Hope you enjoy your new car. I just got the XLE minus the leather, bluetooth, etc. Did opt, for extra money, for the mudguards, carpet/truck mats, rear tip spoiler,and body side molding. Hope you have better luck with your car. Safetywise mine is a piece of junk because of all the changes they made to the motor of the Toyotas for 2007. Idles too fast, feel every shift as it goes through to 50/55 mph, cruise does not hold, accelerator is now pump style and foot bounces around when you hit a bump, and brakes give a hesitation or chug when applied. All of these problems, according to Toyota Headquarters are "design flaws" and not fixable. "The car is operating as designed" according to Toyota. cameo41
Nice writeup in the new Motor Trend. SE-V6 beat out Nissan SE-R, Gallant Ralliart and Malibu SS. I assume the Accord was left out because it doesn't have a sport designated model. They especially praised the Camry powertrain.
Wish you well. Mine :lemon: just got out of the dealers shop after nearly 3 weeks. Bought it 8/19/06 & put 386 miles , not even a tank of gas. It would crank :sick: but not start . it took the dealer a whole week before they could start it. They kept it a week for whatever reason & called for me to pick it up & the FOB would not open doors & trunk so I languished :mad: there for some time for them to re-program the keys. Hope thats the end of that. It is a sweet little ride( was driving a larger vehicle & its taken time to readajust to the smaller vehicle) Tanked it up & avereged 26 mpg on this 4 cyl-automatic. Of course the miles were back & forth to the dealers shop which is 72 miles round trip!!!!!! I think they are incompetant just like the one that assembled the car. Had I peered into there shop earlier I would have detected it. Anyhow best of luck with your new ride & change that oil regularly!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, I have a question about interior lighting. How many lights that turns on when you open the doors are there? I know there is one at the middle of the car a bit behind the front seat. Is there suppose to be another one that lights up in the front (between those two manual lights)? It feels like the light in the middle is not that strong enough to cover the front seat area and I want to check if there is suppose to be on in the front.
I detested the outgone Camry with a passion, but the '07 V6 shocked me. In one swoop, it blew by the Accord V6.
The 4 cyl camry is not so clearly superior to the 4 cyl accord which is a veritable sport sedan compared to the Camry. (I prefer the 4 cyl manual accord to the V6 auto Accord by far)
However, I ended up with a Camry. I had the dealer locate me the very rare manual transmission 4 cyl Camry. I refuse to buy automatic transmission cars under any circumstance.
Compared to the 4 cylinder manual Accord, the 4 cyl manual camry is slower, its gear shift is crude, the engine is rough, and the handling is more Lexus than Miata.
but I picked the Camry because the Accord has awful road noise on the highway, it was $1200 more than the Camry, its got less leg room in the back seat, the version without adjustable lumbar has front seats that induce back ache in those tall of torso. THe Camry by comparison is like a Lexus in its ride, quiteness, chassis sophistication. Its a bit soft in its handling compared to the Accord, but I've raced around on the blue ridge parkway and found it an extremely capable and willing partner. its very similar in its handling/ride balance to the 2000 LS400. except the structure is more rigid and thus the ride and body motions can be more controlled without being any firmer. its a superb chassis for its task.
the 4 cyl manual camry handles much better than the V6 auto presumably because its lighter and carries much less weight in the nose. I might add, the 4 cyl automatic camry is pretty awful because it doesn't have much power and where you can shift the manual to optimize its abilities, the auto makes the car feel like a dead unresponsive gutless twerp that wishes it were dead instead of servering you. the manual is far far far better.
the best part? mine cost $18,049. no sunroof, V6, auto, navigation, traction control, and all that jazz, but it has all I need (power everything, cruise, 7 airbags, ABS, etc), and I am getting 30mpg average with equal split of city and highway.
the value and value for money is simply staggering. I think a $28,000 camry is a bloody stupid. Firstly, the Hyundai Azera is a better car than the V6 Camry (though not as good as the Avalon Touring) and secondly, I don't see that a V6, auto and other goodies add $10,000 plus of value to the camry.
