Simply put, it really is a good car

The first car that I have ever really officially owned, was a 1985 Chevy Cavalier. This car had all the makings of that great first car that everyone had either one or two, if not all of these features in their past: ugly color, bad steering, horrible smell, ugly interior, sounds like an old animal coughing, etc. The car itself was quite an eye sore and I mean that in a good way. You couldn't miss it if you were in a crowded parking lot because of it's unusual and rare color It was affectionately referred to as "The Penny", because of it's color was akin to that of the normal American penny. This car lasted me a few good years from high school until halfway through college until it bit the big one. I'm talking about a roof where the fabric interior was drooping onto my head, an ever present pool of water collecting at the bottom of the floor during heavy rainstorms and that indistinct smell that you couldn't miss of burning oil. Having sold it off for a few hundred bucks, I later got not so surprising news that the friend I gave it to, drove up the highway to only see that dreadful red engine light turn on and the smell of impending trouble to boot. That car was junked. I eventually turned onto the Buick Century, another car in a great line of used cars where it was the victim of repeated paint jobs that left a decaying mixture of various blue and rust patches all over it. It kind of looked like a giant sander ran over it, and all that was left was a car with a $500 price tag and 70K mileage on it. It certainly wasn't a chick magnet but it did get me around until I graduated college and it spit the bed shortly after (which I still suspect was a botched job by the mechanic addressing a problem). I then of course, continued onto the next car, a 1997 Dodge Concorde...in 2004 with 130K miles. This was the victim of abuse by a chain smoking librarian who left a few surprises in the car such as burnt holes in the seats and a tar black ash tray. That got me around as well, even if there was tape keeping the front headlight together and a distinct dent/scratch on the driver's side. Like all cars, this one had seen better days. 48,000 miles later, I got bad news from a crooked mechanic who would've charged me up the wazoo for stuff known as the frame bushings. I walked away from that spithead and got it fixed for a fairly cheaper price by an honest mechanic. But that was the beginning of my troubles when it's latest arrival at a nearby fix it shop would've cost me well over a $1,000 in repairs for a car I only paid half that amount. I have to kick the bucket and get something a little more stable. This is because I have a job that's of a sizable distance and a relationship of sizable distance that warrants frequent travel. So I decide to settle on a car that seems to be commanding the road: the Toyota Camry.

I'll be honest, my review of this car may be pale in comparison to your average auto expert. I've written reviews of video games and I get all sorts of comments about what's missing from my review. But this is my review, and I'm speaking from an average joe's perspective about what it's like using this product. I don't look for things like quality graphic play, I just want to know if the friggin' thing's good or not. Well, I'll tell you this about the Toyota Camry, it's really good and if you're willing to invest the money, I do think it's worth it. I speak as a person whose had the formidable experience of owning used cars (and was given in a brief period between getting my license and the Penny, an old Suburban from my brother (whose reckless driving caused this thing's inevitable downfall of a bad axle), who inherited it from my late grandfather). I look at how many Camrys are on the road today, and see that some are ones I remember seeing when I was 9 years old (I'm 26 now) and realize that they do seem to last which only boosts my confidence in the car. Looking at the process of evolution in how the Camry looked in '89 in comparison to now, only shows that while the look has changed over the years, the stability seems like it hasn't and that's a good thing. I've had conversations with owners whose cars have lasted them nearly two decades (also due to good maintenance and routine care) which only instills the fact that I made a good decision. This wasn't an easy one but one that had to be made (with financial responsibility ahead), or I'd still be driving beat up cars that would last a spell of one to two years and coughing up more dough on repairs and labor costs than avoiding those problems by driving a good car.

