Toyota Camry (1996 - 2001) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Reliability is my number one priority. 35miles/per gallon. It's been proven on long drive without a problems. AC on warm weather, heater works fine on cold weather. The car is amazing and fun to drive with family and kids. It's good on winter snow too never got stock or slide. Low maintenance never had a major problem.Timing belt last forever didn't change untill 140k/miles. This are the car i think the most reliable of all economy cars i have ever had and worth of every penny i have spent and got in return for his reliability and gas saver.Oct 16, 2014

Gets roughly 18mpg, for a v6 that's pretty decent... Handles road like a champ, power for days (I have a heavy foot and find myself easily hitting 90-100mph on the freeway, and on open road I had it as high as 125mph at roughly 4100 rpm'. IT feels comfortable and smooth easy drive until about 110-115, when you realize how fast your going and can start to feel small changes in wind patterns at those speeds. My car is bone stock, with approx. 40k miles on it (I know that's rare for a car this age). The head lamps are getting hazy and need to be replaced at this age. I saw some online deals for only $30 per side and will probably jump on it soon.May 31, 2014

*PERFORMANCE- Lots of low end torque, enough to get up a big hill in 4th gear with ease. The 1MZ-FE has a great tonal sound-track which starts around 2500 rpms, braking is adequate, and handling is average but a good amount of body roll is present when pushed. Steering effort is light. *BUILD QUALITY- The build quality is one of the best aspects of the car. It has ZERO squeaks/rattles. The solidity of the cabin is outstanding. Panels never move/squeak/or rub against each other when you hit a big hole in the road, or push in and bounce back if you bump your elbow into them like the cheap plastic in some new cars. There is a surprising amount of soft touch materials throughout the cabin. Thick soft padded vinyl stretches over the entire dashboard and top half of the door panels as well as the shifter and center console arm rest. The lower parts of the cabin (the kick board, map holder cubbies, passenger side glove box and knee bolsters) are hard plastic. *APPEARANCE- The exterior is definitely reserved, but I think a reserved approach is better fitting a 'soft' family sedan - It isn't trying to be something it isn't (sexy). I don't particularly care for the dramatic cut of of the rear end although I know its what helps it obtain such a low aerodynamic value. The interior design is nice, I like the way the 'pod' (holds radio and climate controls) transitions into the center floor console, the slight 'ledge' in front of and below the two center air vents is also a nice transition. The door panels contour well into the flow of the dashboard. However the gauges are pretty boring (they should have used something similar to the electroluminescent optitron gauges in the ES300) *SUSPENSION- The overall feel of the ride is subdued and does a good job at it, however the smallest ruts and pavement textures find there way into the steering wheel and seats while all the medium and larger differentiations are well isolated and simply shrugged off with ease. Yes it does have a floating quality, but nowhere near that of a 90's Cadillac or Towncar. This car is also alot lower than it appears- take that with a soft suspension and speed bumps can become dangerous if you don't slow down. *COST OF OWNERSHIP- It obtains a respectable 23 Miles Per Gallon in mixed driving. 5,000 mile maintenance intervals is a nice addition. It is a very low maintenance vehicle by nature but things that cannot be avoided (in any car with high mileage) will be replacing the Head Gaskets especially the rear bank in V6 models. The way the engine is mounted on the Camry tilts the rear bank generally resulting in it to leak first. *FUN FACTOR- Most people won't be trying to race their Camry around figure 8's. But when some civic or brand new four cylinder fusion comes up beside you at a light and you know they're wanting to race, you can blast them off the line and then they'll see the V6 symbol of my Camry hurling away from them (for best results-polish chrome Make, Model, and V6 decals).Jun 18, 2013

I liked the fact that it is a good solid built reliable & depenable automobile, Had great passing power, smooth ride, quite, never failed me, never failed to start, always good to go, would I recomend this car? without a moments hesitation, can't say enough about its quality, dependability, & reliability, good looking comfortable great, safe, car! Jul 14, 2011

The acceleration is light, braking is fine, and handling is good for the size. The quality is top notch, never needs repairs other than basic matenience. The appearance is good for the model year, not flashy but not to old. The cost of ownership is very light, there is no repairs and has good gas milage. The fun factor, well lets just say its an inline 4 made for commutersSep 29, 2009

