2005 Camry - My Road Trip Rental Car Review

[TrevorK]

As I did last time I had a rental (An Echo), I decided to do another review of the latest rental I received - a 2005 Camry. The last one stirred up some discussion, because of the lack of build quality of the Echo. What does this review hold in store?

I'm headed off to Calgary, on what some say is one of the worst days to drive in the year. It had just snowed the night before, whereby QEII was closed down. It's now been reopened, however all the AMA road reports state that it's in poor condition.

I call up my admin assistant to switch me from a Full-Size to a SUV. Not because it'll handle better, but because I have less chance of getting stuck in the ditch. But it's a no go, so hours later I head off to Budget to pick up my car.

Once there, and after signing 14 forms, the employee pulls out in a green Toyota Camry. First thought? Wow - I never would have thought they'd use this car as a rental. As I'm examining the car up close with the employee for dents / scratches, I'm noticing the car itself doesn't look half bad for what it is (A grocery getter). Once I'm done showing the employee all the dents/scratches/chips he missed, I'm off.

I hop inside - and instantly become disappointed. The interior is bleh - nothing special, nothing fancy. Where are all these kick-ass interiors I hear about? Certainly not in this car. The first thing I notice is that the dash lights appear like LEDs (They fade in/out when turning on, with some faster than others). Nice touch. However the big problem is that the radio is from the 80's with it's display (The ordinary green/black) and the dash-mount clock is out of the 70's. Why wouldn't you try to match some of this up? It's like having a blue, yellow, and white couch all in the same living room. The rotary knobs for the HVAC stuff? I like - much better than the typically ones you see. Functional in that there is also a button in the middle of the knob for a task, such as rear defrost, etc... Removes some of the clutter from the dash.

Off I go. While waiting to turn left onto Yellowhead, I start noticing that there must be 6 or 7 little compartments around this car. Is there such a thing as good dead space? You bet. All the little cubby holes scream "Lose your **** in here".

Did my car just stall? What the hell? But no - it's just the V6 inside the Camry is whisper quiet. I like this - you can barely hear the car running.

As I drive away, I notice that you can hear the road noise well over the engine. A bit of refinement, I like. But then, as I'm going 80KM/H I notice the engine is reving well over 2000RPM. I search around the shifter - it's in drive. Then I realize that, to match the disco - era clock I have an overdrive button. Not since the pilot episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air have I seen an overdrive button on a car.

Once the OD is in, the car is back to it's usually "you wouldn't know it's running" quiet. Up to the stoplight I come, but this time because of the slippery roads the ABS kicks in. At this point I realize - people who always say "GM ABS is noisy" don't drive other ABS equipped cars. The Toyota was just as noisy as my daily driver in the ABS. One good point - it made more pounding noises, so I can assume it actually pumped the brakes more.

Lackluster braking overall - the top of the pedal is very spongy, and you have to really press down to get it to brake.

Handling? Over the course of my 650KM trip, I was able to put the Camry though what I call "normal driving". No JDM rice-boy drifting, no putting trays under my rear wheels. Just driving in the city/on the highway like a normal person. In this capacity the Camry is fine. It's not as responsive as I'd like, and there are definetely some vibrations at 120KM/H, but it serves the purpose.

Power? The V6 has enough power to overtake someone on the highway. It isn't powerful, but it has more than a daily driver would ever need.

The best feature? The gas gauge. Without a doubt - the most ingenious "invention" they had. With most gas gauges, F is always much fuller than it states. As typically, there were marks for each 1/4 (F, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, E) with 6 lines in between each. However, for F and E, there were only 3-4 lines. Why? Because F is always fuller. I found that this actually gave an accurate reading on remaining gas, and gas consumption was consistant throughout the gauge. This is the one thing I've yet to experience in any car.

Mileage? 650KM for 48L. So, 32MPG (In US MPG). Not too shabby for all highway driving - especially with a big car and a V6.

Overall impressions? It was a good car. It handled well enough, it braked well enough, it had enough power. It was refined - the engine was whisper quiet, it had little features that made your life better. There was lack of quality in terms of things like the radio, clock, etc...

