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The pre-touch-screen-after-thought for the last gen is actually a better design. They could have just made the screen have smaller bezel instead of tacking on a separate screen. In fact, if Toyota weren't so lazy - it's where the current design is with the GX, Land Crusier etc.
Despite being objectively "better integrated" than the later refresh of the same model, this looks absolutely horrible. It literally looks like it's 2005 and they said "if we remove the CD changer we can squeeze a small screen in the middle there, and we won't have to redesign the dash".
Despite being objectively "better integrated" than the later refresh of the same model, this looks absolutely horrible. It literally looks like it's 2005 and they said "if we remove the CD changer we can squeeze a small screen in the middle there, and we won't have to redesign the dash".
Not only that it feels very very cheap, all plastic that creaks/moves around at the slightest touch and going down the road.
After riding in the backseat of a 2023 Camry SE for 2+hrs I would opt for the LE or XLE for a softer ride. Felt like I just gotten out of back surgery after that car ride. It was terrible!! I would’ve rather ride in the trunk!!
Strange, I had a Camry SE rental in January with 18 inch wheels. The ride was very soft and comfortable, smoother than my GS 350 over manhole covers.
Originally Posted by bitkahuna
the new camry interior is a huge step forward.
2024 (old):
2025 (new):
i wish they'd used less shiny black plastic and the tidier/smaller shifter used in many other models like the nx...
Agree with your first point. Disagree about the shifter. I prefer the traditional fore aft shifter, more intuitive and user-friendly.
I actually really like the new 25 Camry, especially the XLE.
HORRIBLE from the backseat!! Worst ride of my life!! It was a 2023.
Im sorry you had such bad experience, im 6’5” so I don’t like riding in the backseat of sedans either. But I’m telling you my Camry SE rental was nice and cushy, I think it was a 2024. Who knows, maybe I got some weird rental spec Camry with an LE suspension and an SE body kit and interior.
Im sorry you had such bad experience, im 6’5” so I don’t like riding in the backseat of sedans either. But I’m telling you my Camry SE rental was nice and cushy, I think it was a 2024. Who knows, maybe I got some weird rental spec Camry with an LE suspension and an SE body kit and interior.
LOL. I used to own a 2007 Camry SE and the ride was comforty far as I can remember from the driver’s seat. The 2023 Camry SE I was an Uber passenger so I sat in the backseat.
I test drove a Camry just in 2019 before COVID, and it had a magnificent ride IMO; unless it was a sports trim, or they decided to beef-up the suspension across the range to make it more sporty again in recent years?
For example, I have a 2015 4GS, and from its original release in December 2011 to its discontinuation in August 2020, the 4GS used so many different coil springs, shock absorbers and roll bars - depending on whether it was GS200t/300/350, GS450h, or GS350 AWD - hence, the different models and trims all drive and ride differently.
Anyone who thinks they all drive and ride exactly the same - doesn't know much about motor vehicles.
Here is a suspension parts number chart I made below for the 4GS Luxury and F Sport trims.
NB The month/year provided by the manufacturer is always in Calendar Years.
The original 2013 model year began moderately firm, gradually increasing to my 2015 RWD was the most firmly sprung and damped amongst the 8 years!
However, I guess consumers must have fedback, so that the 2016-20 coil springs and shock absorbers were much softer.
Below is a photo of my OEM 2015 RWD front coils on the left, with my softer retrofitted OEM 2016-20 RWD front coils on the right.
Notice how the new softer coils have a "taller" unsprung axial height? About 1" taller unsprung.
It's taller unsprung, because it has a softer spring rate, and once loaded, the new softer coil has exactly the same ride height.
If the softer coil had the exact same helical axial height when unsprung, then once the softer coil is loaded with the chassis' weight, it would end up with a lower ride height, and less suspension travel too.
My 2015 OEM 4GS RWD suspension was so firm, it handled almost like a compact sedan, but it had a tiring ride.
A total retrofit in my trunk below for a softer OEM 2016-20 RWD touring nee sporting-luxury ride.
Hence, I wouldn't be surprized if Toyota played around with the spring and damper rates and ride of the 2017-24 calendar year Camries.
Lately, my ES and NX loaners have been surprizingly firm in the suspension.
The NX had so little sound insulation with so much road and tire noise too.
The only great news is that the RZ BEV has a magnificent ride and great sound insulation...
Lately, my ES and NX loaners have been surprizingly firm in the suspension.
The NX had so little sound insulation with so much road and tire noise too.
The only great news is that the RZ BEV has a magnificent ride and great sound insulation...
Thank you peteharvey. I always like reading your insight. I wonder how much of an impact tires have on it. my 2010 GS 350 with stock suspension has 245/40R18 with Continental ExtremeContact DWS6 plus ultra high performance tires. That Camry I rented had 235/45R18 Hankook Kinergy GT grand touring tires. And it seemed to do a much better job of absorbing the large bumps and the horrible deep manhole covers my city has. The smaller bump absorption felt about the same.
