OK, I bought this car brand new for $21,500. I think I got an excellent price.
It comes with Toyo Proxy tires which are really top notch. I have not had anything happen to the car, but c'mon, it's brand new. If I did that would suck!
I have the SE (sports edition) it has MacPherson struts and shocks, or something like that. It is a bit tighter than the LE, and XLE. It's the sporty model, it goes LE, SE then XLE. It's more for aggressive driving due to the tightness, it doesn't have that "old lady driving on a raft feel".
I recommend getting the windows tinted, a little bright in there without it. And some better rear speakers that allow for bass at high volumes. The current rear speakers are a little disappointing. It plays MP3's so that means you can put like 300 songs on a CD and it will play, as well as an mp3 jack which I use.
What I particularly like about the car is its handling and engine response. On the highway, when I am going about 100-105 mph, it is only revving at about 3000! That's excellent if you are into getting somewhere fast without the engine stress. (!!!LEFT LANE FOR FAST DRIVERS, EVERYONE ELSE KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS!!!)
MPG's are about the same as the sticker in the window.
The SE is the best looking Camry I have ever seen. It looks beefy, real elegant. I took off my "Camry" and "SE" emblems and now nobody knows what it is!
It's quiet. I drove it to Illinois from S. Carolina and back and had no complaints. I drove it in the Smokeys and had ample power, with the AC on.
My son (18 mo) fits in the back and there's room for another kid once I get around to it. The trunk is a fairly large size. Fits stroller, luggage, etc. looks simple enough to work on...
Lots of room to change plugs and oil. I recommend switching to MOBILE Synthetic oil on the first oil change, your Camry will run for about 400,000 miles!!!
I really dig the smooth gear changes of the Auto Tranny. I like the interior and all that too.
Big car, good on gas, barcelona red, pretty sweet, you should get one.
Um do I really have to comment on this review? Why are you driving over 100 on public roads? And further more why with a smallish foreign car... a Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln or other larger American car might be a better and much safer bet for interstate travel (at 65-75mph not 100).
As for the Camry itself, it's not a bad car, but it's not a good car either. I drove a new 2009 for while during the early spring and didn't like how I felt every little vibration through the steering wheel when driving... or sitting still for that matter! At a red light the driver and passengers feel engine vibrations through the car, especially through the wheel and console mounted automatic shifter.
I find the car terrible to drive too because the roof is so low that you have to duck to see traffic lights, and for the steering wheel complaint mentioned above.
The seats are OK, but not great when compared to the larger Impala that I rented for a 600+mile round trip.
The radio is good but odd looking with its huge old looking LCD display, although it's easy to read.
Oddly enough there is no MPG computer in the car, and I don't know why because GM puts them in all of the newer cars I think, and Ford puts them in all but the basic Focus' according to an ad I read.
The comfort and ease to drive is not as good as other newer cars I have owned or driven. I hate to say this, but I test drove a base Ford Focus with a 5spd that actually had less noise, harshness and vibration than the Toyota Camry. The Focus may be worth a look if you don't need the mid-sized Camry, and the Chevy Impala might be a good bet if you want more in the way of comfort, power and size to go with your good mpg numbers.
I have to agree with the comment above, I rented both an Impala and a Chrysler 300 on work trips this year and have to say I found both of them much more comfortable than my wifes 08 Camry. Plus, I found that both of them got pretty much the same mileage as our Camry with the four cylinder, while both the Chrysler and Chevy and 6 cylinders.
I guess, from what I'm finding out, is that the Camry is incredibly overrated by all the automotive reviews, but this is, in fact, my opinion, and we will most likely will not own another Camry when we dump ours off in a year or so.
Yes while the two above comments may still be valid,
this review is on the SE model, which is not
a rental fleet model.
"On the highway, when I am going about 100-105 mph, it is only revving at about 3000! That's excellent if you are into getting somewhere fast without the engine stress"
Driving like that, you run a high risk of getting to the hospital (or worse) fast.
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