Would I recommend buying one? If you want a good car, this is a good car. A to B, no problems, more than adaquete. But the reason I would never go out and buy it? It's not a great car.

A great car screams "Drive me". A great car makes you forget about the imperfections. A great car has passion and a heart/soul, which is where the Camry falls short

[romsan04]

I am sorry that $29,000 car did not feel like $100K car. Your expectations are way too high. Most cars in 25-30K are like this. You will not find voice activated climate control or GPS Navigation in these cars. Camry is very well built, it does not rattle, nothing falls apart inside, and it’s basic but functional. I would say that to me almost all American cars do not have soul, plus crappy quality which is a big turnoff for me.

Test drive 2006 GS 430 or Mercedes S500. And let us know if these cars can fulfill your gourmet taste :)

P.S. Get in 2007 Camry they should be more sophisticated and have a nice design inside and outside. ;)

[CSR]

I am sorry that $29,000 car did not feel like $100K car. Your expectations are way too high. Most cars in 25-30K are like this. You will not find voice activated climate control or GPS Navigation in these cars. Camry is very well built, it does not rattle, nothing falls apart inside, and it’s basic but functional. I would say that to me almost all American cars do not have soul, plus crappy quality which is a big turnoff for me.

Test drive 2006 GS 430 or Mercedes S500. And let us know if these cars can fulfill your gourmet taste :)

P.S. Get in 2007 Camry they should be more sophisticated and have a nice design inside and outside. ;)

Well said, i noticed the OP nit picking too

[TrevorK]

I am sorry that $29,000 car did not feel like $100K car. Your expectations are way too high. Most cars in 25-30K are like this.

And so are most cars in the 15K-20K range, so why settle for that quality while paying more?


You will not find voice activated climate control or GPS Navigation in these cars.

I never once claimed, or hinted that I thought it should have the features it's Lexus counterpart should have. I said it should have better lighting, but that doesn't mean an indash DVD player and a reverse-view camera.

[TrevorK]

Well said, i noticed the OP nit picking too

That's why it's called a 'review' and not a 'quick overview'. The whole purpse is to pick apart the good and bad of the car.

[evolution921]

Doing the little things right can be the difference between a good car and a great car. All the little imperfection here and there adds up. I also agree with what the OP said about the radio, it just look so out of place with the rest of the interior. Seriously, I didn't even know there are green 2005 Camrys out there until today.

Btw, I just looked at the 2007 Camry on toyota.ca, looks much better than the car it replaced.

[TenzoR]

this review is like any other review i've read about Camry in general

bland boring but perfectly good for everyday life of an ordinary family

[gstylez]

i own an older camry and yes its boring but it gets you there
i just came back from a 3000km trip to nc and it was all good.

[belgiangenius]

this review is like any other review i've read about Camry in general

bland boring but perfectly good for everyday life of an ordinary family

That's Toyota's biggest problem...great cars, very boring styling.

That's the edge Honda has over Toyota - much nicer styling, unless you've been looking for a Civic since 2001 - they all look like ass, especially the 06.

[SkiD]

What's funny about this thread is that if it was a domestic car that was being reviewed, the followup responses would be very different (RFD really has a lot of Toyota/Honda Fanboys).

For instance, the car being reviewed could have just as easily been a Buick Allure or some other domestic and would have probably received similar comments, but everyone would be saying how "bad" of a vehicle it is.

[romsan04]

And so are most cars in the 15K-20K range, so why settle for that quality while paying more?

Test drive Cavalier and you will understand why.


I never once claimed, or hinted that I thought it should have the features it's Lexus counterpart should have. I said it should have better lighting, but that doesn't mean an indash DVD player and a reverse-view camera.

Sure you did.


The interior is bleh - nothing special, nothing fancy. Where are all these kick-ass interiors I hear about?

Camry was never fancy nor special. Someone misinformed you about kick-ass interior, as i never heard from anyone would actually call it kick-ass :)


However the big problem is that the radio is from the 80's with it's display (The ordinary green/black) and the dash-mount clock is out of the 70's.

