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Review: 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid

June 20, 2020 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

Comedian Lewis Black loves to joke about the weather. In one sketch he wonders what it must be like to the be the TV weatherman in San Diego, home of possibly the most pleasant year round weather there is to be had in the US. Black ruminates on what does he say in the new forecast when it’s time to report the weather? “Um, it’s nice!” What more is there to say when it’s sunny and warm everyday? And so it was with our Camry when people who knew I had one on loan to review asked me my opinion of it. The short answer is, “Um, it’s nice.”

The Camry is a car that needs no introduction. While the Camry itself is now in its eighth generation, the first Camry Hybrid went on sale in 2007; the Camry Hybrid is now in its third generation.

The current Camry was all new in 2018, so it is still contemporary, and arguably the smartest looking Camry yet. The front end is a little too busy with its massive grill treatment, but apart from that, there’s little to argue with here. The greenhouse design is pleasantly elegant for a Camry. The rest of the car is clean, uncluttered, and, let’s face it , utterly forgettable. Our test car, finished in Predawn Gray Mica was of little help. However, there was one pleasant surprise. Nearly every hybrid I’ve driven is shod with the tiniest, whimpiest wheels the company offers. Those enormous sidewalls seem out of place and out of date on what is otherwise a car brimming with modern technology. Thankfully, our car was equipped with respectable 18″ alloys, so finally a hybrid that no longer looks like the whimpy kid of the parking lot.

One advantage of the Camry Hybrid is it allows buyers who prize fuel economy and environmental friendliness to do so without letting everyone else around them know it. While a Toyota Prius offers those same attributes, a Prius is also a statement car, like it or not. If cars were people, the Prius is that one person you know who’s on the Keto diet and does CrossFit and that’s all they want to talk about over dinner. The Camry Hybrid is the person who drives home from that same dinner listening to NPR, makes donations to their favorite causes, and quietly goes on with their life.

Inside, the Camry is no nonsense. Although it packs the latest in mainstream auto tech, it is refreshingly user friendly, with knobs and buttons available for most basic functions. All passengers enjoy ample room, and an easy to see out of cabin. Although our Camry Hybrid was top of the line, it didn’t feel premium. Make no mistake, the materials are of good quality, fit and finish cannot be faulted, and it will no doubt age better than I will. But finished in a frosty grey, the interior of this Camry leaves you cold. Even on a bright day with the sunroof open the Camry looks drab and austere inside. Thankfully, Toyota lets you choose a much warmer tan interior, and judging from the pictures, does wonders in fostering a much more inviting cabin.

The Camry is powered by a 2.5L four paired with the hybrid system to make a reasonable 208hp. Power gets to the wheels via a CVT transmission. While you won’t mistake the car for being swift, the Camry Hybrid offers usable, real world power. Merging onto highways and passing requires no advance planning on the driver’s part, and does so with no drama. On a clear weekend, I had the Camry Hybrid up in the hills of Litchfield County in northwestern Connecticut. The car happily went along with the curves and hills, never once upset or nervous. Granted, I wasn’t pushing the car hard, but the point is, the car was perfectly composed once the road started getting twisty. Of course, when it comes to hybrids the most important number buyers care about is miles per gallon, and the Camry Hybrid delivers an excellent 46MPG combined city/highway, a remarkable figure for a car of this size, and crammed with every available option.

The Camry Hybrid is available in base LE, sporty SE, and luxury oriented XLE. Regardless of which Camry is right for you, none will leave you without the basics one expects from a modern car. Our top spec XLE added the Driver Assist Package (Head up display, birds eye view camera, rear cross traffic braking and ventilated front seats), LED adaptive headlights, moonroof, and Navigation Package (Dynamic navigation and premium JBL audio). Including destination, our test car stickers at $39,619USD. That is not a typo, and yes, a fully loaded Camry Hybrid is just scraping $40,000. In talking to someone who owns a current Camry, she loves her car, but said she could never justify spending this kind of money for any Camry. I went to compare this price to the most expensive Honda Accord Hybrid. Similarly equipped, the Accord costs over $3,300 less. In the midsize family car hybrid market, that is a significant difference to buyers.

