Dads 1992 camry station wagon inline 4 engine has 520,000 ish km on it and still going...
holy cr@p, that's 27k miles each year, 2280 every month, and 76 miles every day...for the last 19 years!
I take it he has a long commute...
520,000 km 323,000 miles.
Insight #2 has 446,000 miles now, or an average of 44.6k/year 122 miles a day for the last 10 years..
Toyota makes good transmissions. Honda, not so much. I've been saying for years that Honda needs to fire their entire transmission team and hire some engineers from Toyota or GM. Some of the problems modern Hondas have with their transmissions are just completely unacceptable, both automatics and manuals.
Unfortunately even the spectacularly robust Insight isn't even immune to Honda's transmission woes. It's not acceptable to have a manual transmission die or wear out before 200,000 miles. The transmission in Insight #1 ate it's input shaft bearing at almost exactly 100k miles; the transmission in #2 had worn synchros at 190k and the transmssion in #3 is worn at 226k miles. Fortunately, I like double clutching.
The gen3 and gen4 camrys are toyota's best car. This is a gen4 ('97-01'.) They are rock solid and could easily go another 200k if maintained properly. Transmissions are excellent and motors are built to last (not so much for power, lol.) If you have issues, they will probably be from typical oil leaks, ie aging oil pan or oil pump gaskets, or issues will be from sensors and respective CEL's. You would want to change ALL the fluids at this point (except windshield washer), but they are not difficult to work on. You would also want to check the timing belt if you don't know when it was replaced.
If you bought it and did work on it yourself, hit up toyotanation.com for a ton of DIY's and excellent advice and assistance. You're on a budget, but you still should get any car you buy up to speed with it's maintenance schedule/needs.
I would probably be all over this at $4k.
If I remember correctly, Toyota transmissions are not made by Toyota by by Aisin Seiko (U25E in the Camry). Aisin provides over 35 auto manufacturers with transmissions so calling them rock solid simply because they are in a Toyota doesn't mean anything.
now that's a real holy cr@p! That's a helluvalotta time behind the wheel each day. I'm stunned your insight has given you so many miles...must be a great car, and a great owner taking care of it. Way to go. :thumbsup:
holy cr@p, that's 27k miles each year, 2280 every month, and 76 miles every day...for the last 19 years!
I take it he has a long commute...
Ah, well unfortunately(or fortunately?) I can't take credit for all those miles.
We bought her at 440k.
They're great cars though, and I fully expect to snap a picture at 999,999 miles and post it in ATG. :awe:
He didn't even buy it new, he bought it used with like 250,000 km on it...
He drives a lot, during season he commutes to the boat on weekends, that in itself is a 500 km round trip.
He said if they still made Camry wagon's he would buy a new one again, even if it was a 1992 production model lol...
The engine is bullet proof and the car is ridiculously easy to maintain, even if you want to do the work yourself.
OP:
I wouldn't buy that car, they are asking way too much. Hunt around online and you can find a better car/deal.
I don't know what's more insane...to get that many miles out of it in 10 years, or to buy a hybrid car that's 10 years old and already has 440k miles on it. I'm instantly impressed with that car tho.
I dont get it, how come they still don't make the insight? Or new hybrids that get similar mileage?
I'd worry less about what you recall and more about wtf your point is. The transmissions in these camrys are excellent imo.
The point is that Toyota doesn't always make their stuff and hence they do not automatically become magical cars which 'last forever'.