My husband and I purchased a 2005 Camry LE Sport Edition in February. His last car was a Mitsubishi Eclipse, purchased in his single days. Now that he is married, he wanted a more reliable, more family-friendly car. I have always driven Toyota cars and would buy nothing but a Toyota,and it wasn't hard to convert my husband!
We test drove a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima, since they are all in the same class. Hands down, the Toyota won. Here's why:

The Camry has a nice interior, almost like that of a luxury car. There is wood trim paneling, which also makes it look more expensive. There is a sunglass case above the mirror, a good size compartment to hold CDs, a small compartment to the left of the steering wheel (maybe for spare change), and a dual compartment between the 2 front seats, that also contains a 2nd outlet for cell phones, etc. The front seats also have pockets on the back of them for passengers to store things. The back also has its own separate drink holders, which is nice for kids. The drink holders are expandable, due to the amount of "biggie" size beverages.

In our sport edition, the steering wheel is leather, which gives it a nice feel, and the upholstery is slightly sportier than the regular LE, although I actually think my Corolla's interior is more plush.

There is plenty of legroom in the back, we have had several friends comment on that.

Handling wise, the Camry is great. We have had no problems with tight turns. It has enough power, although not as much as the Altima. Our first priority was not power, however, but reliability. The Camry's ride was somewhat smoother than the Accord and Altima.

Gas mileage is great, 30 on the highway, I believe. My husband has definitely noticed a difference from the Eclipse!

My only complaint (and it may just be a matter of preference) is that you must press HARD on the brake to get it to stop. My Corolla's brakes are pretty sensitive and I don't have to use most of my weight. I'm sure that is just something that you have to get used to, though.

To summarize, I feel that we got a great car for a great value. The car is luxurious for the price.


Amount Paid (US$): 21500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2005
Model and Options: LE Sport