An appliance with steering
Written: Jul 01 '04 (Updated Jul 27 '04)
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Pros: Reliable and capable transportation. Well constructed and good for highway commutes.
Cons: A very "point A to point B" kind of car. Styling is bland and uninspired.
The Bottom Line: If you want reliable yet unexciting transportation, here's your car. Just don't expect any discounts or ground breaking technologies.
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| sfoltz's Full Review: 2004 Toyota Camry |
This review is the result of my eight days driving a 2004 Camry LE (Base w/ 4 cylinder) that I rented from Hertz at the Dulles airport in Virginia. I drove the car around the Washington, D.C. area as well as Western Maryland and South Central Pennsylvania during that time.
First Impressions
I was a bit enamored with the styling of the older Camry models (circa 1998-2001). The new styling is a bit of a yawner for me. Unfortunately for Toyota, I found everything about the Camry to be utilitarian and boring. I agree with other's observations that the rear lights are too big, the body panels too plain and, overall, that the car's as generic as it gets.
I got the Camry as a rental, solely because Hertz had nothing better for me, at the time, for the price. I was hoping for a Mazda6 or even a Sonata, but reluctantly accepted the Camry. As a side note, I found it surprising that Hertz considers a Toyota Corolla a "mid-size" car. I arrived on a red eye, so I was bummed about the car and it took a while to appreciate some of the nicer things. Over eight days, I feel I managed to get a good feel for the car in spite of my original ambivalence.
On the Road
It took a bit of finessing to find a good driving position, but I did manage to get everything adjusted to my satisfaction, eventually. The only option on this car was a power front driver's seat. In the LE version, the only significant options are audio upgrades, a sun roof and exterior trim and wheel upgrades. I noticed the plastic wheel covers on this base car were extremely scratched up from curbing and the rear wheel brakes were drums, not discs.
The first thing I really noticed while driving, was that the suspension on this base model leaves a bit to be desired. On rough roads, with varying pavement and potholes, the suspension is easily overwhelmed. The shocks do a poor job of absorbing these imperfections and the general impression is that of live axles on front and back. On the other hand, the car handles fairly predictably without wallowing or exhibiting excessive body lean on sharp turns. I couldn't help but compare this to my experiences driving other cars, particularly my wife's former Hyundai Elantra and current Santa Fe, as well as the Hyundai Sonata. All seem to do a better job of absorbing larger road imperfectons and isolating those effects from the driver. I was surprised that the Toyota seemed less capable.
On decent roads, such as the Pennsylvania turnpike, the Camry was a very comfortable tourer. External noises were very minor due to well insulated doors and engine compartment areas. The seats were very comfortable on longer trips, but offer only marginal lateral support, which is not really an issue, as I can't forsee anyone trying to wring any real road performance out of this car. It's a very capable cruiser in most respects, with good visibility all around, very good seating for five adults, a large trunk and a very frugal engine. I averaged 32 mpg during this week, which was about 30% city driving.
A 2.4 liter engine is the primary powerplant for Camry, as the majority are sold with this 157 HP four cylinder, according to Toyota. Power is more than adequate except when performing highway passing maneuvers from 40-60 mph. In these cases, plan your passing attempts carefully, as it takes a little while to get an advantage. Around town, at lower speeds, passing is much less stressful, as the four banger does a decent job performing the in and out maneuvers required for someone unfamiliar with the local layout. This four cylinder is one of the smoothest I've experienced. In fact, if it weren't for the tell-tale raspyness at times, I'd have thought it was a small V6. The standard four speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and predictably; in such an unobtrusive way that it's workings are pretty much out of sight and out of mind.
Braking was adequate, as well. No complaints in that department despite the basic front gear and ancient technology used on the rear axle. All quick stops were well controlled and pretty straight.
Unfortunately, the car communicates absolutely no feedback through the steering wheel except when you are encountering ruts, troughs, potholes and expansion joints, the latter sending the tail end skittering slightly to one side.
Overall the Camry, in it's base form, is an adequate performer, but doesn't stand out in any way. Toyota is famous for it's reputation for reliability and I'd agree that the powertrain seems faultless.
Aesthetics and creature comforts
I am often surprised to read reviews that regard the interior design and quality of Toyotas to be so far above other makes. This Camry proved to be over-rated in that regard, I believe. While I appreciate good fit and finish, I'm not as easily impressed with that in concert with obviously cheap details. The upper portion of the dash was constructed of a light gray vinyl material that, while soft to the touch, was no better looking than the dashes I've seen in older Ford pickups. The passenger airbag cutout on the dash was as obvious as a sore thumb and the climate controls were made of very generic looking economy parts, similar to the controls in a Ford Escort. Granted, the feel of these controls was well damped and the stops were firm but not clickety-cheap either. Nothing about the dash or instrument panel imparted a sense of "better" to me. The clothlike material on the door panels was very bottom-of-the-line in feel and appearance. I was really surprised how cheap and plasticky the door handles, inside and out, felt and the sense they wouldn't withstand any abuse.
I also hated the fact that, while the car acceptably locked all the doors when the transmission was put into drive, one had to manually unlock the rear doors after putting the car back into park. I eventually got used to this, but it was frustrating for a while. The trunk release on the key fob worked only occasionally, if at all. The trunk lid was heavier than expected and might be a little difficult for less physical persons to close easily.
Safety
Surprisingly, Toyota appears to have resisted making side air bags, ABS and Traction control standard in their flag bearer for Mr. and Mrs. Average American. Dual front airbags are so yesterday, along with seat belt pre-tensioners, that they are nothing to brag about, yet Toyota gives the impression these features are "state of the art" in their pitches. Even the Koreans are putting side airbags as standard in some of their lower end vehicles these days. Another reason I think Toyotas are overpriced.
Summation
Basic transportation with a brand cache. That just about sums this car up for me. I believe a lot of people buy Toyotas because they can't imagine driving anything else, or at least would be embarrassed to drive something like a Kia, Suzuki, Mazda or Hyundai.
I love cars, in general, but some just don't get my juices flowing. The newer Camry is a true appliance vehicle to me. The only exceptions, appearance-wise, are the Celica and Solara, and, while attractive, the Solara also proved less than exciting to drive. At no time during my eight day trip did I wake up thinking, "I can't wait to take a drive!" If this were my daily driver, I would consider my commute a drudgery or, maybe a comfortable chore is a better way to say it.
For all you Toyota lovers out there, I say, buy all of them you want. They are decent and dependable cars, without question. They just aren't cars for people who really like cars, in my opinion, with the exception of the Celica and the MR2.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 18800
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: LE
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Epinions.com ID:
sfoltz
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Location: Portland, OR, USA
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
I know the meaning of life now and how to get out of here ALIVE!!
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