Thinking of getting a 2002-2006 Camry?

[yenracer]

Hey fellas,

I'm thinking of buying a car for my mom and just wanted some insight as to which year would be best? Is there a particular year the transmission is not reliable? I was leaning towards 2006. Can you give me a price range as to what is reasonable for lets say around 40k-60k clean car? I just need to know the range so I can haggle with the dealer or private seller. Also i'm willing to pay an extra 1000 for a v6 +50 more horse i guess if you guys think that's good???

I should of bough a v6 09 camry 2 years ago but i settled for a standard le 4 cylinder. I think an extra 110 horse is well worth around 2-3k but hey that's just me.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks all and rock on TN!!!

[m7r7m]

I just purchased a 2005 camry in July of 2010. It had 47k miles on it and was 18k after taxes & registration (wisconsin)

It's an XLE 3.0L v6 VVT and I love the vehicle. Fully loaded navi, leather, sun roof, woodgrain trim (hideous if you ask me, I covered with Carbon fiber fabric lol) heated seats, and curtain airbags.

Of all the camry's in the last 5 years this model with the side curtain airbags has been rated the highest by consumer reports for reliability inside and out.

It's a great vehicle and in the last couple months I've had zero problems with it besides just routine maintenance. (serpentine belt replacement)

If you have any specific questions let me know. Hopefully this helps a bit.

[RickF]

I've owned an '02 and still have an '05 Camry. My mother-in-law has an '06. The 05 and 06 drive smoother on the highway than the '02 year. We've not had to do any unscheduled maintenance on either car (I take care of maint on the '06).

Don't know your mom's driving habits, but I would stick with the I-4 engine. Besides being cheaper, it has enough power IMHO; very good gas mileage (~26/32); and the I-4 doesn't have a timing belt that needs to be replaced around 60K.

Good luck in making a deal.

[87Camry5Speed]

Seconding Rick's comments on the I4. Some complain but for 90% of driving situations it has enough pep. Fuel economy is also quite good. My Gen5 experience includes an '02 and '03 - both I4, one 5-speed, one automatic. Both very nice cars, partial to the 02 (for the stick). SE gets you a slightly firmer ride and a nicer interior with the silver accents.

Basic used-car rules apply- research them well, see what good examples of what you want are going for, test drive several, look for service history, clean Carfax is nice (though you never know if something just wasn't reported to insurance).

[my.rims.are.stock]

I know a guy who just bought an 05 Camry LE w/ 70k miles for $17k and financed it for 72 months. If he were to follow all the payments it would wind up costing him around $26K. Don't be THAT guy :-/.

With that being said I really like the 05/06 V6 SE. I almost bought one instead of my 09 SE, I just couldn't find a good price to mileage ratio. Remember this is a CAMRY. Not a high end luxury car. If it seems like they want too much then they probably do. You can get a brand new 2011 LE right now for $19K. Think smart before you buy a 6 year old car with 50K miles for what you could get a brand new car (with warranty and toyota care) for now.

[fatngs]

i bought an 06 SE 2.4 for $11k with 33k miles...... i do sometimes wish i had the horsepower of a v6, but the 2.4 is better on gas, less maint., easy to work on, and gets around just fine even with a car full of people

[bdy0003]

My parents own 03 and 05 that are inline 4s. 03 is made in Japan, very dependable, very much for comfort. The 05 is much more sporty (not a SE) with a different response in the engine and the suspension is stiffer. At 65mph, the 03 is up to 2500rpm and the 05 is up at 2000rpm. Based on this, get the 05 cause its actually does better on gas. However, I don't know if its just my mom that does it, but it gives us trouble in terms of alignment. I had to take it in 3 times within a year and a half, tires wore down after 37k, and needed to replace the battery within a few years of purchase. The 03 still has the original battery. My brother has a 04 V6 XLE, and frankly, I would go with the I4 cause for the reasons stated above. Of course, above all, I still prefer my 95 Camry, the golden years of Toyota.

[sundarpn]

Unlike the 02/03/04, the 05/06 came with a 5-speed and the rpm's at highway speeds are lower... My 02 revs 2800 to 2900 at ~75 mph. That's too high in my opinion. Darn 4 speed.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

Stop thinking!!!!! Just do it!!!!

V6 for sure though...and SE if you can find one