OT: Toyota Guys? I need your help.

Steely_Gunz

Steely_Gunz

Got the Khukuri fevah
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Ok fellas, I'm starting to get a taste of married life about 3 or 4 months before the wedding. It looks like i will be suffering yet ANOTHER blow to my khuk fund. It looks like I am going to have to buy the wife-to-be a new car.

She's been driving a hand-me-down 1996 Audi A6 with over 100K miles for the last few years. Sounds nice, right? Well, yes and no. Nice because..well it's a german luxury car. Not so nice because it has spoiled her AND it likes to suprise us with $300-800 fixes. I finally said, "There won't be a next time fix for this car. Next thing that breaks we are cutting and running." True to my word, the breaks are starting to fail on the car...again. As is the O2 doo-hicky. We need a new car...i guess.

So, out we go looking for cars. We look at Subarus. I love those cars, but remember that 4WD basicly means that when something goes wrong with the tranny you just have to say, "Well i didn't really like that $1000 anyway." Besides, i like the Outback wagon. She liked the sedan...bletch.
Then we look at some other little pre-owned cars. I find a 2002 PT Cruiser with 12K miles on it for $11,700. "Isn't that cute, hon!" I say trying to get her to bite. She shoots me a superman deathray look and is pi$$ed for about 20 mins. Great, this is going to cost me.

Finally, we make it over to the Toyotas. I've never had a problem with Toyotas. As a matter of fact, she had a '93 celica that she totally abused from 1999 to 2003. Never washed it, never changed the oil, learned to drive a stick on it etc. Only thing that had to be done to the car was replacing the clutch and replacing the brake pads. She LOVES the 2004 Camry SE on the lot.

OK, so here is my quetion for any Toyota Camry drivers out there. How do you like them. Yeah i know, it's a Toyota. It'll go on and on and on and on, but how do you LIKE them. I'm not a 4 door kind of guy. Plus we have no kids and kids are HOPEFULLY going to be at least 5 years off (we have a plan, you see...yeah right;)). I like beefy power... this is a peppy lil' 4 banger. I like 4WD...this is at least FWD. I dunno. I liked it better than the standard Camry. It gets up and goes for what it is, but i'm still on the fence.
Any comments are welcome:)
TIA,

jake
 
Jake?

A GREAT opportunity for you to practice for the rest of your life! Repeat after me:

"Yes, dear, if it will make you happy."

Work on saying this in all situations. If you surrender early, you will find that captured prisoners have less stress.
 
Well, you're never going to be unhappy with a Toyota. You'll get where your going in relative comfort. I like 4 doors, because it gives you more room and convenience, but I think they did make 2 door Camrys\Solaras. I had a 1993 Tercel that I eventually gave to my Mom. Its got over 150K on it and still drives fine.

FWD with good snows is fine for 99% of any driving you'll do with a car anyways. My Dad always used to say "if you need four wheel drive, you shouldn't be out driving anyways" Yep, you guessed it, he always had a 4 Wheel Drive. :rolleyes:
 
You're going to find out that marriage is expensive...lol. We have a 01' Toyota Avalon. Nice, but not spectacular sedan. The V-6 has plenty of power and as usual, minimal problems. Loads of space in the back and trunk, should you need that in a few years. ;) I guess there are better cars than the Avalon in a number of categories, but this car is pretty good and it is a Toyota.

I didn't look at the Camrys when shopping, but the luxury Camry model probably isn't much different than our Avalon in terms of space and performance. We had a 4-Runner before the Avalon and had pretty good luck with it too.

I will heartily recommend Toyota if they have the car you want at a price you can afford. It is hard to go wrong.

Jeff

who also has always had full-size Chevy trucks too and had great luck with them also
 
Jake we absolutely LOVE our 2005 SE Camry!!!! :D :cool: :D
The only thing I'd change on it if I could is what I'd change on any other car on the market for the general public and that is the seats.
However the Camry seats are a helluva, and I mean a HELLUVA Lot more comfortable than those in our old '96 Dodge Stratus.
There's never enough length to the seats to fit my legs and I have short legs, hate to think what tall people go through.
It's the length of the seat versus the length of my thigh bones. There's just never enough support under my leg right under and behind my knees!:rolleyes: :grumpy:
On a long trip in the Dodge I had to fold a bath towel up and position it just right under my right leg to give it a little of the much needed support that made the car halfway comfortable to drive and that was even with the cruise control.

