Martinj

Warning: this could be a pointless post, well at least to anyone without a sense of humour or an IQ above 95.

Ready? Here goes.

I told you it was pointless post.

I tried out a 2012 Camry for size. Drivers legroom is less than gen 6 (by about 5cm) as is headroom (by about 1cm).

Fixed rear seat headrests look super cheap.

Alloy wheels look like something from 1988.

Great driving car, but probably best to wait for the facelifted model late next year.

The ride on your car must be harsh, to say the least. Do the 20" rims contribute to better handling than, say, 17" or this for looks only?

Fit a rear lip spoiler, side skirts, mesh grill, 17" alloys, aluminium pedals, funny seats, and Sportivo badging. Oh wait, you actually wanted to go faster and not just look faster...

Very high fuel consumption and/or faulty (?) fuel consumption trip computer readouts seems relatively common complaints with Camry. Anyone have experience with other cars to comment on whether this is a common affliction with other makes too?

I bought the Camry intending it to be mechanically sound for at least 5 years, but probably 7-10 years.

The gen 6 Camry gets six cylinder fuel economy at times, except on the highway where fuel consumption drops to around 7L/100km. I would not worry about the 12L/100km - that is what gen 6 does.

What is it with this straight line 1980's styling? The alloy wheels on this new Aurion and the new Camry are circa 1988.

I am not knocking Toyota and very possibly will end up buying an Aurion (or whatever the new model is called) in a few years time, but the styling (and I don't mind conservative styling) is really dated.

Tokyo Freak, do you own a Lexus, Merc & Bentley?

Correct. If it is real wood, then manufacturers often refer to the tree it is sourced from. For instance, everyone knows that Holden used to use blackbean in its top of the line Caprice. Open a BMW brochure and you can choose from myrtle, walnut, etc.

Is fake wood literally wood? Look, I am not sure. I suppose it's like asking if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? No-one knows, because no-one can know. One can hypothesise, but never be able to collect empirical data to prove one way or the other.

My understanding is that real wood was previously used (california walnut?), but promotional material for the new LS refers to woodgrain trim (the same terminology used in the industry for fake wood). I thought this was perhaps driven by an eco-friendly agenda.

"Whilst that is true about the LS460, but you can't really say it's the same stuff as what's in the Camry lol"

Yes, Lexus cultivates its fake woodgrain from a unique plantation of fake trees grown in the Japanese highlands. On the other hand, Toyota sources its fake woodgrain from a fictional forestry plantation in the Philippines.

I would say $22k private sale. I reckon a dealer would list it for $25k, but knock the price down to $22k. New ones are available as runout for $30k driveaway, and the shape is ancient history.

I don't mind fake woodgrain in Toyotas. The fake stuff in Fords & Holdens is the worst, as it is just painted on and literally rubs away to reveal white plastic over time.

My current car has silver plastic, which is effectively fake aluminium.

Even the Lexus LS460 uses fake (and not real) wood trim.

Hilarious? Really?

Re: building a bridge - I would propose that such a requirement completely unncessary. Discuss.

There is no cure.

^{Please, let's not repeat that saga again. The 2012 Camry has fixed headrests, okay? Man, I am getting so angry. If you don't believe me, just go down to a Toyota dealership and see for yourself. Aaaarrgh!!! I am seriously going to go mental soon!!! I hereby pledge and declare all my assets and undertakings that the 2012 Camry has fixed rear headrests. Come and sue me if I am wrong!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, like, this is driving me crazy!!}

Bullet-proof, gold plated, gilt edged, and polished. Do you think they prefer velour or leather in those hot African climates? Velour would not get as hot, but leather adds a touch of added luxury.

The quest for fuel efficiency is seldom an easy one, but one that is well worth the pain, I assure you.

a 1 second clunk (which is normal) rates the same as a cracked CV?

really? LOL

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being post-coital bliss, 10 being eye gouging), how would you rate the annoyance of the sound of a cracked CV joint?

Seen a couple of Atara's driving around the Brisbane area with promotional decals on etc. I gotta say, in the flesh amongst other cars on the road, it doesn't really stand out much. Not that the Gen 6 did either, but it was more recognisable as a Camry.

Agreed. Side profile is too much like an enlarged current Corolla sedan. Then again, by all reports it drives noticeably better than gen 6. By the way, I drove a friend's new Merc E250 CGI yesterday - same size as Gen 6, same hefty feel, and similar handling (the rear drive impact felt very muted compared to local rear-drivers Commodore & Falcon). Obviously, the interior fittings were much, much better than Camry...feels like I'm driving a stipped-out base Daihatsu when I stepped back to my own car.

Surely no one buys a car on rear seats alone.

What about heads of state of oil-rich African countries who get chauffeur driven everywhere? Sure, they may be a minority group, but let's not discriminate, okay.

When you're that rich you don't buy a car, you get the car you want made

Indeed, and in the process of procuring a custom-made vehicle, one would not require fixed, lumpy rear headrests. That would be undignified.

Bright white

Surely no one buys a car on rear seats alone.

What about heads of state of oil-rich African countries who get chauffeur driven everywhere? Sure, they may be a minority group, but let's not discriminate, okay.

So the official line is that Toyota sacrificed rear-seat passenger comfort and safety to be able to report that the cost of the new Camry is the same as that of the Gen 6?

I can't recommend any more insulation, as the Camry/Aurion is a very well insulated car already by most standards. The clunk sound is momentary (maybe 1 second). In my view, it is not really an issue whatsoever.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not at all, 10 being really badly), how would you rate the annoyance from this clunking sound at start-up?