The Civic is a decent car to run around with but being a coupe(bad move for us) with it's ride quality and noise has us looking at another Camry.
Our RX is basically a 5K-6K mile yearly pleasure vehicle so the second car is used a lot.
I owned an '07 XLE that had an encounter with a deer.The '07 was a disspointment with it's fit and finish both in and out and creaks and rattles.
Probably first year bugs.
I would think an '11 would be a better quality vehicle due to the recent issues.
Boring car yes but a smooth quiet ride and 0% financing.I have a sales manager friend at my dealer and my kids and I have bought many vehicles from this dealer.I can get the car at invoice.
We're probably going to pull the trigger on the deal.
What can I say?Quiet soft riding car with poor handing boring car yes but I'm a Toyota guy.
We likes the exterior and interior and the black interior availability of the Accord more but we test drove a '10 Accord and it's ride quality was terrible.Noisy and rough ride.
The Accord was available for under invoice because of a $1200 market to dealer incentive.

 

The Camry hybrid is the only would one that I would buy. And if you're going to put alot of miles on it that would be a good choice. But obviously its more expensive than a base 4 cylinder if that it what you are looking into.

 

I love the SE personally. But yeah there are great deals to be had on Camrys nowadays. Jump on it if you like the car.

 

Not worth going hybrid for the cost and 12K-13K miles per.The base four isn't bad,especially compared to the Civic.

The SE is nice but the LE with moonroof and the alloys and a other options are enough for a second car.I want to stay under $24.5K out the door.

 

How about a Subaru Legacy?

AWD, and 2.9% financing...

 

Nice car with AWD but I'm looking for the sloppy pillow ride and quiet.
For some reason my wife hates anything Subaru.
As weird as this may sound,I think it's the name.
I looked at the Fusion and it's ok but I don't like American badges and feel the Camry quality control was stepped up with all the past issues.

 

When a good brand or model falls on hard times and the automaker throws cash on the hood, it's usually a good time to buy new. If you look at late model used units v. new with the incentives, you may find very little difference in price.

 

True on used and even on the '10s..
There is a $2K manufacturer to dealer incentive on '10 Camry's and the 0% doesn't apply but the $2K incentive makes up for that if financing.The '10 is a year old,though.So an '11 is the better decision.

 

Joe, are the 11's on the lots now? If so, what are the changes?

 

My dealer has 149 '11 Camry's in stock.


Changes,not much.New model in '12.
Great deals now with 0% financing.I believe 2 years free maintenance.

"The 2011 Toyota Camry is a rerun of the 2010 Camry and carries over the mild facelift and more powerful four-cylinder engine included in its “mid-cycle” freshening.
Style changes associated with the 2010 mid-cycle freshening were mild. All models got gently revised grilles and all but the Hybrid gained larger headlamps and revised taillamps. New wheel designs were part of the updates."

 

Sonata? Didn't see any bias in your post...

also, my 2010 Jetta Wolfsburg thru Costco was $22K...

 

I noticed this, too....though it wasn't necessarily first-year bugs. The last-generation Camrys, quality-wise, starting about 2006, were a noticeable letdown from their predecessors. I've posted much in CL about that.

Generally true, but the SE model is noticeably stiffer....even with recommended PSIs.

Yes, if you know people in the buisness (as I do) that's often the way to go. Dealerships usually like repeat customers.



This is VERY important.....and there's a reason why I bring it up. Did you check the tire pressures before you test-drove the car? Tire PSIs, on most new vehicles, are deliberately pumped up, on the transporter, to 40 PSI or more (even 50 in some cases) when they leave the factory enroute to the dealership. That is done to prevent the wheels, through soft tires, from contacting the truck or train floor when the transporter rocks up and down. The PDI (Pre-Delivery-Inspection) guys at the dealership, when the vehicles are received, are supposed to bleed the tires back down to factory-recommended pressures (which are usually between 30 and 35 PSI...sometimes a little higher). Sometimes they do, but, more often than not, they don't. They SAY they do, but they don't. I've learned NEVER to review or test-drive a new vehicle on the lot without a tire PSI check....this has resulted in a lot of red-faced, embarassed salespeople. Tires with PSIs above factory recomendations (especially at 40 PSI or more) will give exactly the kind of rough, noisy ride you mention, and quicker-than-normal steering response.

So, my recommendation is to go back to a Honda dealership with an accurate tire gauge, re-check the tires to see if they are at or near recommended PSIs (if they have been sitting in the hot sun, that will also pump them up a little), test-drive the car again, and see if you get a little better ride comfort this time. The correct PSIs can usually be found on a sticker attached to the lower part of the driver's open-door post, under the hood, or in the Owners' Manual.

 

Just not a fan of Hyundai....yet.


The Jetta is a very nice car but I'm into the quiet soft ride over a stiffer ride with handling.

 

LOL. The Camry fits the bill What happened to the ES J? You change vehicles like clothes..

How about a 67' VW Microbus?

 

No. I'm sorry to have to say this as a Subaru fan myself, but the 2010 Legacy/Outback has engineering/design issues with the steering/front suspension that lead to shimmies and bad tracking. Alignment/wheel-balancing cannot cure it. A used 2009 would probably not have that problem....it is only in the all-new, redesigned 2010s.

I've done at least one or two specific CAR CHAT threads on this specific problem. The factory has tried several different "fixes", but none, to date, have been entirely successful.

This has not affected all 2010 Legacy/Outback models...from what I've seen on the Subie forums, roughly about 30% of them. But, IMO, that's too high a percentage to be rolling the dice on this model.