Day two in York, Nebraska came early, especially after staying up all hours to watch the conclusion of the NBA Warriors bashing of the Mavericks. The Camry was dripping wet from the thick ground-hugging fog that deadened the sound of nearby 18-wheelers.
I started up the Toyota, looked at the temperature readout (61 degrees) and pulled out of the parking lot listening intently for dashboard squeaks and rattles. The silence that ensued as I picked up speed was delightful...
Throughout the first day's drive, I'll admit that I silently mocked Dan Pund's complaint about the soft driver's seat. But within 30 minutes of today's drive, I regretted doubting his keen insight. My bum was already hurting and no amount of shifting was alleviating the discomfort. The sinking feeling is akin to sitting on any dear ol' grandma's well-used sofa. I should check to see if there's any loose change stuck inside.
In Colorado the Camry was put through a variety of driving conditions from fog, rain and wind to sleet and snow. The ride was smooth and the V6 engine provided adequate power to keep pace climbing I-70 into the Rockies. Yes, it's a car for the masses, but I'd prefer more road feel through the steering wheel. It's a little too numb for my taste.
The manual mode is helpful when passing, and climbing or descending grades. While in manual, I tested the three top gears while blasting down a flat section of the interstate at the posted 75 mph speed limit. Here are the results of my unscientific test:
6th gear - 2,300 rpm
5th gear - 2,600 rpm
4th gear - 3,600 rpm
The Camry scored 33 mpg on Day One, but Day Two's mileage dipped to 30 mpg. Considering the mountainous terrain, it's still not bad.
In the battle of red-heads, Wendy's single combo with a chocolate frosty wins hands-down over McDonald's Quarter-Pounder.
Barry Toepke, fast food connoisseur in Fruita, Colorado at 14,254 miles
roar02ram says:
10:35 PM, 05/ 5/07
33 mpg!!!! Down to 30?!
I can barely squeeze 30 out of my Mazda 3! That's in-city highway driving, but still...Wow, that's really impressive!
mikemir87 says:
07:45 AM, 05/ 6/07
Yea that is pretty good...I was really into the Mazda 3 at one point but the mpg is pathetic for a compact...thats the only turn off though...
but 33mpg out of 268 hp...must be nice...
Damn Toyota ...guess that helps them be # 1...mpg like that
i want a big car with good mpg and thinking about trading in my Element for an Accord 4 or 6 cyl..What does the 6 get? Anyone know?
And thats really good for the Camry but its way too blah for me, the older ones that is, this new one is nice but still not for me, I just turned 20 and Accords ok, so is Altima but new ones are too much $$ too...I want under 20 grand but as new as possible...
Any other mid sized cars get 27+ mpg? I know alot but i mean people who have them and have the #'s as examples....great
autoboy16 says:
09:40 AM, 05/ 6/07
An accord I4 can get up 40mpg (recorded by thegraduate) highway so I'm guessing that the v6 accord should be (28-32mpg. Remember 5speed auto)
Check autotrader.com! If i were you, I'd search for a 2004 accord EX with nav. They get better MPG and power due to their lower weight. That or a CPO Acura TSX. 200-205hp and a similar I4 to the accord. In my area, a TSX w/o nav and 24-44k miles sales for $17k. W/ nav $18-$20k. Good luck!!
-Cj
orangutan says:
11:50 AM, 05/ 6/07
My 2005 2.5 Altima automatic (4-speed) gets 27 on the highway if I cruise at 75ish but if I slow down to between 65 and 70 I can get 32 miles/gallon. The new 2007+ 2.5 Altimas with the CVT supposedly get mileage comparable to the Accord 2.4 automatic.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
01:54 PM, 05/ 6/07
30 minutes and the seats are uncomfortable? Oy. I've been able to go 2 hours a stretch in my '04 Maxx with only minor discomfort. Apparently GM has found a good supplier for seats (which are similar to Saabs and come from a French supplier !). Maybe Toyota should consider the same?
arumage says:
07:56 AM, 05/ 7/07
My 1999 Camry LE (4-cyl) gets about 33mpg at 80mpg and 35mpg at 75mpg. I wonder if I'd get better mpg if I'd slow down? I'll probably never know. :-P The max for my 2000 Intrepid ES (3.2L) so far is about 27mpg. The Intrepid is far more comfortable, as is any domestic vehicle I've ridden in. I have to say that the 1999 Camry is much better than my wife's old 1996 Camry though. The seats, especially the back seats, must have been made of bricks.
33mpg for any V6 non-hybrid vehicle is pretty impressive.
jerrywimer says:
08:08 AM, 05/ 7/07
mikemir87- The 2004 Malibu LT sedan with 3.5l and 4 speed auto consistently achieved 34+ for our highway trips, with a high of over 38. So over 27 isn't really all that hard. Driving style and conditions for the most part..