I Am Now Grounded to the Ground

"Jcarr" (jcarr)
11/28/2016 at 09:55 • Filed to: None

The old MKV Jetta was rapidly approaching its last gasp, so my wife and I stormed into the local Toyota dealership this weekend and demanded that they take it and some money in exchange for this nice, gently-used 2016 Camry SE. A GT3 RS it is not, but it’s clean, quiet, and comfortable and should be reliable and safe for many years to come.

Here’s to being in my 30s with a wife and son and having to make rational and objective decisions!

DISCUSSION (32)

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 09:59

For all the hate the Camry gets here, it’s not a bad choice. And the inside of the 15+ SE is definitely a nice place to be.

Jcarr > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
11/28/2016 at 10:00

I love it. Coming from a 2005 Jetta, it feels like a damn Mercedes in there.

CalzoneGolem > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:05

There is nothing wrong with this car don’t feel like you have to apologize for owning it.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:05

I actually dig the half-and-half Softex/cloth with the red stitch. And the SE has really nice seats. As good as any other mid-size sedan at any price. The only seats I really like better are the ones in the Passat.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:05

Did you test drive anything else? Why the Camry over an Accord or 6?

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:07

camry dent included?

Jcarr > Future next gen S2000 owner
11/28/2016 at 10:10

I did quite a bit of research and narrowed it down to a Malibu or Camry based on safety and reliability ratings. An Accord or 6 probably would have made the list, but there’s a very weak selection in my area.

Jcarr > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection
11/28/2016 at 10:10

They are quite comfortable compared to the Jetta’s.

Jcarr > CalzoneGolem
11/28/2016 at 10:11

I love it.

PS9 > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:11

Kinja'd!!!

Jcarr > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
11/28/2016 at 10:14

It’s got a tiny one in the driver’s door, but so far the rear bumper dent free. I’ll probably add that later on.

Jcarr > PS9
11/28/2016 at 10:14

Kinja'd!!!

CalzoneGolem > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:23

Already contemplating your mods?

Jcarr > CalzoneGolem
11/28/2016 at 10:23

Camry dent and 2JZ swap, coming up!

Future next gen S2000 owner > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:24

That’s understandable. A friend of mine just picked up a Malibu LTZ(?) and got a screaming deal on it. 1-2 yr old and less than 20K on it. He walked out the door somewhere around $17-18 IIRC.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:24

my Focus gives you the saddest high five ever. Here’s to responsibility.

fintail > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:28

Ex-loaner or rental in early retirement?

These are actually pretty “peppy” (as the ownership demographic would claim) from 0-50 or so.

Jcarr > Future next gen S2000 owner
11/28/2016 at 10:28

That’s pretty much where we ended up. 2016 with 24k miles and we got it for 16,900. We drove a 2015 Malibu, but I didn’t like how cramped it felt in the back and how hard to was to see out the back.

gawdzillla > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:40

been there, done that, u’d killing yourself and back in a sport-y car in less than a year

Jcarr > fintail
11/28/2016 at 10:50

Former rental. I was a bit hesitant because of that, but it’s in great shape inside and out and it’s Toyota certified.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 10:54

I think the only reason why I dislike Camry’s is because they are too perfect. It looks decent, is comfortable, affordable, reliable, great gas mileage, not slow, and I cannot find anything in particular that is wrong with it. It does everything so right that it ends up losing every bit of character and therefore becomes boring to me. It is the one car that I would recommend to so many people but would never buy myself. For some reason I really want to turn one into a race car one day though because of how offensive it would be.

Jcarr > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/28/2016 at 11:00

Yeah, that’s pretty much exactly what we were looking for. Something that we can depend on for a long time.

LongbowMkII > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 11:06

Is the 2015 the new one based on the impala? Because the newest gen impala is absolutely cavernous in the back. I know the new Malibu shrinks the rear pass area but I figured it’d still be ample.

Jcarr > LongbowMkII
11/28/2016 at 11:15

No, I think that’s the 2016 or 17. The one we looked at was this style:

Kinja'd!!!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 13:09

It needs the dent so people won’t realize you’re not one of them.

“One of us... One of us... One of us...”

cberg > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 16:13

This is a million times better than the Malibu; the side profile’s right between a G37 & A4 IMO.

BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre > Jcarr
11/28/2016 at 18:16

I recently traded a really low mileage 2013 Dart GT 6-speed that was a total lemon in on a 2012 Camry SE in refrigerator white. It had 72k on the odometer when I bought it. The Camry is not an exciting car, unless I consider that I can get in my car every Tuesday and drive 179 miles to my job to make money very reliably as being a thrilling event. The Entune infotainment is definitely not on the same level as the Uconnect 8.4 but the gas mileage is spectacular, the doors make a very satisfying thunk that doesn’t sound at all like a Folger’s can full of rusty screws, and the rather soft suspension makes my nearly four hour commute a thing of great ease.

I miss the Dart’s HID headlights with auto high beam but I can appreciate the Camry’s far superior light distribution from its separate halogen low and high beams.

I miss the Dart’s blind spot monitoring and rear cross path detection but I can appreciate the Camry’s boring-but-honest greenhouse and outward visibility.

I also miss the ambient lighting in my little Dart but I can appreciate that the now-approaching-90k mile Camry has no squeaks or loose pieces of trim.

At any rate, I used to deride Camrys and Accords and Sonatas but now I appreciate them for what they afford people, and that is a worry-free experience. I am a believer.

Jcarr > BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre
11/28/2016 at 18:58

That’s a pretty accurate description of why the Camry/Accord/etc. are so popular. Peace of mind.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Jcarr
11/29/2016 at 04:35

where do they put the drugs?

Jcarr > pip bip - choose Corrour
11/29/2016 at 10:09

In the Camry dent.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Jcarr
12/07/2016 at 01:42

Man if they made a modern SE coupe, I’d be all over that.

Congrats on the purchase. I don’t think you’re going to look back.

Jcarr > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
12/07/2016 at 09:56

Thanks, I get why they sell so many of these things now.