I would never buy a car based on how stereo looks. Jump into 2000 BMW 540, suprise suprise, they don’t have that fancy futuristic look too. In fact i have not yet discover any car stereo system which would blow my mind. They all look the same to me.

Lets see

BMW radio

http://images16.fotki.com/v285/photos/7/74324/1959889/26_4-vi.jpg

Camry radio

http://images4.fotki.com/v39/photos/7/74324/1959889/05Camry-vi.jpg


Off I go. While waiting to turn left onto Yellowhead, I start noticing that there must be 6 or 7 little compartments around this car. Is there such a thing as good dead space? You bet. All the little cubby holes scream "Lose your **** in here".

is it good/bad??? could not understand if you liked it or not.


As I drive away, I notice that you can hear the road noise well over the engine. A bit of refinement, I like. But then, as I'm going 80KM/H I notice the engine is reving well over 2000RPM. I search around the shifter - it's in drive. Then I realize that, to match the disco - era clock I have an overdrive button. Not since the pilot episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air have I seen an overdrive button on a car.

what's wrong with overdrive button?? Many cars have similar feature. If you don’t know what’s it for then why is this Camry problem???


Power? The V6 has enough power to overtake someone on the highway. It isn't powerful, but it has more than a daily driver would ever need.

Huh!!!??? You are contradicting yourself by saying it's not powerful yet it's more then anybody needs. Why not just say that Camry provides enough power for everyday use????


Would I recommend buying one? If you want a good car, this is a good car. A to B, no problems, more than adequate. But the reason I would never go out and buy it? It's not a great car.

This is too funny. I think you got more good points than bad, and you don't recommend that car. Just does not make any sense to me. Good car which you would not recommend because you don’t like it? Why it's not a great car?? Because of radio?? Because it does not have BMW handling??? Because of 70's style of the clock on the dashboard or maybe because of overdrive button???

Why not let other people decide if they like it or not. If they can put up with 70s look radio or not.

The look is very subjective, yet you have missed the main point why people buy it. QUALITY. You have not said anything about quality. Also quality does not equal fancy.

Just admit that you are biased against Toyota.

[gilboman]

That's Toyota's biggest problem...great cars, very boring styling.

That's the edge Honda has over Toyota - much nicer styling, unless you've been looking for a Civic since 2001 - they all look like ass, especially the 06.


no..that's toyota's biggest advantage and why they are outselling honda's. and why camry is best selling car for the past 6 out of 7 years :lol:

[romsan04]

What's funny about this thread is that if it was a domestic car that was being reviewed, the followup responses would be very different (RFD really has a lot of Toyota/Honda Fanboys).

For instance, the car being reviewed could have just as easily been a Buick Allure or some other domestic and would have probably received similar comments, but everyone would be saying how "bad" of a vehicle it is.

thats true. But then if you are writing review you need to be unbiased as possible and try to cover all good points and bad points and let other people decide if they can put up with bad points and enjoy good good points. :lol:

I drive Camry and i do agree that it is an OK (cannot call it bland :) ) looking car, I wouldnt mind if they come up with something more stylish (2007 Camry looks very nice). But if someone asked me if i would recomend this car, no doubt i would say YES. Why not recomend a good car??

Heck I think I did recommend Cavalier for 10K (GM had some promotions last year, and there is a thread about it on RFD). Because you cannot get any other NEW car for that price. Lada probably cost even more than that and they at least 10 years behind. :D

[gilboman]

What's funny about this thread is that if it was a domestic car that was being reviewed, the followup responses would be very different (RFD really has a lot of Toyota/Honda Fanboys).

For instance, the car being reviewed could have just as easily been a Buick Allure or some other domestic and would have probably received similar comments, but everyone would be saying how "bad" of a vehicle it is.

no..what's funny is the op reviewed the car and said things like storage spaces are bad, having OD is bad and then saying the car has good passing power but it's not powerful.

and everybody knows what a 2005 camry is like and read all the professional reviews and know it's the best selling car in the U.S. :lol:

[romsan04]

What's funny about this thread is that if it was a domestic car that was being reviewed, the followup responses would be very different (RFD really has a lot of Toyota/Honda Fanboys).