Both cars had the same tire pressure psi 33. I had adjusted, of course, because it was rental car and some of the tires were wildly under inflated and wildly over inflated. lol
Also the Camry had more outside noises coming into the car. Because of the thinner glass. Thinner sound insulation. But I enjoyed that Camry way more than the dreary, soul sucking Malibu 1.5T rental I had before it. That thing was depressing and cheap feeling. And it had hard loud Goodyear “fuelmax” tires on it. Lol
That wouldn't be the norm, must have had bad tires, over-inflated, worn suspension or something.
My back was in knots. I was so happy to get out of there. Person I was riding with experienced discomfort as well. Don’t remember brand tires but we did get out and look at them and came to a conclusion maybe the lower profile tires deserves some of the blame.
Thank you peteharvey. I always like reading your insight. I wonder how much of an impact tires have on it. my 2010 GS 350 with stock suspension has 245/40R18 with Continental ExtremeContact DWS6 plus ultra high performance tires. That Camry I rented had 235/45R18 Hankook Kinergy GT grand touring tires. And it seemed to do a much better job of absorbing the large bumps and the horrible deep manhole covers my city has. The smaller bump absorption felt about the same.
Both cars had the same tire pressure psi 33. I had adjusted, of course, because it was rental car and some of the tires were wildly under inflated and wildly over inflated. lol
Also the Camry had more outside noises coming into the car. Because of the thinner glass. Thinner sound insulation. But I enjoyed that Camry way more than the dreary, soul sucking Malibu 1.5T rental I had before it. That thing was depressing and cheap feeling. And it had hard loud Goodyear “fuelmax” tires on it. Lol
You're right.
Tires, tire pressures and even wheels have tremendous impact on ride and handling.
When Steve bought his 4GS AWD Luxury trim back in 2013, it only came with OEM sports tires via Dunlop Sport Maxx 050 235/45 R18, on 9-split spoke alloys.
However, when I moved from my 3.5GS to 4GS RWD Luxury trim in 2015, the OEM was now Dunlop Sport Maxx 235/40 R19, on only 5-split spoke alloys.
Hence, I had to actually "downsize" back down to 18" rims, and this made a small difference.
Next, we realized on the forum that touring need sporting-luxury tires like the Pirelli Cinturato P7's gave a much softer ride and more quietness, albeit at the expense of handling.
On the 2015 RWD spec in particular, this was still too firm riding, hence I began dropping tire pressures to just 32 PSI below the manufacturer's recommendations.
To verify that tire pressures are not too low nor high, I have never used the talcum powder, nor the thermal imaging camera test.
Driving over talcum powder, if the powder is more prominent on both outer edges, then it is underinflated, while if the powder is more prominent in the center, then it is overinflated.
After driving for half an hour, if the outer edges of the tires are red hot with the thermal imaging camera, then the tires are underinflated, and so on.
Most important is to check monthly for uneven tire wear to verify if under/over inflation.
However, still too firm compared to original 2013 GS RWD's that I test drove, so I test drove my friend's 2014 RWD back to back with mine, and that's when we both noticed that the actual suspension felt different!
We contacted Lexus, and Lexus asked for chassis numbers, and that's when Lexus told us that the 2014 and 2015 RWD had different coil springs and shock absorbers!
I test drove a 2016 4.5GS RWD and the ride was so much softer and floatier, and apparently the springs, shock absorbers and front roll bars had changed again.
Although the 4.5GS midlife refresh is softer, it is only medium soft, and not genuinely soft like our 3.5GS.
Hence, right now, I'm actually thinking of further downsizing via Minus 2 to 17" with Pirelli Cinturato P7 Series II at 225/55 R17 on 17" x 7.5" rims with the regular +45 mm offset.
Big rims certainly have the esthetics.
Meanwhile, it is actually tread width and rim width that really maximizes grip, with wheel diameters of only small benefit.
It seems that many people don't realize that extra weight of the wheels and tires actually slows down both acceleration and braking while increasing the fuel consumption, plus compromizing the wet grip, ride comfort and quietness.
Hence, Formula 1 cars have traditionally only used 13" rims diameters.
Only from the 2022 season onwards have F1 cars switched to 18" rims - to esthetically make them "resemble" on-road vehicles for marketing purposes!
The rims and other tech matter a lot as well, the 20 inch rims on my Audis are lighter than the 17s that my 430 had due to being hollow forged.
Air suspension allows both super smooth and tight control depending on demands, the new hydroelectric per-wheel systems on the latest German cars are the ultimate in no compromise tech. Each single wheel can be controlled in real time and individually lifted over potholes etc in comfort mode and inversely pressed down hard into the road during hard driving.
04-24-24, 06:38 AM
my 2010 GS 350 with stock suspension has 245/40R18 with Continental ExtremeContact DWS6 plus ultra high performance tires. That Camry I rented had 235/45R18 Hankook Kinergy GT grand touring tires. And it seemed to do a much better job of absorbing the large bumps and the horrible deep manhole covers my city has. The smaller bump absorption felt about the same.