Author Topic: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?  (Read 7809 times)

thricesplice

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 11
2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« on: December 09, 2014, 06:56:46 AM »
I have a 2001 toyota camry, low mileage.  The guts are in good shape, and it should last for years more.  I've had most of the major repairs done and necessary stuff (timing belt, brakes, new tires, etc...), though there have been some minor annoyances that have added costs (window motor failed, door handle snapped off; both required disassembling the door which was costly).  I've probably averaged about $1000/year on it for the past 4 years; some of that stuff, especially the timing belt and brakes, are 1-time repairs, but I'm not sure what else will come in the future.

The mileage on the car is mediocre; 28ish on highways, low 20s in town.  However, I have minimal insurance on it which is nice.  The other big purpose of the car is that I park it outside, and I don't drive it a lot; 5000 miles/year tops.  So I figure an old junker is good for just sitting there and being exposed to the elements, especially in the upper midwestern state I live in where winters are long and hard.

Anyways, trying to decide if i should keep it or trade it in for a used car with better mileage.  My gut instinct is to stick with what I have since I drive it so little and it would take a while to earn back what I save in mileage.

pagoconcheques

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 190
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2014, 07:05:31 AM »
I'd keep it. 

I'll note though that your car is 13 years old.  In my experience this is about the age where the little stuff (like power window switches) starts dying, regardless of the car.  These are going to keep popping up, but many of them are things you can do yourself for almost zero cost just by spending some time on a vehicle-specific forum and looking for youtube videos about those repairs. 

FWIW, Your car is also at the age where it may make sense to replace the seat belts, especially the driver's belt.  The retraction mechanism often works poorly, if at all, and the belt may be frayed around the edges where it slides through the upper slide and the where the buckle slides.  We have successfully had these replaced FREE by dealers just by asking (once we had to ask twice, but they did it).  Those cars were all Hondas, but Toyota probably does it as well. 

Another Reader

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5327
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2014, 07:10:10 AM »
Don't believe the EPA mileage estimates on the sticker or use them for comparison.  A car that actually gets in the low 20's in town and 28 on the highway is comparable to what a lot of newer cars with higher ratings actually get.  I have a 2013 Corolla, rated at 26/34.  It gets about 24 in the city and 28-30 on the highway.  Some of the city mileage deficit is living in the hills, which requires the 1.8L engine to work harder.  But the highway mileage is difficult to explain.  The only time it hits 30 highway is on a flat road in the middle of the desert. 

The net cost of a newer, higher mileage car may also outweigh the fuel cost savings.  The car with marginally better actual mileage may not make sense in your situation.

NeuroPlastic

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Location: New Hampshire
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2014, 07:31:19 AM »
Keep.  You may be able to improve your mileage substantially through hypermiling.  It gets me way above the sticker rating, and additionally keeps me more aware of the traffic and road conditions (getting into an accident would be most un-moustachian).
Depending on your state, you may pay higher annual taxes/registration for a newer car.


TN_Steve

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 257
  • Age: 64
  • Location: fly-over country
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2014, 07:32:56 AM »
Keep it.  "Better the devil you know . . ."

Plus, with that little mileage per year, it would take a long time to make back the cost of a more fuel efficient vehicle, esp. assuming that your driving habits/location would be the same with either car.

I first read your thread title as "880,000" miles and was impressed!  88 is incredibly low odometer reading and, even at 13 years old, you should have quite a few years left.




Le Barbu

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1058
  • Age: 52
  • Location: Québec
  • I really didn’t say everything I said - Y. B.
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2014, 07:39:59 AM »
KEEP IT !

Considering all what you said, your Camry is the best deal you can get and will be for the next 7-12 years. This kind of car, with minimum maintenance*, should last 20-25 years and 200k-300k miles.

*minimum maintenance: change oil once a year, ALL fluid (coolant, brake fluid, clutch, tranny) every 5-10 years. I changed all of these last summer on my 2006 Civic (DIY) and the total cost was 100$ including filter and crush washers. Inspect air filter and cabin air filter, change if needed (10$ each). Wash thoroughly at least twice a year (more if salt in your area).
 

Like pagoconcheques said, get better at DIY mechanic with the net!

thricesplice

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 11
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2014, 08:15:21 AM »
Keep.  You may be able to improve your mileage substantially through hypermiling.  It gets me way above the sticker rating, and additionally keeps me more aware of the traffic and road conditions (getting into an accident would be most un-moustachian).
Depending on your state, you may pay higher annual taxes/registration for a newer car.

Thanks all for the advice.
I'll definitely keep the car, and will work more on DIY repairs.
I avoided replacing the window motor myself because it seemed like a total PITA.  And I don't really mind going way out of my way to make it happen, but it seemed like there'd be a risk of me doing more harm than good.  I have to do some balancing act managing hours of free time and where it is most effectively spent, and at the time I decided not to... but now that I am having window issues again, maybe I"ll reconsider.

