Park a white, four-cylinder 2010 Toyota Camry LE in your garage next to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS or a Porsche Cayman S and don’t be surprised if the neighbors start wondering if you’re bipolar.
Maybe the Camry is your wife’s car. Or your grandmother’s.
But with close to half a million sold annually in the United States, Camrys are daily transportation for just about every type of buyer: The young, the old, and the somewhere in between, not to mention the automotive enthusiast, the vehicular ambivalent and the casual car fan.
No other car on offer in North America has such mass appeal as the Camry, and with a revised 2010 model just now making its way to showrooms, we decided it was time to take an in-depth look at the most mainstream of Main Street America Camrys.
What is it?
It’s hard to drive a city block without encountering at least one Camry, the best selling sedan in America. Toyota ’s solution for middle America, the Camry came out of nowhere in the early 1990s to unseat Ford and General Motors’ offerings by serving up a healthy dose of the refinement and reliability that was lacking in contemporary domestic offerings.
Now halfway through its seventh generation, the Camry has been custom-tailored for the North American market. A mild update for 2010 gives it a new base powertrain and a light refresh outside.
What’s it up against?
Camry slots into the most competitive segment in America: The midsize sedan arena. While the rivals are numerous, only a handful of cars really compete for market share. Hailing from the Motor City, the heavily revised 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan pose a serious threat as they continue to gain market share. But don’t discount cross-town rival General Motors’ Chevrolet Malibu, which impressed us earlier this year with its performance and its fuel efficiency.
Japanese-badged, but American-assembled – just like the Camry – the Mazda Mazda6, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima are the Camry’s traditional rivals.
Finally, the Korean efforts include the hot-selling, value-laden Hyundai Sonata and the recently-updated Kia Optima.
Any breakthroughs?
For 2010, the Camry gains a new 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. Putting out 169 horsepower in base LE and upscale XLE trim levels, it adds another 10 ponies for the vaguely sport-oriented SE trim. A six-speed automatic brings things into the second decade of the 21st century, although the ever-important highway fuel economy rating of 32 mpg trails the 34 mpg rating of a similarly equipped Fusion.
Outside, Camry gained a mid-cycle refresh that will really only go noticed by current owners.
How does it look?
Wallflowers will delight in the Camry’s rather anonymous looks. Inevitably, with around 425,000 sold last year, the Camry isn’t the kind of car that induce double-takes and stares of admiration from the public. Our test car’s LE trim level represents the volume Camry model, which makes it all the more ubiquitous.
Simple and mostly cohesive, the Camry’s shape is hardly inoffensive. Toyota continues to play it safe with the 2010 model. Look closely and you’ll find that the grille is a little different and the tail lamps have been updated, but that’s it. Our tester was dressed up a little, but not much, by a set of optional 16-inch alloy wheels.
Over the years, the Camry has gone from crisply-toned minimalist to a jellybean shape that’s a little too bulbous for our tastes. We’d like to see Toyota get a little more daring with the next-generation model. Hot Fusion sales have indicated that a polarizing design element, like the Gillette-style three-bar chrome grille, don’t keep buyers out of showrooms.
And on the inside?
Unchanged since its 2007 model year launch, the Camry’s interior is probably one of its biggest selling points. Though not feature laden and hardly groundbreaking in terms of its design, it’s a quiet, serene place to whittle away the miles. Tall, chair-like seats clearly designed for American-style girth and convenient controls combine with carefully-assembled, quality-feeling materials. Add in a roomy rear seat and great visibility and you can start to see why so many Americans feel comfortable at the wheel of a Camry.
Just don’t expect anything approaching a luxurious, coddling experience. There are few “oooh, ahhh†features beyond the electroluminescent gauges and power driver’s seat, especially when you factor in our press fleet test car’s $24,125 price tag.
Our only complaints stem from some of the materials choices. While little feels inappropriate for the list price, the silver-painted plastic trim is susceptible to scratches from everyday use, while the felt-like cloth upholstery is bound to be a shocker when winter rolls around.
But does it go?
The 2.5-liter four, an enlarged version of the outgoing 2.4-liter, now with variable valve timing, provides decent pickup above about 2,000 rpm, though it’s pretty lazy up until that point. Fairly smooth at idle and in typical around-town driving, it makes a little bit of a booming racket as it approaches the 4,100 rpm torque peak.
Its 169-horsepower and 167 lb-ft. of torque ratings are pretty much par for the class, while the six-speed automatic puts it in fairly elite company. That transmission shifted smoothly and accurately in around-town driving, though like in the Fusion and Malibu, it was quick to kick down into fifth for highway passing. It features a sport mode and up and down shift manual-style capabilities. Slow to respond to upshift and downshift taps of the lever and unwilling to shift beyond fourth gear in sport mode, the transmission is best left in drive.
Our tester’s Michelin tires were designed for long-lasting comfort, not high-speed, aggressive jaunts, so we weren’t surprised to see them squeal in protest when we pushed the Camry on cloverleaf highway interchanges. Steering feel was syrupy, though on-center play was minimal. The Camry’s body roll was expectedly heavy, but we somewhat forgave it for that because of its soft and compliant ride.
A safe-handling car is at least as important as passive safety restraints like airbags. While the Camry’s at-the-limit handling was controllable, its responses were duller than many offerings in the class, like the Mazda , Nissan and Ford, all of which prove that good road feel from the steering and suspension doesn’t necessarily dictate a harsh ride.
We measured around 26 mpg in mixed driving – about what the EPA figures of 22 city and 32 highway expect.
Why you would buy it
You have no inclination to stand out from the crowd and your three previous Camrys have served you well.
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Why you wouldn’t
You test drove some of the Camry’s more dynamic, but still comfortable competition.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Certainly one of the least-exciting vehicles on the road, the Camry’s appeal lies in its ability to do just about everything pretty darn well. It’s the kind of car that you won’t miss when you trade it in, but you won’t hate during the time you own it. It will almost certainly start every morning and get you to work drama-free for over 100,000 miles.
For years, this was all buyers could ask for. But with the revised Ford Fusion , not to mention the Hyundai Sonata , offering either a better driving experience or more features for thousands of hard-earned dollars less, the Camry’s outlook isn’t quite as bright as it was. We encourage Toyota to take way more chances on its next model – the Camry’s ability to sell based on its reputation can’t last forever.
2010 Toyota Camry LE base price, $21,900. As tested, $24,125.
Alloy wheels, $410; Moonroof, $890; Floormats, $200; Destination, $725.
Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.
