Car Gazing
A more exciting Camry? Looks like it
America's best-selling car is all new for 2007
By Derek Price
Americans buy more Toyota Camrys each year than any other car, and you've got to wonder why.
Obviously, there's Toyota's reputation for building cars that last longer than Dick Clark, but Honda can make the same claim. So can most new American cars, if you believe the surveys, so that can't be the only reason.
The Camry also has never been a particularly pretty car, although I doubt anyone would dare call it ugly. It's historically been just a plain-looking vehicle, one that neither makes you drool nor barf.
In fact, the only reason I think the Camry stays on top of the sales charts is that it gives you no reason not to buy one. Every other car gives you some little reason to turn it down – a harsh ride, too much noise, not enough leg room, an ugly body, a crappy stereo, a hefty price tag, a reputation for being a rustbucket – the list could go on forever.
But not with a Camry. It's virtually impossible to find something wrong with this car.
That philosophy is great for the showroom, as the sales figures attest, but it results in a vehicle that's a total snore. It's got to be one of the most boring creations in the history of mankind, placed in the same category as the paperweight, the cardboard box and your freshman algebra class.
So what did Toyota's designers do to spice up the all-new Camry for 2007? They made it look slightly more exciting on the outside but kept the driving feel as bland as corn flakes.
Let's start with the body.
It's not exactly revolutionary, but it's certainly a departure from the dull, unadorned, buttoned-down look we've gotten used to with previous versions of this car. The new Camry is sexier, swoopier and more aggressive than you'd expect, with a classy front end and BMW-like rear that look good without drawing undue attention to themselves.
These pleasant-looking lines also serve a functional purpose by making it extremely easy to get in and out of the car, with wide doors and perfectly placed seats that are easy to plop into. It also allows a good amount of headroom in the back seat and a nice, wide, deep place to put your legs, offering cabin space that would qualify as a luxury car 15 years ago.
In fact, it's hard not to think "luxury" when you sit inside, enveloped by soft-touch materials, a pleasant color scheme and switches that look like they'll outlast the solar system. I especially like how the dash appears to be made from one giant piece, not a zillion little plastic bits that will start to squeak and rattle the day after your warranty expires.
All this contributes to the feeling that this is a car you can drive 200,000 miles without a hint of a problem.
Unfortunately, those will be 200,000 miles of utter boredom.
Despite the styling that got a small dose of adrenaline, the '07 Camry is the same snoozefest from behind the wheel that it's always been. It has no personality, no soul, nothing to get you excited when you have to drive across town to buy groceries.
The basic Camry CE ($18,270) is powered by a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 158 horsepower, plenty for driving around town and scooting through city traffic. It also comes fairly well equipped with air conditioning, cruise control, six-way adjustable driver's seat and a nice CD/MP3 stereo. An automatic transmission is optional for around $1,000.
A V6 engine is optional on the Camry LE ($19,450), which adds a long list of features including remote keyless entry and an eight-way adjustable power driver's seat. The V6 makes 268 horsepower and adds around $2,500 to the price.
Other models include the sporty SE ($20,790) and premium XLE ($24,425), and soon will also include the Camry Hybrid ($25,900).
No matter which version you like, you're sure to get a plain vanilla car that gives you absolutely no reason to dislike it. It's as near perfect as basic transportation comes.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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