Buying a new Toyota Camry. What extra options if any?

[tc101]

I've read threads here that tell me how to get the best price. Now I just need to decide what options to get.

For anyone who has looked into this recently, please give me your thoughts. I am thinking of buying the basic 4 cylinder LE model with no extra features. Are there extra features that you think are worthwhile ?

[tc101]

Also, here are prices at a dealer near me. Do you think these are actual drive out prices?


https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchres ... 2&zc=30083

[anonenigma]

If it makes a difference to you, be aware that the 2019 Camry will have Apple Carplay.

[livesoft]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

[finite_difference]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

Top-rated tires from Tire Rack?

[Morgan Dollar 1921]

Retired dealer employee here, daughter purchased an 18 Avalon late last year, my close friend purchased an 18 Corolla in March. Both are very happy with Toyota, the product and respective dealers. The dealer is a VIP, (value in purchase) partner for long term ownership experience. You mentioned you have researched shopping and price, I would suggest at least three dealer experiences prior to buying, service after the sale is important. I also know that many do not have that time to invest, or the patience to do this. Others you know can save you this time of shopping by asking.

I will take a quick look at the product site to detail my answer, but initial response is safety and protection of your investment are key. Things like splash guards for gravel driveways, and cargo liner for trunk, if a gallon of milk fails on the trip home from the grocery. I would own a Toyota except I love my 2016 Subaru Impreza HB AWD. More shortly.

[IntangibleAssets]

Looks like the 4 big options on LE's were:

Blind Spot Monitor - I would 100% have this option

Convenience Upgrade- Push start/ keyless entry etc. - I enjoy it

Audio Upgrade - qi charging, bigger/ "better" screen etc. - not a must for me

Moon roof - Not a must for me

Google - 2018 Toyota Camry Features to see it all

[jebmke]

I would get the option that turns it into a Highlander or Rav4. My wife has a 2018 Camry Hybrid. She likes it but I don't care for it. Very low. Also a bit awkward getting in and out for me and I am only 5'11" I find all the safety electronics quite distracting so when I drive it I shut them all off unless we are on an interstate.

[Dottie57]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

Top-rated tires from Tire Rack?

Livesoft, why were you driving 80 mph on a mountain?

[FIREchief]

Looks like the 4 big options on LE's were:

Blind Spot Monitor - I would 100% have this option

Convenience Upgrade- Push start/ keyless entry etc. - I enjoy it

Audio Upgrade - qi charging, bigger/ "better" screen etc. - not a must for me

Moon roof - Not a must for me

Google - 2018 Toyota Camry Features to see it all

I would refuse a car with a Sun/Moon roof even if it were free. I don't want the sun beating down on my head, and some in the past have been prone to leaks and rattles. I also don't like some of the keyless start/entry systems I've had on rental cars. It's sometimes hard to know if you've really locked the car or not. I'm all in for any true safety feature that they come up with. It's great that today's car are safe and start/run well. We had neither 40 years ago.

[jebmke]

I would refuse a car with a Sun/Moon roof even if it were free.

When we were looking at 2018s it was impossible to find one without. We just keep the sliding cover over it permanently.

[Dottie57]

Looks like the 4 big options on LE's were:

Blind Spot Monitor - I would 100% have this option

Convenience Upgrade- Push start/ keyless entry etc. - I enjoy it

Audio Upgrade - qi charging, bigger/ "better" screen etc. - not a must for me

Moon roof - Not a must for me

Google - 2018 Toyota Camry Features to see it all

I just bought a Camry 2018 in April.

BSM - definitely get.
Convenience upgrad - love it.
Moon roof - enjoying it but would be fine without it.
Audio upgrade. Took the moon roof over it.
Also cross traffic beeper helps while backing out and cars go zooming through. Love it.

[Blueskies123]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

Top-rated tires from Tire Rack?

Livesoft, why were you driving 80 mph on a mountain?

And why are you going that fast if it feels "squirrelly"?

