We drove a $39,000 Toyota Camry V6 to see why it's the best selling car in America - here's what we found
Over the decades, Toyota's stalwart sedan has changed with the with times.
It's styling and capabilities represent represents the pinnacle of steady daily transportation.
However remarkable they're quality, engineering, and sales prowess may be...
...The Camry remains a bit boring and innocuous.
Toyota has certainly tried to spice things up with likes of the Camry coupe and...
...The swoopy Solara convertible.
Nope. Still boring.
The eighth generation Camry is all-new for 2018.
It comes just in time to go head to head with Honda's all-new Accord and...
...Nissan's recently unveiled Altima sedans.
The first thing you notice is the fresh sheet metal. In sport trim, the new Camry looks aggressive. In white and black, our test car liked like a giant Storm Trooper helmet from Star Wars. The angular front grille and chiseled spoilers...
...Are offset by the sweeping curves and flowing fast back roof line.
The rear end is punctuated by a small decklid spoiler and a diffuser flanked by a quad-tip dual exhaust system.
The new 19-inch alloys look great.
Inside, our test boasted a stunning blood red leather interior with black and metallic accents.
The red leather proved to be eye-catching, but polarizing. The interior material and build quality are truly Lexus-worthy. The seats proved to be easily adjustable, well-bolstered, and comfortable even on long journies.
The rear seats boast plenty of room for two adults and one child.
While a power-operated panoramic roof floods the cabin with sunshine.
Outback there's a 15.1 cubic foot trunk.
In front of the driver is a 7-inch TFT information display flanked by a pair of traditional analog with gauges. There's also 10-inch color head-up display.
The Camry's stylized waterfall-style center console is dominated by the climate controls and touchscreen infotainment system.
The 8-inch touchscreen runs the latest version of Toyota's Entune infotainment system. Entune has not been one of our favorite systems in the past.
The image quality is subpar while the Bluetooth phone pairing produced poor sound quality. However, it's menus are logically placed and it has proved to be highly reliable during our week with the Camry.
However, the Camry's other tech features did impress. Our top-spec tester came loaded with a pre-collision warning system, pedestrian detection, intelligent radar cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, QI wireless charging, and a JBL sound system.
The Camry's four-surround-view camera proved to be impressive as well.
It not only provides an overhead view of the car,...
... It also provides a 360-degree panoramic sweep of the car's surroundings.
It also provides the driver with a view of what the car looks like from the outside.
Powering our test car is a silky-smooth 301 horsepower, 3.5-liter, naturally aspirated V6. It's one of the last of its kind in the segment with most of its rivals going to turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Power flows to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic.
The Camry can also be had with a 203 horsepower, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four-cylinder engine and a 176 hp four-cylinder hybrid drive unit.
So what's it like the drive?
The 2018 Toyota Camry V6 is surprisingly gutsy. Dial the car up in sport mode and the Camry will gladly chirp its tires off the line. And it has got the grunt to embarrass unsuspecting yokels at the stop light.
According to Motor Trend, the V6 Camry will hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.8 seconds and run the quarter mile in 14.3 seconds at 99.6 mph.
The ultra-refined 3.5-liter V6 delivers gobs of powerful without hesitation.
The dual exhaust will even emit a pleasing bestial growl. Something I never thought I'd say about a Camry.
Around corners, the Camry also surprised with its grip and rigid frame.
When not in speed demon mode, the Camry returns to its normal state as a comfortable, well-mannered family hauler. Its cabin is a quiet, refined, and all-around pleasant place to be.
The verdict.
Simply put, the 2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 is magnificent. It's refined, comfortable, powerful, quick, and surprisingly fun to drive.
The new sheet metal and interior accents give the Toyota a new edginess that actually feels right. For me, the new Camry is a lot like Sriracha. It adds a pleasant kick to a bland dish without being offensively spicey like habanero that scorches a hole in your tongue.
At the end of the day, the 2018 Toyota Camry is still the Camry we have come to love over the past three decades. It's still built as solid as marble Cathedral. It's still going to be as family friendly as Mr. Rogers. And it's still a bit soulless.
I really like it.
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