2007 Toyota Camry LE: Just an Appliance?

Still, there is a time and place for a car like this and...
 
I don't think there's ever a time or place for a car like the Camry. so many other cars are out there that have the legs and comfort for long distance driving but can also be fun when the road gets twisty.

"But when a car takes you and your family over 1,300 miles (so far on this trip) without complaint, and gets 30 mpg, it goes beyond appliance. "
 
The thing is, MANY cars can do the same thing, but offer more fun while doing so. Reliable and practical doesn't have to be boring. But the Camry guarantees it to be boring.

"The Camry, with it's soft suspension, mushy handling and bland interior, is designed not to offend anyone"
 
Mushy handling and bland interior offends me. Soft suspension too.
 
This car is an appliance IMO. Like a washing machine. You are thankfull for your cleaning that it provides, but you don't wash clothes for the fun of it. Otherwise laundry would be a sport like football, or car racing.
 
Coming back to the car, you are thankfull to it for getting you from point A to point B but you don't get any more satisfaction from driving it IMO.

These are some harsh comments for a car that most of you have never probably driven....I own the LE and I think its a great car. I also have a Pontiac Grand Prix and can definitely say I can tell the difference when it comes to which one has a firmer suspension setup.
The Camry though, after 19k miles now, is unbelievable. Yes it might seem like an appliance, but for what is worth, there isn't a better car in its category. I cant say much about the Accord becuase its being replaced, but that in itself is a bland IMO and the ride seems so loud for wearing the same $140 Michellin tires that my Camry wears. The VW Passat is a real blast to drive, but I felt like I was suffocating when I test drove it because the interior seems so small for such a big car. The roof is much lower and hangs ahead of the front of the car more, reducing windshield glass area and making it feel smaller, darker. Rear legroom is a crapshoot too, I feel bad for whoever sits in the back there....
The Malibu is currently a good car for the money, but about 2 generations behind the Japs in terms of quality, reliability, and styling. And who knows when the next will come out b/c Lutz put it on hold a couple months ago.....
The Sonata is a very good car too, almost identical to the Camry, but don't buy it new because their selling in my area for half what they were new with only 25k miles on them.
The Mazda 6 is alright, but the back seat is tight, and who knows about its reliability....
And finally, the Altima. A great car, very nice interior design and quality. The CVT is awesome, and standard keyless start is really cool. But I got the sunroof on my Camry for only and extra $800....With the Nissan, I would have had to get it with some option package, with things like a leather steering wheel, alloys and a couple things that are already standard on the Camry or that I don't need. That would have made the total about $900 more than what I paid for my car. And I could not afford making my payments higher than I needed to.
 
So in the end, its up to the buyer. This is a great car, don't judge it if you haven't drove it. I like edmunds becuase they give us info on realistic scenarios they put their cars thru, but I have not agreed with them several times becuase I think they nitpick too much. You can't make a $22k camry into an Infiniti,MB, BMW, or Audi.

I also think its a great looking car for those who say its ugly. Live where I do, where average incomes are around $80k and this is one of the best looking cars in town. I've only seen 1 German car around here, and that was a couple months ago....

Gosh, Phillip - I'm glad you read our comments, but don't take them so personally. First off, I care about what appliances I have in my house - how much they cost, certainly how reliable and efficient they are, and how obtrusive they are. I'm sure the Camry excels in those categories. It must, since I see loads of them all over, including two side by side in my neighbor's driveway.
 
Having said that, certain appliances matter more to me, because they can make monotonous chores fun. My VW Passat was a wonderful car to drive, but the reliability was shoddy. My 2003 Mazda 6 is more fun to drive than the VW, with the added benefit of worry-free reliability and comfort. Despite compliants about it not being as large as a Camry or Accord, I've never had any complaints from rear-seat dwellers, including a 6'2" friend of mine.
 
I agree strongly with blueguydotcom, stingray 454, and banhugh on their comments, but it boils down to z479's comment; "So in the end, its up to the buyer." I have driven Camrys and choose not to buy them, because I want soul in my driving experience.
 
Now Phillip, that doesn't mean I'm trying to exert my superiority by calling a Camry an appliance. Just proclaiming my opinion. I think in "rebutting" those comments in the manner you chose to diminishes your own objectivity. Challenge us, certainly, but don't put words in our mouths!

Oops - sorry for the 'double-L' in your name. I hate it when people write my name incorrectly when it's obviously already displayed! -Greg

As with everything, beauty (and utility) is in the eye of the beholder. There is certainly a place for the Camry (and Accord, etc). Many people want a good, solid, reliable vehicle that doesn't do anything too overtly. They do see it and use it like an appliance; they want it to work without worry for many years and they don't want to have to manhandle it to get it to do its job.
 
For others, a car needs to be more and provide additional value. The Camry probably doesn't fit their needs, and if they have additional money, they can go pick from a wealth of other options.
 
As with any electronic communication and message boards, most people's comments should automatically have " FOR ME " appended to the end.

My wife said, "It's a good car -- but somehow I just can't like it."
 
That pretty much sums it up.
 
My Camry was a good car. It was reliable, had decent gas milage and generally got me where I needed to go. But my pallete demanded more. I bought a 2005 Legacy GT wagon with the 5 speed instead. And it filled the void.
 
