About the Toyota Camry
Frank purchased this Toyota Camry new for $26,500 (including all on-road costs). Frank would buy this car again because: “Whilst the demise of Ford and Holden from local manufacturing created huge headlines there was less coverage of the closure of Toyota’s local manufacturing arm which had been assembling vehicles in Australia since 1963
Between 1963 and 2017 Toyota manufactured 3,451,115 cars in Australia.
Toyota also exported more Australian made cars than any other manufacturer. A total of 1,322,991 cars were exported with the majority going to the Middle East which took 1,245,914 vehicles.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
It has now travelled 100,000 km has proved to be trouble free and I have only had to replace a battery and couple of headlight bulbs and a tail light bulb.
At eight years old with 100,000 km on the clock the car is still driving very well. I would have no hesitation in buying another Camry should I have to replace this vehicle
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
My 2013 Toyota Camry Altise was purchased new from Scifleet Toyota. The purchase process was very easy due to the fact that I knew exactly what car, specifications and colour I wanted.
It also helped that at the time of purchase the vehicle was advertised as a run out model with the previous years compliance plate for $26,500
The only options I added were window tinting and Toyota floor mats. Shortly after purchase I added a genuine Toyota towbar to enable the use of a bike rack which fits to a towbar.
Prior to purchasing the vehicle I travelled to the United Arab Emirates. At this time the majority of taxis there were Toyota Camry’.
Whilst using taxis there I noticed that a significant number of them had traveled between 500,000 km and 1,000,000 km. They appeared to be holding up well from a wear and tear point of view and did not have any rattles indicating they had been well made
After owning a 2000 model VT Commodore for 14 years I did extensive research before purchasing the Camry.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
At the time of purchase I did consider buying the hybrid model but as I tend to hang onto my cars for a long period of time I must admit to having concerns about how long the hybrid battery would last and the potential costs and replacing it. At the time of purchase the hybrid model was also significantly more expensive.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
I ended up buying the base model Altise has it had everything I needed at the time. It has plenty of room inside for four adults and will carry five people if required.
The infotainment system is fairly basic no DAB Radio but it does have factory Bluetooth and connects quickly.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
I was happy with the size of the Commodore but wanted something that was more reliable also more fuel-efficient. I was also keen to get a car with upgraded safety features. Whilst the Commodore had dual airbags and ABS brakes The Camry added to that with full curtain airbags and electronic stability control.
The car is fitted with a 2.5 L petrol engine and six speed automatic transmission. The outputs are 133kW and 231 Nm. The engine and gearbox combination gives it adequate performance around town and a relaxed feel on the highway.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
Unfortunately in this day of omnipresent speed enforcement there is no digital Speedo however the analog Speedo is large clear and in the centre of the instrument display.
The small LCD display Below the Speedo Is fairly basic enabling you to scroll through from the outside temperature, the odometer, a trip meter ,average fuel consumption and range.
Fuel consumption is fairly average at just under 10 L per hundred kilometres however we live in a hilly area and the vehicle is mostly used in start stop pick our traffic
No flash climate control here just a basic knobs for temperature and fan speed, however it all works very well and the air conditioning is obviously designed to work in Australian and even hotter Middle East conditions
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
It seems most people are deserting the traditional family sedan and going for SUV‘s. Despite driving a lot of SUVs I like the fact that a traditional sedan seem to have better visibility than most of them and whilst I don’t think anyone is going to claim the base model Camry is a drivers car I prefer the feel of a sedan over a raised SUV.
Being manufactured locally the suspension as well suited to local conditions and rides well on some of our less well maintained roads
The electrically assisted power steering has the right amount of weighting and the car tracks well over uneven road surfaces.
When travelling with work I will usually ask for a Camry if I have to hire a car.
The latest model has the added benefit of active cruise control and a more modern looking interior but is otherwise very similar to drive to my car.
The seats in the front and back are comfortable for long journeys with cupholders in all four doors two in the centre console and a centre fold down armrest in the rear with another two cupholders
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
As the cost of petrol gets higher and The price difference between the non-hybrid and the hybrid narrows I think I will go with the hybrid Camry when I replace it.
However based on the longevity of the taxis in the Middle East I suspect it still has a lot of life left in it.