[stan1]

Looking at the 2018 Camry web site I would want to blind spot monitoring and convenience package for an LE. The styling in modern cars can create large blind spots. I like having the keyless ignition, the auto dimming rear mirror, and the homelink buttons for my garage and community gate. The moon roof and upgraded audio are not features I would use.

For 2019 LE model it looks like the only option is the blind spot monitoring and convenience package.

[Morgan Dollar 1921]

OK, many would not spend the $1200 for the Blind Spot Monitor with RCTA, (rear cross traffic alert). My research shows that this package includes SmartKey with Homelink and Auto Dim rear view mirror. I am not a sunroof person, both the daughter and friend are, but she opted to pass on the sunroof with the Corolla. Daughter got a Hybrid and loves it, I clocked a short trip here in the rural area we live in at 65+ MPG, but I drive like a grandpa . You did not describe your annual mileage or trip distances and length of intended ownership is also a factor in hybrid pros and cons. Door edge guards, splash guards, and the Rubber (winter) mat & cargo package would be must haves for me. I would take the Blind Spot package in a heartbeat over a sunroof, (I have seen so many leak, but those quality issues are from two decades ago).

IntangibleAssets and I agree, 100%, I worked in parts supply for a major Columbus dealer chain's collision repair center. No one wants to visit a collision repair center, and typically this feature's expense vs a one time deductible makes it worth it.

Good luck, any specific questions, I will respond. I think reading the owners manual and maybe using a lower gear with the brakes sparingly would over come a downhill runaway issue.

[dm200]

I would refuse a car with a Sun/Moon roof even if it were free.

When we were looking at 2018s it was impossible to find one without. We just keep the sliding cover over it permanently.

So would I!! One more motorized/mechanical thing to break..

[FIREchief]

I would refuse a car with a Sun/Moon roof even if it were free.

When we were looking at 2018s it was impossible to find one without. We just keep the sliding cover over it permanently.

I'm sure some will not accept this, but it is possible to factory order a Toyota product with the exact options you want assuming a) they are available at the factory and b) your dealer's Toyota distributor is willing to order a vehicle so equipped. Many/most dealers will tell the customer that this is impossible. Others will only cooperate to the point of trying to find an already built unit in another dealer's allocation that is "on the boat" and the other dealer is willing to transfer/swap it. I'm done this several times in order to not pay for factory navigation (googlemaps on a smart phone works better). It can take two to four months, but so what?

[livesoft]

Livesoft, why were you driving 80 mph on a mountain?

And why are you going that fast if it feels "squirrelly"?

I was trying to kill myself while passing a slowpoke before the double-yellow line.

[jebmke]

order to not pay for factory navigation (googlemaps on a smart phone works better). It can take two to four months, but so what?

This was the standard process for buying cars when we were living in Europe. You order exactly what you want and get it in a couple of months. They rarely build to stock. US wastes a lot of capital on automotive inventory.

[jebmke]

Livesoft, why were you driving 80 mph on a mountain?

And why are you going that fast if it feels "squirrelly"?

I was trying to kill myself.

We find that sometimes the sensors pick up the guardrails if they are fairly close to the side of the road. Another reason why I shut off the safety systems. False triggers.

btw - we drive 80 through the mountains of West Virginia all the time.

[Youngblood]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

Top-rated tires from Tire Rack?

Livesoft, why were you driving 80 mph on a mountain?

And why are you going that fast if it feels "squirrelly"?

Livesoft is only complaining because he doesn’t know that squirrelly driving on a mountain at 80 mph is a Camry safety feature.

[Watty]

I bought a 2018 Corolla LE this year so my experience is a bit different.

A few suggestions;

1) Get car insurance quotes for the different trim levels you are looking at since they may be different. It is not impossible that the higher trim level could actually cost a bit less if the demographics of the people that buy that trim level tend to be safer drivers. This is especially important if any of the trim levels are considered "sport" versions or the different trim levels have different safety features.