For instance, the car being reviewed could have just as easily been a Buick Allure or some other domestic and would have probably received similar comments, but everyone would be saying how "bad" of a vehicle it is.

BTW I would love to see review for Buick Allure since they are one of the highest quality North American cars.

[FastFokker]

Don't forget, it was also a rental.. they usually don't get the fancy extras.

I've yet to get in a rental and go "WOW! Look at this interior!!!!".. it's just always plain and boring.

I personally also like having an OD button, I want to be able to choose whether OD is engaged or not.

[TenzoR]

That's Toyota's biggest problem...great cars, very boring styling.

That's the edge Honda has over Toyota - much nicer styling, unless you've been looking for a Civic since 2001 - they all look like ass, especially the 06.

Toyota caters to 90% of the general public which just want a vehical that works all the time.

[belgiangenius]

BTW I would love to see review for Buick Allure since they are one of the highest quality North American cars.

...now if you really want to talk about ass ugly cars. :)

[gilboman]

Toyota caters to 90% of the general public which just want a vehical that works all the time.


one that works and is refined and comfortable that has thoughtful features (like the hated storage spaces mentioned by op :lol: and etc)

in refinement and comfort, the camry is pretty much atop the family sedan class. the accord is slightly less comfort oriented but with each new revision, is basically honda's take on the camry.

[TenzoR]

one that works and is refined and comfortable that has thoughtful features (like the hated storage spaces mentioned by op :lol: and etc)

in refinement and comfort, the camry is pretty much atop the family sedan class. the accord is slightly less comfort oriented but with each new revision, is basically honda's take on the camry.

i'd say the accord is oriented more "fun" or "keen" driver, it's by no means a bad car

[SkiD]

BTW I would love to see review for Buick Allure since they are one of the highest quality North American cars.

I picked the Buick Allure as an example, because they are a pretty standard rental car (at least for Budget) and having rented it a couple of times before, I knew it would probably get similar comments to the Camry (as relating to it being a high reliability, boring car).

The Allure is a big car with an "old" tech pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic but it drives smooth and has better gas mileage on the highway than the Camry (of course it could use more power which would probably lower fuel economy).

[Evil Techie]

u rented a rental car and you complained about the interior not jazzy enough?

hahaha

come on man, its a rental
it loads up the most basic options as toyota designed the base line model to be like that for daily drivers that just want to get to places

[TrevorK]

Camry was never fancy nor special. Someone misinformed you about kick-ass interior, as i never heard from anyone would actually call it kick-ass :)

And that's exactly what I said - it doesn't have a kick-ass interior. I'm of the expectation that as I move up the price range, I should receive a better all-around car. The interior in the Camry seemed no better than the one in the Corolla.


I would never buy a car based on how stereo looks. Jump into 2000 BMW 540, suprise suprise, they don’t have that fancy futuristic look too. In fact i have not yet discover any car stereo system which would blow my mind. They all look the same to me.

The look of the stereo influences the look and feel of the interior.

And I don't understand - so the BMW doesn't have an amazing stereo gives Toyota an excuse to not spend the extra couple of dollars to make theirs a step above?


what's wrong with overdrive button?? Many cars have similar feature. If you don’t know what’s it for then why is this Camry problem???

Why would you need an overdrive button? The transmission should be built and designed to handle daily traffic regardless of whether the car is in OD or not.

An OD button screams "...this car shouldn't be driven in OD within the city limits, and our tranny can't handle the shifting so push accordingly..."


Huh!!!??? You are contradicting yourself by saying it's not powerful yet it's more then anybody needs. Why not just say that Camry provides enough power for everyday use????

Power? The V6 has enough power to overtake someone on the highway. It isn't powerful, but it has more than a daily driver would ever need.

That's exactly what is that. It has more than enough power for a daily driver.

Which doesn't necessarily make it "powerful".


This is too funny. I think you got more good points than bad, and you don't recommend that car. Just does not make any sense to me.

Again, read the post.
Would I recommend buying one? If you want a good car, this is a good car. A to B, no problems, more than adaquete

I wouldn't buy it because it's not a great car, but I advocate purchasing it if you want a good car.

