Popular sedan sticks with Toyota's time-honored formula
The reason the Toyota Camry has been North America's favourite family sedan for donkey's years is simple -- it has done everything expected of it well.No, it does not stand out in any particular area. But when the family needs to get from A to B, it does it in style, holding five adults realistically and with the trunk space needed to accommodate their luggage (15.4 cubic feet).
The new Camry sticks to Toyota's time-honored formula -- although some will suggest this is to the detriment of the latest version.
First, no one is going to mistake the seventh-generation Camry for anything other than a Camry. This means a rather staid look that's more about packaging what's on the inside than it is about giving the exterior look any real visual punch.
The toe-the-line style is a surprising move given Buick's radical reinvention, some sweet-looking entrants from Hyundai and Kia, and competitors on the near horizon -- the next-generation Ford Fusion is a stunner and there's a new Honda Accord on the way. Any and all would dearly love to grab a Camry customer.
There are no quibbles with the new interior style, which is upscale and inviting to the eye. The materials are very good, as is the overall comfort and quietness and, with the exception of a couple of anomalies, the layout is first-rate. It's obvious Toyota spent a great deal of time getting it right.
The front seats are very accommodating (sadly, be prepared to pay if you want them heated), there are no blind spots to speak of and there is enough rear-seat legroom the Camry qualifies as limo-like -- the sculpted nature of the front seatbacks adds 45 millimetres of knee room to an already spacious ride.
The anomalies are minor but out-of-step nonetheless.
First, the audio-control module on the left side of the steering wheel looks like an afterthought, which runs contrary to an otherwise integrated execution.
The second anomaly is just plain odd. Look at the centre stack and it's not immediately obvious that the top-of-the-line Camry XLE arrives with a standard navigation system as there is no button to push. Rather, one has to push the App button, tap the map icon on the touch-sensitive screen and then confirm one will obey the rules of the road and drive accordingly. Only then does the map appear. The methodology transforms what was a one-step operation into a chore.
Where Toyota needs to be taken to task is under the hood. With the exception of an extra gear in the manumatic transmission, the Camry's motivation carries over from the previous generation. The test car arrived with the base 2.5-litre four-cylinder. It puts out 178 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque and it doesn't sound overly thrashy in the process.
While the numbers are far from outstanding, there is enough at the driver's right foot to deal with the cut and thrust of a morning commute, including passing a slower car when the need arises. The tester trotted to 100 kilometres an hour in just more than nine seconds and managed the more important 80-to-120-km/h dash in six seconds. Loading the car up with passengers does blunt the edge, but it's not enough to fret over.
The four-cylinder is also remarkably good on gas, given the size of the car it is moving -- a test average of 9.2 litres per 100 kilometres was much better than I expected. All of this stated, the four-cylinder engine does make the up-level 268-hp V6 an important option if you're shopping for more than acceptable.
The new transmission works very nicely and showcases the engine in its best light. However, there is yet another anomaly. Whenever the manual mode is selected, the gearbox downshifts from sixth gear to fourth -- without regard for speed. Invariably, this puts it in the wrong gear, which forces the driver to manually correct an automated move.
Why is there an automatic function in the manual mode? It makes no sense whatsoever and effectively renders the manual side redundant for me.
When it comes to ride quality, the Camry is a Japanese Buick. It takes a mighty gnarly bit of road to get the suspension to feed any jostling back to the passengers. In this regard, the Camry is first-rate.
The flip side sees the overall setup being a little too soft to provide any real sense of handling. Certainly, the amount of roll is limited to a handful of degrees and the feedback afforded by the electrically assisted steering is all it should be, but the overall driving sensation does not spur the driver onward to the next set of sweeping curves.
In fairness, a big part of the mushy feel/feedback came down to the snow tires the test car was wearing. They allowed the Camry to slip into understeer long before it would otherwise.
So, carping aside, is the Toyota Camry about to lose its favourite status? I think not. The quibbles are, in the grand scheme of things, minor in nature and not enough to put a dent in the Camry's popularity.
Peace Arch Toyota has an excellent selection of 2012 Camry's in stock now. To book a test drive please call 1-800-417-7707.
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