Toyota CamrySXV20R Station wagon 1998-2002

Toyota promotional shot

Ah Toyotas, so very reliable and I don't know what else you can say about them really! The Camry is NOT loaded with luxury, it is not renowned for it's excellent handling around corners, it is not exciting but is is very suitable for a budget conscious family who require a good boot space.

 The engine has adequate power for the car size (95kw @ 5200rpm but the gears would change up before you reached 5200rpm) but I would have expected more for a 2.2L engine but then what do I know? The official figures put fuel at combined urban and extra urban average of 8.3/100l, respectable but doesn't compare to the BMW I reviewed earlier. I found handling a little clumsy and I couldn't park it for nuts- my parking can be a bit here and there at the best of times but I found I had no control over where this car wanted to go especially for the dreaded reverse park. 

 Toyotas have a reputation for reliability which in some ways is well deserved but no car is without it's Achilles heel (errm well OK I don't think cars have heels) and the auto transmission can fail once the mileage starts creeping up we had one car that had well in excess of 200,000kms and the transmission was fine (the whole car was a little tired, but the gears were fine!) and two others with lower KMs where the gear box was either losing it or just plain finished.

Overall: It is a car with room for a family, cheap, reasonably economical to run, parts are OK to source. Not at all exciting.

Rating:6/10

Value:7/10:Cheap to get these days, I would probably get something stranger and just as cheap like an old SAAB or Volvo but then I like to be weird for the sake of it and a Camry is just not at all weird.

Fuel economy:7/10 The BMW has spoiled me completely for economy and if something is going to be as free of personality as the Camry it better be cheap to run!

Style:6/10:Mleh. If you like grey you will be happy. Even the Vienta which is the fancy version (with bigger engine) came with a fancier grey interior.