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Comments: 1-15, 16
Nothing; it's a Toyota!
Exterior:
The body is very sporty and serious looking. My car has the upgraded “B” package, which gives a black honey comb grille in the front, a spoiler on the back “which is very similar in style to that of the BMW M3 trunk lip spoiler”, and lower body additions on the front, sides and rear.
The windows are accented by a strong line of chrome trim that runs horizontally along the bottom edge of both windows. I love cars that have a strong horizontal line running through them from front to rear - this car has a very prominent one.
The front of the car looks like a bull to me with its demonic headlamp configuration, which has headlights that are illuminated rings when the daytime running lights are on, and a bulging nose with that black honeycomb grille. The B package also added built-in fog lights to the front bottom spoiler.
I got mine in the charcoal gray colour. I love the colour because the paint has a sparkling ingredient in the paint and gleams when washed, but does not show every dirt spot like black.
The B package also added 17 inch 6 spoke aluminum alloy wheels that look amazing. From the factory the car comes with low profile Michelin tires which hold the road under acceleration and corning very well. It has been cold here the last couple days (- 3 Celsius) and the car’s tires did lose a bit of traction over some icy patches. I was impressed with how quickly the cars traction control system (VSC) sprung into action keeping me in a straight line under acceleration - no torque steer whatsoever.
The car’s ABS (anti-lockup braking system) was equally impressive when coming into an icy corner a bit too fast. I must admit, this is a heavy (about 4500 pound) solid car, and 120 km/h feels more like 70, and I have come into a few corners too fast because I didn’t feel my speed inching up. It’s a constant struggle to keep my car from going over the 60 km/hr speed limit in town, I have to push the gas pedal with about 0.5 to 1 inch to go 60 once up to speed.
The B package also added a very long and wide electric moon roof which works very well with no rattling of whistling at any speed. Mirrors are heated. I drove an old Acura Integra before this, and have noticed people staring at this car everywhere I go. It’s a real head turner.
Performance:
The power is scary. The only other car I have been in that accelerates like this rocket was a 2002 Aston Martin. The first time I took it for a test drive, I tromped the accelerator on an on-ramp to the highway and it pinned me to my seat and threw my head back.
The 3.5 liter V6 pumps out about 270 hp and 250 pound feet of torque. That is more than enough to recreate that roller coaster feeling when you stand on the gas.
It has a 70 liter tank and gas prices here seem to hover around 95 cents per liter. I average 70 km per day and it cost me about 50 bucks a week to run. In spite of this cars blistering performance it still gets 40 miles to the gallon on the highway, and 29 in the city. If driven sensibly I’m sure I could get away with 45 dollars a week in fuel expenses, but it’s so hard not to let loose and watch the speedometer fly.
0-100 km/h acceleration in 6.1 seconds (Road and Track’s results). But what I find even more impressive is the amount of power at your disposal to pass cars at speeds of 80 km/h and higher. The second day after getting the car I decided to pass a car doing 80 km/h, I pressed the accelerator about half way down, and almost hit the rear left of the car ahead of me because the car bolted forward faster than I thought it would. Passing people in this car is effortless.
To do 120 km/h I only rev at 2,000 RPM! And to go 80 km/hr I rev at 1,500 RPM!!! Thanks to the 6-speed transmission. The engine redlines at 6500 RPM, and has a buzzer to warn you when your at the redline. My car also comes with the sport semi-automatic transmission meaning I can manually tell it when to shift up or down a gear, and it will hold the gear you want until you indicate the next change. Switching between manual and automatic mode is done by moving the shifter to the left, and can be done at any speed, which makes passing other cars all the more fun. Around town under normal driving conditions, I don’t have to rev over 2000 RPM in any of the gears.
The transmission is very quick to change up through the gears - which saves a lot of money on fuel. The transmission is extremely smooth and does not do any jerky gear changes.
Braking is effortless as well. The brake (and accelerator) pedal has ZERO dead space, meaning if I touch the brake and press it in half an inch, the brakes are already applying that amount of braking force. It has massive disc brakes in all four corners, and brakes with tremendous force considering its heavy weight. The B package also adds anti-sway bars in both the front and rear, and the car also has McPherson gas struts.
Interior:
I think the best way I can describe the interior is to have you look at a 2007 Lexus with black leather seats. The material and assembly quality is excellent with no loose, bendy, or rattling parts. My interior is black with leather, and chrome trim.
