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Like the Ford Fusion,
the Toyota Camry is offered in both a V6 and a 4-cylinder version, with an
obscene amount of cash separating their prices (around $2,500 in this case).
And as in the Fusion, the V6 is a superior engine, but the 4-cylinder good
enough to keep the V6 option from being worth the extra money. The Camry has a
roomy and comfortable interior, a very comfortable and quiet ride, and decent
power, though the V6 returns mediocre gas mileage and the car doesn’t handle
very well.
The Camry has a very
smooth, absorbent, and very comfortable ride, still the family-sedan benchmark
in that area. But unlike an increasing number of competitors, this ride
comfort has to come at the expense of handling. The Camry suffers from
excessive body roll in fast cornering, and while it never feels dangerous,
everything about the car seems to discourage the repetition of such behavior.
The steering is accurate, but all feeling has been stripped from it. In
general, the car seems to have been designed to ensure that its drivers do not
have any reason to drive it unsafely, which not all family sedan buyers will
consider a negative. The 3.0-liter V6 is reasonably powerful, but hides its
capabilities in near-silence. Wind and road noise are well-suppressed as well.
Fuel economy is unimpressive.
Inside, the Camry’s high
front seats are well-shaped, but a bit flat. The seat cushion could be longer
as well. The rear is very roomy, and also has a high, well-shaped cushion. The
interior is rather bland, but uses high-quality plastics that fit together
very well. The gauges are large and clear, and the instruments are well-sized
and well-placed. High seats, large footwells, wide door openings, and a high,
well-shaped roofline lead to easy entry/exit to both the front and rear seats.
Drivers have very good visibility, but the lack of a telescoping steering
wheel compromises comfort for some drivers. The trunk is large and
well-shaped.
The Camry has done
reasonably well in crash testing. It earned five stars for both the driver and
for the front passenger in the NHTSA frontal crash test, but a mediocre four
stars for the driver and three stars for the rear passenger in the NHTSA side
crash test, tested without the optional side airbags. The car earned a Best
Pick rating in its IIHS offset crash test, and was Good in the side crash test
with the optional side airbags (Poor without them). The IIHS rated its head
restraints Marginal.
The V6 Camry reviewed
here at $20,674, not well-equipped. The only option included at that price was
an auto-dimming mirror, the car otherwise made do with standard equipment,
including antilock brakes and a power driver’s seat, but not much else of
note. Fault the V6’s $2,500 cost for this.
Overall, the Camry is an
excellent family car. It doesn’t handle well, but this deficiency is not
really a hindrance in routine gentle driving. The V6 option is not recommended
despite its excellence, for the standard 4-cylinder comes very close to its
refinement for $2,500 less.
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