spwolf

but what is the point of that if you dont like firmer cars? You wrote the review, and main problem was the firm ride... hence my question.

spwolf

you wrote:
"Mediocre brakes" under negative side.

Car has good breaks. You did not like the feel of them, but that does not mean they are "Mediocre brakes", because they are pretty good in stopping you, which is the point of the breaks.

You indeed use your "butt", or should I word it correctly - your subjective opinion while writing your posts. Which is all fine and good, but objective results should be observed when possible.

Same thing you recently wrote on RDX vs MDX, you found turbo engine to be better, hence you concluded that turbo engines are well suited for SUV, even though Toyota has proven otherwise with Rav4 being better than CX7 and RDX in engine department (V6 vs turbo I4).

I understand your point on the brakes - my Rav4 brakes feel the same - but I find that a lot better than extra touchy breaks of german cars, because it is much easier to modulate them under normal driving conditions. It takes a bit to get used to, but result is the best brakes in the segment.

mmarshall

One of the things I do here at CL is check out new cars upon request. If people want my opinion, I give it to them, whether it is or is not a car that I myself would be interested in or would buy. The SE is a little firm for my own tastes, but several people were interested in the car.
You also have to make sure that the factory-recommended tire pressure is correct on a new car before you evaluate its ride and handling. Dealerships SAY they check the tires when the car is unloaded off the transporter, but that is often BS...salespeople are often red-faced when I find tires 10-15 PSI off from what they are supposed to be. I have learned to take a tire gauge with me when I go to look at a new car for any reason....believe me, it comes in handy.


While I found the Camry SE's ride firm by Camry standards, that is to be expected, to some extent, in a purpose-marketed sports sedan....and, true to form, it DID dampen body roll in moderately hard cornering. What I DID find surprising, however, was that the Camry's traditional low road noise level was not affected by the more aggressive tire and suspension package, nor was steering response any quicker than more mundane Camrys,, despite Toyota's claim of a recalibrated power-steering pump. (I could not find any specs in the brochure or website to back that claim up).

I personally would like to see the Camry All-Trac (AWD) model offered in the U.S., despite its less-than-perfect interior quality. It would be good competition for other AWD mid-sized cars like the Legacy, Fusion/Milan/MKS, Passat, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, BMW 330xi, and Volvo V60/70.

toy4two

welcome to the eco friendly water based paint of today's cars. Paint jobs suck now a days, nothing beats the 90's ozone destroying VOC paints.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

The Camry is the best handeling car on the planet bar none.....


























Planet Uranus

mmarshall

The worst modern-era paint jobs were actually done in the early 1990's, (from about 1990-1993), even though clearcoat had pretty much become standard by then. EPA had ordered changes in paint composition and in the application process to reduce air pollution, and it took the manufacturers several years to get the new paint process to work well. Many vehicles of that period, even from high-quality Japanese manufacturers, had problems with fading, early peeling and stripping....(Chrysler products, and to a lesser extent, Fords seemed to be the worst). Cars were often repainted free or at a discount, with extended paint warranties. By 1995 or so the problem had pretty much been solved.

mmarshall

See my above responses, DASH. The more aggressive suspension and tires on the SE did reduce body roll over other Camrys, but did not noticeably quicken steering response. Like you point out, it is certainly no race car.

PhantomZX

It's a White 2007 Camry Hybrid, manufactured in Japan and purchased in August, 2006.

I can see by looking closely at the rock chips on my hood that the paint is quite thin. The car only has 6000 miles in my 10 months of ownership, and I'm very careful about not driving behind trucks on the freeway.

Several months ago, I took the car in to fix a couple of rattles, and the car was delivered back to me paint chip in the front passenger door.

Every single door panel paint has orange peel. I wish you were in SJ, California so you could see for yourself. Maybe next time you're at the Toyota dealer, you could look at a white one's door panels to see if you notice it. It may be color-specific.

I take very good care of the car and it still does not have a single door ding or dent. All of what I mentioned above makes me think very negatively about the paint quality on this car.

mmarshall

OK, since I don't remember looking at any white ones very closely, I'll take your word for it. However, the paint job on my Camry was near-perfection.