I have some serious gripes about the camry though. that stupid light blue back light on the stereo and A/C controls is a damned nuisance at night when it glows far too bright compared to the instrument cluster. Toyota should have provided an independent dimmer for that instead of tying it to the gauge cluster dimmer. I want to get inside there and clip the wiring for this useless lighting.
the interior, shockingly for toyota, has lots of rattles inside. they seem to be primarily from the section of the dash that holds the clock and the overhead lights cluster. but there are other rattles that could be speaker grills, overhead grab handles, seatbelt trim, etc. I don't know. its pathetic.
lastly, the seat belt chime must have been programmed by Hitler himself. It makes me want to take a sledge hammer to the car. I hope whoever at toyota thought it up rots in hades.
and oh yes, the stock stereo speakers are awful and Crutchfield says nothing aftermarket will fit. Damn you Toyota.
Other than those complaints, its a brilliant piece of kit. I think mine is keeper and I hope to own it for 10 years or so. I can't get over the value for money!
The rattles had better not get any worse though. otherwise this car will be gone from my garage before Toyota can say "no problems found".
I don't know about that. The Accord V6 6-speed is pretty sporty (came in second of 5 in a test of sporty sedans in Car and Driver- lost only to the new Jetta GLI. I think that's good considering the Accord was a 4-year old design at that point). I wonder why the Accord was left out.. it may not have beaten the 5-year newer Camry, but i imagine it could still have handily outdone the Malibu, possibly others.
I own a 2007 V6 Camry SE and my spouse drives a 4 cyl Accord and following are my observations:
1. Agree? Recently I test drove a 4cyl Camry and the 4cyl Accord seems much quicker and sportier than a 4 cyl Camry 2007. I would never buy a 4cyl Camry.
2. Agree. Camry's interior is of much lower quality compared to Accord and it holds true for all 2007 Camry models.
3. Instrument panel, climate and Radio controls lighting.. AGREE - oh god, don't get me started on this one! YES I agree with you here 300% - this design is total and utter crap - see my post here Iggs, "2007 Toyota Camry Woes" #1016, 3 Aug 2006 1:12 pm
4. Seat Belt chime - I agree, but there is a fix! A way to turn this s..t off is a sequence of button pushes and key turns that turns it off in the ECU until the battery is disconnected. If you can't find it let me know and I'll publish it here.
HINT: This setting is only valid for the buzzer which sounds at the 5 km/h (3 mph) or more. (a) SEAT BELT BUZZER ON/OFF SETTING (Procedure "A") The seat belt buzzer ON/OFF setting, which is a setting of the buzzer function of the combination meter, can disable the driver and front passenger side seat belt buzzers. NOTICE: • These buzzers should be on for safe driving. Perform these procedures only if it is necessary to set the buzzer off (disabled). • When either the battery cable or the combination meter connector is disconnected, these buzzers are set on (enabled). • Odometer returns to 0 after starting this procedure, although it is not displayed. HINT: "b-oFF" indicates that the buzzer is OFF. "b-on" indicates that the buzzer is ON. The seat belt buzzer ON/OFF setting will be finished (the odometer will display "ODO") if the ODO/TRIP switch is not operated for 10 seconds or more. In this case, perform step 11 to check that the buzzer ON/OFF setting is complete. If it is not complete, start from step 1 again. (1) Driver and front passenger side seat belt buzzers 1. Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 2. Press the ODO/TRIP switch until the odometer displays "ODO". 3. Ignition switch off. 4. Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 5. Press the ODO/TRIP switch immediately (within 6 seconds) and hold it down for 10 seconds or more. 6. Continue holding down the ODO/TRIP switch and fasten the driver side seat belt. 7. Check that the odometer displays either "bon" or "b-oFF". 8. Press the ODO/TRIP switch to change the display to "b-oFF". 9. Ignition switch off. 10.Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 11.Check that no buzzer sounds. (2) Front passenger side seat belt buzzer 1. Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 2. Press the ODO/TRIP switch until the odometer displays "ODO". 3. Ignition switch off. 4. Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 5. Sit in the front passenger seat. Press the ODO/TRIP switch immediately (within 6 seconds) and hold it down for 10 seconds or more. 6. Sit in the front passenger seat. Continue holding down the ODO/TRIP switch and fasten the front passenger side seat belt. 7. Check that the odometer displays either "bon" or "b-oFF". 8. Press the ODO/TRIP switch to change the display to "b-oFF". 9. Ignition switch off. 10.Turn the ignition switch on (IG). 11.Check that no buzzer sounds.