Good car which you would not recommend because you don’t like it?

Again, I never said DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. I said if you want a good car, it's for you.

Why it's not a great car?? Because of radio?? Because it does not have BMW handling??? Because of 70's style of the clock on the dashboard or maybe because of overdrive button???

It's not great because it doesn't have passion, heart, soul, etc...

You're just a driver, that doesn't matter to you. I'm an enthusiast. I want a car that when I step inside, I don't want to get out of.


Why not let other people decide if they like it or not. If they can put up with 70s look radio or not.

The point of a review is to give my opinion. Otherwise, they can look at a spec sheet.

Just admit that you are biased against Toyota.

I'm an enthusiast. I'm not brand loyal - I advocate buying the right car for the right person. I've owned a wide range of vehicles, many different brands. Each has good, each has bad. The key is, to go in with an open mind and try them all out. All too often, everyone goes with their pre-conceived notions, which for example is why Hyundai has such a hard time.

I still wouldn't buy a Camry, but as I said in my review it's a good car, made for use as a daily driver, a to b.

[TrevorK]

u rented a rental car and you complained about the interior not jazzy enough?

hahaha

come on man, its a rental
it loads up the most basic options as toyota designed the base line model to be like that for daily drivers that just want to get to places

The base interior - the controls, the radio, etc... Not that it lacks DVD player, etc...

What do most people purchase? The fully loaded Camry? Of course not - a large number of people purchase the base. So why not strive to make the base modem as good as possible?

[Anessa]

That's Toyota's biggest problem...great cars, very boring styling.

That's the edge Honda has over Toyota - much nicer styling, unless you've been looking for a Civic since 2001 - they all look like ass, especially the 06.

Toyota is fixing that problem =)

[konfusion666]

The Supra's coming back next year, isn't it? ;)

Then people should stop complaing about "boring Toyota's" eh... :D

[TenzoR]

The Supra's coming back next year, isn't it? ;)

Then people should stop complaing about "boring Toyota's" eh... :D

don't hold your breath

[konfusion666]

don't hold your breath

was this (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread/t-121429.html) a hoax then?

[Evil Techie]

The base interior - the controls, the radio, etc... Not that it lacks DVD player, etc...

What do most people purchase? The fully loaded Camry? Of course not - a large number of people purchase the base. So why not strive to make the base modem as good as possible?

that large number of people purchase the base because they arent complaining about the interior when they are paying most of the money for reliability and that great number of people use it as a family sedan

keep in mind that this camry was designed 5 years ago
so it would be fair to compare it to all other sedans in its class from 5 years ago
i agree that accord has a bit of a better interior in some points but a lot of that is personal opinions
also this car was targeted at families that are more conservative than anything
its technology isnt behind the time of its design though
so there is nothing unmodern about its interior technology
and its looks are meant to target a certain group of buyers

but really if you start adding up some options, it is actually a pretty decent looking car from the inside
lexus ES for example

[TenzoR]

was this (http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread/t-121429.html) a hoax then?

it's not even a real picture ...

the only closest thing relating to the Supra would be the Lexus LF-A

[gordholio]

It would be nice if Toyota could make a car that had a little more style and was reliable. The two are not mutually exclusive and it's a shame that you usually have to pick a car that's boring if you want to buy something reliable.
All it takes is a different team of designers - maybe hire away the designers at Mazda or something.

[gilboman]

It would be nice if Toyota could make a car that had a little more style and was reliable. The two are not mutually exclusive and it's a shame that you usually have to pick a car that's boring if you want to buy something reliable.
All it takes is a different team of designers.

that's not what consumers want as evident with toyota's success. i mean nissan and honda make cars that are still reliable but less comfort oriented and more driver oriented but toyota still outsells them by a comfortable margin.

[gilboman]

it's a good car, made for use as a daily driver, a to b.

which means it appeals to 90% of family sedan market. why would they choose a smaller market :confused:

toyota didnt become the powerhouse they are today for no reason. they build what the consumers want and they build it well

[TrevorK]

which means it appeals to 90% of family sedan market. why would they choose a smaller market :confused:

toyota didnt become the powerhouse they are today for no reason. they build what the consumers want and they build it well

What you are saying though is that they should be content with where they're at, content with the market share they are getting, and content with losing the market share they are losing.