2) Personally I do not like the built in navigation systems since I tend to keep my cars a long time. They are expensive to replace if they fail and you can only get updates at whatever price they want to charge, if update are even available in ten years. I prefer a $100 GPS or cell phone app. I also do not like the satellite radio systems since we would not use it enough to make a subscription worthwhile.

3) Read through the list of specification carefully to see all the differences since there can be unexpected differences. In the Corolla the LE version has a CD player which is getting rare in new cars. That works for well for us since we still occasionally get audio books on CD's from our library. The higher trim levels in the Corolla with upgraded sound systems do not have a CD player.

4) Compare the features of a 2018 to a 2019 since the dealer may have both of them.

5) Getting extra keys made is frigging expensive since the car needs to be programmed to accept the key and few if any locksmiths other than the dealer can do that for some models. You usually get 2 keys, ask for 3 or 4 so that you will have a spare if you ever need it. Consider getting a plain key without the electronic door lock buttons. This is handy since if you go swimming you can keep that key in your swimsuit pocket and not worry about it getting wet. It was not really clear but it sounded like if you lost all your keys it was very expensive to get a new key so do not lose all your keys.

6) Double check to see if the various trim levels have a spare tire. Many new cars do not come with spare tires now, I don't think that would vary by trim level but it would be good to check.

[tc101]

Do you think the prices at this site are for real?

https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchres ... 2&zc=30083

[Beehave]

My experience is with a loaded 2015 XLE hybrid and a base 2015 base-plain LE (both owned), and also with 2018 rental LE.

Summary of my experience:
- base LE is fine
- if you want add-ons beyonf base LE, probably much better to just pay more for a Lexus and get true, high quality add-ons
- the safety features worth paying extra for (if not already included with Toyota's new, standard safety upgrades) are blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross-traffic alert.
- get Weathertech (or equivalent, if any) mats for floor and trunk

Below is more detail for anyone interested in my opinion and experience. Also, a pricing suggestion.

Best wishes to all!

Some more detail:
The blind spot and rear cross traffic features are very helpful. I'd almost say they are must-haves and are much more valuable than I expected. The adaptive cruise and the lane departure warning that I paid lots extra for on the XLE (and why I got the XLE in the first place) are much less helpful than I expected. (In 2015 the LE could not be outfitted with adaptive cruise, and now it is standard equipment on all Camrys.)

The upgraded audio on the XLE has been a big (BIG!!!) disappointment. It was very tinny until I did a bee-dance complex operation described by someone on the internet to get it to re-set to some pre-factory default (the sound was hideous - even compared to the base audio system on the LE). After much ado with Toyota, they eventually apparently did some remote operational upgrade to make the system less tinny sounding, but it is still quite disappointing. I would avoid like the plague the "JBL green edge" upgrade or whatever it is they call it. At least as it was. Maybe (but I doubt it) they've improved it because of all the bitter complaints circa 2015/2016 that I'm aware of. Listen carefully if you can before buying the "upgraded" Toyota audio system. Included in the bundle on the XLE "Entune" package was navigation which I've been very happy with, but would not recommend if it comes bundled with the "GreenEdge" audio.

The "leather" seating (whatever it is) on the XLE is comfortable. There are two inexplicable nicks on the passenger front seat that Toyota has refused to fix that we have absolutely no conceivable explanation for. The very thin veneer of black leather surface is nicked, showing a lily white substrate of who-knows what material. If it's leather, I have no concept of how they dyed a 1 micron depth of surface black and kept the remainder cotton-white. The seating on the LE is very comfortable too and is holding up fine. I'm concerned much more about the durability and looks of the XLE's "leather" seating than the LE's synthetic.

The 2018 I rented seemed to get very good fuel mileage, but it was a rental and I did not really measure it. It too was comfy (although a tad lower than the 2015s). DW said the passenger seat foot-well area seemed to have less room - - I can't verify this and did not notice it at ll on the driver's side. The 2018 LE handled very well and I liked it a lot.

Regarding handling, we insisted on Michelins on both 2015s, not Bridgestones, and the dealership complied even though the hybrid was factory-delivered with Bridgestones. I've found the handling to be fine, including heavy rain - - but no snow experience. The rental 2018 LE Camry had Bridgestones and they seemed fine.