The audio system was upgraded with the B package and got a more powerful JBL sound system. I can’t remember how many watts it is, but I can tell you the sound is mind blowing. The system does not have a sub-woofer, but the clear audio performance will shake you, your car, and annoy the person beside you at a red light without effort. The audio system has a well-rounded sound without being bland, with plenty of clear un-muffled bass response.
I’m 6’4” 220 pounds and fit comfortably with a bit of adjusting of the power (and heated) front seat. I “just” fit, and that’s it. This is the first car I have ever sat in where my shoulders did not hang over the sides of the seat; the seats are extremely comfortably and really hug you. The power seats also have an electronic lumber support which is awesome. Anyone over 6’4” can forget it.
That said I also fit in the back seats if I slouch a little. The rear seats are VERY spacious and comfortable. My girlfriend is 5’1” and also fits comfortably thanks to the power seats, and a steering column that is both height-adjustable, and telescopic. The steering wheel has the audio controls, and hands free phone controls, which work seamlessly with blue tooth capable phones.
Also built into the ceiling mounted console are 3 garage door openers which replace the handheld pager sized one, and the moon roof controls. The center console is illuminated via white backlighting, and displays outside temperature, as well as remaining fuel, engine temp, speedometer, tachometer, and your current gear when in manual sport shifting mode.
The rear view mirror has a compass built in, and automatically dims when a car’s lights are shining at you from behind.
In summation, the car handles like a suicide rocket on rails, as it coddles you in Lexus comfort and toys. After taxes and all the other fees of buying a new car, this will cost you $47,000 in Canadian dollars. My advice is that you take one for a drive; words just can’t explain how this car makes you feel. I step out my door every morning with a big stupid grin on my face as I hop into my demonic luxury rocket.
If I totaled it in a wreck tomorrow, I would be at the dealership the next day buying another. And in the event of a crash, I have the knee, front, and curtain airbags to protect me. Did I mention the curtain airbags would even deploy if they sense the car is going to roll over? The technology in this car is astounding. This review barely scratches the surface.
Author: JWD
I am the author of this original review.
I'd like to make a correction to my review, the camry's motor revs at about 2200 RPM to do 120km/hr, rather than 2000rpm.
Cheers!
JWD.
Have you had the transmission problems with the flare and hesitation that many have reported on other Internet locations?
I am the original author of this review.
In response to the post about the transmission problems; I have experienced none. After reading your post I searched the net for more information about the problem and it seems that early 2007 models were experiencing problems with 2nd and 6th gear. On the straightline website: http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/.ee90ff2
they reported that a Toyota representative was in their forums and helping people to get their transmission issues resolved. It also said on the website that Toyota released an official statement acknowledging the transmission problems and they said they were working with people on a case-by-case basis.
I've tromped on the throttle more than once in my car-both using the sport manual mode, and automatic-without any problems. I'm glad you made that post because I'll know to keep an eye out if something does seem weird... so thanks!
JWD :)
I remain skeptical of the overall reliability of these cars may I remind you that It is still very much new. Second I used to make body parts for those very vehicles and they are thin about 3mm at the base of the door as I remember 1.5 on the out side of the center pillar and the same on the inside. Also the vibrations that you would here are dampened out by something called a silencer,some little plastic piece that adsorbs vibrations so the points that there are metal to metal contact with out anything holding them together don't chatter. This is important due to the lack of weld beads that is a solid seam where the metal plates are fused instead you have spot welds. Secondly who buys Toyota for the sporty handling. I also notice the BMW likeness if one takes the overall silhouette it has many characteristics similair to the Bimmer. So if you like the lines why not get a BMW if I am not mistaken they held a Consumer Reports top recommendation for a decade. BMWs are probably more reliable than a Camry as you see more of them in Europe than Toyota's and a great many are older makes too.
2007 Camry 4cyl LE that I purchased in May 2006 has the hesitation problem that is mentioned all over the Internet sites. It's most obvious on a cold engine when you need to accelerate rapidly and merge into moving traffic. It has been serviced twice for this serious problem, even had TSB 065 performed back in October, but the problem persists. My local dealership told me there is no fix and that I've been added to their "list". So much for the best selling car in this country.
I am the original Author of this review.
I wanted to do another post now that I have a little over 17,000 kilometers on the odometer now. No mechanical problems to speak of, but I must say that it is a bit tricky to parallel park. The body design curves inward at the back, and the truck is rather high, so I find myself unsure of how much distance I have directly behind me. The other thing I find a bit challenging is not getting too close to a curb for fear of scraping the alloy rims. I already got too close once and put a small scratch on the front right rim...ouch! I still don't have any hesitation problems. I've never experienced this hesitation problem so if someone has experienced it first hand I'd like them to post and let me know what I should be looking for. I was also not overly impressed with the manual sport shifter. It mechanically functions well, but I don't like how the transmission will shift down to a lower gear while in manual mode-if it can do so without over reving. I can understand the you get more power when the tranny shifts down for you, but I just wish I was in 100% control. I feel like the manual mode cheats for me.
