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2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - MattsterP
Hello,

I am looking to buy a Toyota Camry. There are two 2013 Toyota Camrys I am looking at.

One is the 2.0L VVTI Petrol Automatic 4 Speed Transmission and the other is the 2.5 Dual VVTI Petrol Automatic Six Speed (I think) Transmission. Both are same spec Camrys.

Driving in the UK with quite expensive Petrol prices I obviously want to have the best MPG. My question is will there be a big noticeable difference in real MPG?

I drive mostly Motorways driving.

Also are there others advantages and disadvantages between the two.

I will be buying one, I just want to make the correct choice.

Thank you,

Matt.
2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Metropolis.
I would pick the 4 speed out of personal preference and it is most likely bombproof (I am not a fan of staccato transmissions) but you might need to check on reviews websites located in countries where this car was sold, possibly Australia, Thailand or Malaysia, or HK, for example, to see what they said on the mpg in their reviews although they tend to use litres per kilometres as a measurement…
2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Andrew-T
Driving in the UK with quite expensive Petrol prices I obviously want to have the best MPG. My question is will there be a big noticeable difference in real MPG?

My guess is not a great deal, and that for 'best MPG' maybe read 'less poor' :-)

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - badbusdriver

Driving in the UK with quite expensive Petrol prices I obviously want to have the best MPG.

Obviously?, I'd have thought if good mpg is important, you wouldn't be looking at either.

Also are there others advantages and disadvantages between the two.
I will be buying one, I just want to make the correct choice.

Not sure what you think a UK forum can tell you about two cars never sold here?. Surely a forum in a country where they were sold would be the best place. Presumably you don't speak Japanese(!), but as they were probably sold in Australia, that would be a good place to start.

But my guess would be that there won't be much difference in overall mpg. The smaller engine, in theory, would be more efficient, but that will be blunted by having a 4 speed auto. So assuming you are correct re the 2.5 having a 6 speed auto, that would probably even things out or even swing it in favour of the 2.5 overall (especially on the motorway). Be in no doubt though, neither is going to be very efficient.

I'd also expect the 2.5 to just be a nicer thing to drive overall. Partly though the extra power, but also having the extra 2 gears. I'd guess the 2.0 (presumably n/a?) with a 4 speed auto to be a bit strained at motorway speeds.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Xileno

Worth thinking about rustproofing as well so it stands a better chance of surviving salty UK roads.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - SLO76
I get the appeal, but if economy and general running costs are really much of an issue just get a Toyota Avensis instead. The 1.8 petrol with CVT box are robust (if looked after) and it’ll be better on fuel, cheaper and easier to insure and cheaper and again easier to source parts for. The Camry you’re looking at wasn’t sold over here and imports are rare so there’s no real aftermarket parts market in the UK for them. They’re tough things but if you need anything beyond service items you might see it off the road for weeks waiting on pricey parts coming from abroad. The Avensis would be easier to sell on again too.

A Mazda 6 petrol auto would make another worthy option. They’re nicer to drive than the Avensis or likely the Camry too - I haven’t driven a recent example, but most Toyota’s are a bit dull.

Another good big Jap auto is the Honda Accord, if you can find one. Most people hang on to them until the backside rusts out of them, they’re genuinely great cars. No mechanical worries if you get one that’s been looked after and you continue doing so.

If you do buy a nice example of any of these cars and you want to keep it long term then it’s worth spending a few hundred quid having it rust treated underneath, especially the import as it won’t have the same level of protection European Toyota’s have.

Edited by SLO76 on 21/02/2024 at 22:15

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Adampr

I've got to agree. If you want a big and not very exciting Toyota just buy an Avensis.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - madf

I drove a 3 litre Camry in the mid/late 1990s. If you averaged 22mpg you were doing well.

Around town will be less. Cold , hills, towns 15mpg.

If you have to worry about fuel costs, avoid..,

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - badbusdriver

I drove a 3 litre Camry in the mid/late 1990s. If you averaged 22mpg you were doing well.

Around town will be less. Cold , hills, towns 15mpg.

If you have to worry about fuel costs, avoid..,

Sooooooooo comfy though ;-)

Garage i worked at in Wigan in the mid 90's took in two identical Camry 3.0 estates, 7 seaters in metallic blue (two rear wipers!). Guess they might have been the previous gen though?

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - skidpan

OP. Why not buy a similar car from a mainstream European manufacturer?

It will be 9in no particular order):

  • Easier to insure
  • Easier (and cheaper) to get parts for
  • Likely to be more economical
  • Easier to sell on later
  • Need no extra rust proofing

I could go on.

Here is an example:

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202402186702203?s...a

We had pretty much the identical car a few years ago. Masses of space, never let us down, averaged 46 mpg (calculated) over 3 years 8 months. Only a 1.4 but a turbo with 150 PS was enough performance in the real world with excellent refinement.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - badbusdriver

Think I may have found the OP's two Camry's on Autotrader (both 2013, same seller), £9390 and £10390 respectively.

202401025185597

202312124749628

If the 2.5 is the one above, it is actually a hybrid and uses an e-CVT transmission.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Adampr

Think I may have found the OP's two Camry's on Autotrader (both 2013, same seller), £9390 and £10390 respectively.

202401025185597

202312124749628

If the 2.5 is the one above, it is actually a hybrid and uses an e-CVT transmission.

In that case, I'd have the 2.5 all day long (it also has a much nicer interior) , but would most likely just buy a Lexus GS

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Metropolis.
The Avensis and Camry are not really comparable, it is like suggesting a 3 series to a 5 series buyer. The Camry is in another league. Proper half-million mile car.
2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - badbusdriver
The Avensis and Camry are not really comparable, it is like suggesting a 3 series to a 5 series buyer. The Camry is in another league. Proper half-million mile car.

Not really about Camry vs Avensis, its about an imported car vs a UK car.

The Avensis just happens to be another Toyota saloon. It isn't that much smaller anyway, and the Mazda 6 also suggested is actually bigger other in overall length and wheelbase.

For similar money to what is being asked for the 2 Camry's in the ads I linked, you could also get into a hybrid Lexus IS using the same running gear as the hybrid Camry. Only the Lexus could be as much as 4 years younger (with up to circa 80k miles).

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - Metropolis.
I take your point but I would add the Camry is actually equivalent to the ES.
2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - gordonbennet

I get why the OP wants a JDM (and some US) Camry, they're just different to what's available here, to me a lovely looking classic design, possibly only bettered in looks alone by the 2008 era Lexus 460LS, long before they grafted the ugliest grills that could be found in the skip to the front of subsequent Lexus models.

I've often hankered after JDM Toyotas and Subarus myself, that model Camry being one i've always found attractive, several reasons for not doing so, mainly parts issues especially bodyparts but also you're then in the hands of specialist insurersthe costs of which might be offest to some extent if you have a high VED band model which would otherwise land you with £600+ VED if it were a normal UK car, though anything could happen there as govts realising too late that they've bankrupted the country seek to raise taxes.

2013 Toyota Camry - Japanese Import 2013 Toyota Camry - badbusdriver

I take your point but I would add the Camry is actually equivalent to the ES.

Yes, but the ES only appeared in the UK 2019, so without a bigger budget and/or high miles, that would also mean an import. There is the option of a GS, but a hybrid one of them (within a similar budget to those two imports) would be a different kettle of fish with about 345bhp!.