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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Behind the Wheels of the Toyota Camry

Ooh... few things make me melt like a little boy getting a new bicycle with the prospect of riding it proudly around, polishing it and making sure it's scratchless...

Well today, I revisited the feeling.

We drove down to the Toyota dealership today for a little treat. Perhaps it was for me but, Winnie and Celeste would be enjoying it just as well ;-). Okay, so on this nice sunny Sunday, we had to check out the Toyota Camry.

It was a mind boggling 2 months for us as we looked around at some vehicles finding a good upgrade and replacement to our current ride. We had tried out the new CRV, the good-looking Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda Civic, Mazda 6 series and the like... but each had it's own flaws. Main consideration was price. Most were too expensive, not worth the value, resale value and ultimately, we don't feel right about a couple...

Anyway, so back to the Camry. It's a wonderful piece of machinery. I had been mesmerised by it last year when it first appeared. Has a bit of a Lexus appeal to it plus the plush interior is very promising. Winnie's always wanted an SUV, but then again the outlook of this car is definately worth the trade off. Leather seats, quality wood trimmings and chromes at just the right places.

It's confidence enough when you find out that the car has a waiting list of about 5 months. Yup, that's how long we will have to wait... So, we were also taken on a test drive. Aha... behind the wheels, the Camry felt effortless. I was expecting the sluggish feel of the steering as Toyota's electronic steering has been known to dampen the feel of the ride down to the steering to ensure a soft and comfortable ride. However, that was not the case. I spun the car around in the service bay and true enough, the car gave a good feedback just like how a smaller car would.

Acceleration was just great. Considering I've never owned a 2.0 car or higher, you won't want to quote me by that. Anyway, the engine is very silent due to the excellent sound proofing and firewall. Just like the generation of Camry I drove 8 years ago, I really am impressed by the sound level. You almost could not hear the engine if you have the radio on.

Okay, okay, gathered I am not talking about the most luxurious car or a continental, European beauty, but having the honour of owning a car which I had told myself 8 years ago that I was going to have one is something of a sentimental affair.

So, the result at the end...?

...booking the new edition Pearl White 2.0G version, with sporty aerokit...

...but will have a 5 months wait till I can touch it...


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