13th Aug 2005, 09:13

1993's are very good, provided they have been taken care of. That was back when Toyota still made quality products. Things started slipping very badly in 1996, and continued on a downward spiral for many years.

Some objective people are finally starting to catch on (without the help of the automotive press), that Toyotas might not be all they were/are supposedly cracked up to be. I do not know whether the problems have been corrected in the new models (2005) or not.

I do not think anyone could honestly say, though, that the older ones were not good. I would suggest enjoying your '93. It is a nice easy car to work on (provided the mechanic knows what they are doing), with an excellent track record. I have a neighbor who's '92 is at 170,000 miles+. I would definitely put a new engine in that car (if it ever needs it), before I would ever buy a new vehicle, especially a Toyota.

The cheapest way to get around, is almost invariably to keep the car you have on the road. If yours has been cared for, it should definitely be worth it.

24th Jul 2006, 20:24

Absolutely! I have been driving a 97 Camry for a while, and now that I'm doing work on my current daily driver, I have been subject to driving the 1997 Camry CE more often than normal. I have to say, the acceleration is brutal, the handling is that of a small yacht, the fuel economy is substandard, especially considering that the same fuel burned DOES NOT translate into power. Luckily we have not had the check engine light issue, possibly taken care of by previous owner who also had the head gasket replaced. Other than performing like a public transit bus, it has not been too bad of a vehicle. It is relatively quiet inside, thanks to the weighty sound deadening, and the fact that the engine mounts are pillows. I absolutely agree that both Toyota AND Honda quality is declining rapidly, despite the marketing dept. of each company playing heavily on the reliability reputation they have. I can't wait to get my car done, so I can stop driving this thing.

17th Oct 2007, 18:28

Yeah I have over 202,000 miles on it and it still is able to take the beating of a teen. All i had to do was replace the timing belt and waterpump. very very reliable car

23rd Apr 2008, 17:28

Just bought my 2nd Toyota Camry. The first was a 2002 I bought new and replaced a 2000 BMW. Never had a single problem with the Toyota, and it by far was more reliable and comfortable than the BMW. The Camry was sold with 82,000 miles only because I wanted a new Camry, and Toyota service department and CarMax inspected it and advised it was in great condition. I received a premium price when I sold it to a private party.

The new Camry is even more comfortable, plenty of power (V6), with great gas mileage. In my opinion, Toyota lived up to their reputation of quality and reliability. Great vehicle!

22nd Jul 2008, 13:36

I have a 1997 Camry with more than 148,000 miles on it. Never had a problem with it, no engine sludging either (even though I was a little careless a few times in changing the oil at 3000 miles)... Lucky I guess... but it run great with good gas mileage (26 mpg city/34 mpg hwy) and I am not getting rid of it until it falls apart.