My name is Shawn and I'm 41 years old. My wife and I have always owned domestic cars. I'm tired of the repair bills and low trade/resale values so I've decided to look at the imports. We drove the Honda Accord EX V6 and liked it but after driving the Camry we felt it was essentially the same car with less road noise. I've looked at the online reviews and they have been helpless. We've pretty much decided on the Camry SE V6 for the sporty look, feel and performance(remember 41. We own a Grand Prix 2 door GT now)but I'm one of those guys that researches until I'm almost divorced so I'm looking for a viewpoint from someone that has been there. I've managed to find a dealer that will sell the car at $2700 under MSRP (not our local dealer, they wanted sticker.. Period) but I'm still a little wary of a five year commitment until I find out if it is the right car for us. The web reports are back and forth. If anybody can sway me either way it would be greatly appreciated. I'm just looking for confirmation that the Camry won't be the car that drops 40% of it's value the minute I drive off the lot and after five years it won't be worth only $1000.
Thanks for your input, negative or positive.
Shawn

 

I also drive my wife nuts because of researching a car purchase to death (usually a one to two year process). We bought a 2009 SE Sport with the 4 cylinder engine. My plan was to see next spring what the 2010 Prius was going to offer in the way of fuel mileage and decide among several car choices at that time. My old american car decided to turn itself into a non-running donation creating a problem that couldn't wait. The 2009 Camry was a compromise of sorts: good mileage but not Prius-like, not too small, not too large, dealer less than a mile away, company not in serious financial straits, solid frequency-of-repair record, decent looking, decent handling (with SE package), and not very expensive. We bought through the AAA purchasing service. Good luck!

 

I suggest you visit websites such as Toyotanation and Tundrasolutions then review posts on this model.

Would have thought your local dealer would deal. Toyota car sales are down sharply and the company will be taking a loss for this year. Toyota is delaying its new Prius factory.

Resell value should be OK. Used Camry prices do vary with location.

I would opt for the 4 cylinder but then think these low gas prices are not here to stay.

 

We (my wife and I ) just purchased an '09 SE 4 cylinder and love it ! I agree w/ your comparison of the Camry and the Accord. We chose the 4 cylinder for fuel economy, and are quite pleased w/ the power it delivers. If it helps, I'm 46 and my wife is 36.

 

i can't turn the heat off!!! I push the button to turn it off (OPPOSITE OF HOW IT SHOULD WORK) and it comes back on in a few minutes. I spend my entire commute time pushing the button to turn it off. Yes, i've tried adjusting the internal thermostat from hot to cold and it has no affect. It is SO annoying. I can't wait to get rid of the car. I don't like the transmission either. The obvious downshift coming down a hill jerks me and my passengers.

DON'T BUY ONE.

 

I just purchased a 2010 Camry LE with the new 2.5L I4 engine. While I only have 500 miles on it, I am completely satisfied with the drive line. It has the new 6 speed automatic transmission that shifts so smoothly, I have to watch the tach to see it shift on a normal acceleration. I have not seen the down-shift issue mentioned in the above post. Perhaps I am comparing a 2009 with the 5 speed transmission against what I have. I am satisfied with the power in the I4 engine as well. I only filled the gas tank twice. I got 27.4mpg on the first fill, and 29.1mpg on the second fill. This is a combination of local and highway driving. I do, however, do not go over 70mph for very long, because of the low mileage The tach shows 2000 rpm at 65mph.

 

Do you have any problem with the heater button? Is anyone else having this problem? Just this morning i had to hit the button to turn the heat/air flow off at least 20 times. I'm so stressed and annoyed by the time I get to work. I wish I could get rid of the car, but I'd lose $$.

 

Are you talking about the recirculate button? which one are you talking about? On my SE the recirculate button stays on as long as the a/c is turned on and the fan control is set to "MAX-AC" otherwise it will switch to the outside or fresh air position. It will drive you nuts if you let it. Look at your owner's manual and there's a short description in there about how it works. They mention it has to do with the Plasmacluster air filtration system needing the outside air function. I know, it sounds kind of screwy. My mechanic (Master mechanic at my Toyota dealer) explained how it works and why it does it. The explanation he gave me works on the XLE which has the automatic climate control but I still don't know why it does it on the other models with manual climate controls. Other than that minor annoyance I love my Camry.

 

Hey Shawn, your post is from Nov 08 so hopefully you will have bought your Camry by now. I'm on my fifth Camry and will drive nothing but a Camry. There's few remaining 09's as the 10's are on dealers lots so you should be able to get one for invoice less rebate. I got mine in at the end of January and picked it up in February since they had to ship it in from another dealership. Since I worked for that dealership I got a great deal. Invoice less $1500.00 rebate, no junk fees, and the dealership paid for flat bedding the car in. Go with the Camry, you won't regret it. And if you can afford the extra 2 grand for the V6, GO WITH THE V6! My last four Camrys were all four bangers as I was wanting to save gas too. However, the savings are minimal. I'm averaging 29.5 mpg on the highway and 24 city with my SE V6. And I'm a rather aggressive driver, meaning I like to step on the throttle and put the car through its paces. Good luck and let us know which car you decide on.
P.S. The Accord is a nice car also, SO either way you won't go wrong.

 

I forgot to mention. You may want to check out www.toyotaiguide.com if you don't want to search through your owner's manual. The iguide online has everything you ever wanted to know about your Camry and more!