Toyota has always enjoyed a loyal customer base. In fact, there is a higher percentage of repeat buyers within the company, one that rival brands like Cadillac and Lexus has the titles to for years. One of the automobiles that most drivers come back to is the Toyota Camry. The Camry has evoled into what some would say a rocket ship of success, never yet seeing any sign of a descending path back home. And so this where the newest design of the Camry arrives to. Staying one step ahead of it's rivals is something the Japanese automaker has accelled at. And now we look into the second year (2008)analysis of what has made the Camry such a stellar choice among consumers. And why this car has even ticked the highst marks with my review.
The model I have decided to try out was a fairly inexpensive model, the LE. Traditionally they are a four cylinder with meager equipment options that don't set the world on fire. It's important to look at the volume trim leader, to see excactly why they sell so many every month. The Camry LE comes equipped out of the box with all the power options, cd player, safety up to ying yang, and very appealing interior decor. The four cylinder was crisp, and had no problems traversing up and down the rolling California hills. In addition, the transmission was fluid, had lots of kick going into the next gear. A very responsive drivetrain indeed. Braking and handling were commendable and the Camry was exceptionally stable in the ride department. The susupension buffered a lot of the road bumps and bruises, which California is famous for having plenty of. All in all, the car was outstanding in all of the performance arenas, nothing noticably negative to point out.
Secondly, the interior had a great ambiant comfort to it. Just like designing a living room, just the right combinations of color really set the mood. My review model had the titanium light grey fabrics and panels. Sitting was like being on the couch, soft on the tush, yet supportive on the back as well. The fit and finish on the dash was clean, no huge gaps, and also felt high quality to the touch. And this is with no evident squeeks or rattles in the test drive. Next, all pertinent controls were easy to reach without stretching and they were user friendly. There wasn't a time I had to go digging into the manual for any directions. The inside was superbly thought out by Toyota's R&D, three thumbs up.
My only criticism happened to come on the exterior design. First of all, the wheel caps for a $20,000+ automobile where chinsy and bland. Didn't go well with the overall look. And as far as the overall look, the design was too lumpy, like a pile of cotton balls. The headlights and taillights had a totally different look that didn't transition well with the body lines of the car. That's really it for the annoying tid-bits. The craftmanship is also great on the fitment of panels. But as far as style, it's one area that's a consumer preference. And I doubt it's going to hurt the Camry's bottom line.
So what else is there to point out you ask? The car is such a hot seller with the gas prices now, that it's a mix of ingredients made into a wonderfully elegant piece of driveway pie. Prices range between the low 20's to as high as the upper 20's, and there is about 1,200 between invoice ---> MSRP on the LE model. Slightly more as you go into the higher priced trims.
In closing, the Camry is among the best of the best in a long list of mid-sized sedans. A clean, reliable choice and will maintain it's championship status for a long time to come. But be on the lookout for some stiff competion, there will be a great argument ten years from now on who will emerge numero uno.
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