I remember my uncle was passionate about his Camry back when I was in high school. He took that car on so many long drives all over Canada. I was a teenager at the time and thought the Camry was an old man’s car. My uncle wasn’t that old, I was just young and it was always fun driving with him as we skipped across the province.
The Camry I drove last month was the newly redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry SE and remains as Toyota’s foundation for other Toyota and Lexus models including the Highlander which I drove last summer. Other models that the Camry is built on include the Avalon, Sienna, Venza and the ES350. The RX350 which I also reviewed last month is also built on the same Camry foundation. You can expect the review of the Lexus RX350 in an upcoming issue of the Filipino Journal.
The Camry comes in many models – L, LE, SE, SE V-6, XLE, XLE V-6, Hybrid LE and the Hybrid XLE. The model tested was the Camry SE 4-cylinder 178 horsepower 2.5-litre engine, while quick and smooth, it can still provide you the utility for most of your driving needs. The 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 option would certainly provide more power and punch. As a driving enthusiast, I’m all for more power and performance. Why drive with 4 when you can ante up to 6? For the long drivers out there, more power on the highways is always a good thing.
The car has been completely redesigned for 2012, inside and out. On the outside, the Camry is lower, wider and makes the car a bit sportier. My uncle would of approved.
The interior, is a bit more refined and provides some of the more luxury touches you might see in a Lexus. Larger cabin with more knee and headroom, and more trunk space. Higher grade, softer-to-the-touch materials and next generation seats that offer full body support.
The entertainment features found in the Camry are pretty standard with many mid-size sedan offerings. You can easily connect external audio devices through your audio mini-jack input, UPS port and streaming Bluetooth capability. Text-to-voice and voice-controlled navigation is also an option.
Toyota has jacked up the fuel efficiency of the Camry with new aerodynamic styling, reducing overall weight reduction in both 4-cylinder and V-6 models. Gas mileage for the 4-cylinder is 8.2l/100km (city) and 5.6l/100 (highway) and for the V-6 its 9.7l/100kms (city) and 6.4l/100kms (highway).
Overall, the 2012 Camry comes with many features you would find in other cars in the same class with trim and option features you’d expect to see in luxury models. Other vehicles in the mid-size sedan class include the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima and the Honda Accord.