The car I own is a black 2006, 4 cylinder, 4 door car that comes complete with several spacey compartments (including the glove compartment, a driver's rest that sports a top space and bottom space, a space to place your sunglasses, a space in front of the driving shift that opens up, underneath it, another space!, in addition to a trunk and several pockets and additional door compartments), a CD player with a steering wheel that has the buttons to navigate what stations you want to play, control the volume and switch it on/off and what line of stations you want to listen to. In addition to all that fun stuff is really good leg room (and I'm a 6 foot guy) that's comforting for anyone tall, short, fat or thin to easily fit into the place without much difficulty. In addition to the adjustable front seats (both electronic and manually operated) is a lumbar adjuster for your lower back in the driver's seat. This is a wonderful feature particularly for a tall person. In the front console also is a current reading of outside temperature and the current time. All the readings are essentially digital, save for everything that's your information output such as speed, gas, battery and oil meters. The interior itself is a light gray color that perfectly balances the black exterior without flamboyance. To me, the Camry doesn't command your attention which is good, since it can seem to blend in any environment without much hassle.

I personally think the Camry is wonderful for those who have sizable commutes. It's comfortable without feeling squished anywhere and it seems to accomodate your everyday needs. For instance, it's a great car if you're commuting to the city, if you're a young couple, if you have a small family or if you want to take a road trip. What it's not really recommended for is if you have a big family, if you have a lot of dogs, if your job is exporting a lot of heavy material, etc. This is a basic, everyday car designed with the consumer in mind, not essentially the professional. If you're looking for outlandish stuff like pimped out speakers, a built in DVD system, nice Italian leather seats or any outrageously priced feature that you'd see on "Pimp My Ride", the Camry probably isn't going to be your first choice. But it is a good car if you're looking for everyday use without much strain, using it to get you where you need to go but enjoying it in the process for it's comfort and it's accessability.

What I love about my Toyota Camry alone are the shocks themselves. Having lived in seemingly turbulent vehicles, the shocks are absolutely flawless in terms of going over speed bumps. Now I'm not saying you won't feel that turbulence but compared to a car that's seen better days, then it's not so bad. If you live in a wintry part of the country, I thoroughly recommend the Camry as a safe alternative. I can recall driving my Concorde through a dreadfully late night back from work, thanks in part to local idiots with no real consideration for what bad weather really is, on an outrageously snowy time down route 3. This was an abandoned stretch of road at that time of night, and going 25 miles on an incredibly icy area, on non-existent shocks and worn tires that caused my car to lose control of the steering and crash the left rear light into a rail (and scaring the crap out of me). I'm sure no one would disagree with me when you feel that fear when you lose control of your car during bad weather. The Camry makes me feel safe and prepared for the winter to come, where the chances of me losing control on the road during the season are far less, since I have a dependable, well-maintained car without much baggage to boot.

The steering of the Camry is very easy to handle, and it can pretty much make a turn as you'd expect without any kind of delay. It can fit in tight quarters, it's easy to navigate when parallel parking and the brakes are strong enough to withstand long term use. Did I mention the car alarm system is top notch and you will hear the annoying beep when you don't put on your seatbelt. The same bodes for any other passengers in your car, even if you have a gallon of milk in your front passenger seat, it will sound off. The speed of the car itself is very good too. While I don't know the specifics exactly (since I'm of that group that says "It gets me around"), I will say it is exceptionally good. The locking mechanisms also hold up, automatically locking when you enter the car. By the way, just about everything is automatic, even when your the car is turned off but the keys are still in. But not to change the subject, this is a good car and one that's great to handle when driving around the city. I drive through Boston frequently: a hazy municipality of permanent one way streets, construction sites, rude drivers and many tunnels and bridges. I have never felt more uncomfortable and intimidated driving through the city in a car I don't have enough confidence in, to even get me out on a road trip, but the Camry gives me that confidence. I even took it on a near 600 mile drive to Virginia Beach and around the surrounding areas like Washington D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York City and found the Camry impressive. It's also good on gas too which is a good feature, and even has that annoying gas light come on to indicate you're running out.

Like I said, I'm not a car nut and I leave that to the people who know cars. But I speak from firsthand experience of someone whose owned used cars before, and I mean REALLY used cars and is now adjusting to the life of a new car (with monthly payments) and have found it to be a wonderful vehicle that meets my everyday needs while not taking away any of my satisfaction in the process.