Bestseller gets extreme makeover

The Toyota Camry has never been the kind of car that inspires people to follow you home and ask what kind of car you’re driving. It has always been a good value, built with quality and well thought out design, and maintained a high resale value. But often, words like “uninspiring,” “vanilla,” and “boring,” have been used to describe it.

Still, more than 10 million have come to purchase the Camry worldwide since 1980, with 6.6 million of those purchased here in the U.S. since 1983. This consistent favorite has earned the Camry “top seller” status for eight of the past nine years. With that kind of staying power, you’re doing a lot of things right.

For 2007 Toyota has given Camry an extreme makeover from top to bottom, bumper to bumper, inside and out. The sixth-generation Camry has a roomier interior, a new exterior, more power, better fuel economy and a hybrid version. All of which is enough to give Detroit-based auto manufacturers a bad case of acid reflux.

At first glance, Camry bears a strong resemblance to Toyota’s flagship Avalon, a major step in the right direction. While the Camry’s overall length hasn’t changed, the Avalon-adapted chassis stretches the wheelbase just over two inches and increases the width about an inch.
 
Outside, the new front end is blunter, cleaner with a hood that stops short of the three-bar horizontal grille incorporated into a one-piece aero-like bumper and front fascia. The prominent Toyota emblem teardrops down from the center.
 
From the rear, Toyota has taken a page from the much maligned BMW “bustle-back” hump. However, it is much softer and less offensive than the 5 and 7 Series German sedans. Camry taillamps are almost the mirror image of the headlamps and a Toyota emblem is proudly displayed above the license plate recess.

A large seamless rear bumper — not unlike the treatment to the front of the Camry — finishes the look. While I still find it highly unlikely that the new styling will turn heads or tempt someone to follow you home, the new look is a major improvement and definitely a move in the right direction.

Inside, Toyota has taken major steps to upgrade the overall look and feel. While still not entry-level Lexus-like, it does begin to approach the Avalon, at least on the top-of-the-line XLE with first-time-ever reclining rear seatbacks (that cannot folded flat for increased trunk space).

The look of the dash has been improved with larger instruments and a lidded storage area atop the dash. I don’t like the fake wood that still won’t be mistaken for anything but plastic, and the green-tone illuminated control panel looks chintzy by day and overly bright at night. Another gripe is the cheap-feeling seat fabric on the LE. Conversely, I liked the top-of-the-line XLE, whose leather seats looked great and felt even better.

The SE model is labeled as the “sporty” version with special suspension, and 17-inch wheels and tires. All models come with air conditioning, power locks and windows, antilock brakes, a steering wheel that tilts and telescopes, AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo, and cruise control. Other features and options vary by trim level.

Safety features on all Camrys include front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seats, head-protecting side curtain airbags for front and rear seats, and a driver’s knee airbag. Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control are optional on all models. No crash test results are available yet for the new Camry but Camry has a tradition of excellent results in this area and I expect the same for the ’07 model.

I tested an LE equipped with a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (the standard engine for all four trim levels) mated to a five-speed manual shifter with a five-speed automatic optional. A 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 is optional for the LE, SE, and XLE. That’s up from 210 horsepower last year, and comes paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. A 192-horsepower gas-electric hybrid version will be available in late May 2006.

My test LE was competent and adequate but not exciting to drive. The engine got a little buzzy under full acceleration. I detected some light torque steer with quick starts with the steering wheel pulling to the right side, which is not unusual for front-wheel drive cars. There were no squeaks, no rattles, and Camry provides a generally quiet, compliant ride.

I didn’t think much of the climate control system that had me constantly fiddling with the controls to find the “just right” cabin temperature.

If you’re a fan of Camry you’ll be more than pleased with the new model, liking it even more. There’s no reason to believe Camry will surrender its “best-selling” title.