Comparison Test: 2008 Four-Cylinder Family Sedans

...Shows how much better, the competiton has become...

shows how much edmunds suck at doing a roadtest...the fact that the camry has a broad line of models for eveyone taste...if u want a smooth ride and also stick to the ground like glue the SE is the best in the pack...i think edmunds wants the malibu to be better than what it really is and by doing that they trying to put America best car(notice i said best car instead of best selling)to shame...just like how everybody was talking about the chrysler 300 and the toyota avalon now look at it even other car companies engineers etc. drive an avalon...the camry dont need editors to help it out...it shines on its own!!!

Lexusboi, the only Camry Ive driven that "stuck to the ground" as you put it was a 2007 SE 4cyl with the TRD coilover kit, and TRD 18" wheels. Although it helped the car tremendously in the handling department, the steering was STILL as dull as a butter knife.
 
"the fact that the camry has a broad line of models for eveyone taste".
 
Im not so sure about that as the Camry line sure doesnt offer anything Im interested in as driving dynamics are a major deal breaker for me. Im not asking for a canyon carver just something with some good feedback and composure.
 
Toyota could actually make the Camry a better driving car WITHOUT giving up a cushy ride. The current and past Camrys suspension tuning is too soft as they clomp over bumps as if the contact patches leaves the asphalt. Thats not composed and confidence inspiring in my book. The SE is a start but it still falls short overall. Again Im not asking for a canyon carver but every driver should feel some connection with thier car.
 
Just about everything else in the class offers a better sorted chassis. The Accord, Altima, Fusion, 6, Malibu, all offer a certain degree of chassis composure and communicative steering. The Camry......doesnt!

Lexusboi!
 
LOL what an unusually scathing defense of the Camry. I'm used to reading this sort of thing about the Aura and its awful silver trunk piece, lol.
 
Keep up the funny work.

Camry's are great cars in every way...Everytime im in a Camry i feel safe and comforted with no worries...sooo it must be the same with every other American that buy the camry haha since it is #1...

As i have stated before,comparison test means nothing,i remember when edmunds claimed the sonata beats the camry and accord ,its still not even in the camry's rearvue mirrow,so many cars have tried and came up short,just to name a few,GALLANT/CON,FUSION/SONATA and FUGLYBU,...these results were known before the actual test.in the real world people buys the best of the best, and that's the camry.

toyota4life and lexusisboi
 
I would not necessarily agree. Obviously there has to be something good about these cars, for so many to buy them. But I truly believe that people's opinions of them are now significantly influenced by the reputation, even if it may no longer be deserved. I have said it before and I'll say it again: The next generation Civic could be even worse looking, and drive like a Caliber, but people would buy it in droves because it says H on the front and CIVIC on the back....its not a direct representation of the car.

The Camry is the perfect car for people who don't care about cars. It works well, has good resale value and carries 5 people. That is why Toyota sells so many. I think for people who want something more when they drive, the Accord, Altima, Malibu, Fusion and Mazda 6 are all better choices.

I notice in the charts the Camry has a far higher 24 mpg, compared to the other cars' 21 mpg and 20 mpg.
The Camry is also the quietest, fastest, and stops the quickest.
Impressive specs for a driver with no need for taste.

The 2008 Accord has a 3 star side crash rating?!?!?!
That'll surely be fixed within a few months. Sorry for the early buyers.

The Malibu sure has a small interior. No wonder it has no rear center armrest.
The Malibu is the size of the Mazda6, Nissan Sentra.

Toyota sells so many Camrys because the mass of uninformed car buyers remember how good their parent's old Toyota was and just assume they stayed on top. They don't read these comparisons and they don't really do any research, so they don't realize that the competition has just gotten better. So no, they don't necessarily know something we don't. When my grandma wanted a new car, her mechanic told her to get a Toyota, so she went out and just bought one of those because that's what she was told. Now she's plagued with all of Toyota's quality problems just like all the rest of the uninformed consumers. On the other hand, I did my research and saw GM's improved reliability. Now while her car lives in the dealership's service bay, I drive it 10X as many miles as she does and still haven't had a problem with my Chevy. Its just like how members of the Apple cult are still convinced their computers don't have problems or get viruses despite the overwhelming evidence against that. Reputations are often false.
 
