In my quest to find the best overall large famly hauler gas sipper, and I've come to the Toyota Camry...
Reliable? Real world mileage? Cost of maintnance? Quirks? How rare are 5speed 4bangers? Why are they so expensive even now? Cheapest Camry I've seen was 2500 with 200k+ miles :( Any information would be appreciated ;)
quirks = sudden urge to fall asleep driving
Yeah i know but that's really what i need... I prefer a 5speed but if it gets 30mpg, don't care how boring cause I'll have money for go fast parts on other cars
i drive a 2011 for work. i hate it. interior sucks and armrest placement is made for a 6'3 guy. im 6' and if i use them for any distance, my shoulder hurts. its stupid
power isnt too bad on the 4banger for what it is. it will get out of its own way.
I have an 88 wagon with 4 cyl, auto. Just got 30mpg driving 300 miles at 70+ mph. Dead reliable, but boring.
heck, im in nc, and selling my 4cyl auto camry....
real world reliability: iun the last 243k, my father (previous owner) and i have only done normal stuff. 1 starter, on its 3rd set of struts, all suspension bushings and ball joints, 1 radiator, 1 mid flex pipe, 1 02 sensor, timing belts, tune ups, fluid changes, brakes. nothing major, ever. good dependabble car.
abs is a little overactive, understeer you CANT dial out, no lumbar in the seats, DRL's like to kill low beam filiments, and the windshield fogs easier than a drunk falling off a log.
no complaints. real world milage over the last ~100k: mid toi upper 20's. ill see 30+ on extended highway trips south, but only with cruise. ill see lower 20's, but thats with the AC on in stop and go driving.
if you really think you want one thats cheap, PM me. come out and drive it, look it over, and ill give you 243k worth of camry driving experience.
michael
I've had two -- an '87 with a four-cylinder and auto (thanks Grampa 
), and a 92 with a six-cylinder and a five-speed. Both were stone reliable. The later car was the perfect size for my young family.
You can't really go wrong. There may be more exciting choices, but that's not what you asked about.
A four-cylinder, five-speed would be my preferred choice now that I have actual toy cars to enjoy,
We have a 97 with a 5SFE and auto. 210K miles now, we bought it with ~25K in 1998. 30+ MPG on the highway with cruise control on. Mid to upper 20's around town. Done a couple timing belts. The O ring behind the oil pump (critical to replace at a timing belt change.) Power steering hose. Steering rack. Front brakes (rears are still original). Couple of batteries. Tires. Flex pipe. I could print out my complete service log if you're interested, but that's pretty close. Excellent grocery getter and good for longer trips because it will run on regular gas and gets good gas mileage.
All I know is Per bought one to build as a GRM project car and now he is no longer with the magazine. Take that any way you like. 
per is no longer with the mag??!?!?!?!?!?
MrJoshua wrote: All I know is Per bought one to build as a GRM project car and now he is no longer with the magazine. Take that any way you like.
I believe it blew a motor on a test drive and the second shortly there after. 6 cyl / 5 speed.
maxima it is!
Dusterbd13 wrote: per is no longer with the mag??!?!?!?!?!?
It was mentioned in Dukes new job thread.
MrJoshua wrote:Dusterbd13 wrote: per is no longer with the mag??!?!?!?!?!?It was mentioned in Dukes new job thread.
Per posted it on FB, but decided to not tell anyone here and neither has any of the GRM staff. Seems a bit dickish on the surface, but perhaps that is just Per's wish?
turboswede wrote:MrJoshua wrote:Per posted it on FB, but decided to not tell anyone here and neither has any of the GRM staff. Seems a bit dickish on the surface, but perhaps that is just Per's wish?Dusterbd13 wrote: per is no longer with the mag??!?!?!?!?!?It was mentioned in Dukes new job thread.
Actually, there was a thread about it.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/feedback/someone-has-to-ask/57994/page1/
I have a 2002 Camry LE V6 with the upmarket leather interior and other fancy bits. It is a Japanese Buick. Nothing to write home about handling, adequate power, and tons of room. I needed an appliance. Mine was $7,800 with 118k on it.
So far I have fixed almost nothing. It needs motor mounts, but so has everything I've ever owned. I put an O2 sensor on the rear manifold, but even that wasn't too bad.
The way I see it, the Camry is the tennis shoes of my cars. It does the job without me having to think about it.
They are expensive because everybody is under the impression that they will run forever without any maintenance or repairs. I sold one for a relative. My "To work and back" DD is a '97 Accord four-banger autotragic with Konis. It's a little tired and I thought briefly about the Camry as a replacement except that it made the old Honda feel like a Lotus.
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