Topic: Camry Last in Globe & Mail Comparo

[ArticSteve]

Why would I have bothered taking pictures of Camry's I've driven?? They are Camry's, not Ferraris. I'm not going to put their photos in an album to tell future generations about all the Toyota Camry's I drove in my day. 

I've driven the last 3 gens (99-02, 02-06, 07-now) and they all drove sloppy, had spongy brakes with no feel, over boosted and vague steering... Other Toyotas (ie Corolla) are the same deal. I just don't understand how anybody who actually cares about driving and road feel would want one over the other awesome cars in the category

 

[whistler]

I always love comments like this....

I've driven the last 3 gens (99-02, 02-06, 07-now) and they all drove sloppy, had spongy brakes with no feel, over boosted and vague steering... Other Toyotas (ie Corolla) are the same deal. I just don't understand how anybody who actually cares about driving and road feel would want one over the other awesome cars in the category.

Well I guess the first time could be considered a mistake but you bought TWO more versions of this car. So I guess it would be fair to say that you would buy these over the other awesome cars in this category.

Are you still driving one of these sloppy, spongy brakes with no feel, over boosted and vague steering cars or did you pick something else?

Uhhhhh.... Where did I ever say I bought any of them?   

Reading comprehension here.... I said I've DRIVEN them, not owned.

The Camry's I've driven were either those that belonged to family or when I worked at a rental company that owned several of them.

[whistler]

Why would I have bothered taking pictures of Camry's I've driven?? They are Camry's, not Ferraris. I'm not going to put their photos in an album to tell future generations about all the Toyota Camry's I drove in my day. 

I've driven the last 3 gens (99-02, 02-06, 07-now) and they all drove sloppy, had spongy brakes with no feel, over boosted and vague steering... Other Toyotas (ie Corolla) are the same deal. I just don't understand how anybody who actually cares about driving and road feel would want one over the other awesome cars in the category

 

So are you disagreeing with me, or does telling the truth about a car get you labeled a troll around here? 

[rrocket]

or when I worked at a rental company that owned several of them.

Wow.  You mean you actually drove a rental that felt like a POS?  I would have never guessed...LOL.....

[whistler]

or when I worked at a rental company that owned several of them.

Wow.  You mean you actually drove a rental that felt like a POS?  I would have never guessed...LOL.....

Well, if a car is a POS when its wheeled off the truck with 15km on the odometer, I don't think it has anything to do with being a rental  .

FWIW I don't think the Camry is a POS, its a decent car... there are just many cars in the segment that are better. I don't get why people always talk about it as the class leader. Its not... The Accord for one is better in every way, and IMO most of the others are better as well.

[dougjp]

You can't win. You don't understand the cliques around here, its pretty ingrained. Nobody is going to give you any slack, nobody is going to change their opinion (ever), nobody is even going to imply they are willing to listen to you.

So its simple. Save your energy, stop trying.

[rrocket]

 The Accord for one is better in every way, and IMO most of the others are better as well.

Any reason the Honda doesn't win the comparo in the link I presented?  Were all the testers nuts you think??

[whistler]

 The Accord for one is better in every way, and IMO most of the others are better as well.

Any reason the Honda doesn't win the comparo in the link I presented?  Were all the testers nuts you think??

Maybe? Who knows. Different comparos always have different results.

I think for myself and evaluate cars for myself, and in my evaluations the Camry has never really been at the top of its pack. I don't need a magazine or a website to tell me that.

[rrocket]

Go test drive the SE and let us know how you like it....

[vdk]

I am hardly an advocate for Honda but I do give credit where it's due.

So here's two reviews:

I4s: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=124091

V6s: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=123842/pageId=133326

[ArticSteve]

So are you disagreeing with me, or does telling the truth about a car get you labeled a troll around here?

Talk is cheap around here.  Everybody and his uncle has driven this vehicle and that vehicle, but no pics to back it up.  When somebody does bother to post a pic it lends much credibility to what they have to say particularily if it's negative.

I have read a thousand times on this forum that so and so went to a dealer for a test drive and the vehicle was horrible; worst ever, but of course, no pics to prove they even have a driver's license. 

No pics, no cred. 

[Frontier1]

 

[Greg B.]

Why Stevie, how generous of you to donate one of your icons. Of course, you have probably received so many of that particular one yourself over the years here that your computer is probably out of storage space... 

[tpl]

Well.  I have never driven a Camry of any vintage.  I have ridden in an 02-06 and the one previous.   They were cars. I arrived safely. The heater worked in the one I travelled in in winter and the A/C worked in the other one.   The drivers, colleagues in both cases, had bought the car new willingly and said they liked it.
One had graduated from a Taurus and one from a Dodge Omni.

Car as refrigerator as desired by many people.

Edit:    On reflection ( memory aided by first cup of coffee) they were both that gold metallic beige colour that is the default colour for Camrys.

[TB]

I was given an 09 Camry as a rental while my car was in service and wow I can't believe people buy this car.
My wife drives an Accord and it's 10 times better in everything!  It looks ok on the outside, however on the inside I think even Hyundai has surpassed them....I would never buy one

[Squishy]

I once drove an American-market fifth gen as a rental, and one impression was the rock hard steering wheel material.  I normally don't care if interior materials are made from "cheap plastic" as long as it doesn't rattle, but the area of my palms under the fingers was actually in pain by the end of the drive.

Do new Camrys still have a cast iron steering wheel?  Was my experience even representative of how the fifth gens were, or was that rental messed up?

[whistler]

So are you disagreeing with me, or does telling the truth about a car get you labeled a troll around here?

Talk is cheap around here.  Everybody and his uncle has driven this vehicle and that vehicle, but no pics to back it up.  When somebody does bother to post a pic it lends much credibility to what they have to say particularily if it's negative.

I have read a thousand times on this forum that so and so went to a dealer for a test drive and the vehicle was horrible; worst ever, but of course, no pics to prove they even have a driver's license. 

No pics, no cred. 

I really don't care whether you believe me or not. Everybody who's driven one know its a sloppy, numb car with crappy interior materials (the latest gen), and theres 3 or 4 other people on here that are saying the exact same thing, and now even the magazines are starting to point its faults out. I'm certainly not going to run out and take a picture of myself in one with today's newspaper in my hand to prove a point that everybody already knows is true.

If you are saying otherwise, that the Camry isn't a numb car, doesn't have shoddy materials and build, and is a good handler, then I'd question if YOU have ever driven one... have you? And have you driven any of its competitors? In what exact category is the Camry a better car than its main competitors?

[Cord]

Talk is cheap around here.  Everybody and his uncle has driven this vehicle and that vehicle, but no pics to back it up.  When somebody does bother to post a pic it lends much credibility to what they have to say particularily if it's negative.

I have read a thousand times on this forum that so and so went to a dealer for a test drive and the vehicle was horrible; worst ever, but of course, no pics to prove they even have a driver's license.   

No pics, no cred. 

Wow. What a sad,surreal post. Anyway, I'm looking forward to as's pics.

[safristi]

...ass pics..................I have one of a pheasant  under.........does that qualify.....

[Leviathan]

Talk is cheap around here.  Everybody and his uncle has driven this vehicle and that vehicle, but no pics to back it up.  When somebody does bother to post a pic it lends much credibility to what they have to say particularily if it's negative.

I have read a thousand times on this forum that so and so went to a dealer for a test drive and the vehicle was horrible; worst ever, but of course, no pics to prove they even have a driver's license.   

No pics, no cred. 

Wow. What a sad,surreal post. Anyway, I'm looking forward to as's pics.

Here ya go.