mmarshall

Sure...anytime. More coming up when the vehicles are available.

Sure...fire away.

Were you looking at an XLE.....or an American-spec model?......I notice that you have a BC address. Canadian-spec models may not be the same as here.

The American-spec XLE I looked at had two remote drop-down pull-***** at the back of the trunk......one, of course, for each side of the splti- rear-seat. The pass-through hole, basically-rectangular-shaped, looked about two-feet wide and maybe 8-9 inches high (I didn't actually measure it). In the Hybrid version, of course, the assembly serves as part of the support for the big battery-pack.


Yes...that's opposite of what you see in many other designs...not to mentionthe fact that I had vever seen a combo before quite like this one. in my test-car, it seemed to have a mind of its own, and was quite difficult to get used to. (In fact, the system might not (?) even have beeen working entirely properly. Initial-teething problems are not as widespread in new or re-designed Honda/Toyota models as in a lot of other makes, but, of course, are not unheard-of).

Same as at my local dealership.....all of the 2012s were either white, silver, or gray. Although those colors are generally not my cup of tea (or maybe yours), that (and black) seems to be what sells nowadays.

lamar411

Thanks for the review MM. When this hits my local dealership i'll really be able to know if i shouldve waited for this or be happy for buying my CR-V. Any one have any idea, if the 4 cylinder SE would still have leather as a possibility? That is mostly what i would be shooting for if I was in the market.

Nextourer

Well this is based on the Hybrid models. There are two models now - LE and XLE. The LE has no options so it's just a one model, one price deal.

The Hybrid XLE that we had was kitted with a few options such as the power moonroof, leather/ultrasuede seats, blind spot monitoring system and the premium HDD navigation w/ Entune and JBL GreenEdge audio system.

A few notes...

• My co-driver and I couldn't really tell the difference in ride quality between the LE and XLE despite riding on different tyres and tyre sizes
• The tip-in on the Hybrid models seemed a bit aggressive even in ECO mode
• You have the ability to turn TRAC and VSC off (two different methods to disengage).
• The leather/ultrasuede seats are very nice and grippy and gives good contrast to the seating area on the XLE model
• There wasn't much grip on the eco tyres on the LE model
• Braking distance appeared quite good and shorter than the Prius or Prius PHV that we drove.
• The ride was composed over the train tracks that were part of the test route
• Acceleration is very good and the extra power is well appreciated

I drove a US-spec Camry Hybrid XLE model. I haven't not seen or driven the regular Camrys. It was a hybrid press event. Toyota was unveiling the Prius PHV & 2012 Prius and they had the Prius PHV, Prius v, Camry Hybrid and updated 2012 Prius available for test drives.

The Camry Hybrid only has one drop-down pull-***** in the trunk and its centred, rather than at each end.

I have no information on Canadian-spec models yet.


Yeah it is the opposite. It's also redundant since you can get the AVG MPG in digital form from the centre VFD display.



Yeah. I was hoping they'd have the new Clearwater Metallic or Barcelona Red. The silver LE looks plain Jane but the Magnetic Grey XLE does look a bit more handsome. It could be because of the larger wheels or the foglights.

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

There WAS an event at a big local mall where you could test drive the Prius family as well as the new Camry but I wasn't able to make it. From what I was told, the interior was still of a test mule so it had lots of the plastic we usually see on the pillars so it wasn't exactly a full experience. My dealership is going to have them this week to be on display/drive supposedly. I plan on going in soon to test drive and see if it is worth trading up to. Hopefully the suspension components are the same so its an easy swap but I highly doubt it. Until I actually set my eyes on one, I would still have the exterior of the Gen 6.5 with the interior of a Gen 7 haha

The iQ was here last week but they were not letting people drive it since it was the Torrance HQ's personal model they were bringing out to let dealers see. From what I could tell its like a wide body Smart and the interior is a bit funky. The dashboard with the optional sound system looks highly out of place to me but that is assuming the one they brought was the production model

mmarshall

Sure. Glad it helped.

If you are going to be driving in bad weather, that's pretty much a no-brainer....go with the CR-V. It is an excellent small SUV (though I find the Subaru Outback just as good in bad weather and more car-like).


According to Toyota Specs, the 4-cylinder SE model seems to offer only the Sport Fabric/SofTex-trimmed seats....in two different trim/versions. I don't know what the "SofTex "is (I haven't seen it) but my guess is that it's an imitation-leather.

http://www.toyota.com/camry/features.html

mmarshall

I see little sense, though, in turning those systems off. They are on the car for a reason....handling safety/traction on slick roads.


Pure-leather seats usually have to have a suede or fabric-insert in them, unless you want to slide around in them during agressive cornering......and most Camrys (even the SE) are not designed for sports-car cornering.


Not surprising. Eco tires are usually designed for low-rolling-resistance and good gas mileage rather than sticky-traction.

mmarshall

I'm eagerly looking forward to sampling the iQ. It's got to be better then the Smart, although one iQ review I've read said that the CVT saps a lot of spunk from the drivetrain. Still, I can't see the iQ being anywhere near as unfit as the Smart is for American driving conditions. And the Smart, under the Penske-importation-policy, only gave you a two-year warranty (that may change when Mercedes takes over the importation), while using premium-gas. The Smart's transmission's bucking is also a joke...the iQ's CVT can't be any worse.

mmarshall

The V6 XLE's new interior and powertrain is so nice, I'm really looking forward to see what Lexus does with the next ES350, which will no doubt use the same platform

Kamikaze2b

Great review, it's amazing how much progress this segment has made over the past 5 years.

mmarshall

Thanks.

The problem, though, with the Camry (and I mentioned this in the opening part of the review) was that, despite its continuing huge sales-numbers, it had (IMO) started a very slow but steady/noticeable deterioration in build-quality from the 3rd-Generation 1992-1996 model (which I thought was the best Camry version ever built), to the versions of today. The new 2012 model, happily, reverses that trend in all but sheet metal/door-solidness.

84Cressida

I test drove essentially the same Camry you drove the other day. I didn't find any noticeable difference in the sheet metal or the solidness in the doors when you opened and closed them. I even had your opinion in mind when I was testing the car.

spwolf

and how did you like it?

mmarshall

I respect your opinion, but I did find a difference. Basically, I was comparing the door-solidness of the 2012 to the 2011. It's not an enormous difference, I'll grant you, but, IMO, noticeable.

We're seeing that on a lot of new or redesigned cars today, for two reasons......first, cost-cutting, and, second, weight-cutting for higher gas mileage. Of course, no matter how thin or thick they make the door sheet metal, American-market verions still have to pass DOT/NHTSA side-impact-standards....that's a given.

Justin2JZ

Excellent review MM. Looking forward to more reviews

mmarshall

Thanks. More reviews will be on the way as soon as the manufacturers start shipping the vehicles. Most of the CL-requests I have, right now, are for earthquake-delayed models.