1997 Toyota Camry | Retro Review
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- čas přidán 12. 04. 2023
- It's hard to believe the 4th gen Camry was once an everyday sighting...I can't remember the last time I've seen one.
Show 1607 | Original Airdate 10-16-1996
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You know you're old when a car you once had new appears on a retro review!
You know you're old when as a Camry owner (1989) you remember looking at its replacement (1992) new on the showroom floor. It's that Camry five years later, John refers to as long in the tooth, hence this 1997 update...
I just bought a grandma car with 73000 miles from 95, this cars predecessor. I've always thought that it was the best built of the Camry's and something that was said on this telecast confirmed it. Not only did they hide the cheaper design under its skin but they were at least honest and charge less for the car which is a thumbs up to Toyota. If you want the real tank you've got to get the 92 to the 96 model. On these cars Toyota actually lost money because of how overbuilt they were.(Lexus standard) However I will tell you that I think these are the two best generations of the older cars as they still soldier on today
@@hoover2501: I consider the 1992 - 1996 Camrys as well as the 2005 - 2012 Generation 3 Avalons to be two of Toyota's best built cars. I have a 2008 Avalon Limited that I will always consider to be my favorite car out of the many I've owned...
I still see even 1987 to 1991 Camrys, they just never die.
My grade 8 home room teacher Mr Brown had one of these in champagne in 2000.
The official car of buying it new in 97 and still driving it today
🤣🤣🤣 FACTS, my barber still has his. That’s why i bought my 21’ Camry XSE i4
@@LamborghiniBrotha1 Well I mean I doubt your newer Camry is going to have close to the same quality, Toyota has gone downhill for a while now especially since other brands are starting to eat up more market share compared to the 90's.
Still have my 2000 LE 2.2L w/236k going strong. Spare car now, but we keep it garaged to keep it in great condition.
My Brother-in-law leased one new in '97. He bought it at the end of the lease and my nieces and nephew have all driven it. I think it's still in the family. I thing my oldest great-nephew might be getting it soon.
so long as you never have a lower radiator leak or leaking lower radiator hose!...the geniuses at toy mounted the temp sender on the cylinder head (2.2L 4-banger) and not on side of the engine block so in the case of a lowered coolant level from a leak lower than the temp sender the sender loses contact with the boiling coolant lower in the system (engine block) and coolant temp gauge in dash just keeps on reading Normal, and if you don't catch it in time, you wind up with a seized up, ruined aluminum engine!
Happened to a friend of mine that I warned not to drive it, but did anyways and seized up the engine...had to get another engine!
“ you might just be looking at the future best selling car in the land”
How right he was…
Mad ugly & mad uncomfortable.. I'll just stick to an Acura .. way more reliable.
@@dbdnrbdb nobody cares
@@dbdnrbdb Acura and Toyota are just as reliable. So no.
Right that's why there are more old Hondas on the road than Toyotas...
@@speedemon1992 the same gen Accord aged like crap.
That Camry has aged well, and you still see them on the roads
Yep. Unlike the Pontiac Aztek.
I know. I still have one.
we have a 97 in gold (or champagne?) has about 360k miles, we are the 4th owner tho lmao. still runs smooth but starting to show its age :(
Nobody calls me reliable despite still being here after 26 years ;(
@@oreally8605 An old man in my neighborhood actually owns a well conditioned Pontiac Aztek.
My aunt bought one of these brand new in 97. She is still driving it today. She’s had to do nothing but basic maintenance on it this whole time and it’s still running like a new one.
4th gen Camrys are still on the road today. My plumber drives a '98 and has over 350,000 miles.
It's getting broken in lol. My niece had a 1999 Camry with 250k. Ran like new and everything worked. Even the AC was ice cold. Sadly it was totaled six months ago when a stoned driver slammed into her parked car. RIP Camry. She is now driving a 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage and this thing has been giving her nothing but problems. She wants to sell it and buy another 4th gen Camry with low miles lol.
Toyota Camry is best car japanese
I just bought 1 today with 55k miles!
This is really all the vehicle 99.9% of people need.
Agreed. It’s all a car really needs to be. Simple, affordable, reliable transportation. Above a certain price point, cars become more of a want than a need.
Your precious government made sure that wasn't a possibility.
here we go again telling people what they need and don't need. 90's Camry's built Toyota's reputation as skidout machines on midwest winter roads and the handling here shows why
@@piggy310conspiracy much???
@@no1zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz driving this in scandinavian heavy winters, never a problem.. tires are the key
Finally, John pronounces it "Camry" instead of "Cam-ray"!