As for the comment above where someone in the U.K. said BMW must be more reliable than Toyota because there are more BMW's over there, I should mention that in Canada the ratio of Toyotas to BMW (based off of what I have seen) is about 10 toyotas to 1 bmw. BMW's are VERY expensive here. Toyotas are much more affordable. I would personally love to buy a BMW M3 as my next car. But I would have to do a lot of saving because there about $40,000 more for a comparable car.
My sister's 2006 Rav4 has that same hesitation when cold. I recently drove it for a week when she was on vacation and was not impressed at all.
I agree with the original poster on the review as I own one too.
BMW 3 is a poor mans BMW and cannot be even compared to the outstanding 2007 Camry in terms of reliability. My Camry handles better then my previous 7 Series BMW, which I got rid off because after the warranty went it fell apart. I feel BMW does not make quality vehicles, just an expensive status symbol. Toyota drives excellent, and is superb value for the money, it costs me pennies to purchase and run compared to a BMW, so in other words I will invest money I save on my vehicle into a profitable stock.
Toyota is #1 at the end of this year. Other cars just don't compare to a Toyota.
Before someone slams me about working for a car company, let me say that I work for a security company NOT any car company.
My 2007 Camry LE 4cyl is not exhibiting any hesitation. It does not take off like a rocket either nor would I want it to. The car is giving me a very quiet ride which is very important to me. As a back yard mechanic, I am impressed with both the simplicity and advancements of the engine & transmission. My car is still very new, only 1500km. When are others feeling this hesitation?
C'mon, comparing the cars of today to the cars of the late 60's is like saying you know as much today as you did back in university!
The factory rep has just advised me, after an inspection, that my 07 Camry LE V4 5AT is operating within factory specs. I've put up with this car for a year and I can assure everybody that there is a serious hesitation problem with this car. Based upon other car websites, quite a few owners have the same problem. If anybody lives in Broward County in Florida, I'll be glad to meet at the pub (I'm buying) and you can drive my car. When you hit the gas, the hesitation will make you **** in your pants. It's off to arbitration and since I already know what that outcome will be...it's the Lemon Law after that. The 07 Camry LE V4 5AT does not belong on the road.
Hello. I purchased a 2007 Toyota Camry on May 20th and immediately notice major issues with the transmission. I do realize it is not affecting every Camry, but it is rather widespread. I envy the Original Poster for his/her wonderful vehicle. They are truly lucky to have purchased a vehicle without the transmission "glitches". I wish I would have been as lucky. Other than the transmission issues, I love my Camry. I am hoping for a fix from the Toyota Corp or another acceptable compromise by the dealer. I do not feel safe in this vehicle and after trading a 99 Nissan Quest which had 235,000 miles and was still going strong in on this lemon, I am very disappointed. I have not made my first payment yet and am sure I will end this relationship with the "lemon Law".
Toyota has always had a hesitation problem with their engines. My dad's 1999 carolla does the same thing. Also, particular to Toyota, the engine sometimes jumps and jolts the car forward. My friend had bought a new RX 330, he was parking it, he described the engine sort of "snorting and jumping" which in turn jolted the car forward into the wall.
Toyota tried to break out of its shell with this Camry, they tried to loose that bland look they're so well known for. I think they have done it with the Camry, but there is one problem. My dad has an 07' Camry SE, I have an 07' Sonata GLE, I get more people looking at my pearl white Sonata than when I drive my dad's candy apple red Camry. Toyota can put a big aluminum cowboy hat on the roof of the Camry or any other car, but once people see it's a Toyota, they say SEEEEN.
I wanted to see just how "powerful" that new "270" horsepower (before being adjusted for inflation) Camry engine really was. The automatic I drove WAS fast, however it was no faster than a comparable V-6 Fusion, and nowhere near as fast as my V-6 Mustang, which is only rated at 210 horsepower.
Toyota does deserve credit for putting an engine in the Camry that is not an embarrassment, as the old V-6's were. Now if they can just figure out how to get it to keep running and design a transmission that actually works, I might be willing to take them more seriously.
17:19 The Camry is faster than the Fusion. Try citing fact other than opinion next time. And a Ford guy, of all people, criticizing ANY Toyota for how it runs, and citing transmission problems, is so ironic that it's funny.