Oddly we all have varying tastes and the new design is one of the things I liked best about it. Bold, new and aggressive, not bland and safe like before. The new dual exhaust gives it a more mature feeling, and the nose is much better than the Avalon and one of the reasons I switched. Granted it's not for everybody, but I liked it enough to buy the ;07 XLE with great perfomance while not compromising mileage. The interior is Lexus beautiful as well! JBL stereo, awesome. A Lot of car for <$30K, not to mention the Toyota reliablity hallmarks!
Pat, when will this forum become read only like the Hyundai Sonata 2006+ forum, and others? Is there a trigger point in terms of the number of posts - just wondering on the reason?
What we'd like is for folks to start discussions with their own specific issues. These large general topics are difficult for folks who want to address specific issues, so we're trying to create an atmosphere where everyone can do that.
So let's start that now - please go to the main Camry Group board and look for a discussion that fits your thoughts or questions. If you don't see one, go ahead and create one.
I will concur on the looks issue as stated by both of you.
It is polarizing which speaks about the confidence Toyota has in this model and especially this Gen.
I absolutely love this Gen over all the others because it's so striking to me. I've had four of 'em beginning in 1989 and to me this is by far the most stylish and capable and feature-laden of all.
I noticed that the Camry has a foot pedal for the e-brake. Anybody know if the manaual transmission model also has a foot brake. A hand brake is sure more usefull on hills, since most people only have 2 feet.
I just test drove it for a second time. This time it was dark and I've got to say I dislike the powder blue lights on the front stack. I actually don't like the front stack, all that plasticy chrome looks cheap. I love the power and the exterior looks, but not sure if I want to spend $42 grand on a car that has an ugly front stack. If i could put the Accord interior with the Camry exterior........Has anyone changed the bulbs so the front stack glows red instead of blue????
I agree with you. And I think it is too much light especially in the one's with the nav units (I have one). It feels like it bathes the cabin with extraneous distracting light. I don't mind it in the evening but at night I would love to turn it completly off.
I would have much preferred that only the switches, not the whole panel, were backlit in blue. That would have been far more elegant.
silverstar, I don't share your distaste for the interior HVAC lighting, but my suggestion and I don't know if it's even possible, is ask the service guys/parts guys/look up yourself what the wattage of the wedge bulbs are in the HVAC unit and if possible, swap out the bulbs for ones with even less wattage. Just a thought.
Ahck! Red interior lighting. Why not just go over to the Pontiac store and invest in a V8 powered Grand Prix? All kidding aside, this is really just a matter of personal preference, as I LOVE the bluish hue to the lighting - very sheik, IMO. For thinking too much light is cast into the cabin by the center stack, you are aware there is a dimmer switch? In SE models, I've found the happiest medium between IP illumination and center stack brightness is by having the dimmer one notch below full tilt. For some this may still be too bright, so turning it down just a bit more will offer good IP illumination and a dimmer stack. Try it. See what you think.
[That said, the reddish interior lighting in the center stack is my primary complaint against my pop's Subaru Legacy. (Well, that and the lack of thrust from the N/A 2.5L).]
FWIW, I can't wait to read the MT COY article. Hopefully they've tested a 5A 4 cylinder; I've not seen performance information (acceleration, primarily) except for CR, which clocks notoriously slowly. They did manage a decent 9.6 sec, though.