Yes!
He's still gonna say Sat-uhrn though! Hahaha
"Cam-ray" was always fun to listen.
"Cam-ray" and "Tahr-us" were my favourite Davisisms
😂😂🎉🎉
He actually started pronouncing it correctly with the 1992 model
Hi there, I bought one of these 4th generation Camrys here in Adelaide South Australia 4 years ago for 2900 dollars it had 132000 kilometres on it , it's a 1999 build , it's a stock standard poverty pack with a 2.2 4 cylinder automatic, basic interior with handraulic windows winders , air conditioned, it's now done 215000 kilometres and still strong, I met someone who has one that has done 700,000 kilometres and has been all over Australia with it
How many of us would have been bored to tears by this back in the day but now long for a return to simple conservative looking sedans rather than a world of overstyled massive CUVs and SUVs sad😢
Yep! My thoughts exactky
I was confused (and didn’t know Japan was in a recession at the time). The styling went wayyy cheap and the ride as well, for a kid to notice a car got uglier is bad.
I hear you my friend. My mechanic was selling one for an older woman from the year 1995. It was the generation before this car with the 4 cylinder. It only had 73,000 miles and I jumped on it immediately and drive it like my new car today in 2023. I love it more now than I could have possibly loved it when I bought it because it's value only has grown. Conservative, simple, reliable, and uncomplicated.
This lamb concurs, though would include today’s safety equipment and crash standards would be the best of both worlds.
@@midcenturymodern9330
Disagree. With a really nice set of wheels it is a Japanese version of a BMW or a Mercedes from that era. Understated and elegant. All you have to do is Google 1995 Camry with nice wheels and you'll see what somebody with more imagination than yourself has done. Just so I can understand you better what do you think is a nice sedan that doesn't have to be ostentatious?
One of the best automobiles to ever roam the earth. One of the few cars that’s still on the road today from the 90’s. These don’t die. They’re either stolen or crashed.
She's gotten more than her money's worth out of it. Maybe she will treat herself to a '23 or '24.
@@texan903 I'd rather have the '97. They used to be amazingly reliable cars. I had nothing but trouble with my late model Camry... very disappointed.
@@HereForAStorm 25 plus years in with the '97, though, it's close to the end of its life, unfortunately. I hate you had problems with your old Camry. So far, I've never had a Toyota but would like an Avalon, 4-Runner, Tacoma, or Land Cruiser.
I bought one new in June 1997 and drove it for 25 years and finally sold it in December of 2022. It was a very good and reliable car. I sort of miss it.
Do you remember what the mileage read last before you sold it ?
This Camry generation, and the Accord that came at this time, are still heavily present!!! See so many of them around the DC area
This is when they realized "shit, we're making them too good, they're not coming back for service or new cars" 😂😂 love my 5spd 02 accord sedan ❤
@Dr. Jill Alice Cooper I know this is just a yt comment section and you probably won't believe me lol, but I had a v6 sedan that I did retro fit a manual from a 2003 v6 and it was a fantastic car up until it got rear ended
Yup that's the 6th generation. 98-02!! Routinely exceed 300k!
My first car was a 96 accord vtec before I went full toyota and never looked back lol
Any viideos on iit? Im sure it was possible as acura had the cl manual on the same chassiis
This design still looks fresh today, clean lines, aggressive front end, great proportions.
Especially the 01 in white and blue a rare trim
Little did he know he would be reviewing one of the greatest cars of the 20th century. Camry, 90s Accord and Crown Vic would be still relevant
The most reliable car reviewer in the world reviewing the most reliable car in the world.
I had a childhood friend who's mother had one of these. I saw him not too long ago and now he drives it. The motor was loud but it kept that car moving. These cars don't give up. ✌️
What you mean by loud ?
@@bilalahmed2123 bad exhaust maybe
@@trianggaindralukmana2184 Right. That's probably what it was.
@@Jordi7174 stolen catalytic converter or rust exhaust. Probably stolen catalytic converter and your friend wont buy new converter because expensive
The motors in these are especially quiet.
These are probably some of the most rust resistant cars on the road.
Toyota spared no expense with the 4th Gen.
I still see 90's Camrys on the road with hundreds of thousands of miles on them and still going strong.
This is one of the most timeless generations of Camry. Affordable and classy at the time, and if kept well, still looks good today.
ONCE an everyday sighting? I still see these things almost everyday!
I guess styling is more in the eye of the beholder- as I found this generation to be one of the most stylish. I wanted a V6 with a manual trans, but ended up in a new Accord EX-L (with a manual, which was hard to find in Atlanta back in the day).
