Getting fed up with the Camry:

[kenratboy]

Yup.

First, the car is reliable and it does its job in terms of getting me from point A to point B, and occasionally point C on the weekend (bonus points if you tell me what that was from). In that reguard, I cannot go wrong!

Anyway, the car seems to have very little going for it:

-Suspension is not suited to sporty handling - obvious, and mods could fix that, but not worth the money, IMO.

-Suspension is not suited to comforatable handling - this is the kicker! The thing rids like SH!T. Harsh on speed bumbs, not that smooth, noisey interior, etc. It has the WORST of both worlds. Poor luxury and sport preformance! Not impressed.

-Does not feel solid - my friend just bought a 2000 Miata and it feels WAY more solid than the Camry. I close the door on the Miata and it is like a castle door, and the whole frame of the car is solid (feels like you are sitting IN a tub of steel), the Camry feels rickity.

-Interior is pretty bad - things are loose and are poorly designed. For example, the panel with the rear view mirror adjustor controls has a few mm. of play and the buttons are imprecise. Come on, this isn't a 1991 Hyundia!

-Just feels 3/4 finished - when I drive my Mom's Subaru or another car, I feel like I am driving millions of dollars of R&D and refinement. I get none of this in the Camry, it just feels like they stopped development 6 months before they should have.

Don't know. The car has served me well, but this is not what I expected from a Toyota (less the reliability and economy, which is VERY important) - it feels cheap, rides like a 1980's Ford Sedan, etc.

Just not that impressed. Anyone get this same impression?

My friends 1985 AE86 feels WORLDS better than my 1997 Camry! The Miata was incredible.

Any word on the Supra making a return?

[ArmyofOne]

i have that same impression. the camry i drove (a 2000) was an LE, I$. it had decent get up for a 4cyl auto, better than most with that engine comvbo, and the thing SIPPED gas. but, drive it and then drive my ES250, and even at 15 years old, the ES250 rides like its on glass, smooth, and quiet. that camry is NOISY compared to the ES250, and its 10 years older! i just think toyota could have done more as far as the road niose, rest fo the car and the handling felt solid to me.

[CamNub]

The last time I heard from you you were jumping praising the swaybar.

[ASG14]

Try out a 2005 Stratus. Then you will think your Yota is a RR.

[cman2000]

Originally Posted by ASG14

Try out a 2005 Stratus. Then you will think your Yota is a RR.

i agree completely. or go test drive most pontiacs, some chevy cavaliars (or now called cobalts), throw in a couple of dodge neons, maybe a few ford taurus for good measure, and then come back and say the same thing again. i've ridden or drove all the above cars, and it makes me appreciate my camry more. when I make some money I would like to buy a nicer car (infiniti g35 coupe ) but now the camry is good.

and you're comparing a miata to a family car? one is a 2 seater roadster, one is a 4-door family car. that's like comparing the porsche boxster to a honda accord. (well, sort of, you get the picture).

[kenratboy]

CanNub - it made a huge difference for $100, before/after deal. No if's, and's, or but's about it, it made a big difference.

ASG14 - no doubt, but the rented Chevy Venture minivan I have rode a few thousand miles in was actually very, very nice - interior was worlds better than my Camry, ride was good (for a mini-van, nice and smooth), etc.

[userlain]

kentratboy, I thing you need to understand something; the camry isn't meant to be a sports car, its a family car.

[CrawlingEye]

I don't understand the Camry/Miata comparison.

I also don't think my car is poorly designed, the only rattles I get from the car are my the CD's I have stuffed in door-pockets when I'm idling (which one touch with a finger stops).

Perhaps it's the difference in generation, I don't know.

If you want your family sedan to handle more compeitively with a sports car, you need to do more than one mod on the suspension. Keep in mind, a modern-day luxury car is designed to appeal to both the sporty-people as well as the 70 year old grand-ma with the steering wheel at her neck.
Meaning it's a compromise in handling, it's not going to be overly tight or overly soft.

My car has very little body roll after my rsb and strut tower bar. My next plan is struts (I already have the springs). After this, I'll be done.

Handling was pretty good to begin with, IMO. Now I'm all the happier.

[Eye8Pussies]

hmmm...interesting way to put it...

I've always thought that the gen4 was decently built....a lot better than the gen5, that's for sure...but if you just wanted build quality, maybe you should have gotten a gen 3

[alex86]

im gettin sick of my car cause its a money bank(money gets dumped into it than needed) than again its an old ass car(88 camry) i will b passing it onto my dad but the only reason im gettin sick of it is that it has problem comin here and there(comes with age i noe dont flame) thats all other than that its an awesome car and is really comfortable even on long trips. i love toyotas and any imports.

[Racer_Rodney]

I have a 4.5 and love it. It is one of the best cars I have owned, it is contructed at the same level as my expedition and it is luxury, you want poorly made go get a saturn. I would say it is not constructed like a caddy but then again we are not full on luxury. For the $$$ and the resale value you can't beat a yota

[kenratboy]

userlain - the point is it sucks at being a family car with the interior build and the ride (harsh and uncomforatable - fine if it is a sports car, but its not)

The other point is the Miata IS a sports car, but the COMFORT of the ride is better than my Camry. Same with my bro's older Volvo, mom's Subie, dad's Chevy truck, etc. I just always wonder 'WTF is going on!?"

I heard the 97' has issues with the suspension (noises and such) Wonder if later ones were better.

The build quality of the new Honda Accord's left me in stunned silence - absolutly amazing.

[CrawlingEye]

wow... wait, are you trying to say you prefer a volvo's handling to your camry's?
I've never driven a gen4, but any volvo I've driven has felt like a boat in turns (roll out the ass).

[terrastrife]

Originally Posted by Eye8Pussies

hmmm...interesting way to put it...

I've always thought that the gen4 was decently built....a lot better than the gen5, that's for sure...but if you just wanted build quality, maybe you should have gotten a gen 3

agreed, my gen3 is solid and heavy, the stock ride was good, but the better shocks made it way way better doors are very thumpy when ya close em newer cars seel to be a bit hollow

[kenratboy]

CrawlingEye - no, as a 'family car', when you go over a speed bump, hit a pothole, etc., it is much more comforatable and refined - what a 'family car' like my Camry should be. Mine is not and it is really kinda tripping me out.