Toyota Camry - America's Best Selling Car...For A Good Reason!

Preamble
It was eight weeks ago that I got the call at approximately 1:30 p.m. Hi, well, I've had an accident and their towing my car right now. I was in new hire orientation so it was probably a good thing that I let it go to voicemail. So not only had I started a new job, but we just got me a new vehicle - my Honda CRV. Stress, my friends.

Our Toyota Corolla ended up being totalled by the insurance company so I had to go on the hunt for a new car. Why me if this is my husband's car? Because, I am the bargain hunter, the negotiator. He told me what he liked, and I did lots of research, hunted it down, and negotiated the heck out of it.

What Led Me To Toyota?
Initially, I looked at every other model of car before even considering something from Toyota. Why? I wanted to see if anything exciting had come round in the car market since I last purchased our Toyota Corolla (1998). I checked out cars from Kia, Saturn, Ford, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, and Honda. With the exception of Honda, I felt myself comparing every other make and model to that of a Toyota car.

You see, our experience with our Corolla was fantastic. It was an extremely reliable family car that got great mileage and had just enough bells and whistles on it to make my husband happy. His only complaint is that he wanted something just a tad bit bigger.

The Honda Accord scored major points with me because 1) I am a honda lover and 2) Honda has a great reputation with their vehicles. As I held that thought in the back of my head, I paid a visit to NADA Guides.com to check out info on the Toyota Camry.

What I discovered is that the Toyota Camry came with a lot of basic stuff that Honda seemed to make optional. That all translates into $$$. I have no problem spending the extra money on stuff if there's a reason for it.

While my local car dealership was closed, I snuck on over and took a look at their remaining 2002 Camry inventory. There weren't many left in the month of September as they were gearing up for the 2003 releases.

Impressions of the 2002 Toyota Camry
The outside of the Toyota Camry looks plain, but in a non-boxy, non-Ford like way (can you tell I hate Ford vehicles????). I liked the roundness of the front of the car and the shading of the color (in this case it was sand) against the different car parts. The car didn't look like it was designed by radicals and it didn't look like it was designed by a bunch of old folks. Just a middle of the road designed.

I knew my husband would like that.

A couple of days later, I went back and asked to test drive one.

I was thoroughly impressed - which is something difficult for any one or anything to do :).

First, the entire dash was up higher than what I usually see in mid-sized passenger cars. As a tall person, I didn't have to lean as much to find the controls I need to mess with - stereo, air/heat, defroster, etc...

Second, the seats were so comfortable. I don't mean adequate comfortable but comfortable comfortable. No, this wasn't leather, just plain fabric. It was incredibly soft, but durable. It just seemed to hug my big fat bottom in a nice way :).

Third, the amount of leg and head space in the front and back for non-drivers was incredibly roomy. I know the car sales dude probably thought that I was smoking something when I got out of the parked car and sat in each area. I wanted to see how I would feel sitting somewhere else besides the driver's seat. I'm 5'9" and I felt comfortable sitting in all four positions. Yes, they tell you that this car seats five, but no way will I be transporting five people for hours at a time.

The trunk area was larger than I anticipated. For additional room, the seats in the back could be pushed down.

The most confusing thing of this Toyota Camry was the keyless entry. If you wanted to open the driver's side door, no problem. You click once. To open the other doors, you have to do three clicks. It's one (pause) and then two, three. Took me awhile to train my husband on that :). Opening the trunk with the keyless entry is something different too. Instead of just clicking on the button, you have to hold it down for a few seconds.

When I test drove the Toyota Camry I was amazed at how quiet it was.

Purchasing
Being the skilled negotiator that I am, I did my research on Nada Guides. com before I approached the dealership about a particular 2002 Toyota Camry. I knew what it was worth. I knew that I had great credit. I knew that September was the time of the year that they were trying to dump their 2002 inventory.

I'm relieved to tell you that my interaction with this dealership was as close to hassle free as you can get. For those of you in the Indianapolis area - it's Butler Toyota. Every one was extremely nice and they didn't try to sell me all of these extras that I didn't want in the first place.

I was able to get $3000 knocked off of the price of the car AND I was able to take advantage of their 1.9% financing for three years. That's a great deal!

The Last Two Months...
Have been wonderful with our Toyota Camry. We've taken a couple of two hour trips (hittin' the highway) and as a passenger, I love how transparent the drive is. The seat lounges back and with my nice pillow, it's almost as nice as sleeping in my giant recliner at home :).

The End
If you don't need a fancy car but you want something that looks nice, drives great, and is comfortable, you couldn't find a better vehicle than the Toyota Camry.

Specifications
* Note: Specs taken from my Toyota Users Manual

Wheelbase, in. 107.1
Overall Length, in. 189.2
Overall Width, in. 70.7
Overall Height, in. 58.3
Curb Weight, lbs. 3086
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. 16.7
Fuel Capacity, gals. 18.5
Seating Capacity 5
Front Head Room, in. 39.2
Max. Front Leg Room, in. 41.6
Rear Head Room, in. 38.3
Min. Rear Leg Room, in. 37.8

Standard Features For My LE
* Note: All information below taken from the price sticker attached to my Toyota Camry.

Powertrain
2.4-liter dohc 4-cylinder engine, 4-speed automatic transmission

Safety
Dual front airbags, Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes (V6), Daytime running lights, Emergency inside trunk release

Comfort and Convenience Features
Air conditioning, Interior air filter, Variable-assist power steering, Tilt steering wheel, Cruise control, Cloth upholstery, Front bucket seats, Height-adjustable driver seat, Center console, Cupholders, Split folding rear seat, Power mirrors, Power windows, Power door locks, AM/FM/cassette/CD player, Digital clock, Tachometer, Overhead console, Outside-temperature indicator, Visor mirrors, Map lights, Variable-intermittent wipers, Rear defogger, Remote fuel-door and decklid release, Automatic-off headlights

Appearance and Miscellaneous
Full-size spare tire, 205/65R15 tires, Wheel covers

Options already added on:
* Keyless entry
* Sliding moonroof
* Floor mats

Manufacturer's Warranty
* Bumper-to-bumper: 3 years or 36,000 miles
* Extended powertrain: 5 years or 60,000 miles
* Corrosion: 5 years (no limit on miles)