I always liked the style of this generation camry too. I had the V6 manual but you were probably better off buying the Honda anyway. The Camry V6s had sludge issues and you had to do oil changes religiously. If you went over oil change intervals you'd notice a decent lack of power and fuel economy even after like 500 miles. Other than that it was a reliable car. I put an exhaust on it and it really woke it up, made it a blast to row through gears on twisty roads.
Deff it cause this is ugly.. the only nice looking Camrys are from 2007 to now..
@@dbdnrbdb oh hell nah 😭
This lamb test drove a 2000 LE V6 manual. While my hooves liked it, the ewe of the house sadly purchased an automatic XLE V6 was purchased.
@@upeedinalamb5297 the lamb and ewe and ram story!
this has to be one of those most reliable cars ever made, this generation specifically
I think along with the land cruiser it's the most reliable car ever made.
Love the back styling ahead of its time a legend
Still see tons of them still on the road over 20 years later. Really shows how tough and reliable these are.
I consider this to be the last truly great era of the Toyota Camry's.
Clicked so fast! Motor Week and 90s Toyotas. Can't beat that combo. Long live Toyotas finest hour. I still see a ton of these around.
over 25 years after this car was built there STILL on the roads today.
I've been dailying one of these cars, specifically a 1998 model with the 2.2L 4-cylinder and a 5-speed manual, for a couple years and I literally could not think of a better car, full stop! simple styling and controls, more than enough cargo space, and incredibly responsive in the steering and throttle. This is a car that is uncomparable with anything else, especially any of the bloated SUVs that manufacturers are putting out these days. Its all the car you need, and then some. 10/10!
This was my favorite Camry of all. Rock-solid build, simple controls and instruments, smooth ride, good on gas, and that 4--cylinder engine ran forever. Not a single square inch of piano black plastic, either. Good times.
Your fandom is warranted, so everything you said about the gen4 is even more true about the Gen 3.... More true
One of the strongest versions of a well regarded name plate. That engine bay was a dream come true for a mechanic especially with the 4. Spacious, not a handler per say but still hauls.
I remember when it was brand new! This was the first model year of this style! It was iconic in 1997! 🙌🏻
Personally thhough the tails looked like alfa 164
I have a 4 cylinder 01 of this generation, the engine is smooth and quiet still up to redline and the transmission still shifts pretty buttery smooth. Its also shockingly easy to work on with parts being dirt cheap as well. Funny that my 01 camry rides and drives better than my Dads 2014 Suv.
My grandmother got a 98 with just 13 miles on it - she still drives it today with few issues.
Only 13 miles? Do you mean 13,000 or 130,000
@@OldFordTaurus - i think he means 13 million
@@OldFordTaurus lol meaning when she bought it - it was brand new and it only had 13 miles on the odometer
I had a 98 V6, LE with leather, roof, and the premium lexus look wheels. Great car, so smooth, quiet, and no problems. After 100k plus I sold it to my brother and he drove it for about another 100k.
The last of the good Camry’s. Some of these are still on the road today.
There's still plenty of them out there. I used to drive a 4th gen, and it was the most reliable car I've ever owned.
Still on the roads today 😏
Usually with faded paint and a bit of rust here and there, but they got 300k miles and the engine is still running like a dream. I'd love to daily a mint condition one
The days when you could buy a fully loaded Camry for under $25k
1:47 John: IF A PART IS HIDDEN, IT DOESN’T GET PAINTED! LOL
A great Camry still seen on the roads all over. The 1MZ v6 is a tank
Had a 99 XLE with every option available. Loved that car
I have one too, a '99 XLE v6 in cashmere beige 😄! It has side airbags, dealer added Toyota accessory fog lamps, Toyota mudflaps, and the gold spoiler package, too! 😁
1997-2001 Camry was a dream car for all college age folks at that time
I still see these 1997-2001 Toyota Camry’s on the road today. They are very good cars.
I had a 97. I can objectively say that it was not a good car.
@@herbiehusker1889 Really? Why was it not a good car?
@@jriley1992 it had lots of mechanical problems and fit and finish issues. It was poorly built. I bought it because everyone said toyotas are bulletproof and so well built. In my experience, my 80s Chrysler products were better built.
I have had my ‘97 Camry for about 6 years and I put ~40,000 miles on it. This car will be around in 30 years I swear, lol.
Nice car, these were great highway cruisers. Smooth and quiet.
Surprisingly yes, they were.
