Toyota Camry: In-Depth Review

Split in 5 trim configurations, the Toyota Camry comes with a standard FWD drive under which rests a 2.5L inline-4 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission across all trims; The XSE model adds added ponies and 2 lb.-ft of torque. An optional 3.5L V6 is available for the the XLE and XSE levels. Starting at $23,845, the L trim offers a decent dosage of basic features for a base trim. Go up the trims and you’d find more premium features.

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The SE seems like the best choice for it offers aplenty technology alongside an abundance of excellent list of features, especially considering it costs a bit over $1500 over the base trims. If you’re looking for performance including almost all features in the Camry, the XLE offers an optional V6 engine and is the cheapest of the highest trims to offer said powertrain.

“This generation Camry has more spirit than its predecessor, which is most apparent in its more refined steering and handling. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder provides adequate power for most situations, and its eight-speed automatic transmission is well-mannered.” -edmunds

Boasting 203 horses and 184 pound-feet torque, the 2.5L under the Camry with 4-cylinders is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. When footing the throttle, the non-turbocharged engine has a responsive personality, promptly delivering power to propel the front wheels with smoothness and vigor. While the 2.5L does perform well and is eager to impress, it, however, feels a bit too lethargic on low RPM. Coming to the clunking transmission in the powertrain, driving is smooth and feels refined with instinctive shifts when revving up the ladder or coming down. The gearbox can be used in manual mode via the paddle shifters fitted behind the wheels.

Toyota Camry comes with three driving modes, Comfort, Eco, and Sport – where the latter mode stiffens the chassis and engulfs the powertrain as it were on a track. However, all you’d be given is a compliant engine under your control, but do not expect a racecar. That honour is reserved for the XSE and XLE trims which houses a powerful V6 under its hood.

Take a glimpse at the competition; you’d notice that the Camry’s output is amongst the most powerful in the segment. The Buick literally takes the Regal, followed by the Toyota alongside impressive 1.5L boasted Honda Accord and more. Now take a look at the displacement; the Camry is a 2.5L big engine while its competitors giving it a stiff rivalry are smaller in comparison, displaying the Toyota is in fact technically less powerful.

Acceleration

Jabbing the throttle does work pretty well for this midsize sedan. Getting the front wheels rolling from naught to 60 mph takes the Toyota Camry a laudable 7.5s while its quarter-mile race distance is completed in 15.9s. Not weak in any way, the engine sure does provide enough power to impress in these tests, unlike the sedans taking forever as seen in the table below.

A noteworthy point to make here is the performance of the Accord with its measly 1.5L compared to the 2 liters and above in the segment, it takes almost the same time as the Toyota Camry with fewer ponies and torque figure.

Ride and Handling

Buyers in this segment would look for comfort and composed driving where the Toyota Camry S delivers just that; a well-rounded and dynamic ride. A decent commuter, the sedan’s steering feel is refined and responsive alongside good road feedback. The overall driving dynamics are an improvement over the previous-gen, engineered to be more taut and spirited.

Want to mix up the style of the sedan? Simple tweaking up the driving mode to sport manages to breathe life in the sedan but don’t expect to drive as on the track. When handling around corners, the sedan maneuvers with poise and you’d barely feel any body roll in twisty tarmac or otherwise. Soaking up bumps with ease, the Camry is a smooth and agile ride.

Braking

Where all-rounded performance is considered, the Camry impresses on most fronts and its braking is just another fleeting mechanism it triumphs. The 12” and 11” front and rear rotors respectively are clasped by disc brakes to take an average 122ft to come to a standstill in a simulated brake test from 60-0 MPH. While that still not as great as the segment, its brake feel is modulated and does not feel mushy or taut, instead, it has good pedal travel and responds well.

Thrifty is one word you call the Camry’s powertrain; it sparingly guzzles down fuel shooting it at the top of the ladder as one of the most efficient amongst midsize sedans. Joined by its direct competitor, Honda Accord, it is followed by the Chevrolet Cruze, and the rest follow suit. The Ford Fusion, on the other hand, rests at the bottom of the pit.

“The Camry’s cabin won’t wow you with its opulence, but it does get the fundamentals right. The driver’s seat will satisfy a truly broad range of sizes and shapes, and the cabin is spacious. And with easy-to-decipher controls, the Camry is a cinch to live with on a daily basis.” -edmunds

The Toyota Camry features a comfortable and roomy interior. Capacity to seat 5 passengers, the cloth-stitched seats feel plush alongside enough headspace and legroom, of which the former like most cars this segment would discomfort tall passengers due to its sloping roofline. Visibility around the cabin has good viewing angles with not much to complain, and materials used and finishing touches have a rather upscale and soft feeling unlike some of its rivals.

