Martinj

I was more thinking it needs a couple of thumbsticks to go with the D-Pads.... I am not really liking the alloy wheel design. Looks like something from circa 1988, and definitely will be re-done in the 2014 facelift. I think the steering wheel is okay.

It ended up being much simpler than I thought. I can now hop in my car, turn on the "Aux" button on the stereo and without any wire connections play songs downloaded onto my iPhone. Sweet! No more need for CD's or radio (no more breakfast radio...ever again!!! Hooray!!). Haven't yet tried seeing if digital radio streams from the iPhone to the car, but will shortly. Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls is also working without any glitches. Hard to imagine a $35k Camry could have such handy functions! The only annoying thing is that the Ateva does not have bluetooth phone controls on its steering wheel (it has audio and trip computer controls only). Grande and base Altise have Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel. What gives Toyota?

Not sure why age and number of kids would affect a choice between an '05 LS430, say, and a new Camry (?). To be honest, the biggest issue I would have would be the size of the thing (parking, fitting into garage).

Was wondering what you guys think about the option of getting a 2nd hand Lexus LS430 over a new Camry or Aurion? For around $40k you can typically get a 2002-2005 LS430 with around 60-70,000km mileage. Typically pristine as befits the quality of these cars and the character of their first owners (who must have been loaded with $$). Graysonline have a BMW (settle...) 735Li from 2003 with 75,000km on it for under $30k - no warranty due to auction conditions, but what a motor car. Thing is, it's comparing an 8 year old car with half a lifetime of mileage to a brand new car, and how much does a V8 cost to service and repair? THen again, it is a substantial upgrade in power, quality and amenities. Would be interested to hear from anyone with direct or indirect experience of someone who has gone down the prestige used car route.

Hi, has anyone successfully connected an Apple iPhone 4 or 4S to their 6th gen Camry? If so, any instructions or tips you could pass on would be appreciated.

THe other thing coming in the 2014 upgrade: bi-xenon front headlamps.

The introduction of the gen 7 Camry range is following a similar marketing program as per the gen 6. That is, all models look very similar and they are aching for minor trim upgrades. Here is what should (and you just know it will) happen when they upgrade the gen 7 in early 2014: - full LED rear light clusters (possibly with a minor design amendment) - chrome on the grille, fog lights and rear of the SX and SL - active radar cruise control. While personally I would get a Camry, if you are objectively assessing mid-size cars to purchase with your own realy money, consider the Accord (not the Euro, the American one). Why? Honda is bleeding cash, the design is o-l-d, the car looks fugly, and Honda wants new car sales to generate fat profit when you bring it back for dealership warranty servicing. As for Toyota, they will NOT discount. Why? Guaranteed fleet sales, easily able to supply stock (unlike many other manufacturers due to Japanese tsunami and Thai flood), and they have already discounted their interest rates and servicing cost up the gazoo.

I would recommend tint. I have had darkest blackest tint put on every car I have ever had, and even my house has tinted windows. Unfortunately here in Qld they outlawed tinting of front windscreens a few years ago. Rear windows and strips on top of front windscreen can be as black as you like. Had a mirror finish stripe put on the top of my wife's previous Mazda 2 when it was tinted...love that east asian motor scene look. Slimline windshields kind of look okay, but you know if a few years time they will crack and need to be replaced. If you are going to get windshields, go for the larger size ones for the genuine old fella drivin' along the highway with the window fully down look. One thing that is out of date but I think should come back is rear window slimeline shields. I think the gen 3 or 4 Camry was the last to have them as an option (?). BTW tining does not attract the cops in my experience. However, it does attract gawking geezers from staring at your car trying to see who is inside. Don't ask me why, it just does. Tint cools the car, looks good, gives privacy, and gives greater integrity to glass in a car smash.

Hi, I have a 2009 Ateva (sakana silver) and my wife has a 2009 Ateva (silver ash) as well. Both have full leather and were purchased in March 2010 - mine new off the floor and my wife's a demo with about 1000km on it. Just had a look at the new Camry on the Toyota website and it looks like an improvement all round. I love the fact you can digital radio, but the absence of a sunroof and the awful rear light clusters will make me happy to hang to what I've got for at least another few years (next time I plan to upgrade to top of the range). Has Toyota ditched the crazy key-less/card entry system? I hope so. That was a turn-off against getting the Grande. I find 6th gen (upgrade model with traction control and stability control) a decent car. A bit slow on pick up at times around time, but plently of oomph on the freeway. Likewise, terrible fuel consumption around town, but excellent on the open road. Of all Camry's, I think the 6th gen and the 3rd gen look most Lexus-like. Which is a good thing. The 3rd gen Camry is a fine car, evident by the huge quantity you still see on the roads today. regards, Mr Cabbage-head

Just thinking outside the square here, but: i. Is there a hole in your fuel tank? ii. Are the pumps at your regular service station ripping you off with overstating litres pumped? iii. Are your fuel usage calculations wrong? (remember the BOMBDAS rule). Martin

Photos of the all new Camry are now available, try www.brisbanetimes.com then go to their "Drive" section. The new car is like the current one, but appears to have gone on a diet. I am not a fan of the new rear light cluster. Looks like Corolla sedan lite, as opposed to the current model's Lexus LS lookalike rear end. I shall gladly hang on to my 2009 facelift model, and wait until Gen 8 comes along...hopefully by then it's a completely new chassis and exterior design. "1990's time for the guru" Guru Josh

The gen 3 Camry had real wood trim in the Grande. Real wood justifies a price premium. Does it really cost more for 'wood effect' plastic over silver plastic?

Have you checked the solenoid? Could be playing up. Other than that, sorry I cannot think of anything else.