Based on my experience, I'd suggest buying the Camry LE base rather than an XLE or a loaded with add-ons base. I thought the XLE with all the fancy stuff would be a mini-Lexus, and even though I like it a lot I feel like Toyota deliberately downgraded or cheapened the luxury features of the XLE so that the Camry XLE would not be a Lexus equivalent - - notably the so-called leather and the audio. I've always bought base-models before, so (a) the luxo features are new to me as an owner, and (b) I don't think I've spent more than 10 minutes in Lexuses in my life. But if I really wanted luxo features in a new Toyota, I'd dig way deeper in my pockets and get a Lexus. I say this because of my experience with the XLE and my extensive discussions with the Toyota service people who've worked on both Lexus and Toyota. Bottom-line: the LE is fine - - especially if you can get it with rear cross traffic alert and blins-spot monitor.

Regarding price - - if I were OP, and assuming a 7% state tax rate, I'd try for an out-the-door price that matches the price OP posted. In other words about $23.5k out the door for the car (LE base, nothing extra), and including papers, tax, regional fees, and prep and transit. I'd pay extra for rear-cross and blind-spot if they are not included but are available. And I'd pay more for the car (maybe up to $1k more, and possibly more) if I had to if local dealers simply would not or could not meet my price. I haven't shopped cars for over three years so I do not know current conditions, so the above is just my guess for a very good price based on past experience.

Regarding price, I used to worry about getting the very best deal possible and now look more just for a very good price. I keep cars for a very long time. Now, whether I spent $200 more or less on the car 10 years ago matters infinitely less to me than if the car has been safe, comfortable, reliable and easy to maintain all that time. The value that the Camry has for me is its very slow depreciation in reliability and usefulness. And in this regard, the LE shines - - in fact, if I'm wearing my boglehead hat, the fewer un-needed add-ons added-on, the better.

Again, best wishes.

[dm200]

The most recent (October 2018 Issue) of Consumer Reports has an article on features and costs for various new cars - that might give some insight..

[bb]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

[jebmke]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

[IntangibleAssets]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I suppose pwr/underpowered is personal and probably terrain driven, but the 4cyl has something like 204HP, that's not bad at all. I remember my 1996 camry had 133

[dm200]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I suppose pwr/underpowered is personal and probably terrain driven, but the 4cyl has something like 204HP, that's not bad at all. I remember my 1996 camry had 133

We have a '98 Camry 4 cyl. All the power we want or need.

[sport]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I have a 4-cyl. With the 6-speed transmission, it has adequate power. I believe the new ones have an 8-speed, so they should be fine. However, I don't drive in the mountains.

[Dottie57]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I suppose pwr/underpowered is personal and probably terrain driven, but the 4cyl has something like 204HP, that's not bad at all. I remember my 1996 camry had 133

We have a '98 Camry 4 cyl. All the power we want or need.

2018 Camry XLE here. It is more than zippy enough. It has 3 modes - eco, normal and sport. I use eco for better gas mileage. Sport mode is very responsive to the gas Pedal.

[IntangibleAssets]

Do you think the prices at this site are for real?

https://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchres ... 2&zc=30083

You might look on Autotrader.com as well.

Some used 2018's in my area are going for listed prices of ~18K-20K ( didn't look in detail but milages was 10-20k on them), most new ones are about $500-1K under yours. So I think those prices are real, but likely not OTD prices.

[Morgan Dollar 1921]

Horsepower ?
What is your terrain, hills or flat.
How many passengers ? 1 -2 or 4? Cargo?

Power for my Subaru Impreza comes from 2.0-liter Boxer flat-four-cylinder rated 148 hp at 6,200 rpm and 145 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. I am clocking 36 .3 MPG average, 30,465 miles on my Fuelly app. I love the CVT economy.

Our first family car, 1982 Olds Omega, 2.5L with 90 HP getting maybe 28 - 30 MPG.

