Still a joy to drive and ride in...

This is my mother's car, but I learned how to drive in it and still drive it regularly. In fact, this car influenced my decision greatly to also purchase a Camry [a 2005, see my review on it] for myself when the time came.

It now has 83K miles on the clock with no signs of ever letting down. It is a 1995 V6 LE, purchased in 1996.

How the car has held up
The car is now 13.5 years old. And you know what? Nobody believes it when I tell them it's a 1995. Its body style and shape remain classy and easy on the eyes. Of course, I detail it once a week so that has something to do with it looking so good. But how has it held up mechanically?

It's been the epitome of reliability. The usual timing belt and water pump change was expensive, but it's not an unexpected repair. Both the front driver's side and passenger side power windows needed to be repaired - again, not unexpected, after 10 years of constant use. The air conditioner is original and still blows ice cold. Even in the middle of the day I find myself putting it a notch or two above its coldest setting because it's so cold! Compare that to friends and relatives with Hondas and Acuras who have replaced their A/C at least once, if not twice.

There was some rust on the roof, which got to the point where a new piece of metal had to be welded in because it was so bad. I don't blame the car completely, I feel like the lack of washing and polishing the car early on is partly/mostly to blame. That and uncovered parking in the Hawaii sun..

The interior is in excellent shape with no rips to tears in the upholstery or dashboard. The upholstery has faded a bit, but that is not a problem at all. Everything is in working order and it doesn't feel like you're riding in a bucket with wheels. No odd interior noises either, which is impressive.

The legendary Toyota powertrain
Is it bad that I still enjoy 'punching it' on the freeway? That V6 is silky smooth all the way to its redline and it rockets you to freeway speeds in no time. Need to pass a car? Not a problem. At idle, it's hard to tell the car is running. In fact - one time I was in the car, engine running, and my mother got into the car and turned the key to start it because she didn't know it was on! The starter didn't grind or anything, the car simply turned off. Smart car!

The technical name for this V6, is "1MZ-FE" and Toyota used it well into 2006. It made Ward's ten best engines list in 1996. It puts out 188 HP with a good amount of low end torque. The transmission is a 4 speed electronically controlled automatic, and its shifts are imperceptible to this day. I am actually quite amazed, though I guess I shouldn't be. It IS a Camry after all!

Comfort
I still enjoy driving it. I can drive for hours at a time without fatigue. It's amazing how favorably it compares to my own Camry, which is 10 years newer. The seats are comfortable and the driving position is good. The suspension is softly tuned as usual for a Toyota, and absorbs all imperfections in the road without a problem.

Safety
If you're looking at used Camrys, I don't think you can go wrong. I understand that fancy safety features like side torso + curtain airbags, traction control, stability control, etc. were not available back then, but that doesn't mean it isn't a safe car.

It beat the 1997 federal mandate for side impact protection requirements by two years, has dual front airbags, and the V6 models have four-wheel disc brakes all around. ABS was optional on all trims except for the high end XLE. The car itself has a very secure feeling, and weighing in heavily at almost 3300lbs puts you at an advantage if you're ever in an accident. I can personally attest to the Camry's safety. A couple of years ago a tourist was not paying attention and rear-ended me. Other than a minor scratch, there was no damage to the Camry. He hit me pretty hard - hard enough for the ash tray full of coins to fly open. The Camry kept me safe and the bumper did its job.

You what?
A year or two ago a man approached my mother in her office parking lot. Needless to say she was a bit apprehensive, and she was surprised with what he said. He asked her if she was selling her Camry, because he's having a hard time finding a used one in good shape - and that hers is clearly in good shape. How do you like that? The Camry sells itself! She politely declined the offer as she intends to drive it until the wheels fall off, so to speak.

Interesting tidbit
The third generation Camry (1992-1996) was the first and last to have triple insulation around its doors. If you open the door, you'll notice rubber insulation in three different levels. That's why for its time, it was extraordinarily quiet. I actually read that Toyota overspent on the third generation Camry because they wanted to prove it was a worthy contender - well, that little bit of extra money was definitely worth it because the third generation Camry is what made it THE midsized car that all middle class families drove.

Overall
This is a really, really good car. I would not hesitate to recommend one nor drive one myself. The one thing to watch out for when purchasing a used Camry is to make sure the previous owner kept up with oil changes. Toyota has been chastised for sludging issues with certain engines - but a lot of it comes down to owners not getting oil changes often enough. If you can find a well maintained Camry, grab it. I guarantee you that if you don't, someone else will!