FULL REVIEW: Toyota Camry 2.2GX 1993-1997

FULL REVIEW: Toyota Camry 2.2GX 1992-1997 3rd Generation.



In this blog entry, I'm “reviewing” Third generation Toyota Camry (1992 to 1997 but on sale in Malaysia from 1994 to 1997). BUT, the review is not done by me as I only have a car to test for a short 10 minutes.




My brief experience: "Man, the car's HUGE with a length of 4725mm and a long 2620 wheelbase. How's the ride? I'd very happy to report that IT IS A MINI LEXUS. Why MINI LEXUS? The build quality, interior nicely put up with consistent gaps, Nicely contoured seats, Smooth and silent engine. There's virtually no-noise heard from the engine when you sit inside the car. At 100km/h, the cabin is silent. So silent that we can only hear the tyres roaring. The owner's using standard 15" rims with Goodyear NCT5 tyres that's why.

The rear seat back can be folded 60:40. There were digital climate control air-cond, air cond vents (see picture) all angled towards the driver. Also, there were 2 cupholders in front. There were 4 power windows, power door mirrors etc… The year 1995 models were fitted with 4 wheel ABS, while 1996 onwards comes with a Driver’s airbag. My test subject’s a 1995 unit."
That's all I can review, no proper test car to evaluate and 10 minutes ride's NOT ENOUGH. THIRD Generation Camry owners, feel free to borrow me your car for at least 2 hours to test the car.

All is not lost, I dished out extracts of a WELL WRITTEN review by "Highway Malaysia", the September 1994 issue by written either Editor Uncle Chips Yap or Mr. LEEPS Lee (Managing Editor).

"TOYOTA CAMRY 2.2GX: A NEW BENCHMARK FOR AUTOMOBILE REFINEMENT"

"With Proton Intent on extending its range upwards - a 2.0 litre model has been confirmed, thus the traditional high-volume companies in the Non-Proton Segment have had to review their strategies for the future. It would be hard to compete with Proton which enjoys lower duties on its cars and can therefore price its products significantly lower than other companies.

Thus, a number of companies which concentrated on models only up to 2 litres are now focusing their product above that limit.

One of the first entries was Honda with its Accord 2.2EXi-S and now, UMW Toyota Motor had introduced its rival, the Camry 2.2GX. More will surely come in the future.

"FROM DOWN UNDER"

Another interesting fact about the new Camry is the origin of the CKD (Completely knocked-down) packs for its assembly in Shah Alam, Selangor. Rather than coming from Japan, they come from Australia where Toyota Motor Company (TMC) has a huge factory that has been assigned the task of producing Camrys for many market in Asia.

The factory is modelled after TMC's factories in Japan and is said to have some sort of high standards, TMC emphasises to dissipate any critical views that Australian made products would be of lesser quality.

For those who have never heard if the Camry before until its introduction here, be assured that this is a well-proven model line in Toyota-range. The 1st generation was introduced in Japan in 1980 and was highly regarded.

The first Camry was also a significant car for Toyota in that it had front-wheel drive - at a time when Toyota had only one other FWD car, the Tercel. It had a LARGE V6 engine and through it, the engineer gained much experience in FWD development that was used in models such as Corolla and Corona that come later.

SECOND "WORLD CAR"



The Dimensions of the Camry led to it being designated as Toyota’s second “world car” after the enormously successful Corolla (the best selling car in the world). Exactly what “World car” means varies according to different manufacturers but for Toyota, it probably meant a model which would be heavily promoted in all markets worldwide.

To lend credence to this designation, the Camry was chosen as the first model to be built at Toyota’s US factory in May 1988. It was certainly a wise choice as the car penetrated the North American market so well that it was among the top sellers. In the 1st quarter of 1994, it came within about 500 units of being the best-selling car in The USA – quite an achievement when you consider just how big and competitive that market is.

In Australia too, the Camry has been selling well although the home-grown Fords and Holdens tend to be more popular with the somewhat patriotic Aussies.

MINI LEXUS?

(Diagram below sourced from "www.goauto.com.au"


The success of the Camry in these 2 markets has been attributed to the size of the car, as well as its “international styling”. This was as it was intended to be by Toyota’s designers who have given it the looks of “downsized Lexus LS400”. Some may feel that the styling is plain but it has never been Toyota’s philosophy to offer radical designs, preferring to inject a certain degree of conservatism.


TWO ENGINE OPTIONS:

Two engine options are available: a 2.2 litre in-line 4-cylinder unit and a V6, the latter available only as CBU from Australia.