The Camry is a great family car. We got this one used, with about 53,000 miles on it. It now has just over 140,000 miles. We have the 4 cylinder model, and this is my main complaint with the car. From a standing start you would be hard pressed to pass an antique VW Minibus, but on the highway it will claw its way from 55 to 80 in nothing flat. That little 4 banger makes really good power once it has some RPM behind it. It has been VERY reliable and has only recently started showing some signs of age. I had to replace a door handle and a window regulator, and we had to have a fuel pressure valve replaced by the guys at Toyota Techs.Sep 26, 2009

My camry is an ugly green color with a very plain body style. It's comfortable to ride in and easy to drive. Visibility is superb and handles well for a larger vehicle. Huge trunk and ample cabin room. It's been the most reliable car I've owned to date. Gas mileage is terrific, although it leaks oil. It's no sports car, but has some get up for a four cylinder.Dec 05, 2008

Great car! Gets good gas mileage for its size, about 25mpg. Very comfortable, far better ride and seat comfort than comparable cars I have driven. Nearly as good a ride as my mom's Buick. It has been extremely reliable. It was purchased with 140k miles, and now has 164k, with no problems period. Just change the oil and go. The engine is still so smooth and quiet it can hardly be noticed when running. What it's not is a performance car. While it has plenty of power to easily merge on the highway or pass on a two lane road, it is by no means a thrilling ride. Don't expect to get an ear to ear grin when you start the engine, or hit the curves on hilly road. But do expect to be impressed when used as designed: as a family commuter to get from point A to point B in comfort. Overall I would wholeheartedly recommend this car for someone needing a simple reliable commuter. Aug 04, 2008

Quick car when its not weighted down, it has more than enough pick up for a daily driver. Brakes are lacking though it is compensated for by its great handling. The styling is quite an improvement over the '93-'96 body styling. The gas mileage is great. The fact that its white has made it easy to find touch up paint. Overall, a good sedan with more than enough room.Jul 30, 2008

its a 2000 Toyota Camry CE with 135,000 miles. It has the 2.2l 4 cylinder engine. Its a pretty comfortable quiet car. Its also extremely reliable. Ive never had to replace anything outside of normal maintinence. Its really roomy and has a big trunk and pretty good stock sound system. Its also really safe, i got rear ended by a lady going 25 ish mph and the bumper cracked and that was it. However its a pretty ugly car and looks really akward. Its also really really slow and has no low end power. The automatic trans is terrible and randomly downshifts. In my driving (all city) it only gets 18mpg while it suppose to get at least 23. It also handles like a boat especially when you turn fast and the brakes and steering have no feel. Basically its comfortable but it sucks to drive.its also hard to park because its longer than a Chevy Trailblazer and has a huge turning circle. May 22, 2008

Vehicle 1996 Toyota Camry 4 Dr Collector Sedan Review Very well built (much better than most new cars), incredibly reliable. The V6 is very smooth and quiet but it lacks low end torque and seems to bog if you step on it. Ride is very smooth but floaty and needs to be more controlled. Steering is not very sharp. Tranny shifts well most of the time, but short shifts in normal mode and hangs on to revs too much in power mode. Quality of materials and build is awesome. Leather is excellent quality but front seat padding is hard and pinches the thighs. Overall a very good car with some minor shortcomings. Favorite Features Reliability, build quality, smooth and quiet, up to 37mpg (imp gals) on the hwy, feels like it will last forever. Suggested Improvements None.May 21, 2008

Even though this car has a 2.2 litter 4-cylinder engine, with 133HP, the acceleration is pretty good considering that the car is a full sized family sedan. Every seat is very comfortable and the whole interior is very roomy compared to other sedans. A big thing that makes this car so dependable is the suspension and handling. I could go over a bump in the road and hardly know that there was a bump. Another thing is how quiet the engine is. At idle I hardly ever know the car is running because it is so quiet and even when you push the car to its limits (6400rpm redline) it still is very quiet. Ive also never had any problems with the car either. The very basic maintenance is very easy to complete from replacing the spark plugs, to changing the oil. Mar 18, 2008

I've owned my Camry for 2 years, and in that time have put 34k miles on it. So far I've changed the oil, put gas in the car, cleaned it many times, and put 2 new sets of tires on it. It hasn't given me one ounce of trouble. None, zero. The car was originally purchased by my grandmother in 2000 for $22k, and during her ownership there was no trouble either. Sure, it isn't the fastest or best looking car around, but who cares? It gets me from Point A to B in relative comfort, complete safety, and just that utterly reliable Toyota thing that no other automaker can match. I love my Camry, and within the next two years I'll be in the market for another.Feb 11, 2008