Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

lmacmil · May 2005

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Toyota Motor Corp., the leader in sales of hybrid gas-electric vehicles, is reportedly set to announce a hybrid version of its Camry sedan, the best-selling U.S. car model.

The New York Times reported the announcement is expected Tuesday. It is to be built at the company's Georgetown, Ky., plant that makes the Camry, making it the company's first U.S.-built hybrid.

Toyota has scheduled a press conference to be held simultaneously in both Georgetown and Washington D.C. for 11 a.m. ET, though it has not disclosed the subject matter.

The company makes a hybrid-only

andrelaplume · May 2005

I heard that after 5 years the battery component may need to be replaced at a cost of thousands of dollars. Can this be true? That can not be good for the resale value of any car. Does this mean you must dump the car after 3 years? Are these vehicles designed to completely recycleable? Won't folks start complaining about auto graveyards....? I want better gas mileage like everyone else but it seams no one wants to get away from gas. Interesting how gas prices have 'adjusted' themselves just as the hybrid cars start to roll out.

Sorry to get off topic.......

pat · May 2005

Boy, do I have an answer for you!

Have a look:

Sylvia, "The Great Battery Debate" #1, 10 Jun 2004 12:12 am

lmacmil · May 2005

The Honda Accord Hybrid comes with an 8 yr/80,000 mile warranty on the battery. I expect the Camry will be similar.

phd86 · May 2005

Don't worry:

Of course it has clear coat. Meguiar's makes some good products but also some cheaper stuff which is what you tried. Even their good stuff takes alot of patience.

Yes, use a cleaner. I use "mother's" (based on a tip on this site). It is a 3-step process that takes ~4 hours for the car (cleaner, sealer, then wax), but it works. zero swirls. zero haze. zero scratches.

out....PhD86

bostonarea1 · May 2005

I have a 2005 Camry V6 with 800 miles. I drove from the Boston area to Cooperstown NY over the weekend 270 miles (95% highway) and got 30 MPG. I used premium fuel, no AC and had cruise control set at 72 MPH.

lmacmil · May 2005

"I drove from the Boston area to Cooperstown NY over the weekend 270 miles (95% highway) and got 30 MPG."

That's terrific. I think I'll try premium on my next trip.

canddmeyer · May 2005

Hi y'all. I just rented a 2005 LE 4-banger while my 2003 4Runner was being repaired, and thot I'd share my opinion. The vehicle road nicely although road imperfections were easily felt through the seat. The suspension, though soft, sure let a lot of bumps be felt. The steering had oversteer, and wasn't as precise as my 1999 Accord. The high speed handling was tail happy. The car was very well insulated and road noise was almost non-existent. I liked the automatic headlights. This car had a sunroof. I loved it. I'm tall and was able to wear a hat and still clear the sunroof. The Camry with a sunroof has more headroom than my 4Runner w/o a sunroof.

As for MPG, the vehicle averaged 25mpg and my usage was 75% city, so I'd say the mileage was fantastic.

alpha01 · May 2005

Are you sure you mean "oversteer"? Due its front drive and forward weight bias, the Camry is a resolute understeerer. And your comments on ride imperfections are the first I've read, the Camry is regarded as having one of the better rides in the segment.

Thanks, though, for the review!

~alpha

jcfc · June 2005

Hi,
I've a 2005 Camry and could you please tell me how to reset the maint. req. light. I've looked at the manual but could not find the instruction. Thanks much !

larryt22 · June 2005

Try this. It works on the 2004 Camry. Hold down the odometer reset button with the car turned off. While the reset button is pushed, turn on the ignition. In a couple of seconds you should hear a beep which means it has been reset.

moeharri · June 2005

Turn the car off, hold the trip/odometer stick and keep holding it while turning the key to accessory/on position (you don't need to start the car). Keep holding it until you see the odometer count down from like 5 to 0 or so--you'll know when it's reset.

kreativ · June 2005

Question for '05 Camry LE or SE owners with the optional VIP RS3200 Plus security system installed:
Does the VIP R3200 Plus include the Glass Breakage Sensor? Or were you told you had to pay extra for it?

