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Toyota seems to have perfected the art of making the buyer come back and keep getting into bigger and more expensive machinery as time goes by. Serially, the jump from a Corolla to a Camry is obvious and there is no shortage of buyers with cash who will do that - trading their Corolla for one of the two new-model Camry now doing the luxury drive-by at a street near you.

The Camry is the sort of car that also offers enough power to see off most other sedans in its class. No, these are not the best cars to go and street race in, but they can still land you in jail before it run out of gears - outright performance is no stumbling block at all.

Visual Aesthetics

Generally, the outlook of the Camry has improved leaps and bounds over its predecessor. At least from the side profile, the Camry looks more planted to the road. It projects a more sophisticated and mature look, and is definitely an attention grabber out to give its competitors a good run for their money.

Its façade now has a more masculine look, and can potentially scare road hogs off the fastest lane. The headlamps and chrome grill, unlike some other cars, are well proportioned and matches the luxury theme of the Camry. From the rear, the Camry has strong cues of the Lexus GS 300, which is in no way a designer's error - in fact, the designers deserve a big bonus for coming up with such a clever design. Some naysayers may joke about how the Camry's rear might be a cut and paste project at Toyota / Lexus' design house, but let the sales number do the talking.

Inside Story

The Camry's interior is definitely plush, and should put some of its pricier competitors to shame. The plastics are more refined and the fit is good without any rattles and squeaks around the interior. Dash layout is idiot-proof, and there are plenty of storage areas throughout the cabin.

It is obvious that this time around, the designers at Toyota are more adventurous with the design of the central console. The central console, which houses a 6 CD Audio System integrated with Bluetooth hands-free system on the upper portion and the climate control below it, has a love-it or loathe-it look. The white backlight might look cheap to some, but at least it is practical for day-to-day use.

The rear now comes with a flat floor, and together with the comfy bench, can definitely seat three adults with ease. Add in the rear air conditioning, and the Camry will surely pamper everyone seating behind.

On The Road

Toyota fans will firstly notice the difference in engine power. Previously 152bhp, the new Camry gets an increase in horsepower - to 167bhp. Under the hood, it features Toyota's signature and reliable VVT-i engine, which is so hush when accelerating and cruising, you need to stretch it above 4,500rpm to really hear some action from the bonnet.

Left at "D", the engine pulls coherently up the rev band without fail, even in stop-go traffic. More of an expressway cruiser, the Camry does 90km/h smoothly at 1,800rpm. Exclusive to the 2.4L Camry is the 5-speed automatic transmission that comes with manual selection mode. Realistically, future owners of the Camry 2.4L will just enjoy the comfortable drive with the gears running on its own.

The steering is uniformly smooth and accurate, but to some, it might be a tad too light. That said, the Camry is no clumsy, fat parody of a sports sedan. Far from it. It conducts itself with considerable poise, feeling predictable and planted in fast bends with no handling vices to speak of.

Last Words

Buy a Toyota and chances are you will never be sorry and if trends continue as they have, you will enjoy the best resale in the car market. The new Camry is a marked improvement over the previous model in every way - it is roomier, quieter and more refined. And the build quality is up there with the Teutonic chaps. At less than $97k, the Camry's asking price is justified with the extensive equipment list.

Technical Specification

Engine: In Line 4-cylinder, DOHC VVT-i, 2,362cc
Power: 167bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 224Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: 5-speed Automatic
0 ? 100 km/h: 10.2 sec

Length / Width / Height: 4,825 / 1,820 / 1,470 mm
Wheelbase: 2,775 mm

Latest price with COE: $96,488

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