2018 Toyota Camry test drive.

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The people at Autoblog got the drive the new Camry.
HERE is what they thought of it.

Basically, they loved it.

But that is usually the case with every new generation.
Every time there is a new Camry, we hear/read how much better it is. How “this time” they got it right.
How they “finally” made it a “much better driver” etc…
In the process, they also always trash the previous version (The one they were praising 5 years earlier)

Most sites/magazines are doing it. And I can see how. These press drives are very pleasant events ( I went to a few of them myself)
Journalists are wined and dinned. Shown the sites of where ever they are.
It’s great!
And all the cars are wonderful.

Months later, it is usually another story…

Still, I have never been a “Camry hater” like so many people. Toyota has sold so many of them over the years, with plenty of happy repeat customers.
The Camry has been part of millions of American families.
(I am still amazed to see the many of the early 90’s generation around!)
I am sure the new now will do the same.

I think it looks really nice and upscale. The popular LE model starts at just $24 000.
You get the usual Camry recipe of a roomy, super quiet and smooth sedan that feels more expensive than it is.

I do like the fact that the engine is a regular smooth 2.5 liter. No Turbo or CVT.
(The 3.5 Liter V6 seems to only be available on the top of the line XLE this time. Which means almost no one will get it.)
The MPG rating of 28/39 is actually quite amazing for a car that size.

Here are all the prices.

Head over HERE for the whole story.

Conversation 9 comments

  1. Autoblog – owned by AOL – is fake news, which got hacked by the evil Russians. Putin personally alters their reporting and is trying to manipulate stoopid amerikanskis into buying inferior Japanese products.

    I know because I saw it on CNNBCBS.

  2. At least this time the Camry is actually all new (except for the V6 which is just a fwd version of the 2006 Lexus IS350 motor). The previous 3 generations rode on the exact same platform – so about 17 years.

  3. i just looked over the Autoblog photos and the side profile looks okay, the interior/dash i guess is fine….but the front end view with that fugly grill looks like a hot mess. Still…Toyota will sell shitloads of these new Camrys…even if they just only changed the radio know and nothing else. On a positive note i do love the new 2.5 L engine with much better power. (203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque and estimated fuel economy of 28 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, and 32 mpg combined ). I bet that engine will show up in the RAV4 and a bunch of toyota/lexus vehicles with or without turbo charging.

  4. I have read that the new Camry sits too low and the backseat is too far reclined making entry/exit difficult. I am looking forward to seeing how the redesigned Accord stacks up since Honda's have always been a more driver oriented car.

  5. Tony, wow, that's actually pretty amazing for an NA 4cyl. They can really axe the V6 at any point now, but they are not Mazda, so they will always offer a more powerful option.

  6. I think the sport edition's grills look better than the non-sport's, but both are not very appealing. Can't wait to see what Honda has in store with the Accord, and especially Mazda with the 6.

  7. Toyota just dropped drastically in Consumer Reports, to where they should have been a long time ago. They are very lowly regarded in the industry Vince P

  8. hi FusioptimaSX , i remember reading about 20 years ago or more about some production porsche that had a 4cylinder engine with 200 horsepower (non turbo) and it was considered some type of automotive engineering marvel back then. But wow, the last 10 years or so have given us lots of strong 4 cylinder motors..example : 2014 Honda Civic Si had 205 hp and 174 lb-ft , non turbo engine…..lots of other small 4 cylinder engines of 160-200 HP . The trick is having a good strong 4 cylinder engine that is not struggling to pull/push a way overweight and overloaded car or suv. Power to weight ratio is what needs to be looked at.

  9. Hey Tony, it's amazing how far we've come. Compared to 20 years ago, there's a lot more on the market now that would truly have qualified as a "sports car" back then. All the while with weight going up due to more features for safety, noise levels, etc…..and most being FWD!

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