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Comments
I don't remember commenting on the interior, but it looks great to me.
By the way, you're all supposed to hate this thing so I can get them down to invoice. Start talking it down.
I did find the answer to my earlier question regarding the sunshade. It is manually operated.
From the side it looks like the Avalon. And the front and rear reminds me of the Ford Taurus.
I think I'll keep saving up for the Avalon.
For those that have been fortunate enough to see the new Camry in person, did you notice if they still have articulating (tilting) headrests? Toyota's decontenting efforts have eliminated them from the Avalon so I'm wondering if they have been dropped from the 2002 Camry. I currently own a 2K Solara SLE and it has the tilting headrests which I like very much. I would consider the Camry, but only if the headrests tilt - a small feature I know, but those are what make up the total package.
From what I've seen of the LE interior in the posted images, it looks very 'pedestrian', a bit of a disappointment IMHO. I can only hope the XLE looks a bit more upscale as those who have seen it have mentioned.
M.J. McCloskey
Toyota is obviously looking to improve its image among green-car lovers. That's probably why engine output is down from 194hp to 192hp (now ULEV in all 50 states), and maybe thats why no manual offered. They did the same with the Solara, power is down 2 hp to 198hp.
Observe that the rear bumper now is a one piece like that on Accord. 2001 has a vertical cut, also 2002 bumper color matches ok with the rest of the body. 2001 buper looks much cheaper than the new one. This car seems to be very impressed by the current Accord !!
As for the exterior styling, I'm pleased, especially at the rear doors and side. As for the interior, it's nice, but I was hoping for more of a driver oriented dash. But, I'm hoping the SE trim, gauges and dark charcoal interior will go a long way to improve the look.
I was able to get the one page brochure from my salesman and it really looks as if the best bet may be the SE model. The optional aluminium wheels(4 cylinder) and the fog lights really fill out the car.
Now I just need to convince myself to part with my '92 LE. I've had it since new and it has been fantastic, it has needed very few repairs other than wear and tear items, and it still rides, and looks great(no rattles squaks, etc.).
As far as the Accord/Camry debate or whether a fully loaded Camry is a poor choice in regards to a Acura TL, I think the only weak point I see is the horsepower on the six. I would guess that the engineers/planners got caught off gaurd on that. But since I'm probably getting a loaded up 4cyl SE that isn't a concern. What really concerns me is the long term quality of a car. I plan on having this new one for 10 years as well, and here is where Honda and Toyota part ways on the quality issue. I live in Western PA where they salt the roads 4 months a year. If you look around here at the '90-'93 Accords, 2 out of three have severe rust out in the quarter panels, same with every Acura from that era. Now I have yet to see one camry of my vintage with rust on it. (Yes I know about the previous ones) It seems that toyota has, at least with the Camry/Avalon, solved the design issues that promote rust.
I would recommend car enthusiasts to wait for the new Altima or Accord before commiting to the 02 Camry.
Disappointed!
As for sales figures, I still don't know why the camry is outselling the accord? Accord is less money, and bigger. Could it be because of the camry's fleet sales? I know that is why the taurus was the #1 selling car over the accord a few years back.
camry price does sound high for the 2002. i just purchased a 2002 Avalon, that had a $1200 mfg discount, and then i was offered $2500 more discount on top of that besides my trade in. all in all i purchased my Avalon for less than i was offered for the 2001 Avalon (?). the 2002 i purchased had all the best features and packages included, heated seats, jbl sound, vsc, memory seats, 16" wheels, sunroof, etc. all i can say is i got all of that for what you are saying they offered for the camry 2002?
miki
Add to that the obvious quality difference, and as soon as I get them to accept invoice, I will be driving one. No leather, I hate sweating. That leaves the XLE out I think. Looks like a V-6 LE for me.
The average Camry probably has a MSRP in the low to mid $20K range.
You people are also forgetting that both the Accord and TL lack quality in the materials that make up the interior, a known Honda trait. The Camry, even though "just a Toyota" has a better feel throughout the inside of the car than either of the two Honda listed above.
Someone above also mentioned rust on Hondas and Acuras as opposed to Toyotas. That's because Honda's has notoriously thin sheetmetal, it always has.
There are only 2 other alternatives to the new 2002 Camry if you can't stomach the price, and that's the Avalon and ES300. The flimsy Hondas and unreliable VWs (Audi incl.) don't compare.
Just my 2 cents. (please don't take the above as offensive)
-RAVvie4me
The 4-cylinder should only be in the LE.
Again, my two cents.
-RAVvie4me
I love the SE. It has the black pearl emblems and spoiler I would pay for on the 2001 CE model and it's so inexpensive! We've got a winner here!
Yes that SE is a beauty, I always loved the black pearl emblems. It looks absolutely sweet on some colors!
-RAVvie4me
What the hell is with all these interiors?!?! First it was the Honda Accord. I hated that design where it just ends and then goes in like the dash/center console was some kind of afterthought. Then the 01 Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Stratus had this ugly design. The 02 Altima has it too! (although it looks better than all of them IMO). Now teh Camry! The Camrys is second to worst (the Chrysler twins look worst).
