First Glance
I'll tell you what's wrong with that. It's boring, that's what! You deserve some excitement for your 20-plus grand, don't you?
I can't complain about the looks of the Camry, though. It looks fine, if a little bloated. You're not going to see many "thumbs up" on Cruise Night. There's a certain Buick-ness to the Camry design – mid-90s Buick, when they rounded them off a bit. Of course no Buick ever came off the line with such tight seams and even gaps or with paint quality approaching the Camry's deep luster.
The Camry SE is the sporty Camry. You can tell because there's an "SE" badge on the back under a short spoiler, and the front grille is made of black wire. A nice set of five-spoke 17" alloy wheels draw some interest to the fender wells. I can barely contain my excitement at the sportiness of it all.
On a level of pure function, the Camry has a few features that work very well. The big headlights set into the front corners of the car offer great visibility, and the big taillights are among the brightest on the road. I actually saw another driver shielding her eyes from the glare of the Camry's taillights while we sat at a traffic light one night. Granted, the other driver was a crazy person, but still, the lights are bright.
In the Driver's Seat
Well, I'll say this for the Camry – at least the inside matches the outside. Yawn. The dash is logical and orderly, with big backlit gauges and large control knobs. Dash plastics are good quality, and everything fits together nicely. The steering wheel is adjustable for tilt but not telescope, and has handy buttons for audio control. The Camry's air vents are about the biggest I've seen, and the ventilation system is strong enough to make use of them. There's a big covered cubby at the base of the center stack, a big glove box in front of the passenger and a big storage space under the armrest between the driver's and passenger's seats.
The Camry's driver's seat is firm, supportive and highly adjustable, but it's a little too flat to offer any lateral support during cornering. Our famous Southern California traffic afforded me the opportunity to test the driver's seat for five straight hours at a crawl one day. The seat was fine – adjustable lumbar support helped a lot.
The Camry interior has a surprising lack of quirks – there's nothing that will send you scurrying to the owner's manual, no weak links, no pointless design choices. I can see why the auto press hates it so – there's not much to pick on or be clever about.
On the Road
The Camry SE V6 has the biggest, most powerful engine in the Camry line up – a 3.3 Liter 24-valve V6 that sends 225 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. With a curb weight of 3450 lbs, the Camry SE is not quick, but it doesn't have much problem getting on the freeway or passing in traffic. Where the weight makes itself felt is on the corners and while stopping. You have to be ready to use your brakes with authority to haul the Camry's mass down from speed. On curvy pavement, the Camry exhibits some body roll, but it's not disturbing in any way. The sport-tuned suspension on the SE model does a good job of balancing comfort and firmness. If anything, it errs on the side of comfort. I would have appreciated a little more road feel and connection to the pavement in general – the Camry was a little remote for my taste.
If you're thinking about a Camry, you probably carry passengers on a regular basis. The back seat is as competent as the front – your passengers will be fine back there. There's almost as much headroom in the rear as in the front, so even full-sized adults will have room. If you need to haul luggage, you'll be happy with the trunk's 16.7 cubic feet, and you can fold down the rear seat to haul even more.
Journey's End
The Toyota Camry has been the best-selling sedan in America for the past four years running – they've sold over 6.5 million Camrys in the US since its introduction in 1983. That's a lot of Camrys. It's no wonder that some people are bored with the Camry – it's everywhere. Camry is for people who manage their risk carefully – they want a safe car that's going to work well and hold its value on resale. They don't need excitement from their cars. And Camry has been true to its roots – you won't mistake a Camry for a Lexus. Camry is Camry.
Camry has spawned some serious competition. Honda's Accord is a stylish alternative. Nissan's quirky Altima has some real personality and verve. The Mazda6, Volkswagen Jetta GLI and Subaru Legacy GT all offer lots more driving excitement. The Chevrolet Malibu isn't up to the competition, but the new Ford Fusion is worth a drive. I don't love the Hyundai Sonata, but lots of people do. I've been wrong before – ask my girlfriend.
There will be a new Camry on the market for the 2007 model year. As Camry has gotten better with each redesign, there's reason to be excited. In the meantime, a boring old Camry is an excellent choice. Your excitement will have to be at your destination, not on your journey.