I really like the Nissan SE-R as I really wanted one last hot rod before I kicked the bucket but with the price of gas going through the roof and not apt to ever be cheap again the 160 horse 4 cyl looked better and better.
I'm well pleased with it and it hasn't bogged down on us even once and that was even coming out of the valley from Phoenix to Flagstaff.
It only downshifted out of overdrive a couple of times on the climb out which surprised me. I figured that we would be in at least 4th gear much of the time and even 3rd on occasion and I have to admit it really surprised me! :cool:

It won't be long until more used '05s hit the market and I'd wait if I could at all.
The '05s have it over the '04s in a couple of ways, the 5 speed auto vs the 4 speed auto and a bit more horsepower.
The SE offers excellent handling with a little stiffer ride but not uncomfortably so.
You also get a little bigger tire size and several other options not on the LE or XLE lines.
If I had to do it over again I might consider the V-6 in the Toyota as it gets damned near as much mileage as the 4 on a trip or so it's said.
BUT, I'd still probably stay with the 4 cyl as it's plenty strong enough to get a ticket if you're not paying close attention to the speedometer or not using the cruise.
Also I absolutely know I wouldn't stay out of it at the lights.:rolleyes:
The little 4 banger has surprised some other folks at the light itself, even me, don't know how peppy the '04 is.;) :D

Hands down? I'd buy another in a heartbeat!!!! :cool:
 
and take it to a shop that only works on Honda/Toyota. These guys are great and graduated from DeAnza(almost a mecca for those looking for a job in automotive service). I asked the co-owner which car was better. He said Honda will not be as expensive to maintain after the odometer clicks over 100k. You will pay more up front for an Accord, but you will end up paying less if you plan to keep it for more than 5 -7 years. He wasn't trashing Toyota. Just speaking from seeing both all day long come through his shop.

Do some research and try to find a good shop rather than relying on the dealer. I always feel violated after taking(or them taking it to me!) it in to them.

Sometimes I think my relationship with my honda shop is the only reason I stay in California.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
. . . She LOVES the 2004 Camry SE on the lot.
Click to expand...

That's 95% of the sale.

We have a 4 cyl 2001 Solara we bought used (it was off-lease) that's my wife's go-to car. Solid, don't care how it's driven, no-matter-what 32 mpg. Trouble-free, peppy, sporty, PITA with two doors, but a fun car to drive and with the right snow treads it goes in the bad stuff just fine.

We also have a 2001 V6 AWD Highlander that's been trouble-free at 53K, but gets betw. 16 and 22 mpg. So it sits a lot lately while the Solara sees use.

My wife is making noises about the "next" vehicle being a Camry, and I'm 100% behind that. And I highly recommend buying an off-lease car, and preferably one that the dealer will put through the Toyota Certified program.

Finally, true to this board -- "Ask Yvsa," -- he bought a 4 cyl Camry sedan last fall. (EDIT: Too late, he's already weighed in above.)

Noah
 
The only thing I can say for sure is: Don't buy the PT Cruiser. :rolleyes: I have heard they are complete junk.


I'm currently driving my second Toyota Tacoma PU. Not at all a Camry, but a solid vehicle for sure.

Why my second tacoma? I had the pleasure of watching the first one get totalled by a drunk driver as he rammed his truck in reverse into it over and over again. (Mine was parked in front of my house ~ on a dead end street ~ he was hammered ~ came racing up the street, not knowing it ended ~ slammed into the firehydrant ~ threw it in reverse to get the hell out of there ~ sideswiped 11 cars on the way to stopping at mine) True story.

And what was he driving? A Toyota Tacoma. :rolleyes: :D Both trucks took A LOT of damage, and his would have kept going if he only adjusted the steering wheel :D ... quite fascinating to watch from the front porch on a Monday night.
 
crazy story, Bamboo....


here's how it goes at the Koster household

My Nova = $700
My Ford truck = $1600

Her Honda Pilot = $30,000+

:eek: :( :mad:


And she gets frisky when I tell her I want to do some engine modifications on the Nova....then I reminded her that for what we're paying for the Pilot, I could get another Nova every other month.....:D

That didn't help much, though...:(



Get the Toyota Camry - it's a great car. It was great back in 1984. Why wouldn't it be great now?



The only Toyota I've ever lusted after was the late 70s Toyota Tercel SR5 hatchback. If only I could find a pic....:confused: ....I have wanted one of those for a long time - always thought they would be a lot of fun and get good mileage.

