Perfect School Car? Why did CAR WIZARD get an '09 Toyota Camry for his daughter? Is it that good?!? 

There is something to be said about me being able to walk out to my Camry and know that every time I turn the key I'm never gonna have a problem. It's a huge common stressor out of your life, and the mental energy saved by not worrying about car issues is immeasurable.

I just picked up a 2010 Camry XLE 4cyl with 195K miles for $4k a month ago for my wife as a daily. Two owner vehicle and drives so smooth. No leaks just like that one. I also own a 2001 Camry LE with 305K miles, a 2003 Camry LE with 180K miles and my 2020 Tundra Pro. Man I love my Toyotas.

The 2011 model year of this generation is still my favourite Camry

2011 LE here still going strong. Never let me down. 123k miles.

I bought my 2012 Camry SE with 89,000 miles 2 years ago for $9k. At the time I really needed a car and I felt like I overpaid but then the car market went insane and now my car is worth more than what I got it for. Just hit 110,000 miles and I plan on keeping the car well after I pay it off. The design of the car feels timeless and it has been nothing but reliable for me. I got really lucky

This 09 Camry is in crazy good condition for the mileage and age. I still see more 1992-1996 camrys buzzing around here in Michigan than any other generation. They're getting rusty, but they just keep going!

My first vehicle was an 09 Camry with the V6. Regret selling it to this day, 211,000 miles still ran perfectly fine. Also never lost a drag race in high school😂

When I started driving in the mid 80's most average kids were getting old VW Beetles (air cooled) or Chevettes barely able to hit 60 mph. That V6 Camry would have been a space ship with warp speed. She'll probably never own a better vehicle. Well done Wizard 👍

Most kids won't want to be caught dead in a Camry. It's basically a grandma car. But it is safe andd reliable and most importantly it doesn't have too much horsepower. Young drivers don't need 500HP for their first car.

Your daughter is very lucky to have her father as "The Wizard".

I referred both you and S.Kilmer videos to a friend of mine that was interested in getting a reliable used car. He asked me for my opinion, and after a discussion on reliability, maintenance costs, fuel cost, insurance, taxes, he agreed that Toyota was the sensible car for him and his family. Last week he came to meet me to show me the car he bought. A 2007 BMW X5.

I literally just bought my daughter a 2009 Camry yesterday for her first car. Hers is a 4 cylinder but it did have the pistons and rings replaced during the recall. We live in the Midwest so rust is more of a challenge here but hers is in good shape with only surface rust. Your video confirms I made a good choice. I only buy Toyota/Lexus products and they have never let me down.

I did basically the same thing for my daughter. I gave her my 2011 Toyota Corolla to drive, and bought myself a cheap 2003 Camry 5 speed to daily for me. The Corolla is still under 100k so she'll never have to worry about it at all.

He got her the V6… watch her gap her friends with rice’d out civics and bro-dozer’d pickups. The V6 Camry is reliable but also surprisingly quick. Looks like a super nice car. I’d be happy to have this when I was a kid. Hell- I’d drive it now. But I did what Wizard says not to do. I eschewed the Toyota and bought a used Taurus SHO. 😅

Me and my wife were stationed in Germany and overpaid for a rav4 but found myself very relieved when I put another 50,000 miles on it with no problems. Well worth the money especially with the market. You did good!

I bought my certified pre-owned 2007 4-cyl Camry in 2010 and it's still an amazing car. I currently have 361,345 miles on it but I like others deal with the annoying oil issue. Other than that I have no other problems. Great purchase for your daughter!

My first car was a Toyota Camry, which I still drive to this day over eleven years later. Granted it's starting to show it's age cosmetically now, what with it being over twenty-seven years old. But it still runs and drives just like the day I got it and has never let me down!

Amazing condition for the miles. Nice solid, fairly modern car, in excellent condition that anyone should be okay with driving. Great car for a young woman starting college. Should see her through college, even grad school, if she looks after it. Congrats!

