Battle Wagon: 1987 Toyota Cressida

Cressida was a common character in Renaissance era stories about the Trojan war -- specifically she was the daughter of a Greek seer who falls in love with Trollius (a Trojan prince) and is later in love with the Greek soldier Diomedes...but the various stories have one common theme -- that  Cressida is the paradigm of a faithless lover.  Even Shakespeare (oh...right, the guy who actually wrote his plays, the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere) wrote about Cressida being a tease and unfaithful...so it is interesting that Toyota named their up-model version of the Camry for this Greek temptress.  I wonder if this Cressida would leave you the minute the road gets rough? Find this 1987 Toyota Cressida offered for $4,000 in Tacoma, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

38k Miles, Fridge White: 1990 Toyota Camry LE

The second generation (V20) Toyota Camry was built from 1986 through 1992 is massive quantities and used as a basic transportation device for millions of people.  It wasn't an exciting car by any stretch of the imagination, but it did turn many domestic car purchasers into future Toyota buyers with its quiet commitment to reliability and non-fussiness.  Most have hundreds of thousands of miles or have been recycled into tuna cans, but this next example has a shockingly low 38k miles on the odo and looks amazing for its age. Find this 1990 Toyota Camry LE offered for $6,500 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist.

GRANDMA'S CAR, FOR REAL: 1993 TOYOTA CAMRY

The recipe for a the ultimate good times with a craigslist advertisement goes a little something like this: First, find a inexpensive car in extraordinary condition. Then, make unsubstantiated (and unverifiable) claims like owned by a former duke of Albania or used in the independent film " Marco Polo's day off". Finally, write your test in ALLCAPS.  That, my friend, is how you do it.  Like this 1993 TOYOTA CAMRY, 94,250 MILES, GRANDMA'S CAR (FOR REAL) - $3200 (TRUMBULL, CT.) via craigslist.

Crazy Camry: 2007 Toyota Aurion TRD 3500SL

By Michael B.-- Toyota Australia seems to be the crazy escape pod from the conservative Japanese mothership. The Toyota Aurion was based on the Camry – all it had was a redone interior and new front and rear fascias – and replaced the Avalon in Australia. The TRD version added a supercharger to the already potent 3.5L V6, so it produced 323hp and sent that power to only the front wheels, making this the most powerful production FWD car ever. Find this 2007 Toyota Aurion TRD 3500SL offered for $15k AUD ($11,437 USD at writing) in NSW, Australia, via gumtree.com.au.

Bland Loyalty: 2000 Lexus ES300

The third generation Lexus ES300 was yet another notch on the bedpost in Toyota's march toward global domination.  With a base price of $30k in 1997 the ES was positioned above the most expensive $27k Toyota Avalon, which also used the same Camry chassis.  You might wonder why Toyota would sell two cars with such similar size/cost/MSRP -- but the product planners at corporate figured that they could sell the ES300 to people who wanted the Lexus snob badge but didn't have money and the Avalon to people who had money but didn't want the Lexus snob badge -- and it worked with both cars selling well.  Find this 2000 Lexus ES300 here on eBay bidding for $2,325 with one day to go, located in Ft Lauderdale, FL.

Auction Watch: 1984 Toyota Camry

What do you make of this 1984 Toyota Camry here on eBay bidding for $3,200 with a few hours to go, located in Sioux Falls, SD.

Unbeigable: 2007 Toyota Camry CE

Making yesterday's list of unlikely manuals is the sixth generation (XV40) Toyota Camry, a car that can be best described as a reliable and cheap 2000s version of a 1990s Buick.  It is not a remotely sporty car to drive in any circumstances, styling is bland, but it should get you to your destination every day with minimal fuss and a little bit of fuel 'n' oil.  Find this 2007 Toyota Camry CE here on eBay offered for $7,991 from a dealer in Houston, TX.

They Made That? 1984 Toyota Camry Liftback

In the "completely boring when it was new but somehow cool and interesting now" category, please direct your attention to the specimen below. It is slow, pedestrian, and cheap - but if you need a commuter car and want something quirky yet still useful and reliable, compare this to anything else in the sub-$3k price range and it starts to look pretty decent. Regardless of cool factor, it seems to be an amazing survivor. Find this 1984 Toyota Camry Liftback for sale in Burbank, CA for only $2500 via craigslist.

10k: 50 Shades of Beige: 1991 Toyota Camry Wagon V20

Just the thought of a white slushbox equipped Toyota Camry will cause many seasoned gearheads to instinctively flinch, but what if the Camry was almost 25 years old and a long-roof version?  Can the wagon gods bring some excitement to the life of drudgery associated with the ultimate driven machine?  Find this 1991 Toyota Camry Wagon V20 offered for $8,950 buy-it-now or make offer on eBay, located in Feasterville-Trevose, PA with 11 days to go.

3k: Battle Of The Bore: 1988 Camry vs 1983 Accord

How do you make the world's most boring dull-machines a bit more exciting?  Carbon fiber wings, fart can exhaust and neon underglow?  Nope, not even close.  Try leaving them 100% stock, but make sure they are low optioned, manual transmission as original as possible...then, and only then will the buyers come running.  It just so happens that two discount specials from appliance city just fell into our tips inbox...time for a comparison! If you had 3 large burning a hole in your pocket, would you pick the 1988 Camry or the 1983 Accord?

5k: Almost A Classic: 1990 Toyota Camry All-Trac 4WD Wagon

This may upset some Subaru fanatics, but the Toyota Camry All-Trac wagon is probably better in most respects than an early '90s Legacy wagon.  It offers similar usability (cargo space, light snow capability, passenger hauling, etc) to the Legacy, but in a slightly more reliable package.  Today's example is just about as nice as they come and offered for a decent price.  Find this 1990 Toyota Camry All-Trac 4WD wagon offered for $5,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

5k: Cheap Roller Skate: 1991 Toyota Camry

 Words and tip by Kaibeezy.  My mom bought a Maytag washer in the 60's that lasted for 40 years. When the repairman could no longer get parts, she had to get a new one. Which lasted 5 years, as did its replacement. Cheap profit engineered crap. I'd guess this Camry, or better yet a Mercedes or BMW of the same vintage, would last longer than a new one bought today, driven the same. And that's not even mentioning all the electronic crap guaranteed to fail. Now get off my lawn and buy this 1991 Toyota Camry 5spd for $3,900 in Milpitas, CA via craigslist.

5k: Turbo Diesel F010: 1986 Toyota Camry-amino

It has been a good week for custom El Camino lovers, first the Porsche 92-Ute featured this morning and now this Toyota Camry diesel came to us from a tip from Charles D.  The V10 generation Toyota Camry was available with a diesel engine, but it was never available as a pickup truck.  However, if you are in the market for a cheap used light duty diesel pickup...it doesn't get much cooler than this.  Find this 1986 Toyota Camry-amino diesel for sale in Galax, VA for $3,600 via craigslist.