I brought a 1998 Camry V6 3.0 back in early September 2007. 2 previous owners and 183,000 on the clock (nothing for this car), driven daily from Telford to Birmingham. Having owned the car for 4 months and putting another 10,000 motorway miles on the clock I have to say that generally it is an excellent car.
First the bad points. With petrol currently between 99.9 and 106.9 a litre in the UK you need to bear this in mind. In fuel alone this car costs 16 pence a mile, even more about town. Add to that the cost of servicing at the recommended 9,000 miles in addition to replacement consumables (I put 2 new front tyres on in November) and you soon realise that this is not a Ford Fiesta.
These considerations are for the most part forgotten the moment you get behind the wheel. This is a car of modest features yet it has a quality, almost executive feel about it. The interior is spacious, the stereo punchy and of high fidelity. There is a holder for your glasses. Excellent interior lights. 2 cup holders, leather arm rest, electric windows, mirrors and sun roof. The climate control is more than adequate and a good windscreen demister on cold days, though the rear window heater seems to take its time. I carry a cloth and just wipe it over. The same with the mirrors.
Upon starting the engine and driving away you begin to get a feel for the car. However, forget driving it about town. This is a motorway car. Don't get stuck in traffic. In Telford it is not too bad. Watch the speed bumps. The suspension rattles a bit over bumps but no apparent problems after 4 months of driving. Watch your speed at roundabouts-the car does not hold the road particularly well and will drift out. Under harsh acceleration the front-wheel drive will spin the wheels quite dramatically.
Once you are on the motorway the 3.0 V6 comes into its own. Cruise control at 70mph and you can almost feel like putting your feet up and smoking a pipe. How about a bit of music and a cup of tea? Which may indeed suit you on some occasions. Don't go to sleep though will you? Switch the cruise control off and drive the car properly and you soon discover that it is a beast of a car!
At speed, the engine comes alive and the sound from the sports exhaust is simply fantastic. The Camry leaves everything else standing. This is life in the fast lane. I drive about 800 miles a week. It certainly doesn't feel like it. I would hate those miles in a smaller car. Even after 3 hours continuous driving you will be able to get out, stretch and feel no worse for wear than if you had simply walked out of your front door and round the corner to the shop.
If you want a car for tootling back and forth from say Shropshire to Middlesex down the M40 two or three times a week and for it to feel as though you only drove to Birmingham then the Camry is for you. It will cost you more than driving to Birmingham but Shropshire to London on the train will cost you twice as much than the Camry and be much more stressfull and take twice as long. The Camry seems to take the stress out of motorway driving completely.
Forget the Camry about town, or even on the M1 because the road is too slow. But the Camry is simply fantastic on the M6 Toll and the M40. You begin to pity the poor buggers in their 1.3 Corsas, perpetually stuck behind the ever present lorries. As you sip your service station tea, you smile to yourself content in the knowledge that you made the right choice.
The Camry is a rarity and you do find yourself engaging in a bit of "Camry Spotting". I have never seen another one. You will think you have seen one, only to discover, as you are overtaking that it is an Avensis. Sure, he's a bit wealthier than you perhaps but he paid much more than £900 for his car and besides he hasn't got your engine has he?
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Rare,Reliability,Comfort,Character,Super Smooth Engine,Stereo,Price, Nobody knows what it is Disadvantages: Ride quality, Poor Standard Wheels, Rear Visibility, Nobody knows what it is, Lip Spoiler easily damaged
beurling 31.12.2006 ·
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Review of Toyota Camry 3.0
Advantages: Rare,Reliability,Comfort,Character,Super Smooth Engine,Stereo,Price, Nobody knows what it is Disadvantages: Ride quality, Poor Standard Wheels, Rear Visibility, Nobody knows what it is, Lip Spoiler easily damaged
beurling 31.12.2006 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Toyota Camry 3.0
Advantages: Fast, Economic, Comfy, Spacious, No One Knows What it is Disadvantages: Automatic this car would be more faster if it was in Manual .. or Trip Tonic
MohammedMo 28.04.2007 (29.04.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Toyota Camry 3.0
Dec 26th, 2007
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