Yesterday, I went with my parents to several local dealerships to do some early car shopping. Together, we looked at the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid, 2007 Honda Civic EX Automatic Sedan, and 2006 Hyundai Azera Limited.
My father was the one who was interested in the Camry Hybrid and the Azera, and I was the one who wanted to look at the Civic.
The first car we looked at was the Camry Hybrid. MSRP was $26,000 and some change, the model on the lot had almost 100 miles on it. It was their only one. (Maita Toyota in Sacramento) This car really impressed me. It was dead quiet during acceleration, and silent at stops due to the ICE shut-off. The car is quick for its size (187HP), and the CVT transmission was a welcoming refreshment to the conventional setups. The ride was very smooth and isolated with no harsh bumps or vibrations being transferred to the cabin. The onboard fuel economy gauge stayed between 35-40 in town and was just over 40 out on the highway at 60mph. Great car, just a bit too expensive for my taste. I wouldn’t hesitate buying the V6 version for better performance for a few thousand bucks less, or even the 4-cyl version.
The second car we looked at was the Azera. It was a 2006 model with only three miles on it. We had to make a trip to the fuel station to add some fuel before it ran dry on us. The car had clearly gone through paint/body PDI, but not mechanical PDI. I think the tires were still severely overinflated from shipping preparation (to prevent flat spotting), as the car was very bouncy. Overall, the car lacked the level of refinement present in the Camry, and was merely an OK car, honestly. It didn’t impress me at all, aside from its value. MSRP was $27,000 and some change, but I doubt I would’ve paid more than low 20s if I really bought the car that day.
The last car we looked at was the Civic. We rode in the 07 Civic EX Automatic model, in the sedan version. The car certainly has an impressive exterior and interior design. The engine compartment was tight, very tight, but the interior was roomy for a small sedan. Front seats were comfortable; don’t know about rear, parents sat there.
The bad? Well, unless the tire pressure was off, which I highly doubt as the car had nearly 50 miles on it so someone should’ve noticed by now, but the ride was harsh. Quite harsh. I think it is due to the P205/55R16 lower profile tires, whereas, I’m used to the 65 series tires.
In addition, the moonroof in the EX ate up about 2” of the headroom. I’m only 5’10”, so it isn’t a huge issue for me, but I can see how it can be a problem for some people.
And of course, after sitting in the Camry Hybrid and Azera, the car was significantly smaller, so of course I felt less comfortable.
The engine though, coupled with the 5-speed automatic, had no trouble hitting 80+ mph on the freeway onramp with four people in the car with the AC on. It didn’t even require full throttle, and the transmission behaved wonderfully, shifting rapidly and smoothly at the right times. However, I must say that at only moderate throttle, the engine was LOUD. But once on the road, the car is relatively quiet, but not Toyota quiet…
Lastly, sticker on this car was $20,300 (maybe a bit more). As we were leaving, the salesman came up to us and said it was a slow, cold night, and he could sell it to us for the price of a LX. So that’d be $18,300 or so. Fantastic offer, but sadly, I wasn’t planning to buy…not for a long time.
Sorry for any grammatical errors…in a hurry.
My father was the one who was interested in the Camry Hybrid and the Azera, and I was the one who wanted to look at the Civic.
The first car we looked at was the Camry Hybrid. MSRP was $26,000 and some change, the model on the lot had almost 100 miles on it. It was their only one. (Maita Toyota in Sacramento) This car really impressed me. It was dead quiet during acceleration, and silent at stops due to the ICE shut-off. The car is quick for its size (187HP), and the CVT transmission was a welcoming refreshment to the conventional setups. The ride was very smooth and isolated with no harsh bumps or vibrations being transferred to the cabin. The onboard fuel economy gauge stayed between 35-40 in town and was just over 40 out on the highway at 60mph. Great car, just a bit too expensive for my taste. I wouldn’t hesitate buying the V6 version for better performance for a few thousand bucks less, or even the 4-cyl version.
The second car we looked at was the Azera. It was a 2006 model with only three miles on it. We had to make a trip to the fuel station to add some fuel before it ran dry on us. The car had clearly gone through paint/body PDI, but not mechanical PDI. I think the tires were still severely overinflated from shipping preparation (to prevent flat spotting), as the car was very bouncy. Overall, the car lacked the level of refinement present in the Camry, and was merely an OK car, honestly. It didn’t impress me at all, aside from its value. MSRP was $27,000 and some change, but I doubt I would’ve paid more than low 20s if I really bought the car that day.
The last car we looked at was the Civic. We rode in the 07 Civic EX Automatic model, in the sedan version. The car certainly has an impressive exterior and interior design. The engine compartment was tight, very tight, but the interior was roomy for a small sedan. Front seats were comfortable; don’t know about rear, parents sat there.
The bad? Well, unless the tire pressure was off, which I highly doubt as the car had nearly 50 miles on it so someone should’ve noticed by now, but the ride was harsh. Quite harsh. I think it is due to the P205/55R16 lower profile tires, whereas, I’m used to the 65 series tires.
In addition, the moonroof in the EX ate up about 2” of the headroom. I’m only 5’10”, so it isn’t a huge issue for me, but I can see how it can be a problem for some people.
And of course, after sitting in the Camry Hybrid and Azera, the car was significantly smaller, so of course I felt less comfortable.
The engine though, coupled with the 5-speed automatic, had no trouble hitting 80+ mph on the freeway onramp with four people in the car with the AC on. It didn’t even require full throttle, and the transmission behaved wonderfully, shifting rapidly and smoothly at the right times. However, I must say that at only moderate throttle, the engine was LOUD. But once on the road, the car is relatively quiet, but not Toyota quiet…
Lastly, sticker on this car was $20,300 (maybe a bit more). As we were leaving, the salesman came up to us and said it was a slow, cold night, and he could sell it to us for the price of a LX. So that’d be $18,300 or so. Fantastic offer, but sadly, I wasn’t planning to buy…not for a long time.
Sorry for any grammatical errors…in a hurry.
