Head to head: 2003 Nissan Teana vs Toyota Camry
What you need to know:
Verdict
The Camry has four star points for better engine economy, good styling and comfort, good safety standards and a more reliable maintenance parts supply, hence a better resale value. Teana has three star points for better engine power, good handling on the road, good styling, comfort and safety standards.
Nissan Teana and Toyota Camry are luxury mid size sedans which are an ideal choice of transport for the young corporate executive or business person as official or private transportation.
Nissan and Toyota developed these two models to cover the market segment between the smaller saloon vehicles such as the Nissan Altima or Toyota Corolla and the bigger ones such as Nissan Skyline or Toyota Mark II. They are not so big, comfortable and run on efficient engines. In this edition of Head to head we compare the 2003 first generation Nissan Teana QR25DE 2.5 litre V6 against the seventh generation Toyota Camry with the 2AZFE 2,4 litre Line 4 engine.
Performance
Nissan Teana’s 2.5-litre V6 engine does not hesitate when the need to summon extra speed arises. Power delivery is silky smooth, and there is actually a pleasant rumble in the engine note when you floor the accelerator pedal. Its 2.5L engine’s strong mid-range torque ensures strong acceleration on-demand.
However, this performance is slightly not sporty as you do not get the sensation of the transmission kicking down and watching the revs pull across the tachograph when you floor it.
Toyota Camry’s 2AZFE engine is slightly less aggressive but has almost the same engine power as the Teana. This is achieved with a smaller engine at lower revolutions. Thanks to the Camry’s multi point electronic fuel injection, Variable Valve Timing (VVTi) and Double overhead camshafts (DOHC) it has a better balance between performance and good fuel economy.
Handling
Nissan Teana and Toyota Camry are independently sprung all-round, featuring the usual MacPherson front and multi-link rear layout found in front-wheel drive cars. Both cars provide good highway handling manners. On Ugandan highways, which have winding bends and sudden bump stops in trading centres, the Teana and Camry have good response and maintain firm but comfortable road holding.
Steering response of both cars is good and there is no sway typical in smaller cars with a narrower wheel base when driving through sharp bends.
Styling, comfort and safety
The Nissan Teana is more photogenic because it has a clean cut no-frills look with a big, prominent chrome grille up front and sizeable headlamps. Teana’s side angle is the best as it looks grand and almost American.
The Camry, although not the most exciting, looks solid. The lines and flow-through textures work very well, and arguably this is a shape that will retain its appeal best as time goes by. The interior design of the Teana and the Camry is classy and elegant.
All the modern comfort features for entertainment and convenience such as CD audio, automatic air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors with soft touch are provided. Modern safety features such as the four channel Anti lock brakes (ABS), air bags for the driver and passenger are standard features.
Reliability and resale value
The Teana and Camry are reliable cars if bought in a good condition. You can ensure that you get a good buy from the bond by insisting on a technical inspection report by an independent technician. It is important to consider the mileage of the car as it will determine how soon you have to replace a lot of expensive parts. Overall, the Teana and Camry have good availability of fast moving service parts such as engine service filters.
However, the Camry has a better availability of suspension and body parts, especially with the sellers of used car parts in downtown Kisekka Market. The Camry, therefore, has a better resale value.
