2007 Toyota Camry LE
56,XXX Miles
I had the opportunity to drive a 2007 Toyota Camry LE from Grand Rapids, MI to Michigan City, IN and back this evening, and I have to admit, it was a very interesting drive. For some reason, I have an obsession with mid-size sedans. Its absolutely unexplainable. They are, if anything, the most boring and sedate vehicles you can buy... But I love them to pieces. By most accounts, the Toyota Camry is the yardstick by which most of these mid-size sedans are measured. Its the one that sells the most here in the United States, but I can't figure out why.
Full Disclosure: While I do have an overall distaste for an overwhelming number of Toyota products, I've personally had a long history with the brand, having family vehicles from the Toyota brand dating back to the very early '90s... Including my own personal vehicle right now.
In 1995, my Mom made the (at the time) radical decision to buy a brand-new Toyota Camry. One of their special "Value Edition" models, it was a DX with a lot of the popular options from the LE... Which made it otherwise, an LE. Anyway, we drove the hell out of that car. Arguably, it was my "first car" which I drove throughout my drivers training, and beyond, when I had car trouble. The car made it nearly 210,XXX miles before it was totaled in a deer collision, which was very unfortunate. Although I had hated the car for nearly a decade, in its twilight years, I came to love it as the dependable, comfortable, family sedan that it was.
But this new 2007 Camry? What on God's green Earth made them do
this to a car that had been as good as
that? Looking just at the exterior, its grotesque compared to its predecessors. Bulbous in every dimension, I just can't figure out some of the proportions. Sure, its meant to be "vanilla" in most respects, but it just isn't. Its dumb. The interior is just as much of a disaster. The old 1995 Camry had materials that were much higher in quality, far more resistant to wear and tear, and just flat out
looked better. I've heard plenty of complaints about how cheap GM and Chrysler interiors are by comparison to this Toyota, but I just don't get it. Its not that much better, not even in the slightest. Furthermore, the overall layout of the dashboard just didn't feel right. I'm sure all of you have seen the "giant" phones, remotes, and telephones they have for old people? That's what I felt like when using the interior. Knobs, buttons and displays are far too large for regular use for "normal" people. Worse yet, driving at night, all of the dash reflects on the windows. Its a dangerous distraction, one that I can't recall noticing to that effect in any other car I've driven. Furthermore, the seats are terrible. Hard as a rock, impossible to position properly in the front, and dramatically decrease your ability to remain at the helm for lengthy periods of time. The back is a bit better, with plenty of leg room and a comfortable cushion, but I believe this is the first time I can ever recall preferring the seats of our Grand Prix to a newer vehicle.
This is the part where I usually try to talk about some positives with the car. The good news is that the Camry is pretty cheap brand-new, starting just under $20K with a decent set of standard features. Known for its overall reliability, you know that not much is going to go wrong with the car. Ever. The fuel economy isn't bad either, as we used less than a half tank driving at 80+ MPH with the A/C on. As an A --> B vehicle, the Camry is a solid choice when it comes to value for money. They hardly depreciate, and people buy them because they know they're good cars. But in my mind, that doesn't mean much.
Why, for instance, should I feel so disconnected from my car at any given point? I felt as though I was feeding my inputs into the car through some kind of bureaucratic process. It was happy to make a note of my intention, and after 3-6 weeks, it will make a decision as to doing what it wants to do. The electric steering was crap. At low speed, it was assisted too heavily, and I could never gauge where the car was going. At speed, the problems continued, the steering feeling too vague on center to ever drive with less than two hands on the wheel. Worse yet, I felt like the transmission was hunting for the right gear far too often. The kick-down was often out of place, and completely unnecessary. Perhaps there was a problem with the gearbox on this car, I do not know. The suspension was sloppy, and choppy, at best. It was enough to get me a bit car sick when I was
forced to ride in the back for a short while. And they call this a family car?
In a world of Ford Fusions, Chevrolet Malibus, and Hyundai Sonatas, this car just does not make sense. The competition is so much better, in almost every measurable way, and yet, Toyota sells a kazillion of these every year. It just seems so incredibly wrong that this is considered a "good car" by so many when it clearly is not. Even at the sub $20K MSRP, its still in a neighborhood where value-priced models like the Fusion SE make more sense. Not just in looks, comfort or driving dynamics, but for the fact that buying the obviously better car means that other people are going to be forced to copy the
better car.
Two massive thumbs down, Toyota.
2007 Toyota Camry LE: 5.0/10
At least its reliable transportation, right?
)
). Other than that we both loved the car and I could see where it would be a decent daily driver and an excellent track vehicle. Nick is actually considering buying one now just based on that test drive alone. 