I'm pretty sure the Glass Breakage Sensor is included in the VIP RS3200 Plus package, but am getting conflicting information depending on who I talk to at my local Toyota dealership.

fredvh · June 2005

Does anyone know how long yet they will continue to manufacture the 2005 Camry and/or the date of the changeover to the 2006?
What changes, if any, will we see for the 2006 Camry?

petl · June 2005

Since a major change is due for the 2007 Camry, there should be no changes for the 2006 model. Some have posted that the 2007 may be released in early 2006 (as a 2007 model).

another_person · June 2005

So, I have the sylvania silver star's and they aren't that bright. They are nice and white though. but I was wondering what the difference was between the halogens and the xenon bulbs. is it the same type of bulb with different gases?, or is it a completly different bulb that won't work with the halogen housings. Basicly, can I get xenon bulbs for my camry?

kenym · June 2005

Why not get rid of some of these read only boards after a period of time? Seems kind of silly to take up space after all nobody can respond to them anyway. Some of your read only boards are over a year old.

~Ken

pat · June 2005

We have read-only discussions going back a lot further than a year. No reason to get rid of them as we don't have a storage problem and most of them have a lot of useful information that is available when the proper search tools are used.

If you want to discuss this further, click on my name and send me an email. We aren't the least bit on topic with this conversation.

fredvh · June 2005

Is it too late to special order a new Camry XLE I4 auto? At what date do they stop taking orders? I am interested in the XLE I4 auto with the VSC/Side bag package but I cannot find it. Thanks in advance for any insight. I will try a dealer if I cannot find the answer here.

lmacmil · June 2005

Generally June is too late to order the current model year. They will probably start building the 06 models in August.

afewmoreyears · June 2005

First time user to this forum and it looks informative and fun! Weeee! Anyways, I own a 1993 Toyota Camry, 4 cyl. 5S-FE 2.2 liter which was a hand down bought brand new by my padre. It has 172,000mi. and it runs like a champ. I'm looking to spice up the performance a bit for increased hp and more torque. All the so-called "speed enthusiasts" who I have talked to say to by a new car, but I can't let go of this beauty because of the memories we've had and mainly because this car still has more life to live!!! I've thought about investing into a cold air intake and a new exhaust. That seems like the first step to modification. Will a new intake provide any improvements to this silent cheetah? And are there any other combined modifications I can think about investing in? (I live in Arizona so it gets as hot as a spicy meatball here.) Keep it rockin', this forum kicks butt!

pat · June 2005

Hi - welcome! We have a relatively new Speed Shop: Tuning & Modification board that may interest you, also. Have fun!

lmacmil · June 2005

You've got a 130 hp engine. Even if you increased the hp by 10% (which would be a healthy increase with intake & exhaust mods), you'd barely notice the difference. The car is probably worth less than $2000 and putting $500 into mods would probably not increase the value $.01 for most potential buyers. Just enjoy it as reliable transportation and save your money for something newer. Good luck.

afewmoreyears · June 2005

Thanks

lmacmil · June 2005

My wife's Highlander came with them. Looks like the fronts are attached by the same screws that hold the fender liner on. The rears look like they use a different method. Can it be done on the rear without drilling new holes?

210delray · June 2005

I added aftermarket mudflaps just to the rear of my '04 Camry. I drilled holes into the leading edges of the rear bumper cover (and one hole on each side into the fender liner); there's no other way to do it. I would never consider drilling into metal because of the potential for rust, but of course the bumper cover and fender liners are plastic.

I decided to forgo the OEM mudflaps because they don't extend far down enough for sufficient protection, and of course they cost a lot more. The front wheels don't really need mudflaps on the Camry, IMO, because the lower body panels don't curve inward.

qaman · June 2005

How do you "reset" the Maintenance Required on the 04 Camry.

typesix · June 2005

Procedure is in owner's manual.

lmacmil · June 2005

"I drilled holes into the leading edges of the rear bumper cover (and one hole on each side into the fender liner."