Car Wizard...As A Toyota Tech for the past 36 years the 2GR-FE is a Great engine however it has two flaws. 1- Make sure the VVTI oil supply line on the Bank 1 cylinder head has the updated oil supply line. Remove the plastic cover and make sure the line is completely metal and doesn't have the rubber hose connection in it, these hose like to rupture and can damage the engine when it pumps out all the engine oil because of the rubber connection failing. 2- which is more of a nuisance than a flaw until you have to repair the leak, but they like to leak oil from the rear cylinder head where the timing cover and cylinder head meet the block. This leak start out as a seep and get worse over time and judging on how the lower cradle looks on the right hand side of the car and the white staining on the cradle looks like that area has already been cleaned with brake clean.

Great car for your daughter. As others have mentioned, verify that the high pressure VVTI oil line has been replaced with the a metal one…the Achilles heel of the early 2GR-FE. An easy fix, but the rubber one WILL fail and result in catastrophic failure of the engine due to low oil pressure if not caught immediately when it does. Being silver, ensure she keeps the car washed and sealed, as that color is more prone to failure. She essentially has a Lexus at a Toyota price.

careful of that timebomb oil line behind the manifolds. It'll go and pump the oil out of the engine so fast that your pan will be dry before the warning light comes on.

I’ve got a 2002 Camry and it runs beautifully. No oil leaks, it’s done 250’000 km and I wouldn’t be surprised if it can do another 250’000. Great car.

This video was super helpful, thanks Wizard! A couple days ago I went out and purchased a 2009 Camry XLE in red that I’d been looking at because of this video. I’m very happy with my purchase and it was needed for a while since my Cateye loves gulping fuel. Thank you for assisting in feeling more confident in my purchase!

That's a clean looking Camry.

I got our family's 2gr-fe 2007 camry and I LOVE it; it may look like a blob but its so reliable and very peppy for a commuter. The only odd problem we ever had was the module going bad. All in all good car. I'm so glad you done a video on this particular year's model, was interested in what you would think of it. Happy thanksgiving to you and your family Mr.Wizard !!

I bought a 2011 Camry XLE V6 3 years ago. 55k miles later I've replaced the alternator and that's it. It's been an awesome car, and has never stranded me anywhere. I had a Ford and a Chevy before this car and I am now sold on Toyotas for life.

My 2005 Camry v6 has 296,000 and is still going strong!

I have an 09 Sienna with that engine I bought in 2018 for $3850 at auction with 198k. It needed spark plugs and brakes. It's now at 240k. It's the best vehicle I have ever purchased, it's paid for itself several times over. I recently did tires, alternator, water pump, battery, and put a refurb set of alloy rims to replace the steel rims on it since the hubcaps were beat. I've also had to replace the auto door cables. That 2GFE engine is powerful in the van, it must be a rocket in a lighter sedan. I love my used Toyotas (and lack of car payments!). 2006 Tundra SR5 (218k), 2010 Prius (305k), and 2001 RAV4 (240k). I call it my Toyota garden. They never have left me walking.

I’ve got an 02 Camry getting close to 300k miles. It’s super easy to work on and parts are cheap. Makes it hard to get rid of once you get past the cosmetic flaws. It’s got a check engine light for small evap leak that I haven’t pin pointed (already replaced gas cap with oem). Smog is due next November so we’ll probably keep “the ol’ girl” at least till then.

I sold my 07 Camry about a year ago. It had almost 300k miles. Original engine and trans. Sold it to a friend and they still have it and drive it every day with no issues. I won't be surprised if it goes another 100-200k with just regular maintenance

I bought a 09 Camry 4cil 4 years ago with 120000 miles. took it to a Toyota dealer for oil change and inspection. They did not find any problem with it. changed valve cover gasket and rear main seal couple of years ago. transmission is good Alhamdulillah. Driving daily in pothole kingdom of New York City.

I had one for 4 years post college and it was the best! Not a single issue, quiet, comfortable, easy to live with.

I've a 2011 4-banger XLE, 58,000 miles, dry as a bone underneath, zero rust. I do my own maintenance. Reliably 35mpg on 87 octane. Thanks Toyota!

i bought my first car in march 2019, its a white 1987 toyota camry with black steel rims, bought it for 250 bucks, almost rust free, witch is sick bc of how mutch salt we use on our roads in norway. it had 111k miles and i still own it today but after last year i stoped driving it in the winters and have it in winter storage, it now has 211k miles. never ever going to sell it, and hadd a 98 camry with 180k miles for a year and now i own a 2002 lexus is 200 1gfe beams engine with 183k miles

Our sons 2005 V6 XLE has 160,000 miles on it and runs like a dream. At 200,000 we'll change the timing belt and water pump. Oil looks like honey and is spot on at 5,000 miles. Very reliable cars if you take care of them. My sister-in-law just traded in a 99 Camry 4cyl with 352,000 miles on it. Picked up a beautiful 2011 Avalon with 90,000 miles on it. Toyota owners are loyal for a reason.

