The Best Car for the Money

The Camry is an exercise in functionality and reliability. It's design won't turn any heads, but its styling isn't staid either. The real deal is under the hood and inside the car itself.

The LE I was driving was tastefully appointed in leather. A photo of this interior would easily lead you to believe that this was a luxury automobile, when in fact this version was only 22K.

The handling is sure, though a little soft. The automatic transmission is perhaps the highlight of the driving experience, insofar as you cannot tell when it is shifting. This silky smoothness may be a bit unnerving at first, but after a while you really get spoiled. Other cars begin to seem "jerky" by comparison. The V4 was a little lacking in "oomph", though once at highway speeds it isn't a problem. I drove in the Denver mountains with this car loaded, and it was a bit of a struggle in the thin air. It didn't help that I had low octane gas.

At highway speeds, noise and vibration are minimal. It's easy to cruise along at 85mph and not even realize your speed due to the smooth handling.

In short, this car has few downsides. If you want a safe bet for the money, you simply can't go wrong with the Camry. Given its proven track record for excellent reliability, this car will sustain its value very well. Perhaps then the only downside is the fact that the rest of the populus has figured out what a steal the Camry is - you won't be unique in your decision should you choose this route.