A long, attentive drive in the Toyota Camry might be described as a convincing experience. By that, we mean the driver won't need further convincing as to why the Camry is the perennial best-selling car in the United States. No particular aspect of the Camry's performance is outstanding. On the other hand, it does most everything very well, and nothing badly. It's easy to see why this sedan is a favorite for small families, commuting and all-purpose transportation.
We drove LE, SE, XLE, and Hybrid models. Lengthy sessions with four-cylinder manual and V6 automatic models seriously impressed us, and only the four-cylinder automatic left us wishing for better. We were impressed not only with the overall packaging, but also with the clear distinctions among the different models, both inside and underneath.
The LE with four-cylinder and automatic was competent, but well short of inspiring. Performance-wise, this isn't surprising, given the weight burdening its relatively small engine, which is no better than average in power output. The four-cylinder is buzzy. And we felt some torque steer, a light left-right tugging at the steering wheel under full throttle. It's a common phenomenon with front-wheel drive, but we expect it more with lighter, relatively high-powered cars. The LE leans in corners. Fit and finish are very good, with zero buzzes, squeaks or rattles, and tight tolerances between panels and parts. Yet wind and road noise are audible.
The LE V6 is another story, because there is no shortage of power here. The 268-hp engine eagerly spins all the way up to its programmed limiter at 6500 revolutions per minute, and it's silky smooth throughout. It pulls without stumble from 1000 rpm in any gear, which is why it's far more effective with the automatic transmission. The driver won't feel as if he or she is waiting for the transmission to find the right gear so the car can get going. The LE V6 will feel very familiar to longtime Camry owners: just a little smoother, tighter and more powerful than older models.
The SE, on the other hand, is a fresh and welcome departure from Camry's heretofore conservative legacy. Finally, there's a Camry that's fun and entertaining to drive. Steering turn-in is more precise than we'd expect in a Camry, and cornering is solid and stable, with little body lean. While we never doubted the stopping power, brake pedal feel and travel are still sedan-grade: a bit soft and long for our enthusiast-driver preferences.
The manual transmission in four-cylinder models shifts cleanly, if not with sports-car crispness. We really liked it in the Camry SE. Clutch engagement is smooth and easily managed. The brake and gas pedals are close enough to allow heel-and-toe shifting, which enthusiast drivers enjoy, though the process is not accomplished with sports-car ease. In all, we enjoyed the four-cylinder much more with the manual transmission, because it allows the driver to keep the engine working in the rpm range where it's most powerful. It makes for an engaging driving experience.
We like the SE V6 just as well, however. It's a car in which the driver might want to actually use the sequential manual shift feature on Toyota's new six-speed automatic. In manual mode, the transmission will hold the chosen gear without shifting up, and it will downshift immediately with a click on the lever. The shifts are smooth, but quick and reassuringly certain.
If there's any vestige of Buick-ism to be found in this Camry, it's in the high-trim XLE. It's more than just the entry-plush interior, but ride and handling, too. The line-topping Camry is more soft and floaty than firm and planted. That doesn't mean it's wandering or imprecise, however. We were entirely comfortable and assured piloting it at a leisurely pace along gently curving two-lane byways and on lightly traveled or rush hour-packed, multi-lane highways. It's just that the XLE is best suited for the set-it-and-forget-it mode of driving, and it doesn't actively invite driver participation in the task. In any case, we found it very enjoyable, a good place to relax and enjoy the great sound system.
The Hybrid tucked right in between the LE and the XLE, in performance. It's hybrid powertrain combines a 147-hp version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a 40-hp synchronous electric motor, yielding a net 187 horsepower. That's more than V6 Camrys offered a few years ago, and the Hybrid can operate on just the electric motor at low speeds. The instantaneous torque from the electric motor also augments acceleration. The Hybrid isn't as quick as the V6 Camrys, which are among the strongest in the mid-size class, but it's noticeably quicker than four-cylinder models, and particularly four-cylinders with the automatic.
For the most part, the Camry Hybrid is just as easy to operate as any other Camry, but there is a learning curve to mastering all of its idiosyncrasies. For example, press the push-button starter. The car comes to life, ready to drive, but this isn't always obvious. The Hybrid is a very quiet car at a stop. When it's started, and sometimes even when you press the accelerator, the gas engine does not immediately fire, so you won't hear it or feel its slight hum of vibration. As a result, you may not realize that this Camry is ready for action. So you'll press the start button again, thinking it didn't fire the first time, and actually turn the car off. The way to tell is to look for the Ready light next to the speedometer. If it's on, and if the shift lever will slide into gear, then the Hybrid is ready to go, whether the engine is actually running or not. We occasionally struggled with trying to figure out whether the car was running or not, which led to awkward parking lot situations.
Beyond that bit of familiarization, the Camry Hybrid is just, well, smooth. It's not exactly a performance machine, nor particularly fun to drive quickly, as the SE might be. On the other hand, its solid acceleration, secure-under-the-seat feeling and smooth, quiet operation are exactly what we expect the typical Camry buyer is seeking.
In terms of ride, handling and interior comfort, the Camry Hybrid could easily fool us into thinking we were driving an XLE, except for the visual differences. The Hybrid's gauges include a graphic display of the powertrain's status (gas, electric or both), a welcome, real-time fuel economy gauge in place of the tachometer and a unique, abbreviated shift gate. The transitions between the electric motor powering the car to operating gas only, to motor and engine together, are much smoother on the Camry than what Honda offered in last year's Accord Hybrid. Those transitions are noticeable, to be sure, but they're heard more than felt.
Active safety features are integrated into the Hybrid's Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management package, or VDIM. This system adds Electric Power Steering (EPS) and Electronically Controlled Brakes (ECB), or a brake-by-wire system. These are unique to the Hybrid because the EPS provides steering assist when the car is operating on the electric motor alone, while the ECB allows the regenerative braking that charges the battery during stops. In short, VDIM manages a variety of steering angle, yaw rate, deceleration, brake pressure, brake pedal stroke and wheel speed sensors, which in turn allow the system to anticipate and help prevent a loss of control.
Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control are optional on the CE, LE, SE and XLE, and we consider this the weak link in Camry's safety package. Empirical evidence increasingly suggests skid-management systems reduce accidents and injuries.