Just the two of us usually or maybe four with grand kids that weigh under 200 pounds together, I have plenty of HP.

I remember driving to Old Man's Cave for July 4th, 1982 family picnic, the kids went with her parents, and my brother and sister in law rode with us, AC on, turned a curve at the bottom of a big hill. The four of us would tip the scales at close to 700 pounds back then, we had to turn off the AC to climb the hill. It was embarrassingly underpowered.

We have come a long way !

[mbres60]

In July we bought a 2018 Camry XLE. We have no extra options on it. I think the seats on the passenger side (where I sit) is very uncomfortable. Was in Costco a few days ago and they have a memory foam and gel seat cushion on sale for $14.99. Seat is now comfy. I think the driver's seat is a little better than the passengers but not by a whole lot. I don't understand how others can say the seat is comfortable. Anyways... we like all the safety bells and whistles.

I would suggest that you think about how long you will keep your car. If a long time... then get one with some of the extra safety features.

[jebmke]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I have a 4-cyl. With the 6-speed transmission, it has adequate power. I believe the new ones have an 8-speed, so they should be fine. However, I don't drive in the mountains.

The key is to only drive it downhill.

[William4u]

Looks like the 4 big options on LE's were:

Blind Spot Monitor - I would 100% have this option

Convenience Upgrade- Push start/ keyless entry etc. - I enjoy it

Audio Upgrade - qi charging, bigger/ "better" screen etc. - not a must for me

Moon roof - Not a must for me

Google - 2018 Toyota Camry Features to see it all

+1

A family member and I just bought two Toyotas with BSM (Blind Spot Monitoring/Rear Traffic Warning) and we both were a little surprised by how much we like it. It not only tells you when there is a car in your blind spot, but it also tells you if there is a car coming from the side when you are blindly backing out of a parking space flanked by two cars. And it tells you if you are going to back into a trash can, and even applies the brake to prevent you from backing into a concrete pillar. BSM also tells you if you are too close to the car on the left or right when you park, and tells you if you are too close to the car in front when you part. It is great.

I also love the hybrid power train, which is basically the regular 2.5L engine with an extra electric motor which adds power when you need it and adds efficiency too. It is more powerful than the regular base engine, plus over the life of the car the extra gas efficiency saves you more than $1000/year. So it pays for itself over time and give you a lot of extra power. It is much nice to drive and "free"!

And the keyless entry is nice too.

But I would put BSM and the hybrid drivetrain high on my list of "must gets."

[livesoft]

... plus over the life of the car the extra gas efficiency saves you more than $1000/year.

That assumes some interesting assumptions. I spend between $400 and $600 a year on gasoline.

[Dude2]

I'd get the JBL super upgraded sound system.

[UpperNwGuy]

... plus over the life of the car the extra gas efficiency saves you more than $1000/year.

That assumes some interesting assumptions. I spend between $400 and $600 a year on gasoline.

+1 For the last two years I have filled my tank at the rate of once every two months.

[dm200]

It seems that many of the newer model year cars have the rear window designed so it is more difficult to see things behind you. I suppose they may do that to "sell" the rear camera.

[FireSekr]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

The option to fix that is to get a better driving car like an accord or a Mazda 6. The Camry is the least competitive car in its class and offers no advantage over its rivals. Reliability may be a little better but over 10 years the cost difference in maintenance between a Camry and a accord or Mazda 6 will be negligible

[dm200]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

The option to fix that is to get a better driving car like an accord or a Mazda 6. The Camry is the least competitive car in its class and offers no advantage over its rivals. Reliability may be a little better but over 10 years the cost difference in maintenance between a Camry and a accord or Mazda 6 will be negligible

Consumer Reports rated the Camry higher, however.

[geoff2]

It seems that many of the newer model year cars have the rear window designed so it is more difficult to see things behind you. I suppose they may do that to "sell" the rear camera.

Some if may do with style as well, but it's worth noting that every car built since May of this year is required to have a rear camera.