6-way adjustable driver seat ensures solace if you’re behind the wheels and a 60/40 folding rear seats assure you of a tad more space than the miserly cargo space. Entering and getting out of the vehicle is easily done due to the large and narrow doors of the sedan. Annoyingly, you’d feel the designer of the sedan was in no mood to isolate outside noise in the interior; the constant humming of the engine aided by wind noise enters the cabin with ease.

Interior Features

Inside the cabin, Toyota Camry includes some of the following features –

• Hill Start Assist Control
• 6-way adjustable driver and front passenger seat
• Fabric-trimmed front seats with passenger-side seatback pocket
• Integrated backup camera with projected path

Infotainment System

Floating in the middle of the dash is a 7” infotainment system with smartphone integration. Albeit you’d find the system fairly simple and easy to use, the rivals in the segment have better integration of the system as well as seemingly intuitive. Some standard features found in the Camry are –

• Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa
• Navigation (GPS scout link)
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi Hotspot
• 6-speaker sound system

Cargo Capacity

Oh dear, this is one segment you’d wish Camry replicated the interior’s spirit. A paltry 14.1 cubic feet of cargo volume descends the sedan in lieu of practicality. However its rivals like the Chevrolet Malibu and its subcompact sister, the Cruze warrant similar semantics yet offer better spacing. At 19.2 cubic feet, the Buick Regal allows extra luggage which would normally fall out of the Camry.

The 2019 Toyota Camry is, dare we say it, stylish.” -thecarconnection

5.7” from the ground, at first sight, you’d see the wide and front-grille and the athleticism of the sleek design of the sedan with 16” steel wheels on four corners spinning the sedan down the tarmac. Molded around the slightly curvaceous physique of the midsize sedan has a bold and sporty design infused to create one of the best looking cars in the price segment.

Toyota insignia sits on the similarly T-sculpted hugging the meshed-grille and horizontal grilled-framework underneath it. Bordered by the Bi-LED headlights on either side, the design takes over the giant-cat clawed character lines on the hood.

Bulbous windshield erupts atop the car, chiseling out a shark fin antenna along the tapering roofline down the slightly elevated rear. The sedan signs off with well-proportioned and straightforward rear design, fitted with a single exhaust pipe on the right lip.

Exterior Features

Standard features included in the exterior of the Camry are –

• Bi-LED combination headlights with auto on/off feature
• LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with on/off feature
• 16” steel wheels
• Body-colored door handles
• Body-colored front and rear bumpers

Amongst the features installed to curb any possibility of unsafe experience, you might ever face in the sedan include –

• Hill Start Assist Control
• Integrated backup camera30 with projected path
• adaptive cruise control
• lane departure alert with steering assistance
• automatic high beams
• 4-Wheel Disc Brakes
• Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking

Toyota Camry vs Honda Accord

Frankly, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are equally excellent buys. Both have commendable handling, comfortable ride, punchy powertrain and abundant standard features along with safety tech. Although one major difference is – the Camry offers a V6 engine along with its standard 4 cylinder engine, while the Accord has no V6 in its lineup.

Toyota Camry vs Ford Fusion

The Ford Fusion complies with excellent and sporty ride with great host of standard tech. However Toyota Camry brings performance, sturdy and comfortable ride host of safety features that instantly puts it up above the Ford Fusion. Not to say the American sedan is a bad buy but the Toyota is an overall better performer and really worth your money.

Toyota Camry vs Chevrolet Malibu

Leaving aside the storage and passenger space, the Chevrolet Malibu is no match to the Toyota Camry. The Japanese sedan is a more spirited drives-car with excellent handling, drivability and performance along with frugal powertrain. It also offers a host of features the Malibu misses out on. Picking the Toyota would be the wisest option here.

One of the finest sedans in the market, the Toyota Camry delivers on all fronts. It’s got the design, the nimbleness and sturdy ride quality, plush seating, quality interior, comfortable drivability, along with great performing engine and thrifty fuel efficiency. Complementing the list is its crash-test record that deem it a reliable sedan. Sure it has got a strong contender in its rivals, but the sedan in itself is a great buy. This should be on your list of test drives if the rivals are anything in your list of considerations.