the Panama Canal? You gotta give these salesmen a lot of credit for their imagination.

alpha01

yea, so.. not all Camrys are made in Kentucky. (but that Port fee does sound bogus).
~alpha

lilybean

I've always been a "use 'em til they drop" sort of car owner. I was just wondering if there is a magical moment in a car's life when it is financially sound to trade up to a new model. Any opinions, feelings, experiences appreciated. I'll be getting that new XLE in a few weeks and just wondered if there is some sort of formula or anything that helps a person get a good re-sale value toward a new car and still get your money's worth out of the "old" one. Cars are such a big expense, at least for me! It's hard to get over the sticker price when your old car is only worth fifty bucks. (Still got that '79 Merc) :-) Maybe with this new car I should try a different strategy...like not keeping it soooo long. What do you think?

Thanx in advance,
"Lily"

sbell4

Don't let these guys get to you, this is a tough room. You bought great car at a great price. I trust you are using the special interest rate that is available to you for your region. I'm in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (which is the same region as S.C.) and everything looks fine, enjoy your new Camry XLE!

tiger8

How many Camrys sold in S.C. are made in Japan? Very few (if any) is my conjecture. And those that are, wouldn't they be shipped to the west coast and then trucked across the country? Indeed, a port fee in S.C. sounds bogus. On the other hand, maybe some Camrys are built in Canada. Don't know that one.

i_luv_toyota

The only Camry built in Canada is the Solara coupe with, IIRC, the Corolla and Matrix. The sedan is either from Japan (where my 1991 Camry was built) or the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) plant in Georgetown, KY.

gp4

The JD Powers survey supports what I have noticed with my Camry, lower quality. The Camry didnt even make the list this year. The quality has slipped and the recalls haven't helped.

No wonder they are discounting them so heavily when they just came out.

alpha01

The Camry is not being heavily discounted in our area, they are actually just offering very attractive financing rates that go no lower than 3.90%, which is more of a function of HEAVY competition from the 02 Accords that are selling UNDER INVOICE + even better financing rates. Our 02 Camry, built 11/98, a US made model, has been flawless thus far (nearly 7000 miles). There have been 2 recalls, which is not really that uncommon for a brand new design, and certainly is within the realm of acceptability. If there had been 5 or 6 major recalls, maybe I'd feel differntly. But getting back... I would like to see the specifics from the JD Power Survey that you site. Often, they only post the scores for the top 3 vehicles in the class. If this is the case, so be it. After reading the WSJ (online edition) I'd be hard pressed to think that the redesigned Camry fell below the industry average, ESPECIALLY seeing as how Toyota came out on top as the NUMBER ONE BRAND and the Camry represents a huge part of its sales. If I am wrong, I will certainly admit it, but I want to see it for myself first.

~alpha

PS- tiger8... I dont know about SC, but I live in NJ and our 2000 Camry is definitely from Japan.

alpha01

To the JD Power survey, for those who are interested.

http://www.jdpa.com/presspass/pr/pressrelease.asp?ID=2002040

~alpha