Who has "paid" for this award in the past? How do you know? The 07 Camry also just won the coveted AJAC (Auto Journalist Association of Canada) award for it's class (mid-size) and is still in the running for AJAC Car of the Year this winter.
Speaking strictly for myself, prestigious "awards" granted by commercial enterprise seem circumspect considering that the journalists voting for "Car of The Year" are in the employ of publications which happily accept advertising revenue from the very companies who stand to gain the most from the award. While that's not proof that money is changing hands under the table, the obvious possibility taints my own liklihood of accepting a presumption of an impartial outcome. (And, yes, I was a rotten little kid, too...)
"Speaking strictly for myself, prestigious "awards" granted by commercial enterprise seem circumspect considering that the journalists voting for "Car of The Year" are in the employ of publications which happily accept advertising revenue from the very companies who stand to gain the most from the award."
So you would reason that it is "obviously possible" that the reason KIA, Mitusbishi, Chysler, Volvo, Saab, Mazda.... don't win these big media awards is because they don't spend the capital to advertise?
)) "So you would reason that it is 'obviously possible' that the reason that [various automakers] don't win these big media awards is because they don't spend the capital to advertise?" ((
Those are your words, not mine. You missed my point. I placed NO restriction on the voting outcome to mere advertising revenue - which is probably a fixed amount per length, general layout, graphics, and other factors involving the printing process. To clarify, I'm of the opinion that the results of these beauty contests are influenced by outright payola.
I don't know first hand. But it's very suspicious when the "Car of the Year" soon becomes the "Dud of the Year."
Look at these past "winners," as many are laughable in hindsight:
2006 Honda Civic 2005 Chrysler 300 2004 Toyota Prius 2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe / Sedan 2002 Ford Thunderbird 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2000 Lincoln LS 1999 Chrysler 300M 1998 Chevrolet Corvette 1997 Chevrolet Malibu 1996 Dodge Caravan 1995 Chrysler Cirrus 1994 Ford Mustang 1993 Ford Probe GT 1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ 1990 Lincoln Town Car
And, when the magazine comes out, you'll find self-congratulatory full-page ads from the winning manufacturer as well as similar ads from suppliers of parts for the winning car. Maybe I'm just a bit cynical.
For an insider's take, you might want to check out Pete DeLorenzo here (see last item). He had a much longer rant about Motor Trend a few weeks back, but he doesn't seem to have any links to past articles. :confuse:
But for all that, I'm still glad the new Camry won this award, as it's a rare case of a car winning that actually deserves it.
Just purchased a new 07' Camry and I'm wondering if anyone knew of any good web sites to purchase accessories for the vehicle? I'm wanting my Camry to stand out where I'm at, so any help any of you could provide would be much appreciated. Furthermore, I'm looking for some new wheels. Nothing ghetto fabulous, just sleek, modern, and sexy. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance guys' and gals'.
210delray, I understand that many of these past winners were less than desirable, however, it's tough to discuss the winners on their merits without knowing what other 'new' cars were released that given year. However, many of those past winners were significant and good if not very good products for their time, no? As for the winning manufacturer advertising their awards and laurels... I would expect nothing less and really don't see much with this. Any and all winners do such regardless of manufacturer. That said, the 07 Camry also just won last week the AJAC (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada)mid-size Car of the Year Award. The criteria for scoring is available online and the judges consist of literally every single automotive journalist in Canada voting regardless of publication and organization. To me, for EVERY SINGLE AUTO JOURNALIST in Canada to be 'on the take' from any Manufacturer let alone Toyota is completely beyond me and do agree it would be cynical to believe so.
" I'm of the opinion that the results of these beauty contests are influenced by outright payola. "
So why wouldn't the wealthiest manufacturer in the whole world --Toyota-- "pay" for every single award available for grabs? They could obviously afford it and no other manufacturer would say a thing since most would have done so in the past.
