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Comments
As far as looks go, I actually prefer the clean lines of current TL. Need to drive both to see which car I'll actually pursue.
Suberp car, another hit by Toyota......
Keep it up Toyota!!
The engine is the same 2.4L in both Gen's. Having driven nothing but 4c Camry's since 1989, IMO there is no need whatsoever for anything else anywhere in the US for 99% of drivers. The V6 is definitely quieter and less buzzy but the 4c will climb anywhere.
Insulation in all models is the same.
The XLE has a '../\..' brace behind the back seat to make it more stable in turns, It's why the back seat doesn't fold down.
BTW - If you don't like it, let me know.
the front is '..ehhh' but neither here not there for me;
the side view is extremely graceful;
the rear view is an unqualified success;
A couple of comments I've heard; '3-series Toyota' 'THAT's a Camry??' 'It looks so much tighter now.' 'Wow, I love it' ( me: 'What am I looking at?' )
As far as looks go, I actually prefer the clean lines of current TL. Need to drive both to see which car I'll actually pursue.
Glad to see some people other than myself considering a TL and a Camry SE. I usually get weird looks and comments on how they aren't in the same class of car. I too generally like the TL looks better. I've driven the TL but am waiting on my Toyota dealer to get a V6 SE in for a test drive since so far all he currently has is the 4 cyl SE.
I test drove an '07 SE V6 gray exterior w/charcoal leather interior. The grill looked fine to me, much more err.... subdued than the horizontal slats on the other versions. I still don't like the 'sombrero' shape with the hanging globus, but it's not a deal breaker for me. I would think that the black grill would just blend in even more with the black exterior.
Price wise, I suppose the TL is in a different class. But, driving the cars will be the determining factor. If the SE V6 and the TL perform closely, I'm not sure a TL would be worth the price difference. A nicely loaded SE will still be less than a TL w/o Navi. I haven't seen any SE Camrys in my area yet. (NJ)
That is my thinking exactly. The Black car and black honeycomb grill will minimize the, "hanging globus" :-)
I am also looking at the new Camry SE V6. I have almost convinced myself that the SE V6 will be a good enough compromise for paying much less money compared to the sport package IS 350. The roads I live on are far from winding, so the SE V6 should do just fine (haven't had the opportunity to test drive yet... work, you know?).
The one thing that keeps on making me look back at the IS is the interior of the car! It is absolutely gorgeous in black leather. BUT! How can I justify paying over $15,000 CND more just for a nicer interior, sexy as hell exterior, and on top of it higher premiums for service? Maybe if I had money pouring out of my ears... Does anybody have pictures of the SE V6 in dark charcoal leather (black leather)?
My question to you is: Which IS did you test drive? And, how did the overall balance of the Camry V6 feel (being a big V6 and front wheel drive compared to a V6 RWD)? Was it obvious that you were driving a FWD car? In case you have driven the 06' Camry, which you probably have, how does the 06' compare to the 07' overall, and especially handling and balance-wise?
Thanks,
Mike.
PS: Anybody else who has any helpful insight regarding my post, please feel free to chime in!
I find it funny that you mention the front end of the 07 SE looks weird to you. I think the 07 non-SE versions look slightly weird, but not ugly. One person I spoke with that was looking at the XLE said that the XLEs had weird looking grilles. When I mentioned that it looks better in SE trim, he said, "Yea, that's true. Everyone I have talked to said the same thing; that the SE grille looks really good, and much better."
The Accord is a strange looking car overall. It is almost like Honda took a Mr. Potatoe Head approach to the design of the car; nothing matches!
~alpha
I thought I was the only one possibly considering the '07 SE V6 vs. the IS250/350
I've test driven the SE V6 and the IS250 RWD AT. On the freeway, with curvy on ramps and off ramps, both handled well and I honestly didn't notice too much difference (though I'm neither an aggressive nor skilled driver). The IS was much much quieter. I was pleased with the IS250 on a very windy road. I got a good feel for the road without feeling each bump and without feeling like I was driving a boat. I haven't yet taken the SE V6 on a windy road.
I LOVE the IS exterior and interior. I could look at it all day and stay in the car all day. I'm OK with the looks of the Camry SE V6. I think it's great that even with Nav, leather, and VSC I can probably get it for 6-9K less then the IS250, and have enough horsepower to keep up with or even outrace many 'sport sedans'. And I won't have to replace tires and break pads every 20K miles like with the IS! And does the SE V6 require premium gas?
But man, the IS sure looks good. I'm waiting for the SE V6's with Nav to come out, then I'll be able to take a look at it in person, and test drive it on a windy road.
I wonder how much of it is the Lexus
"prestige" factor. Next time I'm in the Camry I'll photocopy a big "L" and paste it on the middle of the steering wheel! Maybe I'll feel better about it then!
I'm expecting it to have the interior quality and solitude of the IS with the power of the Camry... and the price of the IS350 unfortunately.
Does anyone know if the ES line comes with "sport suspension"?
Toyota recommends premium gas for the V-6
Wasn't noticeable, but I want to go back for another longer drive after I drive the SE v-6.
We compromise and use 89 on the Highlander.
Your call if you need the extra 4 hp.