Do the screws just screw into the bumper cover and liner or are there nuts? I wouldn't think the plastic is thick enough to support the mudflaps without nuts.

larryt22 · June 2005

Read 7746 and 7747

210delray · June 2005

It works fine with just screws: coarse-threaded screws with rather large flat heads, not machine-type screws with fine threads. The initial size of the holes drilled should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws without their threads.

jbollt · June 2005

Hi all, just back from a week in a 2005 Camry LE Rental...put about 1000 miles on the car in Yellowstone Nat Park. NOT ONE Rattle! Temps were from 31 to about 50 degrees, and we had snow for several hours of driving. I am very sensitive to rattles. This car had 3,000 miles of rental driving when I picked it up. For the record, we averaged well over 30 MPG on this trip...34.5 on first tank, 32.6 on second, and 33 on third. With 4 adults and a lot of stop and go sightseeing in the park. At over 6,000 and 7,000 ft elevations. I actually thought the gas guage was broken, with the odo reading 330 miles at half tank! 4 Cyl 5spd automatic.

fredvh · June 2005

Thanks for your report. How did you find the driver's seat? A number of people complain that it is too hard or the bottom cushion is not long enough.

another_person · June 2005

I just used the zaino's line on my car, and wow does it look good. It took hours, but it was worth it. It looks like a new car, except for the paint chips. but anyways, Zaino's doesn't say anything about waxing. The Z-2 is a polish, so shouldn't I apply a wax on top of it? I've been told that if you polish a car you need to wax it, is this true in this case?

jbollt · June 2005

How did you find the driver's seat? A number of people complain that it is too hard or the bottom cushion is not long enough.

I found the seat just fine....with all the power adjustments, and power lumbar support, it was comfortable

pat · June 2005

It is my understanding that you should not use wax on top of the Zaino routine, but there are lots of Zaino addict/experts right here in our Forums who can help you out. Check out the Zaino Car Polishes/Products discussion by clicking on that link.

phd86 · June 2005

For the record, you went 1,000 miles on three tankfuls. Most people in this car will refuel at about 16 gallons used. so it sounds to me that you either a) didn't use your calculator correctly or b) filled up at when the tank gage is at "half" full. "half" to toyota apparantly doesn't mean half of the capacity (its an 18.5 gallon tank). Rather, half means something like 11-12 gallons used.

32-34 mpg in mixed driving. I respectfully don't believe you got that or even close, or would get it on all freeway on flat ground. I've gotten up to 30 mpg very tops in the 05 on rental on 100% freeway and alot less in mixed. Same for the 04 I own (4 speed).

toyotaken · June 2005

phd,

Quite frankly, it's not unusual. From my own experience on highway only driving, my wife and I drove to Florida with a rental 4cyl Camry. Using the method of dividing miles driven by number of gallons, we actually averaged 42.3mpg on the trip there, including going through West Virginia. This is coming from Buffalo, NY and driving to Daytona. On the trip back, we averaged 43.6mpg. While in Florida, with mostly "city" driving which I consider anything that is either stop-and-go or short in duration, we averaged 32.3mpg.

And for the record, NO manufacturer has the gas guage set so that the guage indicates 1/2 the tank when there is actually 1/2 the tank remaining. Chrysler tried using an "accurate" gas guage in the lebaron's when they had the digital dashes "back in the day", but owners preferred the "inacurate" guages that don't move at all, then drop like a stone the last 1/2 of the guage. Call it supply and demand or just giving what the customer wants, but the industry has gone to that style since without exception that I know of.

Just setting the record straight.

Ken

jbollt · June 2005

phd86:
Respectfully, For THE record, I did fill up at about half tank indicated, 330 miles and the first filling took exactly 9.6 gallons. Subsequent fillups were 32.xMPG and 33.xMPG. (The last involved a significant elevation climb)

I wouldn't clasify it as three tankfulls, but more like "we filled the tank 3 times" Didn't get anywhere near empty.

I was amazed, and my first thought was that the previous renter didn't completely fill the tank, then I realized that would have caused an apparent lower MPG, not higher. And..I have been keeping track of MPG on my vehicles for over 30 years...I know all the important factors in computing this, variables in nozzles, level ground at fill time, different pumps, air temperature, ...etc.....etc.
and the imortance of averaging over a longer period of time, an many more miles....to get a more accurate MPG figure.

This was just a post to let everyone know my experiences with the 2005 Camry. My wife drove (up till 2 months ago) a 2003 Camry SE 4 Cyl 4 speed automatic, and regularly got 26 MPG in town..32MPG highway...75 -80 MPH Tucson to San Diego. So I was quite impressed what the 5 speed automatic seemd to do. Of course, to be a fair comparison, one would have to drive the 2 vehicles in the same envirnoment for a long period..and same driver.