I do do some hypermilng, but mostly in the form of minimizing breaking when possible and not going above 70 mph (speed limit in my state on highway).  With that, my car gets the above-mentioned mileage (28 on highway may be pushing it), but since I basically only use the car for a short commute to and from work, the measurements get complicated especially in the winter (which is like half the year hear) as the T goes down.  The burn coasting thing I haven't really explored, but am not sure its going to be worth it with the short distance.  The other factor is that in the winter it's important that I keep my attention focused on the road when snowy.

I'll look into the seatbelt replacement; nothing I had ever thought about before.  Are you saying they wear out and have an increased risk of failure?????

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2014, 08:47:43 AM »
Window motors are a total PITA.  I'm sure they're easier on a Toyota than my friend's VW, but they probably still suck.

I would definitely keep that car.  As long as it's not about to rust away into scrap, it should last you many years to come.  An older, low miles, cheap to insure, not rusty car that gets decent (doesn't have to be great) MPG is pretty much perfect if you're in the upper midwest doing 5,000 miles a year.

As for seat belts, I had to replace a seat belt in my 1996 Volvo with 168K miles on it at the time (would not retract properly), and my dad's 1994 Buick with ~155K on it has a pretty ratty looking driver's seat belt that still behaves properly.  I'd say don't worry about that unless it presents itself as a physically obvious problem.  It's definitely more a function of times yanked-on than years.

BooksAreNerdy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 257
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2014, 08:51:49 AM »
Well, we have a 21 year old corolla that still runs great. So, I vote for keeping it!

Bob W

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2942
  • Age: 65
  • Location: Missouri
  • Live on minimum wage, earn on maximum
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2014, 09:42:35 AM »
I speak from experience as I have a 2001 Camry as well.

My car has 385,000 on it and I just gave it to my daughter.   My cost of repairs has been extremely low.   I will note that I had the same window motor and door handle experience as you though.  You might anticpate the blower bearing on the fan going out at around 300K.  My alternator actually lasted until 325K without a brush change.   Water pump still good.  Power steering good.  AC compressor good.  Exhaust good.  Trany good (have never change fluid or filter). 

It still averages 30 mpg highway.   I suggest if you want to improve mileage a tad to hypermile and drive 65ish on the highway.  I think at 65 you'll see that 30 mpg.   Plus at 65 your 5-10 times less likely to die in a crash.

I used my car in construction,  have had it airborne and basically treated it like shit waiting until the timing belt went out at 325K to replace it.   We camp a lot so it has 4 wheeled and been exposed to lots of road dust and stream crossings. 

We have 30K left on the tires so it will go at least until 400K and I'm hoping for 500K.  The motor has great power still.  There was a time I actually prayed this car would die as it is ugly as shit.   Now that the daughter drives it, I pray it works forever. 

If you want to sell yours let me know as I am totally sold on the 01 Camry.  Possibly the best car ever made.

My guess would be that if you drive 10K per year that you will happily be driving this very mustachian car for another 30 years.   

Check you book values as these vehicles bring a premium.  That car is worth a lot of money.

sekritdino

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 67
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2014, 10:24:17 AM »
Keep and learn go hypermile! Thats a good car that should last you a long time!

TerriM

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 505
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2014, 10:35:27 AM »
I speak from experience as I have a 2001 Camry as well.

My car has 385,000 on it and I just gave it to my daughter.   My cost of repairs has been extremely low.   I will note that I had the same window motor and door handle experience as you though.  You might anticpate the blower bearing on the fan going out at around 300K.  My alternator actually lasted until 325K without a brush change.   Water pump still good.  Power steering good.  AC compressor good.  Exhaust good.  Trany good (have never change fluid or filter). 

It still averages 30 mpg highway.   I suggest if you want to improve mileage a tad to hypermile and drive 65ish on the highway.  I think at 65 you'll see that 30 mpg.   Plus at 65 your 5-10 times less likely to die in a crash.

I used my car in construction,  have had it airborne and basically treated it like shit waiting until the timing belt went out at 325K to replace it.   We camp a lot so it has 4 wheeled and been exposed to lots of road dust and stream crossings. 

We have 30K left on the tires so it will go at least until 400K and I'm hoping for 500K.  The motor has great power still.  There was a time I actually prayed this car would die as it is ugly as shit.   Now that the daughter drives it, I pray it works forever. 

If you want to sell yours let me know as I am totally sold on the 01 Camry.  Possibly the best car ever made.

My guess would be that if you drive 10K per year that you will happily be driving this very mustachian car for another 30 years.   

