Toyota Camry (1999)

The Toyota Camry may just be the world's most magnificent average car. We've always liked the Camry. Not because it's flashy, powerful or otherwise attention-getting. It isn't. Not by a long shot. But it does grow on you over time, particularly given that the Camry may be the most reliable car on the market.

How is the 1999 Camry different from the '98? Well, to tell you the truth, we didn't notice any substantial changes from last year's edition. And why should Toyota change a thing? Why mess with success?

Not to be brutally frank (i.e., we're about to be brutally frank), but the Camry is an incredibly dull car. It's the paradigm for family sedans, which might sound like damning with faint praise. But, although it's boring, it's very civilized. It's smooth. It's quiet. It handles nicely. It has the right amount of power... and it's comfortable. There's nothing more you could ask from the Camry, except, perhaps, excitement. And not everybody wants excitement in their car.

The overwhelming characteristic of the Camry is that it hasis a calming influence on one's driving. Even the Camry's colors are subdued, with a relaxing gray interior. Driving the Camry makes us realize that, just as some cars make you want to drive fast and recklessly,... the opposite can also be true. The Camry makes you want to drive sanely. (Tommy drove the Camry through Boston on a recent evening. It was rush hour. Traffic was an absolute mess. And, oxymoronic as it sounds, Tommy reported that he was calm as could be! This in itself made his wife think about getting him one.)

The Camry's suspension is a bit soft. It errs on the side of comfort over handling, which makes it a not -particularly racy car to drive. The drive train is magnificent. It's so incredibly smooth, you never know the car is shifting. And, in terms of engine noise--... there is none. You never hear or feel the engine.

Ergonomics are just fine in the Camry. Everything is right where you would expect it to be, and relatively easy to understand. The necessary accouterments are all there. The Camry has all the usual bells and whistles that you would expect, with accessories such as leather, moon roof and power locks available at extra cost. Both the AC and heating work well. Room inside the Camry is good for a mid sized car. Headroom is adequate, and legroom is better than adequate. Storage is acceptable. Visibility is good to excellent.

The seats in the Camry are velour. We did think they were a little bit lacking, though our tuchuses have been spoiled recently, having been caressed by a number of luxury cars in the last few months. The seats could hardly be described as uncomfortable, but you do notice that you're not driving a high- end car. We also noted that the seats themselves were a little bit short front to back, and the only adjustments were up and down. They don't tilt forward and back, which can provide additional comfort for certain people. So, make sure you can find a comfortable driving position before you plunk down your money. (We suspect that only a small percentage of people will have real difficulty finding a comfortable position in the Camry.)

If there's one thing the Camry is known for, it's its incredible reliability, which is well deserved and should bring plenty of peaiece of mind to any Camry driver. We expect the 1999 Camry to be equally reliable, though we would humbly suggest avoiding the V6 engine. The V6, simply because it is a larger engine, will have higher repair and maintenance costs. As just one example, changing the timing belt in the V6 involvess definitely more time and hassle than, compared to the four- cylinder engine. We found that the four- cylinder engine has more than enough power for almost any situation. Buy the V6 only if you know you will be spending a lot of your time hauling enormous loads of kids or supplies long distances.

The Camry may well be the least offensive looking car on the market. Like everything else about the Camry, the look isit's not exciting--w. Which, now that we mention it, is what we like most about the Camry:. There's nothing to complain about. But,... just as there's nothing to dislike, there's nothing exciting about the Camry. It's plain, and very middle-of-the-road, which is exactly how Toyota is marketing it. This is the car for people who would prefer to blend in, rather than being conspicuous. This is a car for people whose eyes light up at the thought of great reliability ratings, instead of horsepower, ground clearance or burled walnut dashboards.

If you're thinking about getting a Camry, but can't quite bring yourself to buy a car without the least bit of a personality, we'd suggest you take a look at the Honda Accord. It's a little more fun to drive, haswith slightly better handling than the Camry, and is similarly reliable. And, if you want to take a look at another car in this class, we'd humbly suggest you also test- drive the Taurus, another of Camry's longtime competitors.

Who would buy this car? Well, you'd better have a family, or be a salesman, or you'll be rightfully branded as a complete dullard. Anyone between the age of 35 and 60, who has to drive some or all of the family around, will love this car. If you want a four- door family sedan to get you around for well over 100,000 miles with very few hassles... then buy a Camry.

Not only is the Camry a great car, it's also a perfectly reasonable deal. Prices range from $17,038 to $24,998 for the fully loaded V6.

The Toyota Camry is the quintessential American car right now. It's what the Chevy Impala was in the 1960's and what the Olds Cutlass was in the '70's. And, like those cars, today's Camry is even built in the United States.