Possible to Make My LE More Fun to Drive? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jimmmm · 07-14-2009, 12:57 PM

I have a 2004 Toyota Camry LE V6.

I appreciate the incredible reliability and performance consistency. I appreciate the pickup of the V6. But it's never been any fun at all to drive. Between the soft transmission, the soft steering, and the air-locked silence, I feel completely anesthetized from the driving experience. And I'm sure that's how some Camry drivers like it...a luxury driving experience, I suppose, means feeling loftily removed from the actual feel of road and speed.

Well, I recently bought a Miata just for fun, and it sticks to the ground as if on a rail, and you feel the road and the speed like CRAZY. I find myself looking for excuses to prolong my trips. I'd never do that in my Camry, alas.

So I was about to give up, sell the Camry, and replace it with something more fun (for winter/bad weather driving, and whenever I need real trunk space). But right at the same time, I found this swell forum. So I'll throw it open to the crowd: is it possible, via modding, to make my Camry feel like more of a drive? If so, given that I've got no mechanic skills, how much should I expect to spend for parts + labor?

ebumdude · 07-14-2009, 01:09 PM

you could start by upgrading the rims / tires and brakes....sway bars and possibly a strut bar. for your year of Camry, I am sure there are a few things you could possibly do to upgrade tranny and or engine. google is your friend when it comes to this type of research.

also, for the amount of money that would be spent on products, parts and installation, you might be better off selling it and getting something more suitable for your desires whatever your current financial situation may be.

Netforcer · 07-14-2009, 01:48 PM

Unless you get lighter weight rims, it will not help any on your "fun driving" factor. Only aesthetics... Get some stickier tires and a set of coils. Maybe an exhaust to make it sound like you're going faster... But if you want fun, you want handling

xxgmsmgxx89 · 07-14-2009, 01:58 PM

take out sound deadening, remove the air intake snorkle, get some lighter (or even steelies?) wheels, sway bar, all these are relatively cheap...also, try driving your car like a stick, ie. around corners, instead of just staying in drive, learn your ratios and try shiftinf yourself, like pop it in 2nd aound a corner and learn to ride the throttle around the corner, that way the car "feels" stickier, and quicker...i drive my 90 corolla like that, and its the most fun car I have driven in a while. its a 3 speed auto, so im usually in 2nd gear when im driving around some nice turns. i try to rev match though, it works somewhat, meaning when you DO shift into a lower gear, push the thottle to get the revs up a lil so it glides into the lower gear rather than "clunking" into it. just my $0.02

**PRINCESS PEACH** · 07-14-2009, 02:33 PM

V6 is decently quick. Getting a catback would make your engine sound aggressive and not rice.
Handling is most important. Suspension. Coils. Bars. The works.

If you really want to get a racecar sound, get the kreissieg f1-exhaust system. Those things cost upwards of 5-15 thousand dollars lol.

Axxis8203 · 07-14-2009, 04:14 PM

there's not an easy, cost effective, and reliable way to make the camry a fun to drive car. your best bet is to sell it and buy a vehicle that offers all that you want and comes with a warranty to boot. this applies especially since you said you aren't mechanically inclined.

suspension mods are the simplest way to completely change the way a vehicle handles, but you've gotta have a little know-how to be able to dial the settings in to get the kinda results you want ( spring rates, toe-in, camber, dampening control.

that being said, comparing the handling of a camry to a miata isn't exactly even close to apples to apples.

if you want better winter weather handling consider a true all wheel drive vehicle from one of the european auto makers ( VW, Audi, BMW) as these, from my experience, give the driver more feedback due to more responsive suspensions and steering. just make sure the one you buy has a way to turn off the traction control as sometimes you need a little wheel spin to get you out of a snow bank ( or to help you torque steer around a tight corner, hehe.)

JustAnotherAsian · 07-14-2009, 11:24 PM

suspension...

Redline_Me · 07-14-2009, 11:48 PM

make it into a go kart

ebumdude · 07-15-2009, 12:16 AM

lol

Dna_splice · 07-15-2009, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustAnotherAsian

suspension...

i cant wait for mine in couple months

IPDaily · 07-15-2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxgmsmgxx89

also, try driving your car like a stick, ie. around corners, instead of just staying in drive, learn your ratios and try shiftinf yourself, like pop it in 2nd aound a corner and learn to ride the throttle around the corner, that way the car "feels" stickier, and quicker...i drive my 90 corolla like that, and its the most fun car I have driven in a while. its a 3 speed auto, so im usually in 2nd gear when im driving around some nice turns. i try to rev match though, it works somewhat, meaning when you DO shift into a lower gear, push the thottle to get the revs up a lil so it glides into the lower gear rather than "clunking" into it. just my $0.02

that can't be good for an automatic transmission

CTMike · 07-15-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPDaily

that can't be good for an automatic transmission

+1... its really not unless you have a slap shift which the camry does not

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmmm

I have a 2004 Toyota Camry LE V6.

I appreciate the incredible reliability and performance consistency. I appreciate the pickup of the V6. But it's never been any fun at all to drive. Between the soft transmission, the soft steering, and the air-locked silence, I feel completely anesthetized from the driving experience. And I'm sure that's how some Camry drivers like it...a luxury driving experience, I suppose, means feeling loftily removed from the actual feel of road and speed.

Well, I recently bought a Miata just for fun, and it sticks to the ground as if on a rail, and you feel the road and the speed like CRAZY. I find myself looking for excuses to prolong my trips. I'd never do that in my Camry, alas.

So I was about to give up, sell the Camry, and replace it with something more fun (for winter/bad weather driving, and whenever I need real trunk space). But right at the same time, I found this swell forum. So I'll throw it open to the crowd: is it possible, via modding, to make my Camry feel like more of a drive? If so, given that I've got no mechanic skills, how much should I expect to spend for parts + labor?

ok so first im going to say come to Rockland with Redline and me and you will get tons of ideas that will make you absolutely love you cam.. now more fun to drive... exhaust (Borla makes a good one for the V6 that sounds very nice), Rims (functional and flashy), drop it (everyone will tell you to any ways if you dont haha), front strut bar and rear sway bar (will improve handling so you can go faster, and finally get an intake (although it doesn't do much for hp it does make that really cool whoosh sound when you get on it) great part about all these things is that they are all things that you can install yourself and therefore you cut on the labor costs.