Why should they not strive to encompass everyone possible? Small subtle changes here and there can sway a potential buyer towards purchasing a car, while still maintaing the loyal "...I won't buy anything but a Toyota..." customer base.

With all your competitors setting sights on you, and trying to constantly improve their models it is flawed logic to believe that you can keep your car status quo and not lose market share.

[frogger]

The Camry reviewed has one step on most Camrys sold, it has the six cylinder engine.

The Camry is straight forward comfortable transportation, a perfected Chevy. It is not meant to excite, its meant to fit in and get you from A to B in fairly quiet comfort.

[Evil Techie]

What you are saying though is that they should be content with where they're at, content with the market share they are getting, and content with losing the market share they are losing.


Why should they not strive to encompass everyone possible? Small subtle changes here and there can sway a potential buyer towards purchasing a car, while still maintaing the loyal "...I won't buy anything but a Toyota..." customer base.

With all your competitors setting sights on you, and trying to constantly improve their models it is flawed logic to believe that you can keep your car status quo and not lose market share.

it is impossible to encompass everyone

however, toyota is a company that is always trying to improve itself
thats why there is the new camry with all new styling
it looks great
it drives better than the older camry according to some previews
and its probably gonna get a lot more sales than any other sedans in its class once again

[gordholio]

that's not what consumers want as evident with toyota's success. i mean nissan and honda make cars that are still reliable but less comfort oriented and more driver oriented but toyota still outsells them by a comfortable margin.
People buy Toyotas in spite of their dullness, not because of it.
A liitle excitement would be welcomed by most, as long as the quality stayed the same. Sales would probably improve as the Honda and Nissan crowd would start buying Toyotas.

[Evil Techie]

People buy Toyotas in spite of their dullness, not because of it.
A liitle excitement would be welcomed by most, as long as the quality stayed the same. Sales would probably improve as the Honda and Nissan crowd would start buying Toyotas.

ull see some big number changes in a year or so when the new camry becomes more mature

[chickenbones]

You should all just buy whatever car it is you want. A car can't please everybody! It can't be powerful with full leather, wood / aluminium trim and fancy radios, big 19 inch rims and 0.3 drag coefficient but have four doors and big head and leg rooms.

Overall, I don't find your review helpful, not because of what you wrote. You are very detailed which is nice. But things you don't like can be what others like, things you like can be what other's don't like.

And one more advice is to stop reviewing rental cars. What's next? Reviewing cabs?

I got in a Crown Victoria cab. The first thing I noticed was the excessive engine noise, where's the kick-ass engine everyone's been telling me about? The interior was blah, not a lot of leg space for rear passengers. I didn't like the radio, there wasn't even a CD player! It was like something from the 80s...

[Evil Techie]

You should all just buy whatever car it is you want. A car can't please everybody! It can't be powerful with full leather, wood / aluminium trim and fancy radios, big 19 inch rims and 0.3 drag coefficient but have four doors and big head and leg rooms.

Overall, I don't find your review helpful, not because of what you wrote. You are very detailed which is nice. But things you don't like can be what others like, things you like can be what other's don't like.

And one more advice is to stop reviewing rental cars. What's next? Reviewing cabs?

I got in a Crown Victoria cab. The first thing I noticed was the excessive engine noise, where's the kick-ass engine everyone's been telling me about? The interior was blah, not a lot of leg space for rear passengers. I didn't like the radio, there wasn't even a CD player! It was like something from the 80s...


actually luxury sedans have achieved all those qualities u said
but of course it all come with a big price tag

in this world, u get what u pay for
so your review should reflect on its pricing too

[TrevorK]

Overall, I don't find your review helpful, not because of what you wrote. You are very detailed which is nice. But things you don't like can be what others like, things you like can be what other's don't like.

I think you're missing the boat - the point of a review is to give my opinion. The reader then reads the view, and forms their own opinion based on that, decides what they like and dislike, etc...


