I love what You do for ME....Toyota !

WHAT MAKES ME SUCH AN "EXPERT" YOU ASK: ?

I have read many reviews on automobiles from aesthetic, interior, power, warranty, options, etc. points of view. I believe an important, but always neglected area, though is from a steering and suspension system point of view, and let me tell you, most people are missing a very important part of researching a prospective major purchase by not being well enough informed in this area. You can find some very well engineered and built suspensions, but all the same some very weak and suspect ones in my experience, and my purpose is to help you make a more informed decision. I have been a State of Michigan certified steering and suspension technician for almost 15 years, and certified in other areas for over 22 years. After reading my reviews, read some on other aspects of the car you're looking for from the advisors here at epinions, and make your choice.

THE GOODS ON THE TOYOTA CAMRY:
All comments below include every Camry built from day one ! There has been no significant change to speak of.

The Toyota Camry is one vehicle that I don't mind at all giving a raving review from the standpoint of suspension. I have worked on many Camry's, since it is a very popular car in the area where I live, and I have the utmost respect for the engineers who designed and built this suspension.

The Camry suspension has gone for the most part unchanged for many years, probably because nobody complains and there hasn't been any need for a re-design. It is a fully adjustable, true independant suspension, which aids in comfort as well as handling. It is nothing fancy, just rock solid Macpherson strut design on all 4 corners. I guess it's just a little "back to the future". Sometimes the best innovation is just good solid basics.

It has gone through a few metamorphoses in the past. From '83-'91 it stayed the same, with these years being only slightly different from the present. From '92-'97 the design was improved on just a tad, because there really wasn't much room for such. And to the present time only a few tweaks were in order to stay current with technological innovations.

The Camry is a very light steering car. Not too quick mind you, but very easy to control, and requires very little effort to change direction or to back into that tight parking space. Some cars you can just tell have a heavy steering feel, this is most definitely not one of them.

The tie rods as well as the ball joints, though not factory greasable holds up very well, as evidenced by the fact I have seen a few with over a quarter of a million miles on them and there has been no need of replacement due to wear out. I don't know what kind of metal they use in their construction, but it is very strong and very well thought out. The engineers as well as their R&D departments deserve whatever kudos are heaped their way.

This car for some reason, obviously the strength and design, holds it's alignment very well. I have many customers who routinely get their alignment checked faithfully once a year, and many of them require only a check, not a re-align. I live in upper Michigan and the roads are very pot hole filled due to long winters of freezing/ thawing constantly, so for a car to hold it's alignment up here is saying a lot.

The coil springs hold up very well also. In checking ride height spec's before alignments, the camry holds its ride height over the years while some other cars sag, and ride very low due to weak springs. This is obviously due to quality materials in Toyotas choice of the spring steel which they utilize.

The factory allows some camber adjustment on front and a little on the rear also, but more importantly all 4 corners allow for toe adjustment, with a cam system on the rear so your alignment tech can dial it right in. What this translates to for you is this. As the years and miles pass, you can count on being able to keep it in align to not only save on irregular tire wear, but to keep the handling predictable and stable so it will keep that new car feel for a long while.

The drive axles are also a strong point having never serviced a camry for a bad C.V. joint or a boot that ripped from bad workmanship. It is a rare occurrence to find something wrong in the drive system, but like any other mechanical device there are exceptions to the rule.

THE WRAP-UP:

Over all, the Camry is top notch from underneath and you shouldn't have to worry much at all. Drive with confidence in the independant suspensions road holding capabilities, and when your grandkids inherit this car it will still be giving them the excellent service it has given you all this time.

Please check out some other Camry reviews from the advisors here on epinions and see for yourself what the rest of the car offers. I'm sure you will find everything else acceptably to your liking.