1992 vs. 2000 Camry handling

1489 Views 14 Replies 6 Participants Last post by ModifierMR, Mar 18, 2008

nbender

Discussion Starter · Mar 3, 2008

Hi there,

I have a 92 V6 Camry (256 000 km) and just recently 2000 4 cyclinder CE 165 000 km). The way these 2 cars feel is totally night and day. The 92 feels so much heavier and solid. The 2000 feels like it is all over the road and I just feel a lot less control.

Has anyone else had this experience? I know the '92 is a very good car, but man the 2000 feels so strange on the road compared to it. It feels 'floaty' is the best description. My first concern was that there is something wrong with the car, bought it used 2 months ago, the only thing I have done is replace 1 rear control arm and had an alignment.

Normal? Any thoughts, experiences would be much appreciated.

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Mike Gerber

· #2 · Mar 3, 2008

I would have guessed by your title that you would have said the 92 feels floaty and the 2000 much more sporty. Now I see that you feel the opposite.

Consider the tires as a possible cause for the difference. If the tires and wheels are the same size, you might try swapping them and then take both cars for a ride. Another thing to consider is the age of the suspension components on both cars. The 2000 4 cylinder you recently purchased could have worn out strut assemblies while you could have replaced your struts on the 92. I had a 98 4 cylinder (same generation as your 2000) and the struts barely lasted 80,000 miles. You can also try pressing down a couple of times on the front and rear of both cars and see how soft the struts feel on each vehicle. Press down hard twice and then let go and notice how each end of each car bounces and how long it takes for them to stop bouncing. Strut assemblies are not the only suspension component that can affect the ride characteristics, but I think they are the most noticeable.

Mike

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nbender

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 3, 2008

I'll check

Thanks for the ideas...

Yes, just had front and rear struts done on the 92

The 2000 is a bit of a mystery since I just bought it from a local dealership (car was local/one owner) but had no service records to speak of...but did have my mechanic give it a good go over.

I had the right rear control arm replaced (brand new) and a 4 wheel alignment done since it was bent in a previous incident. Should the left rear control arm be replaced too?? I was told it wasn't messed up.

I know it is highly reccommended to replace both struts at the same time...

It just feels strange - maybe I am expecting too much from an 8 year old car!

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Harix

· #4 · Mar 3, 2008

The V6 much more stable. I think the body designed for it.

Mike Gerber

· #5 · Mar 4, 2008

"Should the left rear control arm be replaced too?? I was told it wasn't messed up."

No, it's not necessary.

Mike

nbender

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 5, 2008

Tire size

Thanks for the info Mike - just noticed the 2000 has 14" tires on it...my 92 has 15"

I should be running 15" tires shouldn't I?

Mike Gerber

· #7 · Mar 5, 2008

You should be fine running whatever your car came with. My 94 XLE came with 14 inch tires from the factory. It has been running fine with them for almost 14 years. If you are unsure about what your 2000 came with, call Toyota corporate at 1-800-331-4331 and ask customer service. Be prepaired to give them your VIN. My hunch is that the CE models came with 14 inch tires, and the LE and XLE models of that year came with 15 inch tires.

Mike

nbender

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 5, 2008

ok then...

Well, that's good to hear that I don't neccessarily need new tires and rims...

Would worn sway bar bushings cause minor handling issues on snowy/icy roads? Mechanic said they are worn and he could move the sway bar from side-to-side a bit...

The 92 just drives better in adverse conditions - thanks for all the insight here...perhaps they are just different driving cars and I should expect them to drive the same...

BlueFusion6851

· #9 · Mar 6, 2008

The 1992 is a better car, obviously.

Mike Gerber

· #10 · Mar 6, 2008

"Would worn sway bar bushings cause minor handling issues on snowy/icy roads? Mechanic said they are worn and he could move the sway bar from side-to-side a bit..."

Yes, I would say they do. Sway bar bushings are cheap and easy to replace. The bushings themselves are around $14 each at Toyota. The last time I checked, NAPA carried swaybar bushings for most Toyotas at $8 each. Your swaybar requires 2 bushings. Labor should be minimal to replace them; probably whatever your mechanic's minimum charge is.

Mike

nbender

Discussion Starter · #11 · Mar 6, 2008

Great,

I'll that done next week and we'll see how that goes...yeah, he said it was a pretty cheap repair.

I'll let you know how it works out! Thanks for the all the insight - certainly appreciated.

Mike Gerber

· #12 · Mar 6, 2008

nbender said:
Great,

I'll that done next week and we'll see how that goes...yeah, he said it was a pretty cheap repair.

I'll let you know how it works out! Thanks for the all the insight - certainly appreciated.

You're welcome.

Mike

Tom 2000

· #13 · Mar 8, 2008

My dad bought a '96 Camry DX 4-cyl new. I bought a '00 Camry LE 4-cyl with only 14K miles in 2002.

For me, it was backwards. The 2000 handles way better than the 1996. The tires/wheels indeed seems to be a key factor. The '96 came with 14s. The '00 came 15s.

I have upgraded my 00 LE with 16's and it still rides very smooth. However, with 90K miles on the odometer, I do notice that the suspension has softened up a bit. I will likely replace the struts in a year or two.

nbender

Discussion Starter · #14 · Mar 12, 2008

Well, got the bushings replaced and drove in today on fairly snowy/slick roads (regular route where I was having the issues) and the car drove wayyyyyyy nicer. Hopefully this was the problem.

Thanks again for the insight.

ModifierMR

· #15 · Mar 18, 2008

in the early to mid 90's toyota dumbed down the suspension of all thier cars to make it more comfortable to drive in a turn (im not talking about highspeed drifting here, Like a granny who is taking an highway offramp will feel more in control of the car).

In recent years they have been bringing back a stiffer suspension with less "cushioning" in the geomentry.

I love Toyota's from the mid to late 80's. They handle so freaking awsome!

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