In the locally assembled Camry, the Toyota 5S-FE engine is used. When first introduced by TMC, this “family” of Toyota powerplants for the 1990s was considered so advanced and innovative that the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded a “medal of technology” to TMC.

The 2164cc engine, like most of today’s Toyota passenger car engines, has 16 valves and DOHC (Double overhead camshafts). While the exhaust camshafts is driven by a timing belt, the intake camshaft is rotated by a scissor gear off the exhaust camshaft. Such system allows for more compact cylinder head and also narrower valve angle. Other benefits include low-gear noise and accurate timing of the valve opening and closing throughout the rev range.

Fuel delivery is by a computer controlled “semi-sequential Electronic Fuel Injection system which injects fuel into two cylinders at a time. This is more precise method of fuel delivery as it meets specific combustion needs (other systems typically inject fuel into all cylinder simultaneously).

The 5S-FE engine is claimed to be tuned for superior low-to-mid torque levels to give driving ease in all situations. It’s maximum output is 95kw@5200rpm and a maximum torque is 189Nm@4400rpm.


TRANSMISSION:

The Toyota Camry 2.2GX is available with either 5-speed manual transmission or a 4 speed automatic transmission with electronic controls and a lock-up clutch. For the 4 speed auto transmission, a microcomputer controls the changes of gears with great accuracy, enhancing driving smoothness and optimizing fuel efficiency. There are also 2 driving modes – POWER and ECONOMY – which can be selected by the driver at any time.

INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION:

The suspension is fully independent, the front employing universal MacPherson struts with lower arms made from very rigid forged steel. These arms connect to a subframe at two points instead of one, giving a more positive linkage. At the rear, a dual-link arrangement is used with MacPherson struts. The lower arms are long to minimize tread change for optimum tracking in corners.

Like the front suspension, the rear suspension is also mounted on a subframe, preventing road noise and vibrations from being transmitted to the body.

Large disc brakes are fitted, the front being ventilated. To ensure that the brakes are kept cool, the profile of the front bumper directs some air over the brake systems.

Broad 205/65R15 tyres on steel rims (Alloy rims optional) are installed on the Camry.

The power-assisted rack and pinion steering is said to have been engineered for precise directional inputs without excessive feedback of road shocks. Extensive testing has resulted in the weighting of the power-assistance so that the driver retains a good “feel” of what the front wheels are doing all the time.

“WORLD CLASS INTERIOR”.

Intended as “World Executive Saloon”, the Camry has been given a roomy interior which is immediately apparent upon entering.

There’s plenty of legroom, shoulder room and headroom, this generousity of space being provided equally for front and rear passangers.

The sense of spaciousness comes not just from the extra-large cabin but also efficient planning and the design of the dashboard and door trim panels. It is in the little details that the thoughtfulness of the interior designer shines.

The well-shrouded instrument panel has warning lights positioned on either side which illuminate conspicously to warn the driver. These lights include one which alerts the driver when something wrong with the Electronic Fuel injection system.

Power windows are provided at the front and rear, with individual controls on each door. If necessary, the driver can prevent the operation of all other windows except the one on the driver’s door. The driver’s door window also has 1-touch up/down feature. Central locking is standard and
This is integrated with a customized COBRA anti-theft system. This sophisticated system has a motion sensor which will detect un-authorised intrusion of the cabin space. An anti-scanning feature prevents detection of codes from disarming the system.


For additional safety, the fold-down rear backrests have a lock. This overcomes the problem of preventing access to the boot from inside the carwhen it is left in the hands of parking attendants. (see picture on the left).


ELECTRONIC A.C.

The Air-conditioning system uses electronic sensors to control the cabin temperature. Like more expensive models, it has an auto mode which adjusts the blower speed to effect cooling of the whole cabin when necessary. The system uses a refrigerant that contains “No CFCs” for the sake of the environment.

The standard audio system is an exclusive high quality system newly introduced in the Malaysian market. It includes a compact disc management system used to operate CD-Changer. The system uses a keycard as an anti-theft device. For convenience, a motorized antenna extends automatically when needed.

DRIVING THE CAMRY:

When we 1st drive the Camry with an automatic gearbox during the preview in Penang and in the Klang Valley subsequently, the overall impression was one could just sit back and drive at a relaxed pace. The Camry encourages that sort of driving style with its easy, mid-range pace rather than frentic wheel-spinning departures. So it was hardly unusual to find it clocking 10.3 seconds in 0-100km/h runs, not bad for a saloon this size.

Joining the main stream of traffic, we could pick up the pace quick enough to flow in without getting frustered going about it, the kickdown dropping a gear or two smoothly. The tall gearing of the Camry is obvious as it cruises at 100km/h at a relaxed 2300rpm in top gear. Floor the accelerator and you can take it all the way to 194km/h on the open highway.

