1999 Toyota Camry Touring review from Australia and New Zealand

The right hand rear power window failed around 115,000kms - the regulator broke one evening, which meant the window could not be automatically raised. New regulator cost $70 and another $70 for labour.

On two occasions the car has failed to start first time - the motor turns over fine, however the engine then dies.

Apart from these problems, the only trips to the mechanic have been for scheduled services.

For a sports model, the car is quite conservative both mechanically and appearance wise. The alloys and spoiler are a nice touch, and do make the Touring model stand out from the other models.

The engine is silky smooth and remains composed even at high revs. It is quite happy to rev hard or simply cruise along.

The gearshift is a bit of a letdown, in that it is a long and inprecise throw between gears. Under normal circumstances, it is generally easy to make smooth and relatively quick changes though.

Fuel consumption is generally good - even with some liberal throttle openings, it is easy to achieve an average of about 10-11L/100km. Generally the car gets about 500-550km out of a tank (combination of freeway and city driving).

The suspension on the Touring model is stiffer than the other Camry models. The ride is quite firm and the handling is predictable, however I have yet to really push this car to its limits.

The interior has plenty of room, however the back seat is quite narrow and fitting three adults can be quite a squeeze. The seat fabrics and interior trim seem to stand the test of time and the harsh Australian sun.

The dash layout is logical and the orange needles and Touring insignia on the dials make for a unique touch.