Great Commercials/Our Cars--"Connections"
The first time I saw this commercial, my first thought was, "Toyota's ad agency filmed an 'Our Cars' post."
You may recall that we at Car Lust once proclaimed the 1990-1994 Toyota Camry as the most boring car in the world--not because we thought it was a bad car, but because they're common as bugs, rock solid, and blessed with metronomic dependability. In consequence, Camry ownership is devoid of the sort of (usually) entertaining mechanical misadventures and (usually) endearing deficiencies that we often mistake for refer to here as "character."
That also means that there are literally millions of Camrys out there, and millions of people who, like those in the commercial, were driving a Camry at a memorable time in their lives. If the association is a positive one, that alone can make even the most boringly beige Camry into an object of Car Lust.
May it ever be so.
--Cookie the Dog's Owner
That Car Guy (Chuck) on May 31, 2012 at 07:51 AM
If that back window is so fogged that the kid can write on it, the driver should move the HVAC recirculate lever to "Open."
Anthony Cagle on May 31, 2012 at 08:25 AM
"there are literally millions of Camrys out there, and millions of people who, like those in the commercial, were driving a Camry at a memorable time in their lives"
And 20 years hence they'll all be thinking "Yeah, great times, great times. . . .but for the life of me I can't remember what car I had."
CJinSD on May 31, 2012 at 12:38 PM
I dated a girl that LOVED her Camry. It had followed a string of pre-GM Saab 900s and a pre-Chrysler Jeep XJ Wagoneer, so she wouldn't hear a bad word about it, or a good one about any of the garbage she'd had before. She was mad when my neighbor confused her 1st-gen silver Camry with my silver Audi 4000S quattro. Really mad. She just moved to France. I wonder what she'll think of their anti-Camrys that look like hemorrhoid surgery, are less reliable than weather forecasts, and are slower than the Saabs were.
Chris Mallow on May 31, 2012 at 01:39 PM
I've known lots of folks, and yet I can't think specifically of anyone I've ever known who I can recall as having owned a Camry. As a general-car-interested person, I usually can remember who drove what and when. So, is the Camry so boring that it is totally unmemorable, even if they're supposedly so common that I should know someone who owns (or has owned) one? You'd think I'd remember someone from somewhere.
Anthony Cagle on May 31, 2012 at 03:28 PM
I know one! Two actually. My elderly neighbor lady across the street has the prototypical beige Camry. I'm sure she thinks not a jot about it, except that it's there and works.
The other is my uncle who had a string of American cars all his life -- including one of those land-barge LTDs from the early '70s whose interiors were so large they required one to shout just so the person on the other end of the bench seat could hear you -- and finally got disgusted and got a Camry. I think his was red though.
Otherwise, I did see one a couple months ago that was actually kind of tricked out -- tuned, as it were -- and it actually looked, errrmmm, kinda sharp.
Big Chris on May 31, 2012 at 08:22 PM
My MIL drives a beige Camry. My dad has a "gold" Civic. Yeah dad, it doesn't matter what they label it, that's boring beige.
kenny on June 01, 2012 at 10:45 AM
My friend had a strange attraction to Mercury Sables in the mid to late 90's. He had 2 in just 5 years, both requiring more than one transmission rebuild.
He finally "had it" and bought a new Camry for nearly 30k, loaded with leather and every option, in 2004. I thought he paid a bit too much, but aside from brake jobs it has been trouble free and approaching over 100k. It is black on grey leather, not a bad looking ride.
I must say. I think they are as dull as bricks. Floaty on the freeway. I need something that communicates a little more. But after his Taurus clones drove him up the wall, I can't blame him for going boring (I mean what he had was even more boring, at least this was a much better built and reliable car).
Gene on June 04, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Still driving my '02 Camry LE, 108K miles. Still waiting for the first malfunction. 'Nuff said.
BMac on June 07, 2012 at 06:49 PM
Still driving the wife's '02 Camry LE, 128K miles. First malfunction occurred just today -- had to replace the gas cap. Gene, get ready for that shocking expenditure in about 20K miles.
They may be boring, but my wife has had four Camrys and won't own anything else. In all those years I've never once worried about her car breaking down somewhere. We took two 700-mile trips in the 02 just in the last few weeks, without a second thought. 'Nuff said for sure.