And one more advice is to stop reviewing rental cars. What's next? Reviewing cabs?

Where else do you get to spend almost 1000KM in a car with purchasing it?

The only way to review a car is to spend time driving it. What, you think you get the whole experience in the 20 minutes you take it off the dealer lot?

Please, give me a break - you're just whining at this point.

[konfusion666]

Trevor's review was actually quite fair this time around (compared to his Echo review). I am the owner of a 2005 Camry LE, which is the lowest trim in Canada (and second-lowest trim in the USA - they also have just a "Camry" with no designation that has even less stuffing). I drive it 110km per day, it has about 30k clicks now... I'd say I know it pretty well. If you exclude the parts of his review which are blatantly HIS OPINION (like whether a car is a Good Car or a Great Car) he didn't mis-state anything, although the Camry LE's interior is definitely plusher than the Corolla's, unless you were drunk when you sat in the 'Rolla ;)

As for whether I think the previous gen Camry is a "great car" -- my parents would probably say Yes it is a Great Car to them. And I think that's what Toyota wants.

A note on Camry trims, previous-gen: Canada's "lowest" Camry was the LE with i4. Trevor tested a V6 Camry, which is actually the Camry LE V6. In addition to a V6 it featured a handful of other upgrades as well, which come standard with that trim. Basically, he tested a vehicle similar to 80% of the previous-gen Camry's on Canadian roads -- which are Camry LE i4's.

I would say that the amount of standard features it had was sufficient for most buyers of a midsize sedan at that price range...

[googoo]

Interesting review, but not in depth enough to be really helpful.


FAKE REVIEW UPCOMING

With the ALL NEW Toyota Camry soon arriving at dealerships near you, I figured I'd give a going away review of the mainstay in the Toyota lineup.

It was a sunny morning when I arrived the rental agency to pick up my rental, a 2005 Toyota Camy LE-v6. When they pulled the forest green Camry from the back of the agency I was startled at how bland this edition looks now that I've seen the 2007 model.

After the obligitory "walk around" checking for dents and such I signed a bunch of papers and was off in about 20 minutes. To say I was a little underwelmed by the interior is an understatement. I guess I expected a little richer interior in the top selling mid-sized car in America, but you wonder whether Toyota supplied "rental spec" Camry's to rental agencies that were missing the "bells and whistles" of higher trim levels.

The Camry LE-v6 is packaged with most of the ammenities you'd expect in this price class;

Power Window, locks, cruise, tilting and telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, Abs brakes with traction control, keyless entry with a panic button, and air bags for the driver and front seat passenger.

The Camry LE-v6 is equipped with a 3.0 litre 6 cylinder engine and is rated at 190HP.It started easy, ran quietly, and I had no problem keeping up with traffic on both highway and city travel, and passing power is good to boot. I do have one gripe though, while the transmission shifts smoothly, and is quick to shift when passing, the fact that you are required you to press a button to engage overdrive, made the Camry drivetrain feel a little dated.

The interior is a well put together piece, typical Toyota, over my 650KM of travel I never heard one rattle from the interior. The doors closed with a solid thump, and engine noise stayed commendably low even when passing, kudos to Toyota. Where the Toyota was lacking was in interior design,the interior felt quite dated even for a relatively new car(mine had 46000KM when I picked it up). The seats offered good support, the rear seat bolster was supportive enough for spirited driving while being soft enough for extended driving, but the botton cushion was a little short for my frame(6'1 1/2"), though it would be fine for most people. The dash has all relevant data in clear view, and offers a good sounding radio to boot. I will say that the centre stack, consisting of the stereo, HVAC control, ashtray and the obigitory cupholders, seems a little outdated. The radio in particular seemded to be straight out of the eighties. Good for a rental, but for a$30 000 car I'd expect more.

Over my 650KM of travel , to Timbuckto and back, I never really missed the little toys you get higher trim levels. I don't mind adjusting the temperature myself, I can always reach for the volume control, and power seats are a one time "set and forget" feature that, in my opinion, are a waste of money, and prone to breaking.