In all fairness, a lot of those duds are because MT had separate Cars of the Year for Imports and Domestics up through the mid nineties. Your list would be more relevant if you looked at the Import Car of the Year winners in the early nineties, instead of the COY winners; at times there were like 6-8 entries, since the domestics redesign at galacial paces. SOMETHING had to win. This is probably part of the reason the two issuances were combined. With that in mind, I'd call the only relevant dud the unsightly Ford Thunderbird.
I "borrowed" the list from a poster at another automotive website, so I wasn't aware that Motor Trend was still splitting domestic vs. import COTYs into the 90s. But seriously, 1997 Malibu? :confuse:
Fact is, I don't really give MT more than a passing glance, and haven't for some time. It was too "Kalifornia Kool" for a loooong time -- recently it seems to have improved, but if I read any of the buff books now, it's Car and Driver and Automobile. Most often, I just get my auto news from Edmunds and other web sites -- much more up to date. I think print is dying myself.
Anyhow, as ray_h1 alludes to, you gotta follow the money. There are huge bucks to made from advertising, and there's no doubt in my mind that such consideration taints any such "awards." Just look at this Edmunds screen -- ads up top, ads to the left. Somebody's gotta pay the freight -- it ain't us sitting at the computer!
However [I hate that cliche du jour "that said"], I'm still glad the '07 Camry won -- it's a breakthrough car IMO in spite of the naysayers and those who say it's endlessly boring.
Don't know much about that Canadian award, but it sounds like a better system. Still, a lot of so-called "auto journalists" seem to just parrot the manufacturers' press releases in their "reviews," with maybe a little nit pick here or there to prove they're "objective."
With regard to the advertising, it's not so blatant that Toyota pays up (as in a bribe), it's that the Motor Trend marketing people figure in advance who's going to ante up the most money in advertising if manufacturer "A" wins vs. manufacturer "B."
Please explain how the Mercedes GL class won the SUV of the Year Award from the same mag when "value" is supposed to be a consideration? I have not read much positive about this SUV elsewhere, yet it "won."
"Please explain how the Mercedes GL class won the SUV of the Year Award from the same mag when "value" is supposed to be a consideration? I have not read much positive about this SUV elsewhere, yet it "won." "
Oh, you're going to lose total respect for the AJAC awards now! But, The Mercedes GL won AJAC's Best New SUV over $60,000 CA. A summary of what was said, "At the top end of the SUV spectrum, the Acura MDX Elite and Audi Q7 4.2 Premium were edged out by the big but beautiful Mercedes-Benz GL-Class.
Featuring three rows of truly useful seats, surprisingly agile handling and a jewel of a V8 engine, the GL surprised many a tester with its impressive combination of abilities."
Toyota probably doesn't build a sports car like what we are thinking of because they are a niche market and not many people want them. It seems to me that most people want the family sedan (Toyota Camry) and jeep like vehicle (FJ Cruiser, Toyota Rav4)
The sports models they do and did have (Revamped Toyota Supra, Toyota Spyder) don't and didn't sell well. Part of this may have to do with their asking price. I don't know.
At any rate it seems to be a strange irony, considering the fact Toyota builds engines for Lotus sports cars
Keep in mind that 4-cyclinder doesn't mean low power. Asian cars are typically much lighter than American origin cars, so they don't need tons of horsepower to do an adequate job. Also it's the size of the cylinders that matter.
I had a direct Toyota Camry competition (Honda Accord) a few years ago that was 4 cylinder and it was more than adequate when it came to power needed. I had slight problems going up steep hills, but that's about it.
Get ready, because Toyota's been feeling left out of the sports car segment and will be releasing the Lexus LF500(?) and new Supra in about a year that they 'promise' won't take a back seat to anybody.
I'm on the hunt for a decent, comfortable sedan and the Camry SE V6 ranks somewhat high on my list. For the money, it is decent, good mileage, all that, and except for the front end the rest of it looks pretty good.
So I am looking at pics from Auto China in Beijing and come across the nose of the Camry offered there. WHAT THE HECK IS TOYOTA USA THINKING? The nose there is 10000 times better than there. I really hope they fix the shnoz on the US Camry, because if it were not for that ugly honker I would be driving one now.
