2007 Toyota Camry review from North America

- Transmission "problem"

My 3 gripes with the car:

- Transmission "problem"

Some of you may not call it a problem, but it is definitely an inconvenience. Basically, there is a lag when trying to accelerate the car. From the moment you push the pedal to when the motor actually responds takes around 1 second or slightly more. It may not be a serious issue, but the other day I had to keep up with another car and it was frustrating experience; the car felt unresponsive. But hey, who knows, as another reviewer said, maybe it was done on purpose.

- Interior of the car

My previous car was a *Japanese* Camry (I emphasize the word Japanese because the American and Japanese made Toyotas are different). The inside of the Japanese Camry, although austere, was finely and precisely put together. On the other hand, in the American model, the inside components do not fit that well and actually leave gaps in some places. Some components just look plain cheap (take the spring mechanism in the middle of the cup holder). I maybe nitpicking, but I have come to expect something close to perfection seeing that I am accustomed to the Japanese model.

- Finally, the rear seats are not that big. I'm 6 ft, but when sitting upright my knees touch the front seat.

Aside from these 3 things (being the 1st one by far the most important) I believe the Camry is an excellent buy. You get a roomy car that takes any type of gasoline (screw you Passat) for $19k (base model), and it's a Toyota. Also, I like the new styling.