1989 Toyota Camry Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I loved the 80's look of this model. Having a 2.0 petrol engine with 130bhp it was a family saloon with racing skills. 0-100km/h in 9 sec topspeed in 1st gear: 60km/h 2nd 90 km/h 3rd 145 km/h 4th 185 km/h 5th +200 Loved the electrif roof and the spacious interior.May 28, 2009

I am so excited to give a performance review of my 89 camry. This car has been a main point of conflict for me. I aquired it from a friend from Chicago. The car had been sitting on the street unused for I don't know how long. It is rusting from the bottom up. It only has 110K on it, however, and we all know that for a Toyota, it is just warming up. The engine plummed white smoke for a little while after I got it to Michigan so i assumed that the block was cracked and the car would last for only a little while. I changed the oil, drove it regularly. The white smoke stopped. the engine idled smooth and still does to this day. Like new.No hic ups or chaters. It seems that the car was maintained well. This will be a good time to explain my ratings Overall- I have a love hate relationship with this car. It is so uncool to look at from my perspective (however i do have respect for the styleing form the time, and given the overall reliability of this car it is hard to dis it to hard) that i am embarassed to say that i can be embarrased to drive it. (I hate ego). its reliability is why i want to continue to drive it. i want to see how far this tank can go. so overall i guess i do love it Performance-well, its a five speed so it can get up and go if i crank on it but it is only the 4 cyl so it has no balls what so ever.( I also own a 91 Mazda 626 GT with turbo intercool. When i get behind that wheel- i hate my toyota. I will have to review that car too. What a beaut that thing is.) The seats are fairly uncomfortable and the handling is loose and boring but travels strait and smooth down the road.I really don't expect more from this car. Alright i will try to be more brief. The only repair that it needs so far is the exhaust. Rusting away. in the process of replacing. The driver side sway bar bolt bushing gave out. I am told i need to replace the lower controll arm because the bushing is not a replacable piece. Other that that i have had to do nothing to this car. I have found that i am geting 28 in the city and 30 or so on the highway. For an 89 that is Great! Appearance- already covered. Fine syling for the time, reconizable, but not hot at all. Fun factor?-No fun. the five speed adds a little conectivness to the car but thats about it. I read another review of this car on this forum and I had to laugh. "Japaness tank- souless and boring" that is a perfect description. Would i recommend this car to a friend? Absolutely! even though this car is boing, i think it is a total value. I wish I had a phot of my car to share so you can love/hate it, like me, visually.Feb 14, 2009

The performance of this car is quite amazing based on its age. It is a 1989 toyota. yeah, it may be old, but it has never had any sort of engine problems. great car to drive. powerful enough to haul gear to campgrounds, carrying skis/boards to your favorite resort, or just city crusin. It gets roughly 18 miles to the gallon. not the greatest, but again, for its age, quite amazing. i would deffinately reccomend this to a friend if they are the adventourous type of person and loves to go places Jan 29, 2009

This car is nothing short of amazing. It's got over 250,000 miles on it, needs a valve adjustment (tock tock tock) and has Japanese take-out replacement transmission. One of these days I'll get the CV joints fixed....but the thing gets 37 mpg on the highway! And this is the Alaska type of road, two-lane, humpy-bumpy, up and down hill and over frost heaves no matter where you go. It's not exactly perky after all those miles, but the heater and the air conditioning still work great, and the steering response is also just like new. It's fun to drive, quiet, and would be comfortable if the seats weren't so worn out. The worst thing about it: 1) automatic seat belts. Sure, you get an extra break on your car insurance for having them, but try getting out out of the car! They slide and get caught on things. Now imagine you have to dogs on leashes you need to get out of the car along with yourself and there's this seat belt blocking their (and your) exit just like some ribbon across a finish line. The dogs tangle their leashes every time. It's maddening. PLUS you have to lever yourself out of the little hole the drive sits in. It's very difficult to get out of this car. And no, I don't weigh 300 lbs. I'm a normal-sized person. Be that as it may, I'd buy another one of these babies in a heartbeat. They're cheap, around $1500, and they run forever.Dec 08, 2008

I picked up this little charmer at the end of 2006 to restore; what a lot of character this car has. More than 500,000km's and this Camry is still running as good as it did the day it left the dealership..well; thats a bit of an exaggeration. Fuel economy is great, 2 weeks to a full tank is no problem. Engine can be a bit gutless when going up hills; but still manages to keep up with traffic just fine. As the camry is the 'executive' spec; it misses out on the sunroof, velour interior, power windows, power mirrors etc; but it makes up for these shortcomings in its character and willingness to take you from A to B.Oct 03, 2008

What can I say about the Camry? It cost me $250 sight-unseen, bought off eBay and arrived on the back of a truck from NSW. I was told the transmission would need relacing – but the simple adjustment of one nut got another 18 months out of it. Other than a $350 second-hand transmission, it has had nothing but routine maintenance and tyres. My dad runs it up and down the Geelong-Melbourne road 6 days a week and has put nearly an extra 100 000kms under its wheels. It’s completely soulless and boring – but economical and reliable. If you just want to get from A to B (and with no literally no luxuries in between) then the Camry is the car for you. Don’t expect it to be fun…Jun 19, 2008

89 camry...not a base model or popular model for modifying. But I plan to work it out. So far, i have a completely rebuilt 3-sfe 2.0L I-4 engine and auto transmission. Performance upgrades include K&N cold air intake, Megan racing upper strut tower bar. KYB shocks/springs, and my newest addition an APEX'i N1 (Fireball Tip) exhaust system. I've also worked on the interior adding a pair of 4-point TRD racing harnesses. Autometer (52mm) Tach. MOMO steering wheel with NRG quick release and boss hub kit. As for sound, I put in a Clarion DXZ465MP head unit, 1200w Amp and 10' Infinity Kappa Perfect bass, and soon to be 2 5-way Pioneer 6X9 rear speakers. As for dislikes, I don't really dislike anything but the fact that the exterior paint is starting to fade on the roof area and my wheels. Hopefully, i can get it repainted the same grey color but everything including the bumpers. Getting a new set of wheels, maybe Rota Subzeroes with bolt pattern of 5X100, or at the most Volk LE or TE 37's with custom stagger between front and rear set since usual bolt patterns they make staggered are 5X114.3. Besides that, I would like to just keep the normal JDM appeal and basically sleeper status. My dreams would include doing a full swap from my 3-SFE to maybe a 3-SGTE turbo engine fitted with a top mount intercooler and upgrade to a Garrett T3/T4 turbo with either an APEX'i, HKS, or Greddy BOV, and APEX'i turbo timers. Another would be custom order of Tein S-tech 5 way adjustables and custom rear up strut bar and a custom made interior harness bar for the 4-point seat belts. And also wanting Sparco Fighter series seats(though i need custom bracket fabrication). All of this could be a dream come true if only it werent for the issue of the large amount of money. That's why hopefully people could read this, maybe get some sponsorships. And I'll be trying to get into an auto group and autocross a bit, go to shows..Whatever it takes, I want to put 2nd Generation Camrys on the map!Jun 16, 2008

I have driven my 1989 Camry v-6 LE Wagon for the last 5 years,after purchasing this rust free vehicle from it's second owner. The 6 cylinder engine has great power and quietly handles it chores of hauling the family. The car has nearly 160,000 miles, I am hoping to see 300,000 before I have to retire it. The folding seats make a useful cargo hauler when needed. I experience 19-20 mpg in town and 25-27 mpg on the highway.Apr 27, 2007