Oh, and agree with Hondacura4. Toyota has absolutely nothing that interests me. Honda? Sure. Mazda, oh yes. Pretty much any manufacturer has at least one car I'm interested in, but Toyota doesn't have one.

Toyota has absolutely nothing that interests me...... LOL! please dont flatter your self,toyota sure as hell wont lose any sleep over you,they are two busy counting profits and taking over what little market share GM has left.cleary because of superior vehicles .make up all the stories you want at the end of the day toyota is( A )ok.please dont crap your pants tomorrow when you learn GM/FORD and CHRYSLER sales declines the worst in over a decade, i have been hearing the same old lame excuse for about 5 yrs now,that it is because someone told someone that toyota was good one time thats why they sell,yet toyota has the most repeat and most satisfied costumers today.

Yup, Toyota will indeed grow bigger and bigger and bigger and sloppier and sloppier and sloppier. They photocopied the play right out of GM's book. I mean plenty of people continued to buy GM products well into the dark years, and plenty of people will continue to buy Toyotas in spite of the sub-par reliability, poor fit and finish, and complete lack of excitement in the lineup. Reputations and habits take a long, long time to break. Will the domestic manufacturers continue their steady improvements and start taking back that market once consumers wise up to Toyota's lack of quality and the domestic gains in quality? Maybe. Or maybe they'll turn more to Honda, realizing that the company that has kept their eye on the ball and remained focused on perfecting the very thing they do best makes some pretty high quality, engaging, and appealing cars. Or maybe some other manufacturer will gain prominence. Whatever happens, it is very likely that the new king will follow in the path of GM and Toyota - grow big, grow cocky, lose focus, and miss the forest for the trees. And then, someone else will rise up. It is the business circle of life.
 
It doesn't bother me that Toyota doesn't care about making a car that is appealing to me. I just won't buy one. They'll always have customers like you who will buy them regardless, so of course I am of no importance. I'll just go find a company that makes a vehicle I like (there are far too many, in fact) and then everyone will be happy. Please don't be bitter because I don't praise your brand. Its kinda sad to see someone get so bent out of shape just because someone wasn't interested in the brand they're all fanboyish about. I just like to keep an open mind about these things. Seriously, peace man.

The camry sells because of its reputation and discounts. I would venture to say most Camry buyers dont set foot on any competitors lots, except maybe Honda's. The camry doesnt shine when actually compared with its key competitors. Even the Optima can deliver the same attributes as a 4 cylinder camry, although it can do so for thousands less. Fortunately for Toyota most of their buyers are pretty narrow minded and have no clue that the competition has caught up. Also, saying they should only test the SE is a cop out since most camrys sold are not SE models and the MAlibu and Accord do not have specific "sport" models. Only Toyota decides you should have a special model if you want more than Buick like handling.

Can I just say that I wasn't at all surprised by the outcome of this test. What I was surprised about was the amount of praise that was lobbed on the back of the Malibu. Sure, it's A LOT better than any other Malibu, but that interior's gray on gray just kills it for me. Is it better than the Camry in that respect? I don't think so.
 
I think it's hilarious that folks around here criticize Edmunds for favoring imports when it's obvious that they really wanted the Malibu to win. I have no problem with rooting for the home team. Hell, most of the writers for Edmunds grew up in the glory days of the domestic automakers. All of the (supposedly import-loving) magazines do it. At my local newsstand, Road & Track, Motor Trend, and C&D were all proudly displaying GM cars on the cover. Again, I have no problem with this, but I'm just wondering why no one else can see it.

