Review: 1995ish Camry coupe

[the Teuton]

At my job, I get to drive the pinnacle of mainstream automobiledom:  the BMW.  But today, a co-worker asked me to bring his car over to the main lot, so that let me have a good taste of what many enthusiasts consider the Anti-Christ of enthusiast cars:  The Toyota Camry.

My tester, to be precise, was probably a 1995 coupe 5-speed with rust around the rear fenders and 122,000 miles on the odometer.  It would not pass a PA inspection, but luckily, my co-worker hails from Northeast Ohio, too, so that really isn't a problem.

So here's the nitty gritty:  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Let me explain, the steering was numb and lifeless, but I expected that.  An anorexic Olsen twin could muster the strength to steer this car where it would need to go; it's that over-boosted.  But the steering was remarkably (for a Camry) predictable.  On this particular car, the clutch was slipping pretty badly, so I had to let out quite a bit for it to catch, but otherwise, the car, once again, was predictable.  Now, here's the surprising part:  With the exception of the long throws and reverse being impossible to find, the shifter wasn't all that bad.  In fact, it was downright easy and it could almost be considered fun.  Scary, I know.

With a tiny-ass four banger, it could rev like crazy, but the car still felt decently torquey for what it was.  The seat comfortably fit my American-sized ass, the build quality still was holding up for a car that had the piss beaten out of it, and it felt remarkably competent in street traffic.  It was soft, but I never pushed it in a corner.  I've done it before, and it made me wish I had a living will, so I decided against it this time around.  The car surprised me as it really is, after all these years, the ultimate driving appliance.

But the best part about this car, all things told, was watching the managers' faces as I parked it on the lot right in front of a new 7 Series and several other $50K plus machines.

[CJ]

That's the way I feel about our Camry.  Steering is low on feedback, high on boost, but it's predictable. 

[MaxPower]

Only 122k miles? That's low mileage for a '95.  Our '92 sedan has 255k and its still going strong.

[Payman]

Trep?

[the Teuton]

Only 122k miles? That's low mileage for a '95.  Our '92 sedan has 255k and its still going strong.

I remember 122k.  The car looked like it had been through twice that much, though.

Trep?

You wish.

[Raza]

The pinnacle of mainstream automobiles? 

You're a whole new troll now.

[the Teuton]

The pinnacle of mainstream automobiles? 

You're a whole new troll now.

It sells 400k + a year.  Mind you, the Accord and Taurus both outsold it in 1995, IIRC, but given the Camry's current success, I can't see how any other mainstream midsized sedan could be a better option for someone needing reliable but boring transportation.  No other car in its class with the exception of the Accord has mastered the formula.

[heelntoe]

It sells 400k + a year.  Mind you, the Accord and Taurus both outsold it in 1995, IIRC, but given the Camry's current success, I can't see how any other mainstream midsized sedan could be a better option for someone needing reliable but boring transportation.  No other car in its class with the exception of the Accord has mastered the formula.

Psst... he means BMW...

[ifcar]

It sells 400k + a year.  Mind you, the Accord and Taurus both outsold it in 1995, IIRC, but given the Camry's current success, I can't see how any other mainstream midsized sedan could be a better option for someone needing reliable but boring transportation.  No other car in its class with the exception of the Accord has mastered the formula.

Just because the Camry provides boring but (generally) reliable transportation doesn't mean that nothing else does. There are plenty of other comfortable and reliable cars that are also better deals, and I don't mean the Accord.

[the Teuton]

Just because the Camry provides boring but (generally) reliable transportation doesn't mean that nothing else does. There are plenty of other comfortable and reliable cars that are also better deals, and I don't mean the Accord.

Don't get me wrong, I really don't like the Camry, but there are few other cars that can pull off generic, boring, comfortable, and completely utilitarian as well as the Camry.

[ifcar]

Don't get me wrong, I really don't like the Camry, but there are few other cars that can pull off generic, boring, comfortable, and completely utilitarian as well as the Camry.

Sure there are. Sonata and Optima would be the obvious ones for that, but the Taurus also meets it quite well.

The Camry is only incrementally better in any way than its better competitors, and worse in others. The exception is the V6's performance, but that's not a factor in the criteria you spelled out.

[the Teuton]

Sure there are. Sonata and Optima would be the obvious ones for that, but the Taurus also meets it quite well.

The Camry is only incrementally better in any way than its better competitors, and worse in others. The exception is the V6's performance, but that's not a factor in the criteria you spelled out.

Is the Kiundai Sonoptima really that reliable?

[ifcar]

Is the Kiundai Sonoptima really that reliable?

Is the Camry?

[the Teuton]

Is the Camry?

I won't speak about the V6 versions, but the 4 bangers have generally been very reliable.

[ifcar]

I won't speak about the V6 versions, but the 4 bangers have generally been very reliable.

But less so than the Optima and Sonata, according to Consumer Reports.

[the Teuton]

But less so than the Optima and Sonata, according to Consumer Reports.

I didn't know that.

[ifcar]

But even if it were the other way around, neither is likely to leave you stranded. Reliability differences are slight among most of today's cars.

The Camry is the best-known choice for providing a quiet (in every sense of the word) driving and ownership experience, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily the best. A case could certainly be made for it, but it's not as if it's in a class by itself.

[the Teuton]

But even if it were the other way around, neither is likely to leave you stranded. Reliability differences are slight among most of today's cars.

The Camry is the best-known choice for providing a quiet (in every sense of the word) driving and ownership experience, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily the best. A case could certainly be made for it, but it's not as if it's in a class by itself.

I know.  I'd take an Accord over one, and the GM W Body cars aren't particularly bad, either, but their back seats suck.

[Secret Chimp]

My Accord feels like a bus after driving my Miata daily. I get steering feedback pulling in to a parking space with the latter :P
I've driven a previous-generation Camry, and holy god it's like driving a chair. A Windstar van of a similar vintage felt more "with me" than that thing.

[Soup DeVille]

My Accord feels like a bus after driving my Miata daily. I get steering feedback pulling in to a parking space with the latter :P
I've driven a previous-generation Camry, and holy god it's like driving a chair. A Windstar van of a similar vintage felt more "with me" than that thing.

If we're being honest about it, we have to admit that most people probably don't care to get constant feedback about the texture of the asphalt under their tires. They want, to a certain extent, that feeling of sitting in a chair.

[Secret Chimp]

If we're being honest about it, we have to admit that most people probably don't care to get constant feedback about the texture of the asphalt under their tires. They want, to a certain extent, that feeling of sitting in a chair.

This recalls me a story of a couple of old people buying a BMW 5-series and taking it back because something was "wrong" with the steering (what we all consider "right").

[NomisR]

If we're being honest about it, we have to admit that most people probably don't care to get constant feedback about the texture of the asphalt under their tires. They want, to a certain extent, that feeling of sitting in a chair.

You mean a soft fluffy couch.  I'm sure a lot of those same drivers prefer a bench seat too.