1986 Toyota Camry LE 1.8 from North America
Summary:
Great beater car, cheap on fuel and reliable
Faults:
Nothing much really, just small things.
Power windows go off track sometimes; requires removing the door panel.
Seat belt latches are really cheaply made, had to replace twice.
Paint clear coat is all faded so it really needs paint, but I don't care.
Replaced valve cover gasket because of oil leaking.
Replaced battery and front tires.
General Comments:
Good little cheap car, paid well under $1000 for it. Was owned before me by an older gentleman who used it to commute to work 15 minutes away, so it had very low mileage for the year. Was stored inside sometimes, and was a pacific northwest car, so never saw salt and winters, otherwise we all know it would be long gone and rusted away.
I bought it as a second car to save on fuel costs, since I drive a full size Chevy truck for work and it's not practical for around town. The gas mileage is pretty good; probably pretty close to a 2015 Camry.
Interior is comfortable enough for a compact car, but I'm 6 feet tall and I find the roof very low. Not great for visibility; the rear view mirrors are too low for me.
Cheap seat belt clips are annoying, as are the power windows that go off track.
The engine really lacks power and acceleration, it's very slow to merge and accelerate from lights; this has taken some getting used to as I've pretty much only driven V-6 and V-8s before this car. I wasn't expecting performance though, but some extra zip would be nice.
On the positive side, the car has a lot of nice options for the year that all mostly still work, like power sunroof, power windows, locks and mirrors, power hatch release, digital dash, console shift. Not too bad for an 86 Camry!
The hatchback and folding rear seats are very practical for putting stuff in. I really like the design - that was one of the main selling points for me.
All and all, it's a great little economy car, and it has been very reliable since I've owned it. If you can put up with the somewhat cramped interior and slow acceleration, you will have a great little car. As many people have said on this site, the 80s and 90s Toyota small cars are very reliable. Not sure how I feel about the post 2000s models though, but I'd certainly buy an older one any day!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th April, 2015
15th Oct 2014, 21:11
Sorry gotta disagree, the best car ever made in my opinion is the 1977-1990 Chevy Caprice, with the Ford Crown Vic as a close second. Rear wheel drive and a V-8 make for a much, much better driving experience; great for long distance road trips with the cushy seats and suspension. I've driven smaller front wheel drive cars when I was young and broke; no thank you.
Older Toyotas are pretty reliable, especially with the 22RE engine. However I live in eastern Canada, and the rust kills the body/frame way before the engine dies. Caprices and Crown Vics are body on frame, less prone to rust due to thicker metal, and can get 300k to 500k on the drivetrain with basic maintenance. Just my opinion anyways...