I appreciate every Camry on the road for what it is and understand that it filled the owners specific need. But it and cars of it's ilk will never reside in my garage because the drive to and from work makes the rest of the day worth getting up for.

I thought the derrogatory term "Japs" died out after WWII. Can we try to not use words like that on this board?

It's funny how such an inoffensive car sparks such debate. We love to judge other people's tastes in vehicles, don't we? And I don't mean to point any fingers. I still catch myself thinking, "Why would anyone buy THAT car??" at any number of vehicles for which I've built up some kind of prejudice.
 
I've driven an 02 Camry for five trouble-free years now. It's still smooth, quiet, comfortable, economical. It's lived through Texas summers and Chicago winters. I've really enjoyed the car in that it's done everything well for my tastes, AND I haven't had to worry about it. That's what I hoped would happen when I bought the thing. And I think that's what a LOT of people are looking for when they go to buy a new car. That kind of trust takes years to develop. So the Camry sells like gangbusters.
 
Despite all my praise, however, there is one thing I hate about Toyotas: Toyota dealers. It's enough to make me seriously consider any of the above-mentioned brands for my next car purchase.

I'm truly sorry about using that term, I'm a history teacher and it's still in the books like that so I guess I've gotten used to referring to Japanese that way. I'd also like to agree with ewilfong, I can't stand my dealer and always feel like I've been ripped off everytime I leave it.

please list cars in the same price range, and class that are reliable, comfortable, but arent boring.

To me, a car with so many attributes such as the Camry is no appliance. It has a roomy interior, excellent build quality, great power and silky smoothness from the engine, smooth ride quality, comfortable seats, an exterior and interior that actually has some style to it, and reliability. These are qualities that I can appreciate.
 
Now there are cars that have all these: poor fuel economy, weak and noisy engine, uncomfortable seats, bad driving position, bad build quality, uncontrolled ride quality, bad handling, ugly exterior and interior styling, and breaks down all the time. This is a bland car to me.

I think a bland car is one that, as has been said, doesn't do anything offensive. It doesn't draw attention to itself with flashy styling, or attract attention like the Ferrari, but it also does exactly what the buyer wants it to do with no (or few) problems or hassles. Bland means the car doesn't have a distinctive personality, which, for your average car buyer (you know, the one who doesn't post on edmunds.com about Toyota Camrys), is probably the most enticing aspect of the car. I think a car that is unreliable or unrefined isn't bland, it's merely a bad car.
 
However, for me, and for a good portion of the other posters here, a car should have some sort of distinctive trait to it. If I have to give up a little ride comfort and noise isolation to have a better handling car, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Are the Subaru Legacy or Nissan Altima better cars than a Camry because they will be more involving for the driver? For some, yes, for others, not at all.
 
The Camry sells in droves because many buyers are not interested in (or have no use for) slalom speeds and skid pad performance. They appreciate the value of a reliable, economical, comfortable, and well built car that will provide years of trouble free operation, and for that, I respect them. That said, the Camry (or any car, for that matter) doesn't have a universal appeal, but judging by the sales figures, it appeals to the largest demographic.

Although Im not a huge Camry fan, I do like the SE V6 version. Its still soft but it looks better and handles a bit better than the regular Camry LE/XLE.
 
The reason why this car sells so well is because it has a broad range of customers. Most people who are repeat or potential Camry customers want a soft smooth quiet ride and the Camry delivers. So on that note I dont think the car is bad.
 
Is it for me....no! I do prefer something more involving and tactile but Im not going to knock the Camry for what it offers. Some people dont like driving so this car certainly caters to them. Sometimes you have to look at it from both sides not just one.

Most of our friends and neighbors are not car people. Sure they are people and they drive cars. Their main criteria include comfort, economy, features, reliability, resale, and style. Does that make a car that meets these needs an appliance? No.
  
A car is not an appliance merely because the people who buy and drive it do not define pleasure as driving ten tenths on a twisty back road. A passion for driving does not have to be expressed by hauling ass.
  
I find the word "applaince", and the unspoken inference that those who drive them are somehow lesser folk because they are not enthusiasts, every bit as offensive as the J-word brought up earlier.

well i dont know what the hell is wrong wit you guys but im 21 and where i live the camry is sexy, about 10 of my friends drive camerys, and one of my friends has an 07 wit 20 inch rims and he gets all the attention from all races of people, myself i drive an 06 solara convertable and every one seems to stop me and tell me how beautiful my white convt is and how much did i pay for it.... just wait till i get my rims.
 
o and i should mention that one of my friend has an 03 solara coupe 433 HP and 0-60 is in the low 4 so toyota is capable of high performance we just like oour quiet ride.... o and my dream car is a lexus gs

I'm with stingray454. Many sedans can do this now. As I pointed out in the more recent blog entry on this topic, our 2004 Malibu LT sedan with GM's pushrod 3.5l V6 and 4 speed automatic did even better. Not that I'd say it has any more soul than the Camry, but definitely no less either. Just different.
 
I'd say that the current Altima would be most likely to be my pick of today's midsized sedans if I was after something that would seem more than just an appliance though.