Until October of 2006 I was driving a Subaru Forrester. It was a used 2000 model that I had for about three years. At first, it was a good car. Eventually it started having all sorts of problems. A tire bearing went, the head gasket kept leaking (something the Subaru dealer knew about but wouldn’t take care of), and then the car started making a funny smell. I took it for service and the repairs were out of sight. Instead of keeping a car that was turning into a money pit, I decided to get a new car. I Checked out Honda and Toyota. After dong my homework I selected the 2007 Toyota Camry.

One of the biggest reasons I selected the Camry is due to safety. At the time of purchase my daughter was 3 months old. I was thinking of her safety. The Camry received a “Good” rating from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The US Government gave it a 5 star rating. On top of that the Camry come with several safety features (standard). It has 7 airbags (driver, passenger, two side air curtains, two elbow/arm airbags (driver’s left, passenger’s right), and one for the driver’s knees. The Camry has daytime running lights, anti-lock breaks, side impact beams, a very strong frame, and optional Vehicle Stability Control. The Camry also has latches for child seats.

Besides safety comfort was also a big deal to me. My Forrester felt like I was driving Fred Flintstone’s car. Every pebble and bump could be felt. There was also no leg room for me. I had the seat all the way back and my legs still needed room to stretch. I had to tilt my seat so my head wouldn’t touch the roof. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable in the Forrester. My Camry has an electronic adjustable driver’s seat with Lumbar support. With a push of a few buttons and a push of a lever, I can get very comfy. With my seat set away from the steering, the way I like it, the passenger behind me has plenty of leg room. The seat on the passenger’s side is manual control. Visibility also is very good.

Before I get into what my Camry has, I want to talk about driving it. The model I purchased is the CE model. It has the four cylinder engine with automatic transmission (Park, reverse, neutral, drive, 4, 3, 2, and low). This engine gets up to 185 horse-power, however, living in NJ, mine came with the California Emissions rating. This drops the HP down to 155 (so the deal told me). Even at 155hp I find the engine to be very peppy. It may not have the power to win a race but It can get very fast, very quickly. The steering is very responsive, it does what I want it to when I want. If find the car a joy to drive. As far as fuel economy; the Camry has an 18 gallon tank. It took a while but I figured that I am getting about 24 miles per gallon in the city. On Highways I am averaging about 30 miles a gallon. To keep the car handling well Toyota recommends an oil change every 5,000 miles and a tire rotation at the same time. That’s right! The sales rep told me that Toyota made a timing chain for the engine and oil changes are now 5,000 miles.

Because I got the CE model, my car doesn’t have the bells and whistles that the higher models have. I don’t have the sunroof, a spoiler, an in dash navigation system, or even a Bluetooth radio system for my cell phone. Anyway, it did come with some nice features. I have power windows, Air-conditioning, rear de-foster, two cup holders, a nice sized glove box, an arm rest storage compartment, a small storage compartment to plug an mp3 player into (for the AUX on the radio), two power outlets (12 volt), tilt staring, cruse control, child safety locks on the doors, radio control on the steering wheel, a spacious trunk, a junky spare tire, a trunk with ample storage, and a radio (am/fm, CD with mp3 disk capability, and an auxiliary port for my iPod).

I want to get back to comfort. I have sat in every seat in the car. No matter where I sit, every seat is comfortable. The seats are the fabric seats and not the leather. I found them to keep me warm in the winter and cool during the warm days several weeks ago (NJ area). The tilt steering adjusts to where I like it. It also has a wide range on the tilt. The gear shift is in the center consol making it easy to reach. The controls for the AC unit are also easy to reach as well as the radio (if not using the radio control on the steering wheel). I find the way the controls are easy to reach. They are also large so they are easier to grab. Due to these features I don’t need to take my eyes off the road. This makes it very comfortable in my opinion. Also the gages are easy to see. They are well lit and easy to read.

I have been driving this car for about 7 months now. I can’t find any negatives about it yet (the $20,000 price tag was not that bad). I have been very happy with the way it handles and its looks; I hope that it stays that way. My wife drives a 97’ Camry with about 125,000 on it. It still runs well. I am guessing with Toyota’s quality, mine will be running a long time too.

Thanks for reading
Brett