My ‘99 Camry is still going strong. Love that thing
Incredible that I still see these still on the road occasionally.
The V6 manual is the one to have, but good luck finding one.
this camry generation was and still the most popular camry since 1998 in meddle east and still a lot of people looking for it even have newer models!
This is such a classic sedan and has proven the test of time with quality and a generic styling that still looks better then most new cars
My father bought a '98 Camry V6 as our first car, so many memories were made with it.
I still remember this car when i bought it 2nd hand after aging 18 years and still feels refined. Drove it for 3 consecutive years as daily driver commute. Here in Indonesia this model just came i 1999, replacing the Toyota Corona Absolute (Toyota Carina E / Caldina ST191).
Before the SUV craze. I find it interesting that it has a .30 drag coefficient and the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 has one of .29. Yes, the Ioniq is a tall hatch (marketed as a crossover), but still. That's close for 16 years ago. The current Camry's is .27 or so I believe. I actually liked this styling over its previous generation. Curious what the next Camry will look like.
We're going to be seeing the XV-20 chassis for many years to come!
There no such thing as an "XV-20 chassis". The actual name is different, being a modified version of the platform introduced on the XV10 in 1991.
@@jmin8400 wrong
I've owned two 1997 Camrys and both of them were very great vehicles that would run forever
The 98 was my first car. Now I have a 23’ Lexus NX350H.. Man have times changed!
💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽🫡
@@dr.jillalicecooper2587 I have the '15 SE
@@dr.jillalicecooper2587 they don’t make them like they used to. I knew as a 15yr old My 98 was amazing, wished I never gave her up in hindsight!
Still a few of these, as well as many other 90s Toyotas left on Australian roads as well. They just keep going....
I could not be happier that I chose to buy a 1998 camry as my first ever car this year. this car refuses to die, and at 179k miles it could even last another 75-100k. What a car.
Take care of it you're under estimating how far it will go. 500000 is not unheard of
That last line. "future best selling car in the land" Nostradamus level thinking there.
My parents had this car when I was in elementary school. This generation of the Camry has the best ride compared to a modern Camry
Without salted roads, they never die.
Can agree, I got one of these in Australia and there is many of them still living cause we never have to salt roads cause no snow
And you still see them running around here either like brand new or barely holding on
The rear end reminds me somewhat of the Alfa Romeo 164. Maybe because of the slim taillights, maybe because of the general shape of the tail, fact is I was a bit surprised.
Yes, and they did it great, the best part of the car.
@@MrAndreCoutinho Exactly. Nice and simple, certainly better looking than the previous Camry, which was a bit bulbous.
My response to that remark in the description: I still see plenty of these 4th gen Camrys all the time!
He's absolutely right about the floaty suspension. The front end plow during heavy braking is shocking to look at, and under acceleration the rear drops really low.
These cars were great. The had good subtle styling, and were cheap and reliable. This is basically the car that made Toyota what it is today.
I hated the handling of my parents' '99.
Yeah, when the original struts went bad, I went with KYB struts some years ago and wow, it really firmed up the ride and it stays pretty level & planted on the road. 🤟
Great car. Pinnacle of Toyota reliability. I’d buy one today in a heartbeat if I could find a clean one.
I have one with 94,000 miles same year automatic inline 4CYLN
One of the best every day appliance cars ever made. As long as you rustproofed them from the beginning they will run until the end of time. Working on them is simple and parts are aplenty and cheap.
Owned my 2001 V6 for 11 years now, still in excellent condition with 215k miles. Never getting rid of it!
I'm the third owner of my '99 and have been driving it for 14 years. Just ran over 180K miles. I think it might be my forever car haha
Very reliable, my mother drove until 2022 an '97 manual shft made. Cheers from Brazil 👍🏻
Looks better than most new cars on the road today! Thats really saying something..
I've had a 2000 and a 2001 Camry and I beat the hell out of them and they've held up amazing
My long time favourite version of the Camry. Spacious enough, not offensive and still rides like a proper comfortable modern car of today.
In terms of pothole absorbtion I think it rides even better than todays cars.
I have a '98 Camry with 330k on it. It's still in good shape. I wish I could buy another one brand new in 2023
I’ve been waiting for this generation review, I want to see the year 2000 update review too!
It's amazing any shift lever survived a motor week test
I graduated in 1997..i could have got one of these as a graduation gift and still be driving it today...except my family was ghetto poor.
I had a coworker that had a 2000? Camry 4cyl..loaded with leather, moon roof ect... He abused the crap out of it, he gave me a ride home one day and the a/c was ice cold and It rode like a baby Lexus, I thought it had maybe 100k miles....I was off by about 200k miles..310k miles. Talk about a quality car.
