W***n
发帖数: 11530 | 1 By Neward Thelman
on Feb/23/17
This is a review of the 2016 Toyota Camry SE, but since the 2017 models are
carried over unchanged, all comments should apply to 2017 models.
As of this writing, Toyota's been running ads which say that Toyota has
built the Camry with close attention to detail. "Tested, trusted, Toyota",
the ad says. As an owner of a 2016 Camry I can attest that the detail to
which they've devoted their corporate and engineering attention is toward
producing a car as cheaply as possible, maximizing profit, and little else.
Starting with the engine, Toyota uses what its salespeople refer to as "
chain drive", which means that Corollas and Camrys use a a timing chain
rather than a belt [which can break, causing catastrophic damage to the
engine]. That's good. It's more reliable. Unfortunately, it also makes the
engine noisy. Diesel engine noisy. Of course, the manufacturer can reduce
that noise to inaudibility, but that costs extra money.
I found that the Corolla engine noise was really loud inside the cabin. The
Camry was less noisy, but there's more to the story. I tested four different
Camrys. Three of them were tolerably quiet. The one that I ordered from the
factory has turned out to be loud. Clattering, dieseling loud. Even worse,
in cold weather, it takes a long time for the car to warm up. The colder the
temperature, the longer it takes for warm up. How long? Five to ten minutes
. Yep. That's sitting, burning gas, not moving for ten minutes - like some
1952 Rambler.
Of course, I took the car to Toyota service. They explained that the long
warm up is due to the use of a timing chain. They said it takes that long
for the oil to warm up enough to allow the cam shaft and the timing chain to
reach operating temperature. And, yes, the noise levels were "normal". In
fact, they found it all to be "withing normal operating standards and
parameters".
The lessons here are that [1] there seems to be considerable Camry car-to-
car variability, and [2] whether a manufacturer gives you a one month or a
ten lifetime warranty, they can get out of fixing a problem by simply
claiming that an issue's "within normal operating standards...".
Heading into the cabin, you'll find that the seats are cheap, hard, and
uncomfortable. Don't plan on any long trips. I have cloth seats. The cloth
is really slippery polyester. As a result, if you use seat covers, they'll
slip and slide to the extent that they'll make driving unsafe. Even worse,
Toyota seems to have the largest and widest head rests in the industry. I've
compared. Toyota's head rests seem to be made for Godzilla. They far wider
than those used by Honda, Mazda, Hyundai - pretty much everyone. Forget
about being able to see anything over your left shoulder. You can't. But, at
least when you crash - which, sooner or later, you will - that massive head
rest will give you 10% more whiplash protection than a 1976 Bonneville
would.
If you live a tropical climate, then you may skip this next section;
otherwise, you'd better have a high tolerance for cold. The heater takes a
long time to warm up. Even after driving for 30 minutes on cold days the
heat still hadn't come up to comfort. I found that it took almost an hour to
get adequately warm. Still, the heating duct directed at your feet delivers
a weak, tepid air stream, so your feet will remain cold, regardless of the
cabin temp. After making cars all of these decades, Toyota still hasn't
figured out heat.
The stock radio and sound system are execrable. And I mean that. Not just
bad. Really, really bad. Almost unlistenable. If you buy a Camry, pop for an
audio system upgrade.
The ignition switch on the steering column is poorly machined and of low
quality. It was like that in all four Camry models I tired. You'll be poking
the key clumsily every single time you want to start your car. The leather
covering the steering wheel is thin and of low quality, but the same as I
found in all of the competition.
The Camry's electronic power steering has as much unit-to-unit variation as
its timing chain characteristics. Three of the Camrys I test drove had
reasonably weighted steering. Far worse, far less secure and solid than
regular, old hydraulic power steering, but better than most [such as the
scary unstable new Chevy Cruze]. Of course, the one I got is crazy slippery.
Driving it always feels as though you're hydroplaning on a sheet of sheer
ice.
So, with all of these factors, plus which ever new negative characteristics
are lurking, waiting to appear and make my ownership of this lump of sheet
metal even more miserable, I'd say that I fully regret ever buying a Camry.
If you're thinking of getting one, make sure you really look it over before
you part with your hard-earned money. If you do decide to get one, you may
be better off with one from the dealer's stock, since you can test it out
before hand. It seems you never know what you'll get ordering from the
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