Check you book values as these vehicles bring a premium.  That car is worth a lot of money.

We just sold a 2000 Camry with 100K miles for around $1K.  It was a private sale, but we were offered less than $800 by the dealers, so we went with the private party.  The car worked fine, but had a lot of dings and dents, and the front bumper was ripped (easy for a dealer or private party to fix--I think it was mostly cosmetic and the light fixture, no structural damage). 

I don't think your car will be worth a lot of money to sell, but I would keep the car and keep driving it.  Maybe see if you can put up some sort of tent over the car to keep it out of the elements.   

Bob W

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2942
  • Age: 65
  • Location: Missouri
  • Live on minimum wage, earn on maximum
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #12 on: December 09, 2014, 11:14:20 AM »
I speak from experience as I have a 2001 Camry as well.

My car has 385,000 on it and I just gave it to my daughter.   My cost of repairs has been extremely low.   I will note that I had the same window motor and door handle experience as you though.  You might anticpate the blower bearing on the fan going out at around 300K.  My alternator actually lasted until 325K without a brush change.   Water pump still good.  Power steering good.  AC compressor good.  Exhaust good.  Trany good (have never change fluid or filter). 

It still averages 30 mpg highway.   I suggest if you want to improve mileage a tad to hypermile and drive 65ish on the highway.  I think at 65 you'll see that 30 mpg.   Plus at 65 your 5-10 times less likely to die in a crash.

I used my car in construction,  have had it airborne and basically treated it like shit waiting until the timing belt went out at 325K to replace it.   We camp a lot so it has 4 wheeled and been exposed to lots of road dust and stream crossings. 

We have 30K left on the tires so it will go at least until 400K and I'm hoping for 500K.  The motor has great power still.  There was a time I actually prayed this car would die as it is ugly as shit.   Now that the daughter drives it, I pray it works forever. 

If you want to sell yours let me know as I am totally sold on the 01 Camry.  Possibly the best car ever made.

My guess would be that if you drive 10K per year that you will happily be driving this very mustachian car for another 30 years.   

Check you book values as these vehicles bring a premium.  That car is worth a lot of money.

We just sold a 2000 Camry with 100K miles for around $1K.  It was a private sale, but we were offered less than $800 by the dealers, so we went with the private party.  The car worked fine, but had a lot of dings and dents, and the front bumper was ripped (easy for a dealer or private party to fix--I think it was mostly cosmetic and the light fixture, no structural damage). 

I don't think your car will be worth a lot of money to sell, but I would keep the car and keep driving it.  Maybe see if you can put up some sort of tent over the car to keep it out of the elements.   

According to autotrader.com there are currently 87 01 camrys listed with under 100K.  The cheapest is one with 59K for 4500 the most expensive is 73K for 10K.

I'm thinking that whoever bought yours for 1K will do nicely on a fix and resale.   I would love to find one like yours with 100K for 1K.   That is amazing!

MissGina

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 30
  • Location: MD
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2014, 11:17:17 AM »
I have a 1998 Camry with 223k miles and I'm gonna keep another year or two, maybe three.

I vote keep.

rmendpara

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 610
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #14 on: December 09, 2014, 11:24:31 AM »
I have a 2001 toyota camry, low mileage.  The guts are in good shape, and it should last for years more.  I've had most of the major repairs done and necessary stuff (timing belt, brakes, new tires, etc...), though there have been some minor annoyances that have added costs (window motor failed, door handle snapped off; both required disassembling the door which was costly).  I've probably averaged about $1000/year on it for the past 4 years; some of that stuff, especially the timing belt and brakes, are 1-time repairs, but I'm not sure what else will come in the future.

The mileage on the car is mediocre; 28ish on highways, low 20s in town.  However, I have minimal insurance on it which is nice.  The other big purpose of the car is that I park it outside, and I don't drive it a lot; 5000 miles/year tops.  So I figure an old junker is good for just sitting there and being exposed to the elements, especially in the upper midwestern state I live in where winters are long and hard.

Anyways, trying to decide if i should keep it or trade it in for a used car with better mileage.  My gut instinct is to stick with what I have since I drive it so little and it would take a while to earn back what I save in mileage.

The age is hurting more than the mileage.

I think you could probably get a 2010 camry for 10-15k, probably less if you do your homework. Would you want to upgrade to avoid the hassle/time associated with minor repairs?

It really comes down to how valuable your time is. If you work 65 hours per week and don't like to spend time getting little things done on an older car, then by all means make the upgrade if you think the cost of a new(er) vehicle is reasonable.

Considering how little you drive, I'd suggest going for a 2-4 year used car (perhaps 2010 - 2012 model year) which will help you save the big depreciation hit but also get you a fairly new car.

