Few would negate the virtues of the Toyota. It consistently rates at the top of reviewers such as Consumer Reports and is ranked #3 in vehicle sales(autopacific.com). When you look at the Toyota, no matter what model, you will see that it has the highest ranking for reliability. When I was researching a car for my daughter and thought about used cars and any Toyota was said to be a good buy. When I say that I base it on Consumer Reports. Obviously if the previous owner had done something terrible to it, that particular car would not have been a good buy.

Please note: I am a layperson. I do not own a car dealership; I am neither a mechanic nor an expert in the field of cars. I am a driver and what is written here is based on my experience with the Toyota Camry and also my experience as a former owner of the Toyota Tercel and Corolla.

My mom bought the 1999 Toyota Camry new. It was not her first Toyota. She has switched back and forth between the Toyota and the Nissan. My mom does not drive. She has her own reasons for having a car; I won’t go into that here. Suffice it to say that in the 2 years she has owned it I have driven it at least 30 times given that just this past year I visited her in Florida 3 times.

I am reviewing the Camry LE, which is the model she has. She has, in fact, a limited edition. What that means, it seems, is that some options which are not standard (leather seats) came in this car and she has a different top on hers than you see on most cars. I am going out on a limb to call it a Landau top and perhaps the experts will correct me if I am wrong. The top is beige, her car is white and the top is made of a material and has snaps on it for decoration. It is made to look like a convertible and with the spoiler it is really a beautiful car.

The Camry is considered a mid-sized 5-passenger car. It is spacious. If you compare it to other 5 passenger cars such as my BMW you would see just how spacious it is. You could easily fit 4 people in the back but there are only 3 seat belts, but that is how roomy it is. There is plenty of legroom in the front also and plenty of headroom. A tall person would have no problem driving this car.

This car is a solid, well-made heavy car. I feel safe (as safe as I can feel in a car anyway) in the Camry. There is no tinny feel to it whatsoever. It stops well but it does not have anti lock brakes. This has automatic transmission and certainly doesn’t have the pick up it would with an automatic transmission.

It has enough pick up, though, to feel confident and safe to its target audience which is not the 20 something person looking for a sports car to drive. This car is a terrific car for a family or older person who wants a safe, dependable, nice riding vehicle at a reasonable price.

My mother gets her car serviced regularly and has never had to bring it in for service for any reason at all.

Some of the equipment she has in her car are (I have noted what features are optional):

-Air conditioning
-Cassette player
-A full sized spare tire
-Power brakes, power door locks, power windows, power steering
-Rear window defroster
-Tilt steering wheel
-(Driver and passenger air bags but I was told in my last review not to add this because the law requires it so it is in parenthesis.)
-Rear door child protectors so that the back doors can only be opened from the outside when in use.
-The wireless remote control system not only opens the car but also flashes the lights. I really like this and I think it is a terrific feature for people like me who tend to lose their cars! The remote also has a panic switch on it and when pushed will blow the horn, flash the head and taillights and most likely send the thief or mugger on his way! (optional)
- The trunk and fuel door open from the inside
- Seat lumbar support and speaking of seats the front seats recline to an almost flat position. They are incredibly comfortable.
- Fold down rear seats to enlarge the trunk which is a good size anyway (14 cubic feet) Each seat can be folded separately unless you get the built in child restraint. (Child restraint is an option.)
- All the mirrors are power and the rear view mirror is anti glare.
- Vanity mirrors are in both visors.
- The headlights go on automatically at dusk or in a darkened parking garage.
- There are service reminder indicators and warning buzzers – from “take the vehicle to a Toyota dealer immediately to the car needs washer fluid.”
- Leather seats (optional)
- Cruise control (optional)
- Needless to say it has a clock!

I would never think of this car as one that you would want if you were towing a boat or something on a regular basis; but if you are it will tow up to 2000 pounds.

The 1999 Camry LE gets 23 miles to the gallon in the city and 30 on the highway.

The basic warranty is 36 months or 36,000 miles; the warranty on the powertrain is 60 months or 60,000 miles and the warranty on corrosion is 60 months with unlimited miles.

In summary, this is a superb, reliable, sturdy vehicle, which I would highly recommend. You get a tremendous amount of car and comfort for $23,000. I would not hesitate to buy a used Camry, if I could find one. People often drive them almost forever because they will go and go and go. If you can find one, grab it – of course, have it checked out by a mechanic first, you do never know!

If you have any questions about this vehicle and would like to ask me, just e-mail me directly and put epinions in the subject line. I will be glad to try to answer your questions or get them answered for you.


If you are interested in other car reviews, here are my links:

2000 Nissan Altima
2001 Chevy Malibu
2002 Chevy Prizm
1998 Dodge Ram Van
1996 Nissan Sentra
2001 Pontiac Sunfire
1999 Toyota Camry
2001 Hyunda Accent
1998 Chevy S-10 Pick
1999 BMW 323is
2002 Subaru Impreza
2000 Suzuki Swift
2001 Chevy Metro