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Automotive News & Views Toyota in decline in 2009?
3756 messages, Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 10:40 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 14, 2009 9:05 am) My mother recently bought a nice used Camry, and it is as vanilla as can be - it is even white. The most exciting part about the car is the moonroof. But, it's a good Breyers vanilla I suppose. An Altima or Accord would be a nice vanilla bean flavor 
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Jul 14, 2009 8:31 am) |
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 14, 2009 9:53 am) Then there were just other ergonomic issues, like poorly-placed grab handles on the arm rest, a center console that made me feel closed in, etc. They also had a Fusion AWD model and a V-6 Accord to compare. I liked the Fusion, but when I drove the Accord I was like DAMN...this is an ACCORD?! I know it's not a real performance car like a BMW or anything, but I was impressed! This comparison test was sponsored by Ford, but I'm sad to note that of the three, I preferred the Accord, by a long shot. But, I did like the Fusion better than the Camry. Don't they make a V-6 Sport model for the Camry? If so, maybe that would've been a better comparison? I actually prefer the 2002-2006 style Camry to the current one. The current one looks slightly better from some angles, IMO, but the previous style makes much better use of interior space. The tapered, sculpted-off rump of the new Camry cost it about two cubic feet of trunk space.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 14, 2009 10:05 am) A friend of mine's mother has a loaded 08 Accord that has everything but nav. It seems like a pretty posh car - my only complaint is that it seems just a little too big. But, it's a relatively sharp car for a mass market offering. I think there might have been a Camry "SE" that was claimed to be a sportier model? I don't know if it still exists. My mother bought an almost unmarked 40K mile 2003 LE - it is a 4cyl, but it is relatively well optioned, with CD changer and moonroof. I visited her a couple weeks ago and drove it...it is very solid, and quite smooth for a 4-banger...but there doesn't seem to be much room for fun. But, it has a huge trunk, gets good mileage, and is easy to live with - for a driver in her 60s who doesn't want to spend new car money or spend a fortune in repairs, it's a good choice. |
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 14, 2009 10:05 am) IMO the current Camry IMO has the best styling of all the models. I owned 4 Camry's prior to the Prius. The one style that I didn't like was the 02-06 although it did have more room in the trunk. Now that was a very vanilla iteration IMO. The Gen6 model is more striking, both positively and negatively.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Jul 14, 2009 11:05 am) I'll admit, there are some things I like about it. For instance, the headlights are smaller and give the car a slightly more aggressive look, compared to that bug-eyed/deer-in-the-headlights/Japanese-anime look that's been all the rage with oversized headlights. And the SE model isn't too bad looking. I like the chicken-wire grille better than the horizontal slats of the other models. My favorite Camry, for some reason, has always been the 1987-91 style. Probably about as mundane and white-bread as it gets, but I always thought it had a pleasant, well-proportioned look about it. I remember one rag at the time called it a Rambler for the 1980's, but I liked it. |
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 14, 2009 11:29 am) |
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 14, 2009 12:52 pm) |
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Replying to: fintail (Jul 14, 2009 12:52 pm) Those 1992-96 models did have an expensive look about them, almost like they were too well-built and high-quality for their price class! The 1997 models rectified that, though. Not that the '97-01 was a bad car, but it just seemed more generic and downscale. The '92-96 probably helped squeeze out the Cressida. However, if they had just held on a bit longer, the '97 would've ensured that the Cressida would have had a place in the Toyota lineup! But instead, they wanted you to "Experience the Tranquility", as Toyota tried to go for the God's Waiting Room crowd with the first-gen Avalon.
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 14, 2009 4:16 pm) The 97-01 could appear in a dictionary as a generic definition of "car". Maybe the blandest design in recent history. I remember the propaganda surrounding the 02s, how it was supposed to be more exciting than the previous generation, and lure in more male drivers. I don't think it was any more exciting behind the wheel. The Avalon is pretty much the Cressida with all of personality removed. |
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