That engine is bulletproof if taken cared of. Great car!

Such great parents! And great videos. Please keep them coming 👍

*Scotty Kilmer!* YES! We paid $6,000 for our 2000 Toyota Tundra with 168,000 miles, Near mint condition. Rust treatment underneath. CLEAN machine! Even the ashtray has never been used.

We gifted my son our 2008 Toyota Corolla when he graduated high school, he drove it all through his college years and still drives it today with 210,000 miles on it and it still drives like new no issues and he keeps up on all the maintenance

I think the Wizard daughter totally scored here

The Car Wizards has the coolest walk on RU-vid! I'd love to see a continuous loop video of him just waddling around on his stubby little legs with Pantera's WALK as the background music.

i have an 07, the radiator blew itself apart and i overheated the engine so bad it was knockings like an old diesel ramp truck. parked overnight , came back the next day expecting to tow it and its been fine since. Toyotas are magic.

It was a very smart decision purchasing the v6 model of this gen Camry. As I'm sure most people know, the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine built between 06-09 burns oil like no tomorrow. It'll keep running seemingly forever as long as the owner keeps a close eye on the oil level and tops it up every thousand miles or so. If the oil isn't topped up, then it could nearly run dry by the 5k mile oil change interval comes around.

I have 2011 four cylinder and the around town milage is 19 or 20 if I am lucky. I find it amazing that these cars will turn 30-33 MPG on the highway if you keep it under 75. What a nice car and a great score. There is an AUX plug inside the garage door and another 12 volt outlet so she can run her tunes through the stereo. The factory system sounds great especially when you are sending digital signal to it.

4 cylinder would be neat but then you’d have to consider whether it had the piston rings fixed as the Camry 4 cylinder engine from ‘07-‘09 had defective piston rings leading to oil consumption issues

Congrats on 800k subs! We’re lucky to have you on RU-vid!

Thank you so very much dear Car Wizard for the DOT 3 brake fluid tip to de-fog headlights.

Happy Thanksgiving to Mr and Mrs Car Wizard and the family!

2GR-FE is very reliable motor, very few faults, so a nice buy! An abundance of performance with this engine and gas mileage not too shabby. Awesome car for a teenager! I am envious and happy for her!! 🙂

Zero regrets with our 2020 purchase 200k mile 2004 Lexus RX330, other than normal maintenance and and wear and tear items its been perfect, and the 18 year old rain sensing wipers, self leveling HID headlights, sunroof, power heated seats and power everything still works perfect. Once I got my 2016 4Runner which in 70k miles has needed nothing but fluids, brakes and tires I will ONLY own Toyota/Lexus stuff for daily drivers.

Bought my Camry 4 cylinder 2008 brand new. Oil consumption problem in 2015 with 107k . Toyota dealership did the piston replacement for free now I have 190k on it and it still doesn't burn a drop of oil it runs fabulous.

Have a 2004 Camry XLE myself. I'm going to be sad when it finally gives up the ghost. Camry's are awesome!

I have the exact same car and color with the V6 with 123k on it. It's the best car I have ever owned. Oil changes every 3k, tires, brakes and a new set of cv axles recently is all I've ever done to it. Definitely is bulletproof vehicle. Excellent purchase for your daughter Wizard. God bless to all!

Still driving my 2002 Camry bought new, 215k miles. Been nearly trouble free, 1 starter, 1 water pump, and 2 alternators.

I bought a 2014 camry just before covid, put 30000 miles on it doing uber. No surprises, just normal servicing front brakes and tyres. Could probably sell it for the same price I paid for it too :)

I have an exact Camry '07. XLE, V6 with Navigation. Bought it used with about 60,000 miles. The car drove like a new car when I bought it and now with about 181,000 miles it still drives like a new car. No noise, no rattles smooth sailing. I for one 100% agree with you. I don't need fancy gadgets in a car, I need reliability. I drive about 94 miles each day to work and can't afford to be stranded on the side of the highway. Thank you for your wonderful videos and generous sharing of your knowledge and experience. Best Regards

Great looking Camry. Nice buy. Especially good that it’s the V6. Daughter is gonna be winning some drag races.

