Every once in a while, a car auction site will come along that will truly surprise you with both the car and the result. The latest case? A 2002 Toyota Camry XLE sold on Bring a Trailer for $22,000. If you do the math, that’s $50 less than the MSRP of a new Corolla. Guess what?
The XV30 Camry isn’t the most important Camry ever made, but it’s still a solid car. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great continuation of a great lineage, but it’s not a quirky model like the 1992 Camry. But there’s something special about a well-preserved version of a regular car that most people wouldn’t think to save, and that’s certainly the case here.
Though the car has only 17,000 miles on it, I have a feeling it’s hard to find a better-looking 2002 Camry XLE outside of Toyota. The paint hasn’t weathered from the elements, the seats haven’t worn down to any wear or tear, the alloy wheels still shine, and the plastic-lens headlights have not developed automotive cataracts. One look at it and I can vividly imagine what it was like circa 2002 to be a high-income Consumer Reports subscriber with 1.6 kids, with all the appliances in my Cape Cod home industrial grade, all the clothes in my solid-wood heirloom wardrobe built to last, and a well-equipped Camry in the garage.
Not only does this Camry say that everything works, but with regular maintenance, everything in this car will basically keep working forever. The 3.0-liter non-VVT-i 1MZ-FE V6 will keep working forever, as long as you change the oil and timing belt at recommended intervals. The 4-speed automatic will keep working just fine, as long as you change the transmission oil every few years. If you live in a sunny climate and want a car that you can buy and own for the rest of your life, this is a worthy contender.
But $22,000 for a 2002 Toyota Camry XLE is a lot in 2024, and the car’s location and price may make it a bit of a challenge for those looking for a reliable daily driver or collector’s item. Meanwhile, the new Corolla’s MSRP is only $50 more, but adding freight makes the price difference $1,145. Currently, the V6-equipped Camry has a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg, while the Corolla has a combined fuel economy of 35 mpg. If you drive an average of 13,000 miles per year, the difference will disappear within two years.
At the same time, this Camry is a car prone to rust, and while the underside is not completely oxidized, there is light corrosion on the chassis legs and more noticeable corrosion on the subframe, and it will cost some money to perfect it. For collectors, this corrosion may limit the number of people who want to buy this car in the future.
That said, if there’s one person selling it, it sells, but if there are two or three, there’s a bidding war. In fact, someone paid $22,000 for this 2003 Toyota Camry XLE and seems ecstatic. Auction winner Falcon7711 wrote in the comments section, “If you’ve never owned a Camry from this era, you won’t understand. This is my fourth. I’ve given the others to my kids. I’m keeping this one.”
It’s a family affair. Why spend $22,000 on a luxury vehicle when your kids drive three other Camry sedans? Car enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, and some are fans of America’s most popular vehicle.
(Photo courtesy of Bring a Trailer)
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