2014 Camry Review

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Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
What gets me with Toyota and no one gives them [censored] for this is they don't change anything. They still use the same window swtich's that were in my 1993, come on GM would get flack for that.


I don't think that's totally accurate. Numerous people on BITOG have made the comment in one of the ignition switch threads that GM had the ignition switch perfected 30 years ago, and had used it for at least 20 years....why change it? Same with their tilt steering column. Believe it or not, my '97 Cadillac Seville had the SAME tilt steering column mechanism that my '84 Oldsmobile Cutlass had. And they developed that design years before '84 as well.

I think there's a lot of value in not re-inventing the wheel when you don't have to.

Same deal with Toyota digital clocks. They've been the same (as far as the guts) forever. Why change what works?

I drove both the Camry XLE and the Fusion Platinum, or whatever the top trim is called, at the Ford EcoBoost challenge earlier this year. Both were very nice sedans with very nice interiors, and the differences between the two are far more exaggerated in the media than really exist (at least in my opinion). Both handled pretty good, though the Fusion had an edge. How much of that was truly from the chassis and how much of that was from the 19" Goodyear Eagles vs. the Camry's 17" eco tires, I don't know.

I liked the Camry's interior better, and I liked the Fusion's chassis better. Which is really the same as my old '11 Camry vs. the '11 Fusions we have at work. I liked the Camry's interior better but liked the Fusion's drive better.
 
Believe it or not there are many many people who just view a car as a machine of transport, defined by their expectations on trim levels only. Most could care less as long as it is reliable, gets decent fuel economy...and that is about it.

I love cars in general, but there are very few that get my heart pumping. If cardiac excitement isn't involved, its a tool for the job for me.
 
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Well, I guess hattares and my neighbor disagree...he had gotten a Buick while his Corolla was getting repaired and returned it the next day for a Camry...The Buick just floated and felt numb to him, while the Camry was a significant improvement in every way.


Must not have been the new Regal, they don't float.

Then again beyond renting them I don't have a dog in this segment, I don't buy FWD cars.
 
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Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Compared to modern American cars or Subaru the Camry is just meh. A Buick Regal blows it out of the water and a Fusion is much nicer inside as well.

What gets me with Toyota and no one gives them [censored] for this is they don't change anything. They still use the same window swtich's that were in my 1993, come on GM would get flack for that.

Alot of people just want their car to work, and don't really care about the minor differences in the interior quality or design... Toyota still has the reputation of reliability for now atleast.
I'd think that Toyota and Honda would have the most owners who would say that they would be happy just buying a new copy of their old car as well.
Also it seemed to me, having grown up with both japanese and american cars in my family, toyota and honda would make sure their window switch is cheap and reliable. GM and others would give up a little reliabilty to do a bad chrome job on their window switch...


Absolutely which is why we bought my sister a Corolla. It never breaks and doesn't really cost anything to own. Its simply a transportation appliance, and a very good one at that.
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Well, I guess hattares and my neighbor disagree...he had gotten a Buick while his Corolla was getting repaired and returned it the next day for a Camry...The Buick just floated and felt numb to him, while the Camry was a significant improvement in every way.


Must not have been the new Regal, they don't float.



Nope...brand new...it was a numbing feather-bed floating ride...and again, the Camry had much more feel...
 
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Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
Well, I guess hattares and my neighbor disagree...he had gotten a Buick while his Corolla was getting repaired and returned it the next day for a Camry...The Buick just floated and felt numb to him, while the Camry was a significant improvement in every way.


Must not have been the new Regal, they don't float.



Nope...brand new...it was a numbing feather-bed floating ride...and again, the Camry had much more feel...


Your neighbor is nuts.
smile.gif
 
I don't think KitaCam's neighbor is necessarily nuts. The Regal has been based on GM's Epsilon II platform since 2011, and shares underpinnings with cars such as the Chevy Malibu. A rental-spec Regal is likely the CXL model, and it probably rides and drives similarly to the Malibu. The Regal GS has the upgrade brakes and the HiPerStrut front suspension, but not all trims have this.

I've posted before how I think the 2012 Malibu we have at work has managed to out-Camry the Camry. It has a very nice interior, it's supremely quiet inside, and is absolutely devoid of any road feel or feedback to the driver. If KitaCam's neighbor has a Camry SE (which does ride fairly firm for a Camry), I imagine that it WOULD drive a lot sportier than a rental-spec Regal.
 
Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Compared to modern American cars or Subaru the Camry is just meh. A Buick Regal blows it out of the water and a Fusion is much nicer inside as well.

What gets me with Toyota and no one gives them [censored] for this is they don't change anything. They still use the same window swtich's that were in my 1993, come on GM would get flack for that.


They are a top selling product that appeals to the masses. Who cares. While I would not want to own one I have not a single complaint renting a Camry ever.

I concur Ford Fusion was quite nice but my only experience was getting 10 miles from rental place and the check engine light and oil light illuminated. I drove it straight back and it was knocking away. Probably they forgot to refill the oil.
 
I will start out by saying that I am probably a little bit biased because my DD is a Camry SE V6. Having the 2gr-fe V6 transforms this car into a major sleeper as far as engine power goes. The power to fuel economy ratio is hard to beat. This has to be the smoothest V6 in this segment..good enough to go in a Lexus, but cheap enough to go in a Camry!

I will say that the handling is just alright. Nothing special, but is secure and confident when need be.

The interior in mine is very nice. It's the top of the line SE model, so it came with the two toned leather seats, navi, and all the goodies. Overall, it's a nice car. I agree with Nick for the most part. Although I really don't notice and transmission programming issues?
 
I have always liked Camry's for their simpleness. Though, I don't think shoppers can go wrong with any of the new cars in this particular catigory, domestic/import!

Sure, there is a Best and Worst! But, the worst is really a good car! This is something we've never seen before. Which car is which? IDK, as I haven't tested any of them yet
smile.gif


Right now, it's a matter of what fits your criteria. I believe we can choose a car in this catigory based on looks or price alone and drive it and love it for many years.

We'll find out in a few years of ownership if we'd buy that car again. Camry owners keep coming back for a reason!
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
I have always liked Camry's for their simpleness.

We'll find out in a few years of ownership if we'd buy that car again. Camry owners keep coming back for a reason!


One way to find out if a car's got "legs" is to buy it @ 7-yrs old/100k miles...you'll find out soon enough how tight and fit it is.

...I've gone 20k since getting mine @ 97k and the only "repairs" done so far has been the top engine mount, ($70), and a pair of stabilizer links ($100)....full disclosure...it came with a complete new clutch system...the THIRD (the 2nd being I gather, a botch)...
 
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So I've owned several Accords and Camrys, and I've always found the Camry to be a little smoother than the Accord, but both are fine cars. I had a brief drive in a 2013 model (I4), and found it to be about what I expected. Quieter than the 2013 Accord.

The 2GR-FE may be one of my favorite engines, because it moves a vehicle well (like our Sienna to a Lotus), is quite reliable, and makes a nice sound when it revs...all in a mass produced package.

So that's the thing, I would be quite happy with any car with that V6, but haven't driven the latest one with the V6. All the mainstream mid-size V6 sedans are pretty quick, and the 4 cylinders are rather nice.

Toyota is about to release details on the 2015 Camry this week, the latest salvo in the mid-size sedan wars; I would be very surprised if they made any changes to the V6 trim.
 
The current Camry IMO has the best looking exterior, and has the nicest interior in a Camry in many years. They drive very nicely - controlled but not sporty. The V6 has plenty of power. They have removed most of the flat hard plastic that I objected to in the previous iteration. I'm all for hard plastic that is textured and doesn't look like hard plastic.

It is the perfect, pleasant driving appliance. I would keep it if someone donated one to me.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Your neighbor is nuts.
smile.gif



Why? Because he has a different opinion than you?
 
My primary complaints for my Camry would be the gearbox and the steering. Handling is what it is... the car is a boat and I accept it as such because it's a Camry.

I can get over the sluggish transmission because they at least gave me the easy option to slap it over to sequential and have it automatically drop to 4th gear, which greatly helps with keeping the engine on boil for merging from on-ramps.

The steering is annoying because it's too light and lacks any kind of on-center feel. I find it difficult to keep it tracking in a straight line down the freeway without frequent adjustments, but maybe that's because I'm used to the GTI. I'm getting better at it, but it feels like the car needs more caster angle and a bit less of a boost from the power steering while at freeway speeds.

It's a fine car for point A to point B, and the V-6 is a gem. We cross shopped and test drove quite a few other similar cars, and I would disagree with the idea that anything American is automatically better.
 
Originally Posted By: Mykl
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Your neighbor is nuts.
smile.gif



Why? Because he has a different opinion than you?


It was a tongue in cheek remark, did you happen to notice the smiley?
 
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