Just got a 2007 from my best friend's grandfather with 13k on the clock back in April. At 20k now and I will baby it until I can't anymore. Great cars, they don't need much so it pays to spend the money to do the preventative at any and every opportunity. The Car Wizard knows his stuff...!

My neighbors a younger female doesn't know alot about vehicles but she came to me asking if I could help her out. This is the exact car I got for her except in a light blue. Super reliable she's been driving it for 3 years all she's had to do was the brakes oil and tires. I think they are actually pretty nice, especially compared to the old beige camry's these look pretty sporty. Great vehicle good call wizard

Just bought a 2008 Camry Hybrid with 172k on it for 5k with new tires and oil change with a fresh inspection! In upstate NY that's basically a unicorn car. 0 issues with it and love it so far!

Nice find. I assume it was garaged unless road salt corrosion is not much of an issue there. Your daughter is lucky to have you guys as her parents. That battery is getting up there. The tires as you pointed out can use changing, however 4 years old is not that old for tires. The weather checking/ozone cracking usually occurs at closer to 6-8 years, at least here in the NY Metro burbs.

Clean, smooth Camry! Wizard, you know how much we love our ES350, Tacoma and Sienna. All GR-FE V6's. Love these powertrain combinations!

1:50 That Cart looks like its from a school. The one that had the televisions on it to watch in the classroom...😆🤣

I ended up picking up a similar vehicle for my wife being a 06 Avalon from Florida. I fixed a slight leak at the power steering hose and replaced the brakes / battery. It currently has 89,000 on it and was from Florida. It's a very economical car that gets around with good ac and heat even a cassette player.

Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, you can't go wrong with a Camry. I had a 99 Camry years ago, it was dependable & got great milage, it had leather seats & a sunroof!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family!!! 🦃 Congratulations on hitting 800k subscribers!! 👍👍

thats a great car. My friend got one new and it was so good. he still has it, and its got close to 345K miles. still rides great. killer mileage on the interstate too.

You are absolutely 100% correct about Toyota, I’m 58 and learned that the hard way, now for the last 13 yrs that’s all I’ll buy, Toyota and Lexus, and couldn’t be happier.

That is a good car you bought for your daughter, thumbs up for a good Dad

Great 6k score Wizard! Congratulations! She'll have to find OTHER non-repair reasons to come home and visit now!

The reliable 2GR-FE is also found in the 07-12 Lexus ES350 and plenty of other Toyotas and Lexus-es. The timing chain should also last a while. Just found a very clean ES350 as an upgrade for my niece’s well used Camry

Love the car and hope your daughter does as well!!!! I've got the EXACT same car, year and model, except mine only had 67k when I bought it! I've driven it all the way across the country twice, and racked up around 30k miles in the two years I've owned it. Besides tires and oil changes, I've only ever had to replace a CV axle (cost less than $300 parts and labor). She's been a tank

My dad always had domestics when I was growing up, I’m an import guy and have always owned them. Finally a few years ago when I was 33 or so he bought a 2014 Camry SE and absolutely loves it. He’s never had any issues with it and he’s now a Toyota guy.

I have a Camry the same trim level the XLE. I have to say it's the best daily that I have own hands down. I have taken that car everywhere and does not break down not once especially in extreme desert heat driving towards Vegas which I did in 117 degree heat and has over 162k miles on it. I also have VW Beetle that I only drive on weekends but the Camry I put that car to work. I despite being boring looking I still love my Camry.

My youngest daughter is now driving our 2010 Camry se with 144,000. I don’t have to worry about anything we have owned this car for over 10 years with nothing more than oil changes, Tires and breaks. It still has the original battery! Love the 2.5 liter! This car has gone through me and her 2 siblings in harsh buffalo weather. Enjoy

We still have our 2007 Camry XLE. 6 Cylinder with only 90K miles on it. Everything works except the Seat Bottom Element on the Driver's side is out. The Back still works. I have been meaning to get it fixed. Just haven't taken the time. The JBL 6 disc changer still works great. The car is still fast too.

