1997 Toyota Camry LE 2.2 from North America

Summary:

This car is a workhorse, very reliable under coarse conditions.

Faults:

Transmission had to be replaced in February 2004. No gear's at all.

Currently engine needs replacement. A piece of the engine block broke off. I think, due to piston bearing wear, causing the piston arm to shift and internally hitting engine block. It exploded hitting the hood.

General Comments:

This car is a serious transporter.

Very reliable. Performance unsurpassed.

However, brakes needing replacement more often than not. Steering column wobbles on downhill breaking.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th August, 2004

1997 Toyota Camry XLE 3.0 liter V6 from North America

Summary:

Comfortable, reliable, relatively fun family sedan

Faults:

Nothing so far. Car was well taken care of by an elderly couple before I acquired it.

I've heard tell of a problem with the oil stem seals, but I haven't experienced anything related to this so far (i.e. smoke during startup and increased oil consumption).

General Comments:

My parents bought me this car because of its low-mileage and that Toyotas are typically very reliable.

I've had no problems so far with this car. Major step up from my last car, a 1992 Ford Taurus which was constantly leaking coolant or some other fluid and was in the shop on a regular basis.

The car is relatively comfortable for only having cloth seats. Over a long trip they can be a bit hard, but I prefer the firmness.

Gas mileage is passable (~20 in city, ~27 on highway). However, Toyota recommends that you use 89 octane fuel instead of 87. With a 17 gallon tank, this can make intermittent fill-ups a bit more expensive.

V6 engine is quite good. The Camry is noticeably quicker and handles better than my old Taurus. 4-wheel disc brakes and ABS also contribute towards better performance, as well as safety.

My only complaint is with the headlights. This has been mentioned before, but the headlights in the late 97-99 Camrys only use one bulb for both low and high beams. The illumination by the lights isn't as good as the newer (2000-2001) Camrys, which use different bulbs for high and low beams.

Overall, the Camry is a a relatively sporty, reliable mid-sized family sedan that is perfect for a smaller family or, in this case, a college student away from home who needs a reliable sedan.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th May, 2004

1997 Toyota Camry LE 2.2L 4-cylinder from North America

Summary:

Spacious and dependable living, for cheap!

Faults:

Absolutely Nothing has gone wrong with this car.

General Comments:

If you want the most dependable car on the road, look no further. I bought this car near the century mark and I have been rather hard on the engine for the last 40k miles. It still is completely trouble free.

Car was relatively boring when I bought it, handling was rather poor and its butt dragged with a load of people in it.

Went out and bought a Eibach performance suspension kit for it, lowering it 1 inch, I RECOMMEND EVERY CAMRY OWNER TO DO THIS! springs along with shocks will only cost you $500, wheels were also purchased with hi-performance tires. Car handles incredible now, still rides good, and it looks actually really good.

I'm 6'6", car has more than enough leg and head room.

Used Camry's are cheap, no better buy out there.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th May, 2004

1997 Toyota Camry CE V6 3.0L from North America

Summary:

An unexpected powerhouse

General Comments:

The Toyota Camry CE V6 is quite impressive. It has a very comfortable interior cabin, responsive steering, amazing body style, and a very powerful engine.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd May, 2004

3rd Feb 2005, 22:18

I agree with your comment. I own the same vehicle and it has been a very pleasurable car. It has 190hp and it uses it well. The brakes have always made noise and a 1,200 dollar fuel line work have been the only expences.

3rd Sep 2005, 22:19

Powerful, no. Economical, yes. my sister has a '97 with the 190 hp V6, and it is fairly peppy, but by no means quick. my 1994 Mercury Cougar (4.6 V8) has only 205 hp, weighs much more, and will beat her Camry by a full car length to 60, and continue to pull away until I hit my 105 mph speed limiter, and am at least 9 car lengths ahead. oh, and her car has less than a hundred thousand on it, and my cougar has over 217,000 miles on it. proves that Fords can be just as reliable as Toyotas, when well maintained.

28th Dec 2005, 13:16

Well, I do not agree with Fords being that much better than Camry's. My Dad has owned all sorts, from Buick's to Ford's, to Chrysler's, and his V6 Camry has been the best. When you live in a place like Alberta Canada, you need a vehicle that will stand up to what you throw at it. I work at a gas station and get to hear all of the comments on vehicles of all brands, and the worst one of all is Ford. The engines have always had reliability problems. This can be proven at http://www.consumerreports.org.

So until Ford makes their engines more reliable, Toyota will continue to beat them in that respect. As it is said, "It is not the size that matters, it's how reliable it is".

11th Nov 2007, 21:03

We have had three Mercedes, a Volvo, A Mustang, 2 Volkswagens, A cadillac, a Cougar, and currently own three Toyotas, a 97 Camry V-6, a 2007 Camry Hybrid and a 2007 Prius. The worst cars were the volkswagens, the rest were mechanical problem children and the Toyotas are far and above the best of the bunch. When I read the comments from others on this site about how Toyota builds garbage, and how they wouldn't buy another Toyota, I think- good, a better selection for me the next time around. Just check the Consumer Reports and other publications for reliability information.