And.....lastly, I doubt that I have got that high a MPG figure (34.x) at 70 or 75 MPH sustained highway speeds as we all know what air resistance does to mileage. We were going top speeds of about 45-50 as the speed limit in the Park is 45MPH, and NO A/C use, as temperatures were in the 30s and 40s

PS, the gas used was Conoco 85.5 octane...I'm used to using 87, but aparently the Octane is lower int he higher elevations....perhaps this factored in as well???

I hope this clears things up.

alpha01 · June 2005

Our 02 LE 4 4A with 63K miles has been averaging 28 MPG in mixed driving, fairly even split between "city" and highway.

The 2.4L when mated to a well mapped transmission, is a very efficient engine.

~alpha

another_person · June 2005

well, my 93 4 cyl's been averaging about 20 mpg on mostly freeway. I drive about 50 miles a day in and around Seattle and 40 of those miles are freeway. I try and keep an average speed of about 90ish, and generally fill up at 3/4 tank with the cheap stuff (85 oct). It's okay, but I wish it pulled like the 2.4L in the newer camry's or even the V6.

dostogirl · June 2005

This is the deal of my dealer, is it any good for Toyota Camry LE 2005?
"The car has ABS, CD/cassette/rario, Power door/Power lock/Full size spare tire,remote keyless intry, remote trunk and fuel release......etc.
If you choose the special rate $ 17,800.00 + $ 1,500.00 rebate =$
19,300+ fees.Fees are $ 1,468.59.The car has no floor mats and alarm. "

another_person · June 2005

It doesn't seem like you have any options, so I would think that you should be able to get that price down by atleast another 800 or so. (Invoice price is around 18100) If you're feeling generous, you can give the sales man a little more commission, but keep in mine that you should ask the dealer to show you the invoice and then base your offer off of that. Don't account for the rebate when you are making your offer. The rebate comes after you agree on a price.

phd86 · June 2005

Ken - again, this is just my opinion:

But there is absolutely no way, at all, that you got 40+ mpg. You didn't fill it up correctly. I hear these stories all the time; " I went 300 miles on a half tank, and it took only 9 gallons". Except that you really went 300 miles on 12 gallons and assumed you filled it up at the first shutoff. There's something funky about the fill neck in the camry gas tank which causes premature shutoff at pumps, and, far beyond believable mpgs.

PhD86.

toyotaken · June 2005

I have been driving Toyota's for 12yrs now and have been working with them for over 10. The way that I figured the gas milage for the whole trip, tank to tank, was to take the miles driven on that tank and divide it by the number of gallons that were showing on the gas pump after filling the tank. I don't know any other way to acurately figuring milage. Milage dropped lower when we were doing more city driving, but was pretty consistent in the low 40's to about 45 for the rest of the trip there and back with about 3,200 miles put on the car over 2weeks of driving from Buffalo, to Florida and back.

It may be on the high side of normal and certainly not the average, but from personal experience and that of several of my customers, it is possible and does happen. I have had several of my Camry customers who have told me similar MPG numbers after trips as well.

Ken

210delray · June 2005

Based on trips I've taken in my '04 Camry, I've gotten 35-38 mpg going no more than 65 mph, which is the speed limit in the states I travel in the most often. This is for the 4-cylinder, 4-speed automatic.

And like Ken, I use the same technique for filling my tank. What you say may be true -- for one tank. But if you fill your tank the same way all the time, it'll average out. And the car's mileage drops to around 23 mpg for short trips in our small town.

I would expect the 2005 Camry, with the 5-speed automatic, to do even better on the highway. With the 4-speed, 65 mph = 2400 rpm in top gear. With the 5-speed, 65 mph = 2000 rpm.

dudleyr · June 2005

If driven carefully Camrys are fully capable of high 30's low 40's (with either 5-speed tranny)

fredvh · June 2005

Where did you get the RPM figures for the 4-speed and 5-speed auto at 65 mph?

mcgirl0730 · June 2005

My 04 Camry is coming up 13K miles. The last time I got an oil change was at 10K miles. The manufacturer recommends 15K mile maintenance. Should I wait to get my oil change then?

210delray · June 2005

I had an '04 Camry which I gave to my son, since he is moving to from NYC to CA for grad school and will need a car. So I purchased an '05 Camry to replace it.

The rpm figures are from direct observation in each car.

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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