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2002 Toyota Camry SE

Date: 15 February 2002	Miles: 5,065
Say Toyota Camry and many folks will probably respond with words like reliable, comfortable, safe, and boring. Less than dramatic styling and handling have long placed the Camry in the back of the minds of most auto writers, even while consumers couldn't buy them fast enough. But changes to the all-new 2002 Camry do indicate that Toyota has listened. While not radical, the new sedan is the sleekest car to yet wear the Camry badge. While power was never a shortcoming of Camry, our V-6 test car's SE package does tighten up the handling response just enough to be called sporty. Now if they could only fix the shudder in the automatic transmission. We've driven this car only two months, but the odometer already reads 5,065 miles, and economy is a fine 23.3 miles per gallon. So, our staff obviously likes the SE for both commutes and holiday vacations.
Date: 15 March 2002	Miles: 7,424
Understated is a proper word to describe this Toyota Camry SE. But with the wholesale changes made to liven styling and handling for 2002, words like confident and determined also apply. Determined, that is, to build on the solid Camry reputation for quality with a car that is now more than just a family appliance. Indeed our SE, with its tweaked suspension and V-6 option, does a good job of adding sportiness to the Camry equation without compromising ride or long distance comfort. Mileage sits at 22.9 after 4 months and 7,424 miles, and is continually improving. As is our attitude about Toyota's most popular car.
Date: 7 June 2002	Miles: 12,301
Do you ever wonder why so many people own Toyota Camrys? Well, a bit of observing our staff tells why. When you want to drive a long distance in comfort, and want near certain security of knowing you'll get there without drama or breakdown, that's when our gang grabs the keys to this 2002 Camry SE. Plus, this Camry can make sure you won't get lost. It's one of the first mid-size family- priced sedans with an optional GPS navigation system. It works as easy as any of them, although we find on the crowded East Coast it tends to not always suggest the fastest interstate route. Still, this is the first Camry we can actually say you might want to drive on a less traveled path. The changes to make this year's SE a tad more sporting pay off. We no longer would call this Camry's response to driver inputs slow or boring. After 12,301 miles in 6 months, our SE is as tight as the day it was new. Fuel economy at 20.5 miles per gallon is about par for a 192-horsepower V-6 that practically purrs. Our only pause with the new Camry, and with the Lexus ES 300 we tested recently, is an automatic transmission that stutters at unpredictable times. It's more annoying than disconcerting.
Date: 9 August 2002	Miles: 15,200
We get into a lot of discussions with viewers, and amongst ourselves, as to how much vehicle is too much when it comes to family transportation. Clearly, if your family is typical, you can stop looking with a car like the 2002 Toyota Camry. Especially this year since the all-new Camry is not only more striking to see, but more in tune with our sporty driving tastes. Our test SE V-6 is just taut enough to be fun. Yet it's still Toyota reliable after 9 months and a grueling 15,200 miles. Economy is just fine as well, at 20.8 miles per gallon, with the 192-horsepower V-6 never missing a beat, even if the 4-speed automatic transmission does from time to time. Our only other hiccup comes from the satellite navigation system. Occasionally it locks up and you have to reboot it. But when it comes to a daily driver with great room for a family of five, the Camry is clearly an intelligent choice.
Date: 18 October 2002	Miles: 21,026
''Grotesque'' yet ''beautiful.'' That's how one Detroit competitor recently summed up the Toyota Camry. While grotesque referred to the latest Camry's body proportions, beautiful was the praise on how the car actually appears due to its remarkably precise fit and finish. So far we have to agree that our long term test of this 2002 Camry has been mostly a thing of beauty. After 11 months and 21,026 miles, there have been no unexpected incidences or breakdowns. We do get annoyed at the transmission shutter that seems to also infect the Lexus ES300, and the NAV system, which has excellent DVD maps, still freezes up once in awhile. But that's it. While our SE, with its sporty trim and suspension tuning, is still pretty vanilla looking, the spirited and ultra-smooth performance of the available 192-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 engine is like the treat of a cherry on the top of a hot fudge sundae. However, our total test mileage, 21.7 so far, is at the bottom end of the 20 City, 27 Highway EPA estimates.
Date: 10 January 2003	Miles: 23,800
The title of ''best selling car of 2002'' goes to one of our departing long term favorites, the Toyota Camry. While there is little flashy about the Camry, you can't fault Toyota for not changing its winning family-sedan recipe of slightly generic styling, roomy interior, predictable road manners, and amazing reliability. After 14 months, we started referring to this V-6 SE as ''old reliable.'' Barely a stumble in 23,800 miles. Our well documented objections were limited to the transmission shudder that seems to afflict most V-6 Toyotas, and a temperamental DVD navigation system. They were the only hitches to what is otherwise a very comforting highway cruiser, with the SE package adding an ever so modest performance look and feel. Indeed, we'll miss the zip of the 192-horsepower V-6 that always seemed stronger than its rating, and its quite acceptable 21.9 mile per gallon fuel economy. So, when we're asked to recommend a well-priced mid-size family sedan that you can depend on through thick and thin, the Toyota Camry is one suggestion no one can fault us for.