Comments
cameo41
Thanks
The 4 cyl camry is not so clearly superior to the 4 cyl accord which is a veritable sport sedan compared to the Camry. (I prefer the 4 cyl manual accord to the V6 auto Accord by far)
However, I ended up with a Camry. I had the dealer locate me the very rare manual transmission 4 cyl Camry. I refuse to buy automatic transmission cars under any circumstance.
Compared to the 4 cylinder manual Accord, the 4 cyl manual camry is slower, its gear shift is crude, the engine is rough, and the handling is more Lexus than Miata.
but I picked the Camry because the Accord has awful road noise on the highway, it was $1200 more than the Camry, its got less leg room in the back seat, the version without adjustable lumbar has front seats that induce back ache in those tall of torso. THe Camry by comparison is like a Lexus in its ride, quiteness, chassis sophistication. Its a bit soft in its handling compared to the Accord, but I've raced around on the blue ridge parkway and found it an extremely capable and willing partner. its very similar in its handling/ride balance to the 2000 LS400. except the structure is more rigid and thus the ride and body motions can be more controlled without being any firmer. its a superb chassis for its task.
the 4 cyl manual camry handles much better than the V6 auto presumably because its lighter and carries much less weight in the nose. I might add, the 4 cyl automatic camry is pretty awful because it doesn't have much power and where you can shift the manual to optimize its abilities, the auto makes the car feel like a dead unresponsive gutless twerp that wishes it were dead instead of servering you. the manual is far far far better.
the best part? mine cost $18,049. no sunroof, V6, auto, navigation, traction control, and all that jazz, but it has all I need (power everything, cruise, 7 airbags, ABS, etc), and I am getting 30mpg average with equal split of city and highway.
the value and value for money is simply staggering. I think a $28,000 camry is a bloody stupid. Firstly, the Hyundai Azera is a better car than the V6 Camry (though not as good as the Avalon Touring) and secondly, I don't see that a V6, auto and other goodies add $10,000 plus of value to the camry.
I have some serious gripes about the camry though. that stupid light blue back light on the stereo and A/C controls is a damned nuisance at night when it glows far too bright compared to the instrument cluster. Toyota should have provided an independent dimmer for that instead of tying it to the gauge cluster dimmer. I want to get inside there and clip the wiring for this useless lighting.
the interior, shockingly for toyota, has lots of rattles inside. they seem to be primarily from the section of the dash that holds the clock and the overhead lights cluster. but there are other rattles that could be speaker grills, overhead grab handles, seatbelt trim, etc. I don't know. its pathetic.
lastly, the seat belt chime must have been programmed by Hitler himself. It makes me want to take a sledge hammer to the car. I hope whoever at toyota thought it up rots in hades.
and oh yes, the stock stereo speakers are awful and Crutchfield says nothing aftermarket will fit. Damn you Toyota.
Other than those complaints, its a brilliant piece of kit. I think mine is keeper and I hope to own it for 10 years or so. I can't get over the value for money!
The rattles had better not get any worse though. otherwise this car will be gone from my garage before Toyota can say "no problems found".
1. Agree? Recently I test drove a 4cyl Camry and the 4cyl Accord seems much quicker and sportier than a 4 cyl Camry 2007. I would never buy a 4cyl Camry.
2. Agree. Camry's interior is of much lower quality compared to Accord and it holds true for all 2007 Camry models.
3. Instrument panel, climate and Radio controls lighting.. AGREE - oh god, don't get me started on this one! YES I agree with you here 300% - this design is total and utter crap - see my post here Iggs, "2007 Toyota Camry Woes" #1016, 3 Aug 2006 1:12 pm
4. Seat Belt chime - I agree, but there is a fix! A way to turn this s..t off is a sequence of button pushes and key turns that turns it off in the ECU until the battery is disconnected. If you can't find it let me know and I'll publish it here.
This setting is only valid for the buzzer which sounds at
the 5 km/h (3 mph) or more.