Yet, the Camry Hybrid, like the weather in San Diego, continues to be perpetually nice. It does everything you ask without fuss, and will do so for hundreds of thousands of miles if you treat it reasonably. It gives you all the benefits of a hybrid without forcing you to advertise it. Room, comfort and superlative fuel economy is a popular combination for buyers, and with the Camry Hybrid, you are not being asked to sacrifice much in return. Skip the drab gray interior though. And as for price, I suspect very few buyers out there are willing to go all in for a top spec, fully loaded Camry Hybrid XLE. All of the qualities that make this the car that it is are available at a price point that is far closer to the comfort zone of the average car buyer.

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Review: 2012 Toyota Camry

March 19, 2012 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

Hm. So how does one exactly review a car like the Toyota Camry? Polarizing cars with divisive styling, shockingly awesome (or awful) performance and egregious flaws are an auto reviewer’s dream, just because it’s so easy to write about. With the Camry, it is the exact opposite. A car like this is designed with the mission to appeal to as many people as possible from as wide a range of demographics imaginable. And since 1983 when the first Camry appeared in showrooms, Toyota has slowly and carefully perfected the Camry. The result? The Camry was the best selling passenger car in the US in 2011. And that is after seeing a decline in sales from 2010, and being in its last year before the 2012 Camry was redesigned.

Universal appeal is what makes the Camry as dominating as it is. Consider that on any given day, you can spot a single thirty-something or a retired couple climb into a Camry and think nothing of it. The Camry has essentially evolved into the go to car for those who don’t know anything about cars. It’s reputation for durability and reliability have won over millions of fans. Sure, I won’t disagree the car is hardly exciting, but if anything you have got to admire Toyota’s achievement in building the ultimate car for people who really do not care about cars.

So yes, the Camry is a new car for 2012, but it comes as no surprise the styling is a cautionary evolution from last year’s model. Even parked aside a Camry that is ten years old, the new car looks about the same, just more contemporary. The front and rear fascia’s feature some harder edges than before for a slightly more aggressive look, but in the end the Camry retains its overall agreeable, but forgettable appearance. Toyota offers an SE model that is the sportiest looking Camry you can buy. Our test car was the top-spec XLE, featuring chrome trimmed fog lamps, rocker panels with chrome trim and chrome exhaust tips to distinguish it from lesser Camrys. Again, it all adds up for a nice looking car that I personally cannot fault, nor rave about.

Inside, the Camry checks all the right boxes for what buyers are looking for. Driver and passengers are treated to a large, airy cabin with plenty of room for everyone of all shapes and sizes. Even on our XLE that was optioned to the hilt, the controls were easy and intuitive from the moment I sat in the car for the first time. I suspect most people could buy a Camry, own it for years and never even have to crack the owner’s manual.

The Camry was the Williams’ family transport for our annual winter trip to beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts. While the notion of a Camry hardly got our hearts pumping, I will say this. The Camry offered a supremely comfortable cabin for our trip. The seats were flat, but even after over three hours at the wheel non-stop, we arrived feeling fresh as can be. The Camry offered room galore inside for us to stretch out, and a trunk to hold all our luggage and purchases with a ton of room to spare. On our drive home in the dark, as we flew across the Braga Bridge over the Taunton River in Fall River Massachusetts with our son fast asleep, even my jaded wife who has shared rides with me in cars costing triple the price of the Camry conceded this was a very good car.