Both the 1MZ-FE & 2GR-FE engines are great. I have managed to get 31mpg on the 2GR in my 2018 Sienna. I used to have a '99 Camry V6 and loved that motor as well. What a great ride! Added note as the video progressed: I love my 2003 Buick Regal with the 3800. My only complaint with the car is that it is too small, but it is sooooooooooo comfortable. My friends call me grandpa... fine by me :) Next car is either a Park Avenue or an Avalon. I loved this video!

I wish your daughter many years of happy and safe travels, I'm sure that since you are a great mechanic, she will not be having any trouble

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Camry design first came out in 2007. Bought it in 2006. It was so rare back then, the dealership didn’t even have it in stock. Received so many compliments on this car back in 2007-08. Used to receive at least a couple compliments every single day before more camrys started showing up.

That '09 Camry looks immaculate! I'm jealous. It looks like it was restored from bumper to bumper.

I only got my old Kia Rio currently with 138K miles still runs smooth

Nice choice, Car Wizard. With regards to the Bluetooth, there's actually a cheap and quick mod you can do to the existing head unit. Take the latter out and plug in a Bluetooth/AUX extension. I have the exact same car in NZ (They're called 'Aurion' here) and did that to mine. Works well. Can give you more details of what I installed in mine. BTW, besides extra power the V6 also has the advantage of not having some oil consumption problems plaguing the 4 cylinders from that era

Congrats on the 800,000 subs. 😁

Really cool video, I've learned a lot, and I am looking forward to getting one as my daily driver. Thanks

Was looking for a Buick LeSabre when I came across a Camry for mini-me. Basically a carbon copy of what you have save for it has the I4. Could not be happier. Cost more but she loves it and looks good for having been through 13 Wisconsin winters.

And your daughter is lucky, that car is extremely clean and will make for a fantastic car that will last for years to come.

Great choice for a first car, reliability is must even when you have the Car Wizard as a dad. Good luck to your daughter.

I've had exactly the same model, even with this exact color, I really loved the 2GR in it, it was surprisingly good on the highway and had a fuel comsumption comparable to a 4 cylinder. Sadly, it had a shady service history and I had to get rid of it because of a very specific engine problem.

I own a 92 & 94 Camry. They are 2 of the most reliable cars I've ever owned..92 240k ..94 208 k. Both 2.2 4cyl auto. I can see the Wizard driving around in the motor home with the embalming machine..lol✌️..I've been using brake fluid for 10.years on foggy headlights...I've been laughed at and cursed at when I've said this to detailer and auto body shops..thanks Wizard for the affirmation!!😀✌️

Not sure but my grandparents Camry has an aux port under the climate controls behind that little door, great spot for an aux to Bluetooth adapter that will never be seen.

I really lucked out with my first car, a 1984 Pontiac Fiero SE with the 4 cylinder that was the same motor used in the postal service's Long Life Vehicles.

I bought my Town Car for a similar reason. Even though it’s harder on gas, it’s cheap to maintain, comfy, and I love the way it drives. Plus, it’s never left my stranded and I can always count on it.

Toyota means quality....I own 1998 Land Cruiser 3.4v6 and the only thing I had to look after within last 4 yrs was some rust on frame...and its converted to work on LPG which is very popular in Poland....now I think to get 1997 5door rav4 for my son....greetings from Poland

Kilmer also says certain years/engines use oil.

Literally the car I am looking for thanks for showing it off.

I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix with 203,327 miles....still runs perfect. 5k OCI with 5w30 full synthetic and oem filter. It's 41st oil change is coming up.

I payed $8500 for my 14 Camry SE with 102k on the odo recently, its been great!

I love these!!!! This generation Camry XLE with the V6 are sleepers 😎 I would have loved to have had this as my first car 💯💯💯

I had two of these, one pre facelift (as my first car) and one post face lift. I absolutely beat on my pre facelift and had ZERO issues. She loved living higher in the rev range. I can say it's a very safe car as well because I had a serious accident and survived. Ahh the immature young days

Can't go wrong with a Camry! I have the same one from 2007 XLE. It runs like a dream and it still looks amazing in silver