Noisey Camry?

The Camry is one of the quietest cars in its class. Road noise should be next to non-existant on smooth surfaces and still quite muted on coarse surfaces. You've already replaced all four tires, so I think we can rule those out. Perhaps you have a faulty wheel bearing?

Thanks SD.

I'll suggest that he have it checked. I haven't been in the car to hear the sound levels myself.

Since a Mercury Marquis is like driving your sofa down the road he should have gotten a larger car to be happy. Did he not test drive the Camry before buying it?

In news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m07.aol.com, ROBMURR being of bellicose mind posted:

Another aspect is the Marquis/Crown Vic has a frame with large rubber isolators between it and the body AND the suspension has rubber isolators at all suspension attaching points to the frame. Camry is a unitized body with rubber isolators only at the suspension attachement points.

Considering that my father is 94 --- yes 94! -- I did recommend that he consider buying another Marquis-Crown Vic, regardless of the incredible reliability of the Camry.

After he test drove the Camry, however, he was so amazed by the power of the

4 cylinder compared to his old V-8 (as well as the reliability) that he decided on the Camry. He says he didn't notice the noise during the test drive, but he had too many things to think about. I actually was shocked that he even tried the Camry.

It's not that he's unhappy with the car. He just doesn't like what he perceives as the unacceptable intrusion of road noise and the lack of his cushy sofa seat. He also misses that floating feeling he got from the Marquis suspension.

He has pretty bad hearing, so I'm wondering if there is something in the pitch of the road noise that gets through the sound of the radio. But my older sister - who is in her 60s - tried out his car and also said it's too noisy. What does she drive?

A Mercury Marquis :o)

I would hate to be driving a Marquis. I'd have to invest in a fedora.

Did Popsy get a new hearing aid at the time of the car perhaps? Have you personally driven the car? I cannot conceive of a Camry running louder than a Marquis myself although there could be a malfunction. Maybe the tranny is not shifting out of one of the lower gears. Best have the old boy take it back to the dealership and have it checked. May help if you or your sister accompanied him.

He will not get the cushy 'float" of a RWD North American auto for sure but the quiet drive and handling is what sold me on the Camry

Most Marquis owners have three pension checks coming in and wear white belts and white shoes year round. It's known as "the double Cleveland".

I would be very interested to know what the problem was should there be a glitch in the unit.

Congrats to Dad on having the chutzpah to be driving at 94.

The Artful Codger

Anth> Considering that my father is 94 --- yes 94! -- I did recommend that

Ok, let examine the facts....

1.Considering that my father is 94 --- yes 94! --

Pretty old to be driving anyway! I had an 84 year old half blind and half deaf man run into my Camry this summer.

1. After he test drove the Camry, however, he was so amazed by the power of the 4 cylinder compared to his old V-8 So he likes driving fast huh? Hope he has good reaction time! Too bad he did not drive the V6.

1. but he had too many things to think about.

Sounds like he may get distracted a bit too easy...

1. He just doesn't like what he perceives as the unacceptable intrusion of road noise and the lack of his cushy sofa seat. He also misses that floating feeling he got from the Marquis suspension.

Cushy seat and floating feeling...yup that would be a big detroit body on frame 6,000 lb dreadnought for sure..Maybe with some worn out shocks?

1. He has pretty bad hearing

How is he hearing all this road noise? Maybe he feels it instead..

I Still dont understand why he wanted a Camry... A Caddy I could understand...Maybe he will not like it enough to give it to you...

Yeah, his reaction time and driving generally is amazingly good, especially at his age. He is a very young 94, might even be young for 70! He needs the power because he lives in the Berkshires in Mass. Lots of steep hills. I think he might have been happier sticking with the boat- though he really does like the Camry.

That is great that he can still do what he wants at that age. I have an uncle and aunt that still snow ski past 70...

Yes,it's amazing. At 94, my father's about as sharp as he ever was - slow moving though, except in his Camry. I can't see any good reason to suggest that he put down the keys.

Thx

God blessed him with good health. But please.... just because he can recall ancient history well and carry on a decent conversation ... does not mean that his -mental agility- and motor skills are sufficient. It is a tremendous trauma to an elderly man to have family take the keys from him. Old men never ... EVER ... relinquish cars keys willingly. They -refuse- to see the tragedy they can inflict on other people with their diminished driving skills. Taking the keys is percieved as the ultimate insult for having lived so long.

My father passed away this last July at age 96. He was driving up to age 91 when my wife and I took him into our home because .... he had just gotten to the point of needing "supervision" every few days. That's when it became clear how badly his driving skills had become. But sit there and talk to him.... you wouldn't guess. Pretty sharp. The mental processes ("streaming audio/visual/tactile input" as the doctor put it) becomes too much especially when "out-of-the-norm") judgement calls must be made (ie, run the yellow light or stop). I had to resort to some deceptive means to get him to give up the keys. Took about 6 months. Believe me, the whole neighborhood heaved a sigh of relief too.

Based on what you all said here, he has made an appointment with the Toyota dealer that sold him the car. I will post back when and if we know more.

Thanks for that Philip. Sorry to hear about your father. He had a long life.

You are exactly right about the keys thing. It is very hard to talk to my father about driving. Whenever my sisters and I bring it up, he says we're making him lose confidence in himself and that that alone will make him dangerous on the road. The best we can do is monitor him and force the issue if things begin to look bad. There is also the danger that we might over-react to minor incidents as well.

I think my father drives a bit too fast and gets a bit too close to the car in front. But I think most others do this too. He's had a couple of incidents, though no accidents or anything. Years ago, in his Marquis, the driver's mat somehow got caught in the gas pedal, and he sat there in a shopping center parking lot with his feet on the brake to prevent the car from taking off and killing people. He did not have the presence of mind to immediately shut off the ignition or take it out of drive, though eventually he did. This kind of panic response is something that younger people might have as well. Still, the image of an old man wearing a fedora driving a Marquis or Crown Vic wildly through a shopping center is exactly the kind of thing you fear. This is a very difficult issue, especially when a child doesn't see any pattern of problems. Incidentally, he criticizes me for driving my Explorer too slowly (I never go more than 5 mph over the speed limit and never over 65 period) and for letting too many drivers pass me :o) So I guess I'm the one who, at 49, should go out and get a fedora and a Marquis.

Anthony: From what you outlined in the second paragraph, you know and your sisters know that dad has overstayed his welcome on the public streets. The mysterious dings in his car's sheetmetal are like a score card. I'd be willing to bet dad can't recall how they got there or blames them on "the other driver" and then likely gets "defensive" (read that word to mean -manipulative-) by guilt tripping you about shortening his life by taking away his independence. Believe me I know how this goes! OH God do I know! Truth be known, the one thing that tempers your efforts (and dad knows this!) is that you or one of your sisters will have to ferry him around to the store, doctor appointments, and for an occasional meal out with other folks. And he likely does NOT want to be a burden. Fortunately (for a while), my dad mastered the local bus schedule for a couple of years. But when he pulled off a couple of those overnight Las Vegas turn arounds on a bus (the last one was at age 93), the wife and I decided to put motion sensor lights in the house and tracking him closely. Like having a runaway child that you can't handcuff to the bed! Oh... forgot to mention, the final Vegas dash he did, he missed the return bus. I got a phone call from the Las Vegas police to come and get him. That's 288 miles away.

Thanks Philip

Sorry, I forgot to check this for replies.

I really don't get the sense he's that bad. He doesn't have any dings. He drives into a very tight carport everyday. I can barely make it with my Explorer without scraping the mirrors, and he does it every time. I will watch him closely though.