Camry Style, Comfort, and Inexpensive Elegance

I have owned my 98 Camry for about 2 months now, and I am very happy with its overall performance.

This is the 4th Toyota I have owned, and I will stick with them till the end. I went from a Corolla to Camry, and the transition is easy and gratifying. I have never owned a Camry, but now my heart is content with the change.

I have been falling in love with my car as I drive it long distances, and the Corolla just wasn't cutting it for my general comfort and needs. I found the Camry's comfort level to be superior to any car I have owned. This car is quieter, smoother, and more of a joy to drive for lengthy journeys. Toyota gave the Camry a nice suspension for the highway. Not too bouncy, but yet smooth enough to tackle road imperfections. The Steering is gentle, and it 'sails' across the road like a cruise ship.

I would say that the most impressive overall, is how quiet the car is. I don't even have to turn my radio over '3', and I can hear the words to music clearly. This is quite an accomplishment, considering my best friend has a 2002 Corolla, and cannot even accomplish close to that.

Fuel economy in the times where gas is high priced, is rewarding. On the highway, it kicks into overdrive, and I can drive almost 400 miles on a full tank of gas (that's close to 30 MPG!). Thats the same as my Corolla was! The most pleasing part is to see that at 65 MPH, its only hitting in at about 2100 RPMs, so I know that the powertrain is not overworking itself.

The car I have has over 150k on it, and runs like a champ. It sounds like new, and my mechanic says (after a thorough inspection) that the motor should go another 80-100k miles!

The only drawback with my vehicle has been the interior door armrest by the window controller plate. (As I have discovered recently) only the 98 - 99 Camry's have this issue, where the foam separates from the clip retainer (especially in warmer parts of the country), and was fixed in the 2000 - 2001 models. (The 97 has an altogether different front doorhandle (mimicking the rear door handles), so it doesn't have this issue. Apparently, someone at Toyota didn't realize that improving window/door controller access would result in an ever-spreading gap.

Overall, I would highly recommend buying this car as used, as long as you know the previous owner has taken care of it.

* Update: I've owned my car for 6 months now, and I feel exactly the same about the opinion above. I have had no mechanical issues with the car, and still driving it long distances. I've already put 6,600 miles on the car, and going great. With gas quickly getting close to the $3 mark, I am glad that I have the 4 cylinder model. I have estimated my overall average gas mileage (city and freeway combined) to be about 27-28 MPG. I know that I have driven thrifty (heavy on the freeways with Cruise Control on all the way), and gotten 32 MPG, which is simply mind-blowing for a larger car.
I've already saved a few hundred dollars over my co-workers SUV's. I still don't know why people buy those big gas hogs when they never even use the back seats?!

*Update: Have owned the car for about a year, and I cannot be happier. The car drives like a champ. It has now been to Las Vegas, Mexico, and Road Trips to San Francisco several times. The ride is beautiful, and the best effect is the gas mileage! On the freeway, where the overdrive is in use nearly 100% of the time, the car uses nearly nothing. The cavernous trunk has far proven itself handy, as it has packed in 6 large suitcases, tool box, emergency kit, an ice chest, and 4 jackets... with room to spare!
The passengers in the rear had no complaints, and said the ride was very quiet and smooth. The only small complaint is the center passenger said that the legroom was decreased because of the console sticking out slightly. Otherwise, all is great. I had the entire engine looked over, and the mechanic finds it to be in excellent condition. My record for roadtrips is 411 miles on one tank, with about 1 gallon remaining.