I love my Camry!

Let me preface this review by saying I am in my early 20s and am finishing up with school. My main criteria was reliability, and of course price. My peers tend to drive two door cars, or something along the lines of a Corolla or Civic. The Camry is looked at as an "old person" car while the Accord (in the same mid-size class) is not. Go figure.. Needless to say, I don't care what people think of what I drive because all that matters is I like it.

I purchased my Camry 2.5 years ago from Hertz Car Sales, with 14K miles on it. The prices are non-negotiable and set by corporate - so sometimes the deals are great, sometimes not so much. You have to do your homework. In my case, the price was a good amount cheaper than other dealers. My car has depreciated all of $100 per month I've owned it, which is fantastic in my opinion.

How I decided on the Camry
I test drove the Corolla and it was nicer than I expected. I was ready to settle for that when the sales guy told me they had a couple of Camrys coming in. He said beige was the first one in, and I told him I didn't want that color. He mentioned silver coming in after that, and so I told him to call me when it comes in and I'll be down.

I was the first to test drive the silver 2005 Camry LE when it came in, and I knew it was my car as soon as I got in. It was really comfortable, had a secure feeling on the road, it looked classy, and the stereo was great. I finished my test drive, told the guy I wanted it, and the rest is history!

First impressions
The Camry feels like an upscale car when you get in. For 2005, the Camry's interior and exterior was revised. On the inside, chrome door handles were added. Steering wheel audio controls were made standard. Optitron gauges were also made standard - if you're wondering what this is, the gauges have a bright white backlight that's on 24/7. This increases visibility tremendously and the way it fades in when you start the car is neat. The instrument cluster is completely dark when the car is off. Lexus has had this for 10+ years and it's a nice touch. On the outside, headlights and tail lights were revised - for the better, most definitely. Mechanically, ABS or Anti-Lock Brakes, were made standard for 2005. That was well overdue but better late than never.

The Camry is very easy to drive and even after driving for hours at a time, I have no fatigue. On the LE, the driver's seat is powered and it is very comfortable. Power-adjustable lumbar support is included and now I find I can't live without it. My how spoiled I've become! My passengers always comment on how comfortable my car is and I can't disagree. It is also extremely quiet! I can be going 70 MPH and still have a conversation with my passengers without trying to yell over the road noise. The Camry also sits fairly high so your view of the road is good, and when you get out you're stepping down out of the car, not struggling to pull yourself out of it.

Four or six cylinder...
My Camry is equipped with the inline 4-cylinder engine, or "I4" and has plenty of power. I still can't tell when it's on at idle, I have to glance at the tachometer. Yes, it's clear you have an I4 when the car has five people in it but it has never been a problem for me. Merging and passing on the freeway is never a dangerous encounter. The other Camry I drive regularly is a V6 and I have no problem getting back into my car - which says a lot, because Toyota's V6 are the epitome of silky smooth power. The technical name for the I4 in the Camry is the "2AZ-FE" and it is definitely a great engine. It's got plenty of low end torque so it goes when you tell it to, and it's also very quiet on the highway. The five speed automatic transmission is also a nice perk (it became the optional transmission for 4-cylinder models for 2005, its predecessor being a four speed unit) because there are plenty of gears to keep the engine in its power band. I must mention though, that some people are very unhappy with the quirks of the Camry's transmission. It can be a bit jerky at slow speeds and there can be a delay before it downshifts if you floor it. I've read reviews on Edmunds of people claiming to have almost been killed while making a left turn or merging onto the freeway due to this hesitation. My view on that? If you're not properly negotiating a turn or merge (time-wise) the type of car you drive will not matter. It has NEVER been a problem for me. If you give yourself enough time, you would not be panicking and mashing the gas pedal to the floor praying you don't cause a major accident.

As far as gas mileage, I've kept track of all my fill ups in Excel since I purchased the car. It's rated at 21/31 city/highway with the new EPA ratings. My lifetime average is around 20 MPG going as low as 15 MPG and as high as 30 MPG. My driving habits are brutal - short (less than 2 miles) trips day in and day out, 100% stop and go city driving, and I have somewhat of a lead foot. That's why my mileage gets so low. On the flip side, highway fuel economy is excellent and I've gotten 30 MPG.

Maintenance
I do all basic maintenance on my own - oil changes (I use synthetic oil and Toyota oil filters), air filter, transmission fluid, windshield wiper blades, cabin air filter etc.. The only unexpected repair costs for me was a $400 (inclusive of parts and labor) 'steering intermediate shaft' which is a known defective part and I was out of warranty. I was not happy that Toyota refused to replace this for free (this is not something that you would normally replace on a car, especially a 3 year old one) but it doesn't detract from the overall reliability of the Camry. It has never left me stranded and it starts everytime I turn the key. My costs have been low to keep the car running which is exactly what I needed and wanted.

The car is smarter than I am!
I must have been reading something before I went into a store and used the map lights up front...because when I came back to my car, I turned the key to start it and the light turned on. That's when I remembered I didn't turn the light off! It turns off on its own after 20 minutes I believe, which will probably save me many more times from needing to call AAA for a jump. It also has automatic on/off headlights which come in handy. Another neat feature is that with the factory keyless entry system, if you unlock the car without opening a door within 30-60 seconds, the car locks itself again. That's to prevent you from unlocking the car, forgetting something and walking back to the house while leaving your car unintentionally unlocked.

Driving dynamics
The Camry is very, very easy to drive. Steering is effortless, but also precise at the same time. It is a big car but it doesn't drive like a boat. The turning radius is 34 inches which is extremely good for a car this size so that makes it easy to make a U-turn or maneuver around crowded parking lots. How does this compare to say, a Honda Accord you ask? My aunt bought a 2004 Accord LX (the equivalent of my Camry LE) and I used to love driving it...until I got my Camry! The Accord has a stiffer suspension and I don't care what anyone says - I want a soft suspension to absorb all the bumps. That alone makes me appreciate my Camry so much more. The Camry is easier to drive and its turning radius is better.

Random bits of information
I detail my car every weekend and do a simple wash mid-week. It keeps my Camry lookin' nice! I also had it tinted, an alarm put in, I had reverse sensors installed, and I also put on an exhaust tip. Those small things greatly enhance my enjoyment of the Camry. The cost to insure my Camry are very reasonable. I compared rates to a Subaru Impreza 2.5i and the Impreza would have cost me 20% more per renewal. Ouch! I guess that's what happens when you're in my age bracket..

Overall
I love my Camry. I really do. With gas prices these days, I sometimes think that I should have gotten a Corolla - until I realize how comfortable my car is and how good it's been to me. The Camry is not a perfect car, but it's pretty darn close! And I won't lie, I do see a lot of older folks driving Camrys. I'll tell you what I tell my friends - older folks aren't out to impress their friends, they want something that works and works well, and so they choose the Camry. That's the same reason I chose it. I would buy it all over again if given the chance to.