Hold on! That's it?! I will be holding onto my 2010 model for some time, at least until a completely new model arrives. Actually, if the new model Grande has real wood trim I'll be ordering one asap. Then again, a run-out bargin priced Aurion Pressara might do nicely... The front end is too much like an Accord Euro. BTW have you seen the new Accord - it's front end looks like the current Camry. I guess Toyota and Honda have been swapping designers!

Hi I have a late 2009 Ateva. My fuel consumption is considered good if it averages 12l/100km. It is on the highway where Camry shines for economy, easily getting sub-7l/100km. As for slow throttle response, it could be a problem but unlikely given it's such a new car. The Camry does have a VERY tardy throttle response. In fact, I often start to press the accelerator 1-2 seconds before I want to actually start moving. If there is slow throttle response at speed (40km/h you say), most likely because she's staying in a high gear and the ECU needs to calibrate itself to the fact you want to get a move on, and kick down a gear or two (or three). I regularly drive a current model diesel VW Golf and it displays similar bizarre throttle response. Modern cars - who gets them, huh?

Hi-de-hi, just wondering what your views are on resale values of gen 6 Camry when the new model comes out? For instance, the gen 5 models seem to have a trouble-free reputation and good resale value - will the gen 6 be plagued by the recent US issues? From what I have seen, the gen 7 does not seem much of a departure from the gen 6 - your views?

There is no law banning use of foglights - they are a safety item in snow, where there are no road lights, and of course, fog. As for LED day time lamps, I thought that to use these you must be a w*#k&r driver of an Audi (typically a base model A4 with body kit) or a HSV Boganadore. However, I could be wrong... The lights that seriously do annoy me the most are the bi-xenon creations, particularly from BMW. These are most commonly turned on as early as possible during the day so as to prove the financial nouse of the owner of the base model 320i who forked out $2k for the headlight upgrade option. Heck, no one will see a $2k payment on the mortgage, so let the world know your aunty left you a small inheritance and blow it on light bulbs for your car. However, I could be wrong...

I did not actually get to drive a Maxima due to, in my opinion, lousy service at a nearby Nissan dealership. WHile they had many Maximas on the floor, the one and only demo was apparently locked and no-one had the key. This was on a Saturday morning, believe it or not, perhaps the busiest time of any car dealer. The dealership was out in semi-industrial area and looked like a cheap carpet store. Anyway, in the outdoor heat of the sun I did get a close look at the Maxima. My conclusion was lots of cheap, soft plastic buttons directly exposed to sunlight. Head room nowhere near as generous as Camry. The Maxima tells people you have a $40k car, while the Camry is much more discreet. Most people associate Camry's with white Altise's on plastic hubcaps. The trade-off is the Maxima is tizzy and has a goofy gear box.

I would not recommend the Kizashi over a Camry. While the Kizashi is very quiet and well insulated, the degree of insulation in a Camry to road noise is already well above average (try driving a current model Commodore at highway speed on rough bitumen and you will literally hear the difference). I would definitely not recommend a CVT gearbox. Personally, that was the main reason I chose a Camry over a Maxima (which uses CVT). I have not read one favourable report on CVT. Most reports criticse the slurring, slipped clutch feel of CVT accompanied by a whining noise and poor reliability. One can only imagine how long a CVT gearbox installed by a budget manfacturer like Suzuki would last (I'd guess 100,000km would be the limit). The Kizashi is not the same size as Camry/Mazda 6/Liberty. Even the tiny Accord Euro is bigger internally (and much bigger per external dimensions). The only reason I would recommend Kizashi is to someone who needs all wheel drive (eg: they live at Jindabyne), but they don't want a car as ugly and pricey as the Subaru Liberty). If price is an issue, then in a few months I'd expect the Camry will start to have a few run-out limited editions with bonus features. Hope this helps.

Agreed. I was not serious about putting a gun in a glove box. You would need to install a gun safe in your car boot, which would make retrieval of the piece a cumbersome exercise in a real emergency.

Hi, I have the same type of car. Frankly, I find it no big deal to press the button to lock all four doors if I am in a precarious sitution (ie getting in my car in an empty train station carpark at 11pm). I don't think you can customise any automatic hi-jack locking function. I'm not even sure if Australian Lexus models have that feature? It is definitely common in the US, where crime is substantially higher in some (urban metro) areas than Australia, in general. Alternatively, carry a gun in the glovebox to scare of any perps, and never, ever stop at the lights - just do a rolling slow down. I used to live in the Bronx (New York) for 10 years as a homicide detective, before living in Jo'bury (South Africa) for 5 years as a security consultant.

Not a fan of the 'eyelids' on the headlights - there is not a car in the world they look good on. However, the grille is fantastic with cues of the mid-90's Aston Martin V8 range (and indeed earlier Astons). An alternative riff would be to have a body coloured blanked off grill (if that would adversely affect cooling, then the grille could be fine mesh to still allow air through). By and large the day of the body kit is long gone. It appears that 'fine edge' styling is the trend at least for the next 7-10 years. What is 'fine edge'? Think the frontal styling of the new Ford Territory. What is ordinary 'edge' styling? Think first gen Ford Focus.

Has anyone had (or heard of) problems with the keyless entry & go 'card' fitted to Grande and Pressara? I wish they would just keep "old fashioned" keys, but over time all cars will eventually have these crazy systems. At least you don't actually have to put the card into a slot in the car, unlike some BMW and VW models.

Relax, he read the title. I ashamed of this Hybrid Camry getting 8l/100km. A hybrid should be getting 3l/100km. Also, where do you get Hybrid batteries from?

Whenever I see an Avalon I start humming that old Bryan Ferry classic of the same name. I reckon the facelifted Avalon was a nice car, but it could have done with the sweet 4.3 litre Lexus V8 upfront.