Camry replacement - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

dem2757 · 10-17-2011, 09:13 PM

So, i guess my car is being passed to my sister soon......

Any reccommendations here from you guys? First place of advice since you all have been so helpful. I need one under 5k, and something that gets around 24 mpg combined. I know most of you here agree that the camry is pretty great

but i need something similar to it but newer.

Id buy a 91 camry alltrac if i could...and if my girfriend wouldnt shoot me

***84Cressida*** · 10-17-2011, 09:14 PM

Similar to a Camry, but newer...Hmm...

How about a newer Camry?

dem2757 · 10-17-2011, 09:17 PM

ive thought about that but i also left off that if i could get full time AWD id like that for the maryland winters. Are the gen 3's and 4's as reliable and solid as the gen 2?

***84Cressida*** · 10-18-2011, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dem2757

ive thought about that but i also left off that if i could get full time AWD id like that for the maryland winters. Are the gen 3's and 4's as reliable and solid as the gen 2?

They sure are. They don't have All-trac variants, though.

71Corolla · 10-18-2011, 01:05 AM

The generation 3 Camry is a much more refined car. Less road noise, wind noise, better driving dynamics, more comfortable. The Gen4 Camry IMO was a step back in some ways, party because the car got heavier but the drivetrain remained basically the same. I had a 2001, my 1993 to me a better car in just about every way.

But for outright reliability and durability, the Gen2 can't be beat. For example the struts are truly lifetime parts, my '87 is still running the originals and they are perfectly fine. My alternator finally gave out the brushes wore down to nothing, but I think nearly 250,000 miles on a set of brushes is pretty good. Put new ones in and that was that, alternator works fine again. Still running the original water pump, more as an experiment at this point just to see how long it will go.

dem2757 · 10-18-2011, 06:50 PM

so bascially the best car i could own is a gen 2 period

id love to buy another gen 2, but with the prospect of having to repair them now, i dont really have the time in the future =[

dont get me wrong, this car is fantastic. i love it. i wouldnt be asking how to replace it unless it was absolutelyyyy necessary. any take on subarus?

Tom 2000 · 10-19-2011, 08:07 AM

Get a gen3 or gen4 in good condition and buy yourself some good snow tires. My gen4 did great in the snow with the studded snow tires.

Or....Try to find a 2003 Toyota Matrix AWD. Problem is they are as easy to find as an all-trac Camry.

'88 All-Trac · 10-19-2011, 12:14 PM

'99 Impreza 2.5 RS is a sexy beast and can be built to push 600hp if you so desire... And can be had reasonably cheap, if you can find them.

Don't get later than a '99. They quit being sexy after that.

Having never driven a Gen 3 or 4 Camry, I can't recommend them to you for a dd- but I can say they make playing copilot a dream.

dem2757 · 10-19-2011, 02:15 PM

Good suggestions. if i could id stick with the gen 2 AWD but thats like near impossible.

99 impreza? ill look that up. Anyone know the reliability of like headgaskets and such?

'88 All-Trac · 10-19-2011, 02:36 PM

I love my All-Trac... Only took a solid 18 months of looking.

And then an arguably better deal on an LE popped up two weeks later. Dx

The '99 2.5 RS wasn't boosted stock- but they're built with Subaru durability in mind. They don't last as long as a 'Yota under normal use, true, but they'll last longer under heavy abuse.

http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicl...imprezars.html
http://www.rstack.com/pictures/impreza.html
http://www.cars101.com/impreza_archive99_01.html
http://www.edmunds.com/subaru/impreza/1999/

To be honest, I've never read anything bad about the Impreza series.