Even in brand new condition, I could probably get a dozen for the cost of the Pilot....:rolleyes:
 
The Camry is a good car. I have a 2001 CE. It has crumby seats - make sure that you get one with lumbar support - I think that all recent model Camry's have that.

The car is quiet, comfortable, and runs fine on snow. Try to get the Dunlops on it if you can. They are much better than other tires that Toyota sometimes puts on the car.

If my wife didn't want something with more storage in it, I'd get another Camry.
I now drive a Honda CR/V, and prefer the Camry. The Camry (4Cyl) gets good gas mileage - I spend too much time driving, and comfort and gas costs matter to me.

Get a Camry and don't look back. I have more than 90,000 miles on it with all of $100 in repair costs. Don't count on not getting oil changes - if you don't, you forfeit your car.
 
I've got a '96 Avalon. It sorta seems like a Camry with a bit more room and amenities, and it retrospect I'd probably be about as happy with the Camry. My biggest criticism is that it is somewhat boring, but primarily in a good way. There's no nervous anticipation of will it start, etc. Usually I don't think about it, but sometimes after being on a trip and driving a cheap rental for a week, I get back in, and it feels just aaahhhh.
 
Thank you, Gentlemen:)

Looks like we'll probably discuss it a little more this evening and make up our minds. I completely forgot that Yvsa bought one (Doh!). I think this is going to be for the best. She drives 30 miles one way to work. I want something comfortable, gets good MPG, and above all is safe. It seems this Camry can do all I ask of it and not look totally dorky. We still have a little reservation with this salesman that we've been dealing with. by we, i mean she;) Anyway, we'll see what we can do. She'll probably have a new car by the end of the week, and I'll have one more thing to wash and less money to buy khuks. <sigh>, it's worth it, right?;)

Jake
 
Had a 1988 Camry for 200,000+ and gave it to my daughter in college 450 miles from here...it lasted to 300,000. When we gave it to her, my wife got a new 2004 Camry just as they came out. Her mother in W.Va. has liver cancer, so a couple round trips a month...she's somewhere around 60,000+ with nothing but oil changes and one set of front pads. My third Toyota Tacoma 4WD, a 1998, has a 170,000+ with nothing serious to write about; BUT #2 made it well over 350,000 before tits up (both 4WD's were V6 however). I used toyotas in the jungle both in SE Asia and S.America, and they bought me out of several serious situations, hence my unreserved recommendation :D
 
We had a 1992 Camry, bought new at the time. This was the very first year with the body change to the new style from the old boxy version in previous years. It had been a demo and had a couple of dings, so I beat the guy down nicely. It was also the standard model, and the bottom of the trim line; no LE or XE or whatever. My wife could ruin the nicest car on the planet in about 6 months. To her, maintenance is an irritating distraction from her main task of trashing the car. She managed to wreck everything inside, including the carpet and the seats and dash and the headliner, but the car still ran and ran and ran. I didn't bother to sell it 10 years later, just traded it in on a few years old Nissan Quest van for her. I still got almost 2 grand for it (paid $15K), even though it had close to 170,000 miles on it. Only changed the oil and had the brakes done (and of course an extra set of tires when she drove them underinflated for 500 miles and ruined 4 new 60,000 mile radials in one day, and a new hood when she took out the bottom of a truck in front of her, and a new door when she left it in reverse and got out to check something and the car t-boned the door into my garage wall), and one timing belt as preventive maintenance only; it was still good when changed.

The Japanese are scary good when it comes to making machines that last! I would go with the Camry.

Regards,

Norm
 
Steely_Gunz said:
<sigh>, it's worth it, right?;)

Jake
Click to expand...
Depends, better than alimony fer shure.:D

Daffynition of alimony = The effin you get for the effin you got.;) :grumpy: :rolleyes: :p :D
 
What's wrong with the Audi? O2 (sensors?) and brakes? Just the pads, right? If so, it'd be easy to fix both yourself for under a hundred bucks and about an hour of your time.

However, if you're dead set on the toyota, yes, they're very reliable. Probably the most reliable cars made today, looking at JD Power ratings. Drives like an appliance to me though. A little bland, everyone on the roads got one.

Or, for unbeatable fun, join me on the shadow side of motors. Sportbikes! Attracts chicks, 45mpg, lane splitting to never get stuck in traffic again, 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 0-100 in 4.5, 0-150 in .... well... I won't go there...
 