(a) SEAT BELT BUZZER ON/OFF SETTING
(Procedure "A")
The seat belt buzzer ON/OFF setting, which is a
setting of the buzzer function of the combination
meter, can disable the driver and front passenger
side seat belt buzzers.
NOTICE:
• These buzzers should be on for safe driving.
Perform these procedures only if it is
necessary to set the buzzer off (disabled).
• When either the battery cable or the
combination meter connector is
disconnected, these buzzers are set on
(enabled).
• Odometer returns to 0 after starting this
procedure, although it is not displayed.
HINT:
"b-oFF" indicates that the buzzer is OFF. "b-on"
indicates that the buzzer is ON. The seat belt
buzzer ON/OFF setting will be finished (the
odometer will display "ODO") if the ODO/TRIP
switch is not operated for 10 seconds or more. In
this case, perform step 11 to check that the buzzer
ON/OFF setting is complete. If it is not complete,
start from step 1 again.
(1) Driver and front passenger side seat belt
buzzers
1. Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
2. Press the ODO/TRIP switch until the
odometer displays "ODO".
3. Ignition switch off.
4. Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
5. Press the ODO/TRIP switch immediately
(within 6 seconds) and hold it down for 10
seconds or more.
6. Continue holding down the ODO/TRIP switch
and fasten the driver side seat belt.
7. Check that the odometer displays either "bon"
or "b-oFF".
8. Press the ODO/TRIP switch to change the
display to "b-oFF".
9. Ignition switch off.
10.Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
11.Check that no buzzer sounds.
(2) Front passenger side seat belt buzzer
1. Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
2. Press the ODO/TRIP switch until the
odometer displays "ODO".
3. Ignition switch off.
4. Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
5. Sit in the front passenger seat. Press the
ODO/TRIP switch immediately (within 6
seconds) and hold it down for 10 seconds or
more.
6. Sit in the front passenger seat. Continue
holding down the ODO/TRIP switch and
fasten the front passenger side seat belt.
7. Check that the odometer displays either "bon"
or "b-oFF".
8. Press the ODO/TRIP switch to change the
display to "b-oFF".
9. Ignition switch off.
10.Turn the ignition switch on (IG).
11.Check that no buzzer sounds.
So let's start that now - please go to the main Camry Group board and look for a discussion that fits your thoughts or questions. If you don't see one, go ahead and create one.
Thanks!
It is polarizing which speaks about the confidence Toyota has in this model and especially this Gen.
I absolutely love this Gen over all the others because it's so striking to me. I've had four of 'em beginning in 1989 and to me this is by far the most stylish and capable and feature-laden of all.
Nice job.
I love the power and the exterior looks, but not sure if I want to spend $42 grand on a car that has an ugly front stack. If i could put the Accord interior with the Camry exterior........Has anyone changed the bulbs so the front stack glows red instead of blue????
I would have much preferred that only the switches, not the whole panel, were backlit in blue. That would have been far more elegant.
If there is a way - please let me know.
[That said, the reddish interior lighting in the center stack is my primary complaint against my pop's Subaru Legacy. (Well, that and the lack of thrust from the N/A 2.5L).]
FWIW, I can't wait to read the MT COY article. Hopefully they've tested a 5A 4 cylinder; I've not seen performance information (acceleration, primarily) except for CR, which clocks notoriously slowly. They did manage a decent 9.6 sec, though.
~alpha
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2006/112_news061122_car_of_the_year- _2007_toyota_camry
MT has picked some real losers in the past (in hindsight of course), and it's long been known that the award is for sale to the highest bidder.
Still, I like their choice this year.
So you would reason that it is "obviously possible" that the reason KIA, Mitusbishi, Chysler, Volvo, Saab, Mazda.... don't win these big media awards is because they don't spend the capital to advertise?
Those are your words, not mine. You missed my point. I placed NO restriction on the voting outcome to mere advertising revenue - which is probably a fixed amount per length, general layout, graphics, and other factors involving the printing process. To clarify, I'm of the opinion that the results of these beauty contests are influenced by outright payola.