TerriM

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 505
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #15 on: December 09, 2014, 11:28:10 AM »
According to autotrader.com there are currently 87 01 camrys listed with under 100K.  The cheapest is one with 59K for 4500 the most expensive is 73K for 10K.

I'm thinking that whoever bought yours for 1K will do nicely on a fix and resale.   I would love to find one like yours with 100K for 1K.   That is amazing!

Wow!  Though will those cars actually sell or is it kind of like a book being offered on Amazon for $150 where no one will ever buy it?

The person who bought ours fixed it up for her daughter.  No resale.  Just grateful to get a working car for $1K, parts, and sweat equity.

When my husband did the estimate through Edmunds, it was something like $2500 or less.  The car has *a lot* of dents and dings, cracked back light, and broken front fender.  Maybe these cars are in much better shape?  Seems crazy though.  I certainly wouldn't pay $10K for a 1987 car.  For that I could probably get a 6 year old car.  In fact, looking at the listings on Craigslist, a bunch of cars all over the map price wise, for example:

Toyota Camry LE 2008 LOW MILES $2000
2003 toyota camry LE $5500 (192,300 miles but engine replaced)
2007 TOYOTA CAMRY LE $11000 (55000 miles)

TerriM

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 505
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #16 on: December 09, 2014, 11:35:19 AM »
I think in OP's case, I'd keep the car until something major comes up.  That's what we were going to do until the fender thing happened and we started looking at whether to put money into fixing the entire appearance, or just upgrade with the money. 

But if a car is actually running fine, I'd keep on going with it until the repair bill ends up being a significant part of the cost of a newer car.  My answer would be different if OP was asking repair vs. upgrade.  The question was low gas mileage vs. upgrade on what sounded like a low mileage usage car.

Bob W

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2942
  • Age: 65
  • Location: Missouri
  • Live on minimum wage, earn on maximum
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2014, 01:16:04 PM »
According to autotrader.com there are currently 87 01 camrys listed with under 100K.  The cheapest is one with 59K for 4500 the most expensive is 73K for 10K.

I'm thinking that whoever bought yours for 1K will do nicely on a fix and resale.   I would love to find one like yours with 100K for 1K.   That is amazing!

Wow!  Though will those cars actually sell or is it kind of like a book being offered on Amazon for $150 where no one will ever buy it?

The person who bought ours fixed it up for her daughter.  No resale.  Just grateful to get a working car for $1K, parts, and sweat equity.

When my husband did the estimate through Edmunds, it was something like $2500 or less.  The car has *a lot* of dents and dings, cracked back light, and broken front fender.  Maybe these cars are in much better shape?  Seems crazy though.  I certainly wouldn't pay $10K for a 1987 car.  For that I could probably get a 6 year old car.  In fact, looking at the listings on Craigslist, a bunch of cars all over the map price wise, for example:

Toyota Camry LE 2008 LOW MILES $2000
2003 toyota camry LE $5500 (192,300 miles but engine replaced)
2007 TOYOTA CAMRY LE $11000 (55000 miles)

Sorry for the confusion --There are 87  2001 Camry's listed is what I meant.    The newer Camrys are crap compared to the older ones.      My guess is that the listed older Camry's sell just fine.  They are really well known in the used car community.   In our local area when I see a listing I know it will be gone in one day if it is priced decent.   These aren't Malibus or Ford Tauruses we're talking about.   Good luck getting 250K out of one of those! lol 

Just to reprise my 01 has 385K mileage,  has great power, very good mileage and has required very little repairs.   Planning on it going beyond 500K.  That is a testament to how well built and engineered these model years were. 

Le Barbu

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1058
  • Age: 52
  • Location: Québec
  • I really didn’t say everything I said - Y. B.
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2014, 01:29:18 PM »
Cars are a lot more reliables in real life than their reputations. At work, we have a 2002 Sebring 200k miles and a 2005 Xtrail 300k miles and both are fine. Get the oil changed, little repairs (starter, battery, brake pads, whipper motor) but they keep doing the job of pulling our asses arround. 

guitar_stitch

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 280
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2014, 02:55:45 PM »
pfft!  88K isn't even broke in yet!  You'd be foolish to sell that off and buy someone else's potential problem.

Also, DIY is rewarding, even if the first few times costs you a huge investment in time.  I never shy away from DIY now, including a transmission rebuild/clutch job on my carport in a 1995 mustang I had.  I started with basics.  Oil, interior parts, electrical. 

thurston howell iv

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 425
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #20 on: December 10, 2014, 07:50:25 AM »
Agree^^  That's like a new car to me!

thricesplice

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 11
Re: 2001 toyota camry, 88000 miles; mustachian or time to change in?
« Reply #21 on: December 10, 2014, 08:47:18 AM »
Thanks again for all of the advice; I will definitely be driving this car forever!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!