emad2007

What if Toyota decides to renew the Camry coupe (Solara)? Well, Honda still sells the Accord coupe, so why not?

TF109B

HS does look somewhat like the NEW World Camry, not the USDM Camry. I think they should base the HS off of this Camry, and the ES off the USDM Camry.

spwolf

but HS is smaller car and cant be based on Camry... it is based on Avensis.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Seems like it's based on the Corolla!

spwolf

definetly weird choice by them :-). It would have looked better if they just used Avensis

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

The Accord sedan and coupe are near identical with similar faces, tails, and interiors.

The Camry and Solara were always more distinguishable from one another, inside and out.


Camry vs. Solara






Accord Sedan vs. Coupe








If Toyota decides to reintroduce the Solara, it should be designed and engineered with little correlation to the Camry.

RXSF

the current camry interior that is about to be phased out looks like it took a lot of inspiration from the Solara interior of the previous generation...

84Cressida

Good lord, the Accord's center stack looks pregnant.

I always loved the 2nd Generation Solara's interior, and the car overall. It could easily have been marketed as an ES coupe or something.

RX_330

The Solara has always been a slightly more upscale model. Very luxury minded at a decent price.

GS69

http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/09/09...y-first-drive/

Having expectations for a Toyota Camry is like expecting a bowl of pudding to rock your world – it just really doesn’t happen. That’s because when car enthusiasts think of the Toyota Camry, they immediately default to “appliance, white good,” but most of all, boring.

Nonetheless, Toyota Camrys of the past have indeed charmed drivers in their own individual ways despite their humdrum driving characteristics. In other words, they were likened to the household appliances that rarely ever saw use; however, whenever you used them, you were glad you spent the money. The unfortunate bit was that if you were to talk about such an experience amongst your friends, you’d most likely see them struggling to avoid yawning at you.

Getting back on topic- for instance, the Toyota Camrys of the 1990s were well known for being outstandingly well-built and good value for the money—despite their numb driving experiences.

But as time progressed, their build quality cheapened in bids to become the world’s most prominent automobile manufacturer. And they accomplished it for some time, but at the expense of the quality of their products. The last generation Camry was heavily criticized for its cheaply-built interior. Yet, the Camry still provided a refined and relatively comfortable driving experience. Optioned out with the SE “sport” variant and the 3.5L V6 and the Camry subtly rewarded with a silky V6 and a firm and compliant suspension setup that came damn near close to the European standard. It was like finding out that the geeky schoolgirl in your chemistry class was actually a supermodel.

Hence the reason why the first variant I sprung to test drive at the East Coast US world-debut of the 2012 Camry in New York was the all-new Camry SE V6. So, can the new 2012 Toyota Camry charm in its own way while addressing the concerns of the previous model? Well, let’s find out.

Armed and ready to go with a stomach stuffed with cheddar sliders that Toyota was so kind enough to offer for lunch that day, I set off to conduct my short review of the 2012 Toyota Camry SE V6.

Beginning with the visuals, I stood waiting for my food to digest, trying to figure out things to say about the all-new design. However, I struggled because, well, there wasn’t really much I could say. It’s as anonymous and inoffensive as the Toyotas of yesteryear were. I would still have to say that the new design appears to be more elegant and less dramatic than the previous generation, if that’s saying anything. But its “who me?” looks still can’t hide the hints of quirkiness in the design. For instance, the very high and squared off shoulder line and trunk mimics that of the lesser Toyota Corolla, which is a pretty stodgy looking car already. The SE “sport” variant differs from its siblings with more aggressive bodywork, a rear deck spoiler and sporty 5-spoke wheels. Even though it helps the new Camry look a little better than its other siblings, I still prefer the controversial looks of the previous generation in equal guise.

The inside equally maintains the similar but inoffensive looks. Last year’s interior was criticized for being heavy on the cheap plastic that not even a Chinese knock-off of tupperware could do any worse. The story for the new Camry is slightly different though. The first thing that stuck out most was the rather “upscale” appearance that the new design was exuding. Just from aesthetics alone, the interior made me think that I was in an entry level Lexus. The top of the dash was covered in what felt like leather and its black color contrasted nicely with the soft white stitching. Not a bad touch. However, as soon as the fingers hit some of the surfaces, those impressions immediately changed. Hanging out of the glove compartment was a little tag that insisted the 2012 Camrys up for demo were only pre-production models and that some of the materials weren’t production spec. But boy, was it obvious. It was unnervingly easy to decipher where Toyota spent the extra dough to dolly up the insides and where they kept the cheap materials. For instance, after reaching for the dash, I felt around the lower panels and the ones where skin-to-surface contact was less frequented. The difference in the quality of the materials was substantial. In fact, I would still stand by the notion that every other car competing with the Camry does a better job at utilizing plastics that at least look more high-quality than their run-of-the-mill prices suggest. And when compared to the Camry of the glorious 1980s and 1990s, there’s no argument that the Camry has still cheapened up.

