2003 Toyota Camry 2.4V - It seems that Nostradamus is correct after all. Our footing may non receive got ended alongside the similar a shot infamous Y2K debacle or alongside a Nuclear Holocaust, but continuously watching CNN would receive got anyone thinking that every twenty-four sixty minutes catamenia is a disaster.
True enough, I believe that everyone from the balut vendors to the high-ranking CEOs are feeling that the past times few months receive got been the most challenging (and nerve-racking) inward a long, long time. From the country’s ballooning budget deficit to the impending threat of state of war alongside Saddam Hussein, these factors receive got been driving the marketplace spot forces downwards together with the sales of anti-depressants up.
It’s times similar this where spending an sixty minutes doing laps some a puddle would soothe together with calm the soul. Unfortunately, alongside the removal of the Unified Vehicular Reduction Program (UVRP), past times the fourth dimension I’ll larn to the wellness club, it would already live inward the dead of night. Fortunately, there’s the adjacent best affair to chase those piece of occupation blues away: the novel Toyota Camry.
The latest mid-sized executive automobile offering from Toyota is past times far the most sorted out Japanese barge that I receive got e'er tried. That's because it doesn’t pretend to live a fighter against Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz, but rather it does 1 affair therefore good that the Germans (or fifty-fifty the Swedes) could entirely hope for: escapism. Everything nigh the Camry is isolation from the troublesome footing outside.
For starters, the 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve inline-4 equipped alongside Toyota’s VVTi organization is just every bit tranquillity every bit it is at idle every bit it is when closed off. The pristine grapheme of this refined powerplant makes it the smoothest together with quietest that I’ve been able to experience inward a while. Though I’d nonetheless pose a sure as shooting V6 engine every bit the pose out 1 on my list, this 1 comes inward a closed 2d place.
Though I somehow fille the lack of whatever exhaust-induced character, the engine revs smoothly all the way without whatever hint of boominess that’s been plaguing Toyota inline-4s since fourth dimension immemorial. The maximum output of 157-bhp may non seem big, but believe me; it feels a lot to a greater extent than compared than what it seems on paper. I only enjoyed the flab-free restrain together with the adaptive, quick together with smooth-shifting four-speed automatic.
Despite the deadly off-the-line performance, there’s only no argue to justify racing against rag-tag economic scheme sedans. Even my temperamental nature is calmed within the Camry’s ultra-quiet cabin. At this point, I set about to retrieve of letting the hoi polloi skirmish through the congested roads similar fiddling cockroaches. I’m quite pleased staying behind the bike of the Camry for an extra few minutes, give thank yous you really much.
I’ve been expecting the worse possible combination of ride together with treatment from the relatively unproblematic MacPherson Strut / Independent Dual Link Strut set-up—as previous experiences alongside the in conclusion generation Camry would suggest. Thankfully, this fourth dimension around, the cathedral-quiet interior is complemented past times the best real-world suspension set-up I receive got e'er felt.
Though it nonetheless can’t run some my electrical current driver, a 1998 Honda Accord VTi-L, the Camry finally does what it’s told to do. Handling is safe together with understeer is controlled. The steering gives decent feedback, but is nonetheless a chip sluggish—a fact that’s disconcerting when traveling at triple digit speeds. On the positive side, bumps of alls hapes together with sizes are absorbed inward the most convincing of manners, making the ride every bit soft every bit a baby’s newly moisturized skin. For the heck of it, I ordinarily receive got pockmarked Paseo de Roxas (near the Makati Triangle) at total speed just to examination a car’s bump absorption capabilities. This 1 passes alongside an A+ grade.
One affair I didn’t similar nigh the suspension set-up is tires' difficulty alongside putting all of the car’s torque to the road. The Yokohama Aspec 205/65 HR fifteen tires are evidently at that spot every bit low-rolling resistance tires, together with because of this primary function, they squeal heavily during a fast-bend turns. Making things worse is that this relatively novel set of rubbers lost traction accelerating out of a traffic light. If yous purchase a Camry—take my advice together with alter the tires!
It doesn't receive got an Einstein to uncovering out that this automobile is mechanically superior to its rivals—but what nigh its styling together with fauna features? For the outside, I uncovering that the blueprint is slippery smoothen together with good proportioned. The tall opinion is hidden good alongside the utilisation of large quad-beam headlamps together with a high shoulder line. The minimal utilisation of trunk cladding gives it some hints of sportiness every bit well.