The mid-range torque feels strong enough in the lower rev range to putter around effortlessly. The aspects of being nicely geared obviously contributed to the fairly good fuel consumption of 11km/litre.

The strongest factor is the impressively quiet interior. The engine sound is a mere murmer most of the time, albeit with some rustling of air generated by the rear quarter window or window frames which we noticed in our testcar.

The handling is good for this type of saloon as the Camry goes into corner with a pretty neutral feel and holds its lines very well even at higher speeds. Body roll is keep well in check and understeer is mildly progressive. A pretty enjoyable car through winding roads, it stops well too, with little fade.

Executives should appreciate its ride comfort. The suspension soaks up harshness nicely, riding over bumps without jarring the occupants. Over bigger “obstructions” such as speedbreakers, the Camry merely rolls over them: you feel only the motion, not the discomfort of the impact.

AMAZING REFINEMENT:

The most lasting impression driving the Camry will be its refinement. You don’t realize it until you get back to your own car (in most cases) and find it seem noisier and “looser” with an engine that seems to have suddenly gotten rougher.

The Camry’s Chief Engineer stressed that in developing the Camry, the objectives were not limited to just 1 or 2 aspects, the goal was to produce a car which would be an excellent all-round package that would appeal to executives in any market.

They seems to have succeeded and fleet managers should take a close look at this latest offering because it will certainly be welcome by those who are entitled to company cars as well as individuals.”

THE END OF ARTICLE…

We like (+ve): Space, refinement, dynamic abilities, Toyota reliability and durability, vast ground-covering abilities
We don’t like (-ve): Bland styling inside and out

SPECIFICATIONS (Source: Highway Malaysia September 1994 issue):

1) Engine:
- 4 inline, transversely mounted 2164cc DOHC 16 valve
- Compression ratio / bore x stroke: 9.5:1 / 87 x 91mm.
- Cylinder head Aluminum and Cast Iron Block
- Fuel: Electronic Fuel Injection
- Computerised ignition system, catalytic converter.

2) Power:
- Max power (DIN); 95kw@5200rpm [130ps @ 5200RPM]
- Max torque: 189Nm@4400rpm

3) DRIVETRAIN: Front wheel drive, 4 speed Automatic
- RATIOS:
1st: 2.810
2nd: 1.549
3rd: 1.000
4th: 0.706
Rev: 2.296
Final drive: 3.944

4) BODY AND CHASSIS:
- Side impact bar, Claimed Cd: 0.32.

- Front suspension: Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs, telescopic absorbers with L-shaped lower arms

- Rear suspension: Independent with dual lateral links, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar.

- Steering: Rack and pinion power steering

- Wheels: 6Jx15: 205/65R15

- BRAKES: Fr: Vented discs. Rr: Discs

5) DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Overall Length: 4725mm
Overall width: 1770mm
Overall height: 1400mm
Wheelbase: 2620mm
Front/Rear track: 1550 / 1500
Kerb weight: 1325kgs
Turning circle: 10.8m

6) PERFORMANCE:
- Top speed: 194km/h
- 0-100km/h: 10.3 seconds
- RPM @ 100km/h in top gear: 2300rpm

(Diagram source: www.goauto.com.au)
7) Fuel Consumption:
- Fuel tank capacity: 70 litres
- Fuel consumption: 11.4kms/litre (29.2mpg)

NB: Performance tests were carried out at 5250kms on a test car supplied by UMW Toyota Motor. Actual performance may also vary depending on mileage clocked, state of engine tune, atmospheric conditions, etc. Dunlop J-Cinq tyres were fitted on the testcar.

- END OF SOURCE –


Below: A nicely done up 3rd generation Camry.

8) PRICING: RM113,000 OTR when new in 1995.

9) What’s the used car pricing like? The 3rd generation Camry’s on sale in Malaysia from Mid-1994 to End-1997. The value as at July 2008 are as follows:

1994: RM20,000,
1995: RM22,000
1996: RM25,000
1997: RM30,000
Specifications No.1 to 7 were sourced from Highway Malaysia September 1994 issue.
“PRICINGS” were entirely my research, averaged from Motortrader, Star Metro classifieds and random visit to used car dealers.

Without further ado, let’s proceed to OWNERS’ REVIEW:

For owner’s review. Please click the following links to read the reviews:
http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Toyota_Camry_1993.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Toyota_Camry_1994.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Toyota_Camry_1995.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Toyota_Camry_1996.html

http://www.carsurvey.org/modelyear_Toyota_Camry_1997.html


-THE END-. Thanks for having the patience to finish reading this blog entry.