Would I buy this car? Sure, it's a very good car, at a good price that should remain reliable until my preschool aged kids are old enough to take it from me. The one caveat I have is my need for a sunroof, the drive to Timbuckto had me missing the "open air" feel that a sunroof adds.

7.6 out of 10

This Fake review was based on nothing !!!

[konfusion666]

Get a grip, this isn't a car review site... if the Civic fanbois can post stupid threads about how their souped up rice cooker is the pinnacle of automotive engineering, then Trevor can post reviews of rental Camry's...

[googoo]

My review was a fake review and just to show a review that is a little more helpful.

Brent

[sleepyguy]

man... the guy just wants to give a bit if input and you guys are really hosing him. unbeleivebale. boy do i miss the old rfd community. rant out. thanks for the review btw.

[oldsnail]

That's Toyota's biggest problem...great cars, very boring styling.




uhh. have you seen cars such as buick? there are not much technological advancemnts, within the last decade, and i woudnt find it exciting either

imo, and others have said it.
young ppl hate them coz they drive like a boat
older ppl love them coz they drive like a boat.

[TrevorK]

My review was a fake review and just to show a review that is a little more helpful.

Brent

I couldn't even get through reading it all it was so drab and boring, felt like a spec sheet. So no, I didn't find it very helpful.

[romsan04]

I couldn't even get through reading it all it was so drab and boring, felt like a spec sheet. So no, I didn't find it very helpful.

You should stop writing Toyota reviews at all, since they all the same (borring and dull) so next time keep your opinion to yourself "car enthusiast".

no one cares that you did not like the radio or interior plus you are 5 years behind on your review.

What a waste of everybody's time.

[googoo]

" I couldn't even get through reading it all it was so drab and boring, felt like a spec sheet. So no, I didn't find it very helpful."

Feel free to show us how it's done big guy!

The more I read his review,the more I like it overall. I still have problems with statements like;

"I'm noticing the car itself doesn't look half bad for what it is (A grocery getter)"

and

"The Toyota was just as noisy as my daily driver in the ABS. One good point - it made more pounding noises, so I can assume it actually pumped the brakes more."

and

"It isn't powerful, but it has more than a daily driver would ever need."
and

"But the reason I would never go out and buy it? It's not a great car."



But I love statements like

"The first thing I notice is that the dash lights appear like LEDs (They fade in/out when turning on, with some faster than others). "

and

" Functional in that there is also a button in the middle of the knob for a task, such as rear defrost, etc... Removes some of the clutter from the dash."

and

"I start noticing that there must be 6 or 7 little compartments around this car. Is there such a thing as good dead space? You bet."

and

"I found that this actually gave an accurate reading on remaining gas, and gas consumption was consistant throughout the gauge. "

Saying a $33000 car is a "grocery getter" is a bit silly though, a reviewer would be happy to state in which market the car was placed but would only make judgments based on the type of car it is, NOT based on cars from other categories unless the car is that bad or that good to warrant such ...EG Dodge 300 with the Hemi competes with cars $30 000 more.


Brent

I'll continue reading his reviews.

[mau108]

its a rental, they give you the base of the base as rentals ;)

I'll review a brand new 06 Chevy Suburban(only had 300km and it was just brought in from the airport) I rented and drove down to the states with. Its heavy, not all that powerful (probably due to its weight), radios boring...

Goods, pretty comfy leather seats, huuuge....

05 Lincoln Navigator review, nice truck, peppy .... seriously i have no complaints against, i shouldnt, its a about a 80k dollar truck.

But both those, dont make me put a smile on my face as my honda prelude does ;)

nice interior, nice exterior, pretty powerful powerplant....

Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry, id pick the accord simply due to its interior styling. If i weren't looking at the interior, camry would be my choice.

[TrevorK]

You should stop writing Toyota reviews at all, since they all the same (borring and dull) so next time keep your opinion to yourself "car enthusiast".

It's just luck of the draw at what Budget gives me. I just pick a class and they give me a car.

Truth be told, I wanted to get a Hyundai so I could see how far their quality has improved, as I've read some great reviews on them myself.