Rental Camry review

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Feb 2, 2012
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I have a 2017 Camry LE with ~46,000 miles as a rental, because my Challenger is at a body shop (backed into in a parking lot, cracked bumper), I have put ~300 miles on it.

Three things stand out. One...this car redefines "aggressively bland". Two, the (electric assist) steering feels very strange. Three: the car is INCREDIBLY tight for its size. I have the seat all the way down, the column all the way up, and I'm still crowded. My knee is jammed into the console (which would be great if it were 2" narrower), the wheel is in my lap. I am MUCH less crowded in my mother's Elantra.

Power is...actually better than I expected, probably due to the 6-speed automatic, though a slightly deeper final drive (2000RPM is ~70MPH) for the 4-banger would probably help. Ride is smooth and quiet. There is no constant-power 12V plug, which I find VERY annoying. FWIW, it DOES have a spare tire. Brakes feel weird...they stop fine (though the contrast from 4-piston Brembos was striking), but the initial pedal press just feels...odd. (I think the car has brake assist, that might be it...?) There is no way to open the trunk from outside the car except the remote...and oddly, it still uses a regular key to start.

Mileage is...about what I expected, about 26MPG.
 
Camry's are always on my list of cars to consider & test drive when I am looking for another 4 dr. However, I usually pick something else. I've owned several Toy/Lex vehicles and I can honestly say that I don't like'em much except their quiet on the hiwy. Some have actually been no more reliable than any of the other cars that I've owned. I must be getting the "not so good ones".

ATMOF, for as trashed as NISSAN cars get for their reliability of late and maybe deserving of the hate, they've been some of my best/most reliable vehicles over the 10-12 years of ownership and nicer to drive than Toyota's for me.
 
We have a 2017 Camry SE it’s not quiet at all lol Toyota is known for road noise. I haven’t got to drive it at all so I can’t speak on how it drives. I hate the fact it has electric steering I prefer hydraulic. I’m surprised it has hydraulic brakes really. Yes it still has a key that was a deal breaker for us on the ones that didn’t because I have replaced too many of those systems to trust a button. Ours has a 12v outlet one on the console and one near the driver’s compartment but none in the back which is not something we like either but it’s been great. Still has the Bridgestone tires from the factory the only thing we have had to do is a serpentine belt because ours was faulty from the factory and ours leaks coolant from the reservoir when warm it bubbles all the way to the top but they wouldn’t do anything about it when it was under warranty so I am going to be fixing that on my own.
 
The wife has a 2015 Camry SE...the 4cyl is anemic as all get out and noisy when having to get on it. Bleh.

But, it has been a good reliable car.
 
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If you want bland you should try our '11 Camry. Underpowered and bland. At the same time... it's been fine for what we wanted. Not a lot of city driving so 0-60 hasn't mattered.
 
We have a 2017 Camry SE it’s not quiet at all lol Toyota is known for road noise. I haven’t got to drive it at all so I can’t speak on how it drives. I hate the fact it has electric steering I prefer hydraulic. I’m surprised it has hydraulic brakes really. Yes it still has a key that was a deal breaker for us on the ones that didn’t because I have replaced too many of those systems to trust a button. Ours has a 12v outlet one on the console and one near the driver’s compartment but none in the back which is not something we like either but it’s been great. Still has the Bridgestone tires from the factory the only thing we have had to do is a serpentine belt because ours was faulty from the factory and ours leaks coolant from the reservoir when warm it bubbles all the way to the top but they wouldn’t do anything about it when it was under warranty so I am going to be fixing that on my own.
SE has 18" performance tires. My LE has 16" wheels. (Tires are Eldorado Touring, look almost brand new.) That might be the difference; I drove an SE a few years ago and found the "performance" chassis setup was not a good fit. It made for more noise and a harsh ride with no real benefit.
 
SE has 18" performance tires. My LE has 16" wheels. (Tires are Eldorado Touring, look almost brand new.) That might be the difference; I drove an SE a few years ago and found the "performance" chassis setup was not a good fit. It made for more noise and a harsh ride with no real benefit.
Yeah true. It’s the one my mom wanted and the only one they had on the lot without a CVT or push button start so it was that one or no one lol. I haven’t looked at the chassis on it or even had the tires off of it because it hasn’t needed anything except oil changes and a warranty serpentine belt and radiator replacement which I did myself. She won’t let me take the tires off to rotate them at home or look at the chassis so probably won’t come off for a long time for me to look at.
 
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