The Camry is offered with a choice of two engines: a 2.5L four rated at 178hp, and an optional 3.5L V-6 rated at 268hp. Both engines are paired to a new six-speed automatic, which Toyota claims improved fuel economy over the outgoing car. Our V-6 Camry has an EPA rating of 21/30 MPG city/highway. With a combination of bombing down the interstate or casually driving the scenic roads of Cape Cod, our Camry’s mileage seemed to hover around 27 MPG, which is quite respectable. The Camry’s V-6 was as smooth as silk, offering plenty of power. Passing is a breeze, and I found the transmission to be a model of refinement. The cabin is nearly silent-cruising at 85mph is completely serene, and odds are the driver will get worn down before the car will. Obviously, this is no sports sedan, so the ride is tuned for comfort and isolation from nasty road surfaces, which the car managed to do quite well.

The base model Camry L with the four cylinder starts at $21,955USD. However, our range-topping XLE V-6 starts at $29,845, but for that price you get 17″ alloys, back-up camera display, dual-zone auto climate control, Sirius satellite radio, HD radio, leather, power heated front seats, power moonroof, Bluetooth, and auto dimming rear view mirror. Our test car added Blind Spot Monitor, and a Navigation package which includes, guess what, Nav and a premium JBL sound system, and Toyota’s Entune-think of it as having access to your smartphone’s apps, but through the car’s 6’1″ touch screen. Adding Safety Connect (emergency assistance, stolen vehicle locator roadside assistance and collision notification) and a handful of minor accessories, our Camry, including delivery rang up for a total of $32,546. That may be a long way from the cheapest Camry, but when you consider our Camry offers some very premium features for a mid-size sedan, I feel it still represents a good value.

But that versatility is yet another factor that adds to the overall appeal of the Camry. Order it the way you want it-basic transportation or entry-level luxury car, Toyota has it covered. No, I never broke a sweat or got passionate about the car, but after a week and many miles, I had to respect the Camry for being what it is-a no hassle car that excels at what is was designed to do. Camry and Trust sort of go hand in hand. It’s a car you can feel good about recommending to friends or family looking for reliable. safe transportation. When you see your accountant, you feel good he drives a Camry, as to, say, a BMW M5. It is no accident the Camry is the best selling passenger car in the US, and with the new 2012 model, Toyota has only further cemented itself as the benchmark against which all other family sedans are judged.

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2009 Toyota Camry XLE: Keeping the masses happy

October 26, 2008 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

People and cars are a funny thing. For the enthusiast, there has to be something in a car that causes a burning passion. The masses though aren’t very passionate. The masses didn’t get Andy Warhol. They didn’t get the Sex Pistols. The masses did get Celine Dion and Dynasty.

Selling cars to the masses isn’t all about setting leading edge style, it is about selling masses of cars. Toyota knows this.

Toyota’s venerable Camry has never been a visual icon, rather it has always had a pleasant shape that fits well with the current generation of competitors. Not too progressive, yet not too bland. The current model fits the mold perfectly. It is a little more swoopy looking than an Accord, yet not so risky as the new Maxima or Mazda6. That is not to say the Camry doesn’t look current, just not cutting edge. Designers have included all the prequisite details needed in today’s market. Attractive curves, jewel like lamps, fog lamps and chromed dual tailpipe tips. In fact they have also included a few other bits of chrome here and there in places that are a bit more tasteful that some others in the segment.
[Read more…]

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Top 20 Most Researched Vehicles

July 5, 2006 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

Kelly Blue Book has released a list of the Top 20 cars that have been researched by consumers in the first half of 2006. KBB is the most respected source of car research data, owing to the fact that their site generates so much traffic. This List was compiled through over 60 million unique visits and over 200 million price quotes.

1. Honda Civic

2. Honda Accord

3. Toyota Camry

4. Toyota Corolla

5. Toyota Rav4

6. Honda Odyssey

7. Honda Pilot

8. Toyota Highlander

9. Chevrolet Tahoe

10. Honda CRV

11. Ford Mustang

12. Nissan Altima

13. BMW 325

14. Acura TL

15. Toyota Sienna

16. Toyota 4Runner

17. Ford Escape

18. Infiniti G35

19. Toyota Avalon

20. Mazda 3

It’s interesting to note that Toyota holds 7 spots and Honda products take 6 spots. Is this an indication of sales trends, or are their customers more web aware? Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

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