And, I'm sorry- but I really think some of you are bonkers with your criticism of the 4 cylinder sound quality- it is one of the most, if not THE MOST refined 4s out there. Don't believe me? Test drive an Altima, which has a nicely powerful 2.5L that is coarse in the upper registers of the RPM range and shaky at idle. The two engines that I consider more on par with Toyota's 2.4L are Honda's and, FLAME ME IF YOU WILL... Hyundai's 2.4L.
As an overall 4 cylinder engine, Honda's impresses me most, though I find the Toyota engine slighty more refined. (Honda has a slightly rougher idle.)
~alpha
I much prefer the grilleless look some cars had in the 90s (with only slats in or below the bumper), but now bling is in. At least the new Camry isn't overchromed like a Chrysler 300.
I definitely prefer the front-end styling of my '04 and '05 Camrys compared to the '07 model (lower hoodline and less flashy grille). The '05 even has the Toyota emblem more or less centered, imagine that!
But if I needed a new Camry, the looks wouldn't stop me!
Now, it would be to actually drive the CE/LE 4 that interests me, and see how I like it compared to my 2004 Accord LX. I will clear my mind of the Camry having slightly worse fuel economy, less hp, no full spare, and cheaper interior seats than my LX Accord.
Overall though, a very good job. It looks lexus like.
$449 is the full MSRP for port installed satellite radio(which would be listed on the MSRP), but the dealer can set their own prices if they install it themselves.
Even $449 is a high price for something that might cost a quarter of that or less if it was installed during the manufacturing process of the vehicle.
Mackabee
Mine is made in USA ?? is that a bad thing??
I knew I wouldn't be the only one considering both the IS and the Camry. I share your thoughts when comparing the two. The problem for me is that I can get a super loaded (about the only way they seem to come) Camry SE V6 for just a couple of thousand less that I can get an IS250 RWD with "basic" equipment. I don't care much about gadgets, so I could go either way. If the price gap was larger, I would probably go with the Camry. Both great cars, a tough decision for me.
"Which IS did you test drive? "
I test drove the IS 250 RWD and I'd driven the AWD before.
"How did the overall balance of the Camry V6 feel"
Great for being a front-wheel-drive car. I was impressed.
"Was it obvious that you were driving a FWD car?"
Only at times. The IS250 feels sportier. However, the IS's front wheels felt less stable when driving over uneven sections of the road (it kept trying to turn on it's own). I think this has to do the the low profile tires in the IS
"how does the 06' compare to the 07' overall"
Unfortunately I haven't driven the 06. I only drove the 07 because I saw them at the Toyota dealership while on my way home from driving the TL. The 07 went into my list after the test drive (I would have never considered it otherwise)
My 05 japanese built HL LTD came with the Michelin tires. My 03 camry SE had the Goodyears, but i asked the dealer to swap them with another vehicle in stock, they agreed to do it, and I drove off with the Michelns. They swapped the whole wheel/tire assy intact (5 including spare), with another SE.
"The problem for me is that I can get a super loaded (about the only way they seem to come) Camry SE V6 for just a couple of thousand less that I can get an IS250 RWD with "basic" equipment."
The problem for me is that there is no way I would get the IS 250 RWD knowing that in a few years they will drop a 3.0 L GR engine from the GS in there when they make the GS 300 the GS 350. There is also no way I would buy a car that is supposed to be sport sedan, when it can get its but whooped by a Camry. Just no way I could convince myself I could live with that... even with the sexy interior and exterior, although, I am really liking the black leather interior of the Camry SE V6.
raven_seven, I thought you had test driven the XLE? I can totally understand that the IS 250 would feel sportier than the XLE, but I cannot wait to see how both the IS 250 and 350 compare to the SE V6. The package of IS 250 I will assume was not the sport package??
"I thought you had test driven the XLE? / IS Sport Package?"
You are correct; it was an XLE (no SEs on the lot that day). The IS did not have the sports package, but it did have the 18" wheels.
I think that the Camry SE should be as sporty as most people will ever need (based on reviews I've seen), and that's the only trim I'm considering. I drove the XLE twice. The first time I didn't drive it on the freeway and I was practically sold (if they only would have had an SE in stock). The second time was when I drove it on part of my usual commute route. That’s' when I noticed the road noise. The SE should have even more noise due to the lower profile tires (I saw a review in MSN Autos that confirmed this). I also noticed a few cheap plastic pieces then. Not a huge deal, except for I want to keep the car for a long time. I do trust the drive train's reliability for the long haul. However, I'm not sure how the interior is going to hold up after, say 5 years from now.
I've bought cars "by the numbers" before, and have not been happy and resold them a couple of years later. That's not good for the wallet. I now plan to buy what I really want (as long as I can afford it of course). In the long run that works out to be cheaper for me.
The Camry is definitely a strong contender with the exceptions that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Don't think it is a logical assumption anymore that a car assembled in Japan is any better than one built here (even if you had the choice) - it all has to do with quality control and design/engineering. Tthere is nothing wrong with the American worker once removed from some of those 'American' automakers.
bumper (approximately two inches square) on the left middle
side of the bumper if you are facing the vehicle. The
bumpers of the 2007 Camrys made in the USA do not have
the plug; at least the ones I saw did not.
P.