As usual for Toyota, ergonomics and control layouts were easy, legible and a breeze to operate. Debuting for the 1st time in any Toyota was their new Entune system, which can be compared to examples such as Ford’s Microsoft Sync infotainment system and Chevrolet’s MyLink. After playing with Ford’s system in their new Edge, Chevrolet’s MyLink in the new Volt and Toyota’s new Entune, Toyota and Chevrolet have to score equally for ease of use in my book.

Because it was a warm and muggy 85 degrees out, I hit the starter button to bring the smooth, silky 3.5L 2GR-FE V6 to life so I could indulge in the air-con. I put the shift-gate into D and set off. The 3.5L V6 is a carry over item from the last generation Camry. Featuring the usual jargon such as Toyota’s Dual VVT-i variable valve timing, the 268hp and 248 lb-ft of torque made merging with the aggressive traffic of the Grand Central Parkway a breeze. The 6-speed automatic provided smooth shifts and was designed to always be in touch with the power band. The result is seamless power delivery and a rather enticing engine note. Now, I am one to give credit where it is due and I respect Toyota for maintaining the V6, while its other counterparts have shifted to all 4-cylinder models such as the Hyundai Sonata. And of course, because of the extra 2 cylinders, the V6’s 21/30 city/highway fuel economy falls slightly short of the competing 4-bangers.

As I traveled down the horribly worn surfaces of the Grand Central, the Camry’s usual expectation of suspension tuned for comfort over anything else was obviously apparent despite the SE’s firmed up suspension. However, there were quite a few differences between the new 2012 Camry SE’s setup and the previous generation’s setup. For 1, thanks to new suspension geometry and tuning, the new Camry feels more precise and controllable than the previous version. However, because the ride is not as stiff, the new V6 Camry seems to have lost some of the edge that made the previous generation so shockingly interesting. Then to add a little insult to injury, the steering, while sufficiently weighted, still remains to be as dead as a rock with an awfully unnatural feel in terms of progression. I would go as far as saying that the previous generation’s tiller offered a tad bit more feeling than the new 1.

Altogether, the new 2012 Toyota Camry V6 isn’t ground breaking, nor is it as shocking as the earthquake that occurred on the East Coast US on the day of the world debut of the Camry (oh the irony). But because Toyota heavily advertises their products—like the Camry—as being reliable, dependable and safe appliances, they will still sell by the millions. Despite this, what could be said about the new 2012 Camry SE V6 is nothing truly surprising to write home about, unlike the last generation. Back in the glory days of the 1990s, the Toyota Camry was a trendsetter for being outstandingly well-built, dependable, cheap and reliable to own. But it seems like the tides have turned and Toyota is making the Camry to run with the current standards made by the competitors, rather than setting the standards for the ones that chased after the Camry in the 1st place.

And to be brutally honest, as refined and surprising as the new 2012 Camry V6 SE could be for some like myself, there are better choices suited for more specific needs. For example, those seeking a more sporty drive can opt for the Honda Accord, the Ford Fusion, the Mazda6 or the Nissan Altima. Drivers looking for a more luxurious drive can look at the Volkswagen Passat. And for those looking for a drop-dead gorgeous all-around package, there’s the Hyundai Sonata. Not to mention, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has yet to come out, which promises to set a new standard for refinement and quality for the segment. But until then, for everything else, there’s the 2012 Toyota Camry.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

So, the point is:

The Camry does a good job pleasing the masses.

If it wanted to be the most sporty, or most luxurious, or most pretty, or most inexpensive, it probably could.

However, I doubt the Camry's success in the past has ever been due to its superiority in a single particular certain aspect.

Vanilla still sells.

84Cressida

The current Camry's interior was nowhere near as bad as he claims, and the competitiors were nowhere near as good as he tries to convey, either. Once again, another hater who think it's bland and that people should drive something else. Nothing to see there. And the lower dashboards of every car in this class is all hard plastic. Epic fail review, yet again. And sure, VW will sell you an overpriced "luxurious" Passat, and they'll make sure the money keeps on flowing in by making it an unreliable POS.

I've learned to pretty much ignore every reviewer's opinion who starts off with "The Camry is a boring appliance blah blah blah". When you start off with that tired BS, you've already got a negative prejudice on the car and aren't being objective, especially when you claim there are more "fun" cars out there and list the Accord, Fusion, and Mazda 6 as your examples.

spwolf

to me it seems he really wanted not to like it, especially that comment about "reaching down" to feel plastic was pretty bad :-)

84Cressida

ConsumerGuide had a pretty good review of the car:

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...ta-camry-1.htm

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

Automobile magazine also has a very balanced preview of the new Camry.