Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry was given an 8.4 rating by U.S. News, which was 9^th out of 20 in the Affordable Midsize Car category. The Camry is a series of midsized cars designed and manufactured since 1982 by Toyota. As of May 2012, the Toyota Camry is the top-selling passenger car in North America. Although the Camry is no standout, it’s a sensible pick for those who value frugality, value, and comfort. Reviewers predict the Camry will remain a top seller in its class because of mass-market appeal, excellent fuel economy, and high reliability rating.

Performance

The Toyota Camry’s performance holds its own compared to its competitors. It was given an 8.0 rating by U.S. News. Reviewers are pleased with the Camry’s smooth transmission, powerful engine, and relaxed ride. The Camry has two engine choices available: the 3.5-liter V6 that creates 268 horsepower, or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 178 horsepower. All trim levels include a six-speed automatic transmission with manual capability. Test drivers have praised the Camry’s engine power, calling the four-cylinder engine “quiet and energetic”, while the V6 produces excellent power. Although the Camry is designed more for comfort, the handling is fine and appropriate for normal driving situations. The Camry has lots of roll and a fair amount of body lean, and it deals with transitions and recoveries better than previous models.

Interior

Reviewers are divided on the Camry’s interior design. It was given an 8.0 rating by U.S. News. While the seats are roomy and comfortable, some reviewers have said the design and material is awful. The Camry has standard cloth seats with heat capability. Leather-trimmed seats with faux suede inserts are optional, and the driver seat is power adjustable 8 different ways. Standard interior features include a USB port and auxiliary audio jack with iPod interface and integration, a rear-view camera, navigation, a moonroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Camry also has an Entune infotainment system, which syncs with your iPhone (or any smartphone) to provide stock information, gas prices, weather, and real-time traffic. The Camry also has 15.4 cubic feet of available trunk space, which is in line with its class.

Pros/Cons

The EPA states that the V6 engine gets 21 mpg while city driving and 31 mpg while highway driving, and the four-cylinder engine gets 25 mph while city driving and 35 mpg while highway driving. Both of these are strong for this class of car. Critics have praised the six-speed automatic transmission because of its smooth, fast, seamless shifts, although some critics have said the power steering is unresponsive. Reviewers tend to agree that the Camry’s seats are roomy and comfortable, although there have been some complaints about the base model’s seat fabric, with one reviewer calling it the worst in the class. There have been other complaints about the interior, such as the fake wood trim being unconvincing and the use of poor-quality materials. The Entune infotainment system has been a big sticking point with critics. While some like that it doesn’t cost a monthly fee to use and the features intuitive, others have complained that you need to use your smartphone’s data plan to access information.

Other Features

The base price for the Toyota Camry on the Toyota website is $22 235. Customers can expect to pay between $22 000 and $28 000 depending on what features they add and what trim level they purchase. The redesigned Camry has gone from being a subpar performer in crash tests with previous models to actually being one of the better ones. The Camry’s safety received a 9.4 rating by U.S. News. It includes 10 standard airbags and a standard brake override system, cross traffic alert, a blind spot monitoring system, and automatic collision notification system.