Look at these past "winners," as many are laughable in hindsight:
2006 Honda Civic
2005 Chrysler 300
2004 Toyota Prius
2003 Infiniti G35 Coupe / Sedan
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2000 Lincoln LS
1999 Chrysler 300M
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Malibu
1996 Dodge Caravan
1995 Chrysler Cirrus
1994 Ford Mustang
1993 Ford Probe GT
1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
1990 Lincoln Town Car
And, when the magazine comes out, you'll find self-congratulatory full-page ads from the winning manufacturer as well as similar ads from suppliers of parts for the winning car. Maybe I'm just a bit cynical.
For an insider's take, you might want to check out Pete DeLorenzo here (see last item). He had a much longer rant about Motor Trend a few weeks back, but he doesn't seem to have any links to past articles. :confuse:
But for all that, I'm still glad the new Camry won this award, as it's a rare case of a car winning that actually deserves it.
As for the winning manufacturer advertising their awards and laurels... I would expect nothing less and really don't see much with this. Any and all winners do such regardless of manufacturer.
That said, the 07 Camry also just won last week the AJAC (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada)mid-size Car of the Year Award. The criteria for scoring is available online and the judges consist of literally every single automotive journalist in Canada voting regardless of publication and organization. To me, for EVERY SINGLE AUTO JOURNALIST in Canada to be 'on the take' from any Manufacturer let alone Toyota is completely beyond me and do agree it would be cynical to believe so.
So why wouldn't the wealthiest manufacturer in the whole world --Toyota-- "pay" for every single award available for grabs? They could obviously afford it and no other manufacturer would say a thing since most would have done so in the past.
~alpha
ray_h71's personal definition of cynicism: the ability to see clearly through Bovine Stuff.
Fact is, I don't really give MT more than a passing glance, and haven't for some time. It was too "Kalifornia Kool" for a loooong time -- recently it seems to have improved, but if I read any of the buff books now, it's Car and Driver and Automobile. Most often, I just get my auto news from Edmunds and other web sites -- much more up to date. I think print is dying myself.
Anyhow, as ray_h1 alludes to, you gotta follow the money. There are huge bucks to made from advertising, and there's no doubt in my mind that such consideration taints any such "awards." Just look at this Edmunds screen -- ads up top, ads to the left. Somebody's gotta pay the freight -- it ain't us sitting at the computer!
However [I hate that cliche du jour "that said"], I'm still glad the '07 Camry won -- it's a breakthrough car IMO in spite of the naysayers and those who say it's endlessly boring.
With regard to the advertising, it's not so blatant that Toyota pays up (as in a bribe), it's that the Motor Trend marketing people figure in advance who's going to ante up the most money in advertising if manufacturer "A" wins vs. manufacturer "B."
Please explain how the Mercedes GL class won the SUV of the Year Award from the same mag when "value" is supposed to be a consideration? I have not read much positive about this SUV elsewhere, yet it "won."
Oh, you're going to lose total respect for the AJAC awards now!
Featuring three rows of truly useful seats, surprisingly agile handling and a jewel of a V8 engine, the GL surprised many a tester with its impressive combination of abilities."
I think $60,000 is better spent on THREE Camrys.
The sports models they do and did have (Revamped Toyota Supra, Toyota Spyder) don't and didn't sell well. Part of this may have to do with their asking price. I don't know.
At any rate it seems to be a strange irony, considering the fact Toyota builds engines for Lotus sports cars
Also it's the size of the cylinders that matter.
I had a direct Toyota Camry competition (Honda Accord) a few years ago that was 4 cylinder and it was more than adequate when it came to power needed. I had slight problems going up steep hills, but that's about it.
So I am looking at pics from Auto China in Beijing and come across the nose of the Camry offered there. WHAT THE HECK IS TOYOTA USA THINKING? The nose there is 10000 times better than there. I really hope they fix the shnoz on the US Camry, because if it were not for that ugly honker I would be driving one now.
Here is a pic of the nose there FYI...