Just face it...toyota make good cars!!!! My family owned Camrys, Sequoias, Tundras, Corollas, Highlanders, Sienna, Avalons and 4Runners(lol i have a big family)in the past few years starting at 2005 and have well over 100,000 miles on there cars...must i add that they never been in the shop for any type of problem and still ride like the mileage is erase to Zero...I cant say the same about My moms Envoy nor My brothers Grand Prix...TOYOTA WILL KEEP MAKING GREAT CARS!!!

Some time ago there was a comparison between Camry, Ford Fusion and Honda Accord, sponsored by Car and Driver. The results were Honda 1st, Ford 2nd, Camry 3rd. I was part of that Pomona CA. test and while miserable at high speed driving, found the ranking to be dead on.

Lexusboi says "i feel safe and comforted with no worries..." that's right, nothing bad will happen when driving a Camry - no SCARY sharp corners, or uncomfortably precise brakes. It all has a soft, comfy feel. Like a rolling sofa.

"All of the (supposedly import-loving) magazines do it. At my local newsstand, Road & Track, Motor Trend, and C&D were all proudly displaying GM cars on the cover. Again, I have no problem with this, but I'm just wondering why no one else can see it."
 
car mags display the latest and most exciting vehicles on the cover. Showing the ZR-1 on the cover isnt a sign of being biased. A 620hp car for $100k is newsworthy in this business. The Malibu lost so I dont see how you can suggest edmunds is pro-American. I havent found that to be the case during my visits to the site. Next thing I know you'll be sayiing CR is pro-Detroit.
 
lexusboi,
 
MY sister in law has a 2002 camry. Its had water leaks due to bad door seals, failed AC, failed power door locks and other issues. She said she is happy she bought the extended warranty from the dealer because out of pocket expenses would've been significant.

I agree that most buyers will not buy the SE model. That being said however, i think edmunds should have tested the SE becuse their tests favor sporty cars. People don't buy the SE, becuse they don't want one. They want a "rolling sofa."
 
P.S. Don't forget that the camery (even in LE form) is quietest, fastest, and stops the quickest, and according to the IL test, the 4cyl engine is "as smooth as it gets"
 
Just my 2cents

mr215:
You're right about the ZR-1, but with the (also over-hyped) GT-R on the way, I found it curious that not one magazine was displaying that on the cover. You are also right that the Malibu got second place, but the writers at Edmunds made a big point that the Malibu was just slightly behind the the Accord. It's not really a big deal to me because the Malibu is making some waves in the midsized segment. I'm simply making these statements because there are a lot of folks on the Edmunds boards who would swear up and down that the writers are biased toward imports. The amount of praise that they have shown towards the Malibu, a mid-pack finisher, shows that they are not.

How strange that the Camry is now the smallest of the 3. I remember when it was among the first to upsize and grow bigger.

I think the Toyota twins need a dose of reality! Sure Toyota makes good cars but GM has recently shown they can produce some competitive, interesting products. My only questions are can GM keep it consistent and will these cars be reliable? Only time can tell.
 
Toyota twins, try to keep an open mind and look at things from all angles. Dont just assume just because its a Toyota its best in class. Im a Honda fan to the bone but I do realize that a good product is a good product regardless of manufacturer.
 
As I said before GM is trying to prove themselves as a viable alternative to the Japanese cars and so far their doing a pretty good job withthe Malibu, CTS, and Aura. The Malibu is a solid entry and looks to be a good alternative to the Accord and Camry. Will that make me buy a Malibu? No, as Im a Honda guy but again, I recognize and respect a good product from any manufacturer.

HA4, I think that is why we agree a lot. I am the same way. I am a hard core GM fan, but I am never shy to praise another brand for making a great car, or criticize GM when they mess up.
 
Sabastian, the GT-R was on the cover of Motor Trend two issues ago.

Good to hear Stov as I feel the same. I admit I used to be biased but since Ive gotten older/matured and became a business owner my perception has changed drastically.
 
Im actually glad that happened as I can look at something from all angles instead of having just one closed minded view. Unfortunately, not all of us are willing to do that.