😂 used to work at Thrifty rentals, we run these things in the ground. 25k in-between oil changes dump them at either 27k or 30k. They rarely went in for any services . My 2017 xle I bought new now has 170k on it smooth as silk runs like a champ. These things are dull but not spending 1 dollar on service or maintenance other than tires and oil changes is awesome return !! I'm sold and will be ditching mine in next year. Perhaps for another one or ES350😊😊😊
My mom had a 2000 Camry and it’s a great Japanese vehicle. 97 body style Camry is a great Japanese vehicle.
You know what's crazy. I still see plenty of this style Camry on the road.
Old Toyotas is the way to go, I have a 2001 Toyota Avensis stationwagon(I don't think you got them in the US), I have had it for 7 years and only done regular maintenance and it still works well.
Owned a 98' Camry 2.2 liter for over eleven years. It made me a Toyota fan for life I won't buy anything else.
Those 3.0 v6s can sound so sick when the right muffler is used, my friend used to own a 98 camry with the v6 and he put a vibrant muffler on it, and it sounded like an exotic lol
Still on the road today!
My favorite Camry gen!
I have a 2000, I love it and not having car payments is awesome!!
Best car ever, still see them everywhere 2024
My Grandma Irene and Paw Paw Milton own a 2000 Toyota Camry LE. 180,000 miles and its still tunning strong and looks great.
I still see this Camry around town. I've always been a fan of its lowkey styling.
These will still be on the road in 20 years while the 2023 models will not because tech support for the new ones is gone. One of the best cars they ever made.
Arguably the best generation Camry ever produced.
Not in the least.
@@jmin8400 Ok then what was?
@@isaac24 Its higher quality predecessor.
@@jmin8400 I would argue that the 3rd gen is only MARGINALLY better than these, they are both pretty equal. Personally I think that the 3rd gen styling is better, it looks more modern than the 4th gen. But that's it.
@@isaac24 I agree with you. The budget for 1992 Camry was $600-700 million, while the 1997 model cost $250 million to develop.
Toyota began planning this within 6 weeks after the 1992 model went on sale in October 1991 and Japan had a serious financial crisis. This car was the result. I've seen all the development data and design proposals put forward for it. Like the 1995 LS 400, it was a cynical cost cutting effort.
For a long time as a kid, I preferred this one much more, probably because my older "crush" drove one as a HS graduation present and another family friend had a '98 Camry with remote start. Didn't realize the remote start was probably aftermarket and not OEM, so I kinda placed this generation on an altar some 25 years back.
I eventually realized the truth over time and later as an adult how for granted I took the 3rd generation XV10. Probably because back in the mid-late 90s they were so common compared to these newer XV20s and to a kid, new = better.
a have a 98 v6 full optional with 370000 km.never has one problem with it.really strong car!
Hell yeah, 2.2 litre represent! Currently driving a base model ‘97 but with the previous styling. I love that car so much that after having 3 accidents happen to it. I’m still going to fix it up.
That $25,000 price tag in 97 is $48,000 in today's times wow.
Stop taking MY years literally. You have to base inflation on the last few weeks against pricing in this video from September 1996.
The prices went up even more in 1997, midway through the MY.
These cars are insane, I wish i learned about them decades ago. Last time you saw a 97 Escort still on the road or even a Focus. These are still going and run perfectly fine at 250k miles and more. Good cheap beater car for winters.
I've had this generation and the prior 3rd gen, the 4th gen was a perfected 3rd gen. The 4th gen was peak Toyota.
If Toyota made this exact Camry today, it would have a Lexus badge, they're that good.
This car, and this gen in particular is one of the finest cars to roll off an assembly line, ever.
In 97’ I traded a Dodge Neon (newish) for a 97’ Camry XLE V6….. it was like driving something from the future. The refinement this car had vs all the other cars of the day was actually shocking.
Had it for 12 years and put 302,000 miles on it.
The day I traded it in, I was sitting in the car and you still could not hear or feel it idle.
My daily driver is a Mercedes-Benz E350 and I tell you I would honestly trade it for a brand new Camry of this generation.
Damn, I was hoping to see them road test the V6 with the 5 speed manual.
Even at that time, the auto was far better selling. This was a commuter car people wanted to chiefly daily drive in thick traffic to/from work.
@@dr.jillalicecooper2587 literally nobody bought a manual Camry though
This lamb test drove one. It was fun to work with my hooves.