[DSInvestor]

Don't drive the v6 - it isn't an option on the LE. And after you
drive a v6 it is hard to want the 4 cylinder.

The 4-cyl is underpowered. But I hear you can get it going 80mph going down a mountain.

I suppose pwr/underpowered is personal and probably terrain driven, but the 4cyl has something like 204HP, that's not bad at all. I remember my 1996 camry had 133

We have a '98 Camry 4 cyl. All the power we want or need.

I have a 97 Camry 2.2L 4cyl. Plenty powerful for me. The 2018 Camry is much more powerful.

[Leesbro63]

Retired dealer employee here, daughter purchased an 18 Avalon late last year, my close friend purchased an 18 Corolla in March. Both are very happy with Toyota, the product and respective dealers. The dealer is a VIP, (value in purchase) partner for long term ownership experience. You mentioned you have researched shopping and price, I would suggest at least three dealer experiences prior to buying, service after the sale is important. I also know that many do not have that time to invest, or the patience to do this. Others you know can save you this time of shopping by asking.

I will take a quick look at the product site to detail my answer, but initial response is safety and protection of your investment are key. Things like splash guards for gravel driveways, and cargo liner for trunk, if a gallon of milk fails on the trip home from the grocery. I would own a Toyota except I love my 2016 Subaru Impreza HB AWD. More shortly.

Sorry to disagree here but I do. We're talking about a Toyota. The only thing that matters when buying is getting the car you want at the best possible price. There are many dealers. If the selling dealer's service isn't to your liking, then go elsewhere. Most independents can easily do basic and not so basic Toyota service, what little there even is during the warranty period. There's no way I'd pay a penny more for some "VIP" gimmick. One of the main reasons to buy a Toyota in the first place is because they are as close to zero maintenance "transportation appliances" as possible.

[FireSekr]

I didn't look at the options that are options and are not standard, but I will say that I drove a 2018 Camry rental car for over 400+ miles and it had the safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane change alert/assist, parking assist beeps, backup camera, navigation, reverse automatic braking, lots of airbags, etc. I will say the car was squirrelly driving at 80 mph coming down the mountain, so if there was an option to fix that, then I would get it.

The option to fix that is to get a better driving car like an accord or a Mazda 6. The Camry is the least competitive car in its class and offers no advantage over its rivals. Reliability may be a little better but over 10 years the cost difference in maintenance between a Camry and a accord or Mazda 6 will be negligible

Consumer Reports rated the Camry higher, however.

And we all know how credible consumer reports is.

The accord has been on the car and driver 10 best list 32 times. The Camry....twice

In many reviews the accord is compared to vehicles much more expensive whereas the Camry is criticized for cheap build quality, inferior ergonomics and poor driving dynamics

Here’s a quote from the Motortrend review:
Holistically, though, there's no comparison. The Accord is more comfortable, spacious, and luxurious than the Camry. It's quieter, rides and handles better, and drives more elegantly. It offers superior technology with a more user-friendly interface. Simply put, Toyota built a better Camry, but Honda built a better car.

Motortrend prefers the accord.
https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/a ... on-review/

Car and driver prefers the accord.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/t ... -time-ever



Autotrader prefers the accord
https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/20 ... 4979867268

Autoblog prefers the accord.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.autobl ... a6-sedans/

Business insider prefers the accord.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.busine ... son-2018-7

[BogleFanGal]

I will vouch for the blind spot 10x over - I'm not a gadget person and prefer a base model, but I LOVE this feature. I'm short and just about every car has visibility problems for me backing up. I bought a used car (not a toyota, so can't help with the other specifics), but held out for that option and stubbornly passed up many a car at a good price. So glad I did. We need to replace our 2nd car this year and I wouldn't buy one without it.

[Morgan Dollar 1921]

Retired dealer employee here, daughter purchased an 18 Avalon late last year, my close friend purchased an 18 Corolla in March. Both are very happy with Toyota, the product and respective dealers. The dealer is a VIP, (value in purchase) partner for long term ownership experience. You mentioned you have researched shopping and price, I would suggest at least three dealer experiences prior to buying, service after the sale is important. I also know that many do not have that time to invest, or the patience to do this. Others you know can save you this time of shopping by asking.