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59153
Overall, my impression of the exterior is that it is pleasing, not offensive, yet dull. The interior is plain, but very functional. The SE adds a nice titanium background speedometer, which looks nice (ala RSX). The seats (cloth) were comfy, but lacked thigh support. headroom was great and legroom was even better (i'm 6'1). The I4 was rather quiet and smooth as expected. The inside of this car is SOOO quiet! After a while I had to roll down the window to get a little noise!!!
However, the LE I drove had a light feel to the steering, and felt overly boosted. The suspension was soft and made curves challenging, but gave a ver smoooth ride that gobbled up the bumps. Wind noise was hard to find, even at 65 mph. This car works hard on hills, but any I4 will struggle when pushed uphill. The brakes have some serious dead-pedal travel, but the tranny gives good support to braking. I'd imagine the brakes will be much better after breaking it in.
The biggest negative I could find was that fit and finish on these cars were not great. The left rear tire appeared crooked on flat ground (bent axle????). Some material surfaces did not match up, and the SE had a notceable misalignment in the driver's door. The bumper color also does not match the rest of the color exactly...but you only notice in certain angles and light.
All in all, this car will fulfill everything the Camry does: reliable and safe transportation.
Oh ya, the alloy wheels and spoiler do amazing things for the looks!!! And the sunroof in huge! If you're also feeling rich, get the leather seats...they are super-cushy, yet supportive.
Best of luck to everyone, especially Honda and Nissan! It's gonna be quite the battle.
The rest of the interior seems to be very nice, at least from the pics. I really am looking forward to seeing one in person.
Does anyone know 0-60 times for the 4cly/auto combination. the previous generation with 136hp could do the trick in an adequate but unexciting 10.5 sec. I'm thinking the new car should shave about at least a second off that.
ravvie4me
"you people are also forgetting that both the Accord and TL lack quality in the materials that make up the interior, a known Honda trait"
This is not a known Honda trait, just your opinion which is fine. But the industry views Hondas just the opposite of what you think. The interior of the last Camry was dismal compare to the Accord. Now it's much better, more Honda Accord like. I do think Acura has some work to do to get up to Lexus standards though.
toyota has better tilt steering mechanism than honda... honda is quite weak in this area and has been for years.
Also, your statements are just your opinions. I was with my friend when he bought a new Accord coupe two years ago. I thought the interior materials were top-notch. The TL does lack a bit, but when you consider it's from a luxury car division that weighs heavily. I for one would never buy a car unless the dealer gave loaners, and no Toyota dealers in my area do that. With a loaded Camry you're paying luxury car prices without the luxury car treatment or buying experience.
As for the rust on Hondas, I don't know where you get that from. I had a Prelude for 8 years, my sister had an Accord for 8 years and my brother a Civic for 9 years. None had a speck of rust, and none were ever garaged.
And as for thin sheetmetal, my Prelude survived a hail storm in 1990 beter than nearly any other car.
Again, both the Camry and Accord are high-quality cars. Someone may prefer one over the other, but not for the reasons you provided. Don't take offense, just trying to set the record straight based on my experiences.
So is the steering wheel.
But I will say the interior material quality is not all that great. The interior looks nice, but for example, the top of the dash is rock hard plastic(not good), the leather is kinda on the cheap side, and the door panels are pretty flimsy. Anyone check out the steering wheel hub on a Accord? It's flimsy too.
The Camry's interior looks bland but all the materials are basically high end. The whole dashboard is nice soft cushy vinyl, and no flimsy door panels, and Toyota uses nicer leather.
Sadly, the pictures of the new dash don't seem to indicate any improvement. The plain squarish control pod is just plopped in the center of the dash. There's little or no attempt to integrate it into the styling of the dash at all. It's just there, like an afterthought. To me it seems clear that Toyota is intentionally keeping the Camry from being upscale enough to support the impression that a top-line Camry is a very reasonable substitute for an ES300. They probably encountered that problem with the really Lexus-like interior and dashboard of the '92 - '96 models, and don't want to take that chance again.
Back to the Accord again... from Car and Driver to Motor Trend to Road and Track to Consumer Reports, you can find accolades about the quality and upscale feel of the current gen Accord's interior. I don't have the mags handy, but I recall the context of a couple of statements. Between Motor Trend and Road and Track, one said (I paraphrase from memory), "In contrast to the Accord's plain vanilla exterior, we were pleasantly surprised at its upscale, Acura-like interior." The other mag said that the Accord's interior was more like an entry-level Acura than a mainstream mid-size car.
Yes, that's their opinions, but they match my experience exactly, and I think they're right on the mark. YMMV.
What are you talking about?
Nissan is the big turn around company in the last three years. And the next generation Altima will offer everything you want.
1)Larger than Camry and Accord
2)I4 engine with 175HP & V6 with 240HP
3)5-speed with any motor
4)Three trim levels
5)Priced similar to the Accord
If you what to see it yourself check out at:
http://nissandriven.com
As George W said "it wont be long now"
Also, MotorTrend made comment about the cheapness of some of the Altima's interior material.
When you're comparing the 2001 with the Solara, it's been known that the Solara's coin box, as well as the cupholders, aren't top notch. The rest, however, is almost Lexus-like in the Solara. Either way, the Solara and the Accord are both superb cars (did you go for the coupe?), and you can't go wrong with either one.
I have to say though, that I won't hold back from buying a car simply because I can see the odometer and trip odometer simultaneously. If I compare the Civic to my Corolla, however, I have an outside temperature gauge which is very useful in winter.