My 2005 Toyota Camry started leaking oil when it was only a few years old. It started making a rattling noise at 83,000 miles. The dealer told me I had to rebuild the engine at a cost of $4,500. The car is only 5 years old. Buyer beware!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 3rd December, 2010
Great model, go and buy one now!
Nothing, nothing at all!
This car is big and comfortable. The seats are firm and supportive.
The suspension in the Sportivo is much better than the standard model, and I would recommend it. It is firm while still maintaining a comfortable ride.
The steering provides just the right level of feedback, making it crisp and responsive.
The engine while not a strong as some of the local big 6's, is impressive for a 4. It pulls the car along well, with much more power than I was expecting. The variable valve timing starts to kick in around 3k rpm, giving the engine a more aggressive tone, and more kick. It is plenty for passing, and is enough to trick you into thinking it's a sporty car (sometimes).
My only real gripe (apart from more power - every car needs that) is that sometimes it is hard to find reverse gear. If this happens, I go to one of the forward gears and then back to R - no problems, but still it shouldn't happen.
I have driven the same car in an auto for work (the reason we looked at one of these in the first place) and found the auto was responsive, even and exact. It didn't sap to much of the power from the engine. The local Falcodore transmissions are rubbish in comparison.
I find the Camry a rewarding car to drive, it reminds me of my old Saab. Usually when you describe Toyotas, the good points stop at reliability. I have driven the standard model and found the car was putting me to sleep. Toyota have done a great job with the Sportivo variant.
The car returns good fuel economy, much better then those local 6's I mentioned earlier. It also has a 5 star safety rating (apparently better then the C-class Merc of the same year).
Finally the car is produced in Australia (your model may not be if you don't live in Australia), what more can you ask for?
I think quality issues for Toyota may very from country to country. Cars like the Camry and the Corolla are produced in many different locations around the world. I think despite its best efforts, Toyota has trouble maintaining quality over such a large and varying manufacturing base. In other words - the same model might be better if it was produced in country A rather than country B. Just my 2c.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th February, 2009
I would not buy another
The car constantly pulled to the left. They finally fixed it. Now at 19,500 miles, the tires are near bald on the front. I would have expected they would last at least 25,000. I think it has to do with the alignment being out of wack, but they say no. The emergency brake had to be adjusted four or five times - it would not hold.
It's OK, but I would stick with a Honda instead.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 21st January, 2008
Right. Why buy a quality, well built Toyota that'll get 300,000 miles when you can buy a brand new rattling, smoking GM that'll need an engine and transmission before 120,000?
Do you think he could afford to keep this Toyota for 300,000 miles if he has to buy new tires every 20,000 miles? He would have to replace his tires 15 times, and even if you figure that he can buy cheapo off-brand tires, that is still $4,500. And that isn't even counting the $7,500 in brake jobs that he'd need. They could buy a new Ford Focus for what it will cost to keep this junk Toyota in brakes and tires!
The old very high mile Toyotas I have personally seen are rusted out and burning oil. If you keep new imports look at the potential likelihood of transmission and engine replacements costs in mind when calculating your 300,000 mile achievement. There are many reviews on here with late model concerns. I personally feel keep a vehicle with a warranty than ride on high mileage electronic issues, trans, engines, timing belts and other components, as its costly. What is a 300,000 mile Corolla worth by the way? I'll keep a new reliable GM; drive 5 years or 100,000 miles and not be in this trap with little residual or having to depend that my wife and kids will safely arrive home not broken down in bad weather, at night, etc...
31st Jan 2008, 22:28
Our GM cars routinely go 50,000-60,000 miles on the original tires, and 90,000-100,000 miles on the original brake pads.
The Michelins on our GM SUV now have 60,000+ miles on them, and the dealer at our last service interval said they did not yet need replacing.
Why people buy cars like Toyota that eat up tires and brake linings in 20,000 miles or less is beyond me. The imports I've owned have always required far more expense in repairs and routine maintenance than any of my domestics. I guess if people enjoy throwing their money away, Toyota is a good bet.