I will take a quick look at the product site to detail my answer, but initial response is safety and protection of your investment are key. Things like splash guards for gravel driveways, and cargo liner for trunk, if a gallon of milk fails on the trip home from the grocery. I would own a Toyota except I love my 2016 Subaru Impreza HB AWD. More shortly.

Sorry to disagree here but I do. We're talking about a Toyota. The only thing that matters when buying is getting the car you want at the best possible price. There are many dealers. If the selling dealer's service isn't to your liking, then go elsewhere. Most independents can easily do basic and not so basic Toyota service, what little there even is during the warranty period. There's no way I'd pay a penny more for some "VIP" gimmick. One of the main reasons to buy a Toyota in the first place is because they are as close to zero maintenance "transportation appliances" as possible.

No apology needed if you did disagree, but I think you disagreed a lot less than you think. I quote the OP's first post, "I've read threads here that tell me how to get the best price."

Thus I did not feel it was needed to touch on price.

There are many dealers, I have worked for 16, the old days are pretty much gone the days when a dealer denied warranty repairs for this or that reason. The internet and social media have changed most of that, however trust me there are pockets of this that still exist. I don't know where the OP is located, but I do know of a rural dealer close to me, that I would not walk into for a free cup of coffee. I know about them because I worked for them. Some places (like rural Ohio), the closest dealer may be 30 + miles away.

No one said you should pay more for a "VIP" gimmick, in fact I did not even mention the word gimmick in my post, although there are many gimmicks at the dealership. Free oil changes are not free, some dealers fill a blue plastic barrel with water, toss a tidy bowl blue tab in the barrel and will fill your washer solvent tank for free. Yep, worked for one of those too! Being a parts guy it was a great addition to my departments sales, when January rolled around, and the customers had not used all of the blue water from August, and I sold a lot of W/S washer tanks.

So you are correct there are many dealers, I have seen most of if not all of the gimmicks, "owners club", Tires for Life" "Free oil changes" etc. The sales guys at the owners club store liked to "kick the customer in the creek", "put them to sleep", the Tires for Life deal had a strong elimination clause concerning "routine tire rotations & four wheel alignments with strict mileage parameters to trip you up. The "free oil change" should have been worded " Oil and Filter change with free oil and labor, you pay twice the price for the Oil filter element and we get to go into "UPSELL" mode after you have sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes.

Let me close with my experiences from 1985, we had the first '85 Chevy Nova hit the lot, our driveability tech was a new hire with decades of dealer experience under his belt, btw he drove a Corolla. So he pulls the new Nova in his stall next to a new 1985 Chevrolet Citation, one with the miserable, (his description) 2.5L four cylinder knock knock engine. He gathers most of the fixed department crew next to the Citation which was sitting about 3 feet from the Nova, (in case you don't know the Nova was a Corolla, built by NUMMI with a Geo badge on the grille and deck lid. Fred tells us "I want you to listen to the Citation first then you can listen to the Nova. The Citation had the hood open, the Nova's was closed. Then he reached in and turned off the ignition of the Citation. We could now hear the Nova's sweet little engine, must have been 10+ decibels difference! After several months of sales and service, the only issue with many of Nova's we sold were limited to three, the Delco radio, the Delco battery and the fuel door release cables. I have been a Toyota believer ever since, and have owned four, would have owned many more, however for much of my career I drove a demo. Once I was put into a Nubria demo, yeah a Daewoo, only now we call them "Daewas". I got towed back to the dealership before I was in it a month. Told the general manager, "Frank, we both have a vested interest in my daily safe arrival to the dealership, how about a Regal?

[RollTide31457]

Be sure you test drive it. Lots of Camrys pull to the left.

[dm200]

Be sure you test drive it. Lots of Camrys pull to the left.

Camrys are very common rental cars now. If you want more than a quick test drive, maybe rent one for a day or so.