Looking at getting a different car, need opinions

[nogard]

Well, my wife has a 1999 4cyl camry, it could use a paint job, the paint is blistering on the trunk. Due to all the stuff she hauls and to make it easier loading she wants a wagon or xB.

My mother-in-law has a 2006 xb which is great for the most part, but not much storage room in the back with the seats up. And you aren't supposed to tow a trailer with this vehicle.

I have a 1988 wagon which I will be swapping out do to extreme rust for a gem of a 1990 wagon I just picked up. It will get the 5 speed out of my '88 since I hate autos and want good gas mileage.

So my wife would like something like either one of these. I would like to have at least two vehicles that can tow the utility trailer I have. So that takes the xB out of the picture. A 2nd gen xB would do better with towing, but from what I've read it isn't rated to two either.

Since my wife doesn't care if the car is an auto, I was thinking about a 3rd gen camry wagon for her. The limited towing capacity would do just fine. But the big question is do I go with the 4 or 6 cylinder. I'm a fan of 4 cylinders due to gas saving and easy and simple to work on. Most of the time it will be just her with a bunch of stuff in the car. Her current 1999 camry is a 4 cylinder so she is used to the lack of torque.

What do you guys think?

[chronoti]

you be fine with a 4 cylinder, maybe the 6 if you feel when towing you dont have the extra power to move around with it. good luck on finding a wagon their getting hard to find

[uuuuu]

I don't think there is that much mpg difference between the i4 and the v6.

[iovaykind]

There isnt much mpg difference but maintenance for the I4 will be easier. Youll probably find I4 more readily. Best bet is to just get what you can find if you can get a good deal.

[zythr]

Also the V-6 has lower mileage and also requires premium fuel

[redtigerrocks]

It doesn't "require" premium fuel. If you want max performance, use premium fuel. I've been running straight unleaded in my V6 and it performs fine.

[swagger_wagon468]

hey man, im buying another camry wagon towards the end of the summer and going to resell it... its a 93 Camry wagon. v6. automatic. if ur interested in it, let me kno.

[LynchburgCSI]

Ehhh, any 4 or 6 cyl Camry wagon should be fine. If you want something newer look into the Matrix. We just bought one (see sig) and it holds a LOT more than you'd think. Two different 4cyl engines are available too.

[nogard]

That's what I've seen too is a 4 cylinder that is out of tune gets around the same gas mileage as a V6. I like the simplicity of maintaining the 4 cylinder.

I will not be towing solely with this car, it will be secondary two vehicle, most likely the payload would be 1000 lbs. or less. Does anyone know the towing capacity.

I've been looking, and what I want is out there, I just have to be patient, willing to drive to get it, and willing to pay what they want for it. I want a 4 cylinder auto, dark color, miles don't matter, but I want the body top and underside to be clean and rust free. I'm thinking closer to 1996, usually buying the later years of a body style are better. I'm past the stage of buying rusty cars, I'm willing to pay a little extra to get less or no rust. A car that wasn't washed and maintained cosmetically will catch up faster than you think, especially if you plan to keep it.

Now I remember reading reading something about these cars not being OBD II but the later years used a hybrid version of OBD I that is a lot like OBD II. What is the low down on this?

I've considered getting a Matrix, I test drove on once and didn't like the ride, but some vehicles tend to be a little different depending on the year and trim package. The thing rode very choppy. I thought about looking into getting the one with the VVT-i or whatever it is. I remember a guy had on in the readers rides of Sport Compact Car bragging about the 36 MPG he could get and still have to power to stomp it down.

We will see not in a hurry to switch cars right now, a lot of other irons in the fire. I'm sure most of you can relate.