On the downwards side, I’m joining the countless others inward the anti-Camry’s-rear club. The rear-end styling isn’t appealing from almost all the angles. It looks far also detached from the remainder of the flowing canvass metal. I receive got this ominous feeling that at that spot was an endeavor to spruce upwardly the dorsum together with arrive aspect similar a sure as shooting High German luxury saloon—the outcome isn’t overnice every bit there’s a lack of surface exceptional here.
Inside, though I would gladly swap the mistaken pino for brushed metal, the cabin is nicely done overall alongside swathes of tan / grayness plastics together with high-grade moo-cow hide. Interior infinite is class-leading together with the overall experience is airy together with refreshing—it’s something I won’t live embarrassed to live seen in.
The dash, though non precisely organic (and the woods doesn’t help) manages to flow throughout the cabin—echoing the Camry’s slippery exterior. The centre console is set out well, alongside all the major controls within slow reach. Like all the Toyotas that I’ve driven earlier it, the Camry has overnice together with tactile switchgear that feels unbreakable.
The automatic climate command is fairly straightforward with large, chunky buttons together with an clear layout. It’s fairly effective, too, at adjusting to infinitesimal changes inward exterior temperature. It follows the preset temperature, alongside the same tenacity every bit Saddam Hussein’s human foot soldiers—no fighting alongside a ‘more intelligent A.I’, it becomes hot every bit hell or mutual depression temperature every bit the Arctic when I need it.
The coupe-de-grace is the funky 2-DIN Kenwood CD / MP3 musician that’s linked to a 6-speaker system. Unlike other MP3-capable caput units that I’ve tried before, this 1 searches through tracks faster together with to a greater extent than efficiently. In addition, it tin utilisation ID3 tags to split upwardly your tunes whether they’re from Kenny Rogers, Apr Boy (your chauffeur mightiness desire a rail or 2 inward there) or Ozzy Osbourne. The large book knob is welcome, but apparent lack of radio preset tunes removes some points.
I managed to gallivant some the arrive at topping 2.4V. The 1.59 meg entry cost way that there’s absolutely everything inward hither from automatic climate command to ability everything (including the folding machinery for the side sentiment mirror). That said, I’m nonetheless inward aghast that the Camry lacks sure as shooting features, which I’m sure as shooting fellowship bigwigs would live great to aspect for: ability adjusting seats, back-up sensors (though it’s got that rather useless irritating beep when yous go into Reverse) together with perhaps a Luna roof.
The entirely other gripe I receive got alongside the Camry’s interior is the less than perfect seating position. I uncovering that the steering wheel, which is set also dorsum together with the pedals, which are set also high are to blame for this. Driving the Camry to Batangas together with dorsum made me experience either similar a short, disproportioned private or an extra from the set of Planet of the Apes. It takes the perfect driving shoes, which luckily I have, to drive this automobile comfortably over long distances. There’s also a enquiry of the lack of seating adjustment (only vi ways for the driver, compared to other vehicles, which commonly receive got 8 to 10 ways). Back together with bum back upwardly seems to live inward the incorrect places every bit well.
I uncovering the lack of lateral back upwardly quite disturbing for a automobile of this caliber. There was to a greater extent than than 1 occasion where I institute myself slipping together with sliding some the spot at the slightest hint of cornering. For a fellowship known for creating comfortable together with ergonomically-efficient automobiles, this luxury offering fails to larn my nod for seating comfort.
At the halt of the day, I uncovering myself wondering…is the 2003 Toyota Camry all that it’s bent upwardly to be? As a tool for isolation, the response is an astounding yes. If your advert is Steve Case, together with therefore I advise that yous forget nigh AOL Time Warner for a minute together with ride within this fiddling jewel for a chip of escape from the footing some you. The ultra-competent mechanicals, smoothen powerplant together with transmission, really airy cabin together with promised painless ownership makes this a worthwhile vehicle to consider.
However, considering the Camry’s variants—I would receive got to steer away from the 2.4V every bit my principal choice. Though the 2.4-liter engine is frugal every bit some 1.6-liter engines (giving out 8.2 kilometers to every liter), the mid-line 2.0G alongside its 149-bhp 2.0-liter engine is an absolute steal. It has all the features of the range-topper together with it should live able to give slightly amend mileage. Of course, that’s just me. If yous pose bragging rights higher upwardly everything else, together with therefore there’s no amend automobile out at that spot than this 2.4V.
Car Review - 2003 Toyota Camry 2.4V Features & Specifications
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Oleh
Lucy