Eric, i've been down the "fix it yourself" road with the Audi before. never again, i say;) Way more involved than what my old man taught me about "simple" engines as a kid. Besides, I'm a sales guy that knows the swimming pool industry...not a mechanic:) This car has WAY over 100K miles on it. I know the Toyota is boring to some extent as everyone and their brother has one. Believe me, that is my biggest hang up with any 4 door. Sport bikes and such? Thank you, but no thank you. They scare the hell out of me. They pick up too many pieces of what once was a human and a motorcycle off of 41 for me to enjoy that. Harley man here :cool: Of course, that's when the dang thing runs :footnmouth: No, this is the little lady's car. Not mine. all i'm going to be doing to it is putting gas in it and paying for the service done to it. Less is betta in that situation:)

Besides, we are not buying that car now. I lost my temper with the sales guy last night :mad: First, he rattled offf a bunch of BS and then shoved a piece of paper in front of me to sign. Strike one. I said "What are we signing here?" and he asked me what reservations i still had about the car. i told him the car is wonderful, but this is the "third date" and home base was just thrust in front of me. Like going from holding hands to the back seat...so to speak. I told him that I was not going buy a car that the payments were marginally broken down in front of me for a car that i had spent 5 mins driving. He then asks with a bit of a superficial smirk "Well, do you want to drive it some more?" That was strike two. No, i wanted some damn answers. I had been spending hours out of my evening to listen to this chucklehead for the last 3 nights. I wanted to show him what a long day at the office, no lunch, and an Irish temper could do to a man, but i bit my tounge. THEN, when i finally got him to refigure the payments without the little "protective coating", without the theft number thingies on the door that costs me 250 dollars, and without about half a dozen other pieces of useless crap, the payments were STILL over what i told him i would pay for that car. I was very polite and told him that I was not going to buy a car that i was going to have to trade in my steaks for spam just so i could aford to drive it. He then told me that I had just gotten out of college and was probably used to spam. Um, no. I have been out of college for 2 years. the reason why i went to college was because I DIDN'T WANT TO EAT SPAM :mad:! THEN, of then he completely and utterly blows the deal. He has the nerve to tell me with a chuckle "Well for the last 2 years my wife and have had to put two kids through school, and we've eaten nothing but spam and crackers and ramen noodles. So i don't wanna hear it." i completely melt down inside. I was so close to hitting this guy. The nerve!! :mad: He's a crappy used car salesman and i'm suppose to lower my standard of living to drive a car that he is selling because he can't make ends meet for his family!?! I wonder if he could see the fire shoot out of my eyes on that one. At that point we were done. This guy could keep his car, and he could keep his spam.

The Toyota is a very nice car. My fiance and I loved the way it drove. However, we didn't feel like we were getting a fair shake. <sigh> guess we'll keep looking. Thanks for your help, everyone. I was really sold on this car, but i really disliked the way this dealership kept them in the dark.

Jake
 
My family has gone down the fix it yourself road since my grandfather bought his first car. After putting a new engine in my S10 Blazer, I've decided that I am not going to do this any more. Next year I plan on getting a Tundra or a Silverado. IMHO, any Toyota that is babied is going to last. If it is driven into the dirt, it may last for a good many years before it finally gives up the ghost going down the highway.

Just make sure that she takes it into the dealership every 3000 miles for an oil change, and that she takes good care of it. My 85 Toyota pickup is dying of rust spots, but runs fine at almost 300k! It shudders and rumbles, but no problems yet.
 
Steely --

Next time you get that sort of behavior, follow this script:

Steely: "You don't recognize me, do you?"

Salesman: "What do you mean?" (words to that effect)

Steely: "You don't recognize me, do you?"

Salesman: "Sorry, no following you." (words to that effect)

Steely: "I'm a CUSTOMER. Now I'm not satisfied dealing with you, and I wish to speak to the Sales Manager. You can get him, or we will get up and go in there ourselves. You are an eyeblink away from losing our business, not only for this vehicle but for ever. The dealership is also in danger of us telling everyone about how inappropriate we were treated here. I wish to speak to the Sales Manager, NOW."

It usually works for me. The last time I needed to do the routine the Sales Manager replaced the a$$wipe salesman with a more experienced, attentive one and we came to terms.

That said, there's a better car out there with your wife's name on it. The one you are meant to get.

Noah
 
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