it's been best seller for 4 years... see why!

me, my mom, and my dad are all leasing the same 2001 camry CE. this was a HUGE change from the car we had before, since it was a 1998 camry CE (in case you don't know, they're virtually identical). we didn't really get this car to be a chick magnet, a high performance car, a hauler, or anything else. all we got it for is to take us around, and while doing so, VERY comfortably. I'M THE primary driver of the car, and i know how a good car is supposed to feel, and i see how well crafted this piece of machinery is. i never hear rattling sounds, no excessive engine noise, wind noise is almost non-existant, and the seats are comfortable (we have cloth seats).

in case you don't know, a toyota camry is among the most reliable cars on the planet, second to a MERCEDES (though repairs cost infinitely more on a benz). turn key, and go. well, you gotta get it OUT of park, sorry bout that. our previous 98 camry (see opinion on it) was extremely reliable, only needed oil changes, gas, tire pressure every now and then, and in the 36 months we leased it, TWO new tires. THAT'S IT! if you're planning on getting a camry, you're going to see the shop maybe every year or so. and that's going to be a pattern for a while, so relax, your hard earned dollar (or peso, same every where) will not be needlessly wasted on dumb repairs like other cars (especially european ones). actually, oil changing is relatively easy because the placement of the oil filter is VERY convenient (i've seen em in weird places, like RIGHT ON TOP of an engine), but oh well.

service is something that takes barely any time, and even the best part is yet to come: YOU ONLY NEED CHEAP REGULAR GAS! in fact, we even put ARCO regular (in l.a., at a buck and a half a gallon, that's GREAT). THERE IS NO need for high octane gas. these toyota camry engines basically drink anything, so you save money too by not needing medium or super (which is nearly identical to regular!). and did i tell ya about the excellent gas mileage?? well, we get about a combined rating of 28 mpg city/freeway. now this is GREAT for l.a. since even little tiny streets can become super crowded.

remember, this ain't no performance oriented vehicle. however, when you need to go 100+, this car handles AS IF it is a performance car. steering is great, even with one hand, and the suspension handles well at high speeds, and in windy situations (though i heavily not recommend going over 65 in windy areas). merging onto the freeway doesn't even require you to floor the gas, because a little bit of gas WILL get you to 70 very quickly , and the thing is that you WON'T EVEN NOTICE IT'S GOING 70!!! true story: i was picking up my friend from the airport, going to downtown, and i was in the previous camry. all of a sudden i get the flashing lights of city police, and he baically pulled me over for going 92 mph! when he asked me how fast i think i was going, i firmly said 75, then he said "son, you were going 92!" i responded "i didn't even feel the difference!", and he answered back "careful on these camrys, you can't notice engine noise at all!" however, i was watching the road and my friend, just not the speedometer, and it wasn't very crowded at all.

interior is nice, with the cupholders that i think are better than most other cars, simply because it's a cupholder, but when not in use, it could become a phone holder, wallet holder, key holder, or just about anything that has the size of a cup. other cars have pullout ones, which can only be used for ACTUAL CUPS. controls are very within reach, and i mean every control. the stereo system, even if it's just radio, is excellent for its class. we have a 97 4runner as well (see opinion on it), and the stereo of a car like a 4runner just plain sucks. our new camry has a dual cd/cassette combo with am-2fm radio station feature, with 4 speakers that spit out good treble, great bass when you want it, while sounding good! but best thing is that the stereo and speakers have the ability to be easily removed for easy upgrading.

the most important thing for us that got us to get this car versus other cars (every class, including mercedes, bmw, acura, lexus, you name it) is the incredibly huge trunk. we require a wheelchair to be taken around (for my mom), so easy access is vitally important. in fact, the trunk in our camry stores more items than the truck, though the truck has more cubic space. if trunk space is going to be something that you need a lot of, stop right here and go to the nearest toyota dealer and get a camry. bmw and mercedes (the small ones) all suck, lexus is better, and acura is the best. but still, the camry has a ton of trunk space. in fact, we could probably very easily fit a couple of subs into our truck and STILL put our chair in there. get the idea?

toyota makes very good cars for the money, and one should last you, well, as long as you want! if you have any questions, feel free to email me!