Multiple choices
Toyota’s Improved 2018 Camry offers a wide range of choices
NEWPORT ORE. » As a perennial America’s best-selling car, Toyota was very careful crafting their eighth-generation 2018 Camry.
They gave it a bolder exterior, more attractive interior, and kept all of the virtues that have made Camry buyers among the most loyal in the industry. But is it possible to use “Camry” and “sport sedan” in the same sentence? Come along for the ride and I’ll let you decide.
Picking which Camry model you like best may be the most difficult part of buying one. There are five trim levels, mixed with three powertrains. Then if you consider the wide variety of colors and option packages, you’ll start to see what I mean.
The vast majority of Camry buyers opt for the four-cylinder engine, and it is all-new for 2018. This 2.5-liter engine makes 203 hp. and 184 lb.-ft. of peak torque. The best EPA score for a four-cylinder car is 29-mpg city and41mpg on the highway for a combined result of 34-mpg. Achieving 41-mpg from such a roomy sedan is a noteworthy feat.
The 3.5 liter V6 is also new. It is now rated at 301 hp. and 267 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Is this enough horsepower to engineer sport into a sedan? You pay a price at the pump for this extra power. The EPA predicts 22-mpg city and 33-mpg highway with a combined number of 26-mpg.
Both these engines are attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission and are front-wheel drive.
You’ll also find improvements in the Hybrid’s drivetrain. The “2.5-liter Dynamic Force DOHC 16-valve D4S dual injection with dual variable-valve” engine puts out 176 hp. and 163 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Combined with the electric motor’s output, the system is rated at 208 hp. Most impressive is the 51-mpg city and 53mpg highway for a combined 52-mpg rating. Again, this is ground-breaking economy for a family sedan capable of seating five adults.
I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Ian Cartabiano, Toyota’s California design studio chief designer, who delighted our table with stories and Camry insider development details.
Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice looking at it is the aggressiveness of the five new grilles which help to differentiate between those Camrys that emphasis sport over luxury. The Camry SE and XSE receive a new front end that brings to mind a Formula One car.
The rear end echoes this more aggressive look, especially with the dual quad-exhaust featured on the V6 models. Every detail has been attended to, including a character line that graces the “C” pillars for additional light reflection. Even the name badge has moved up-market by changing from “Camry” written on a plaque, to individual letters.
Equal care was taken with the interior, and it shows. Toyota has moved up a grade in the quality of the materials. My favorite item was the delicate, yet sturdy, interior door handles that blend so nicely into the chrome door trim. Instruments are easier to read, plus the controls seem even more intuitive and easy to use.
Most surprising is the option of a bright red leather interior on the most sporting model.
We had the opportunity to drive all three powertrains around some stunning back roads, just outside of Portland. I started with the four-cylinder. We hadn’t even left the driveway when the new Camry’s solidity became readily apparent. It is their first vehicle to use TNGA, (Toyota’s New Global Architecture.)
I wouldn’t call this powertrain worthy of sport-sedan status, but for Camry’s intended market, the engine output is sufficient, the ride is excellent and the interior quiet is infectious.
Next up, we took out a Hybrid and it was with this powertrain we noticed the biggest difference in our choice of Camry driving modes. Switching to Sport produced a much-improved response from the car, but didn’t get to sport-sedan level. Our tester was very quiet, especially in EV mode. We did not verify the fuel economy, but feel confident most owners will routinely get over 50 mpg.
It was powering out of my first corner that the idea of calling a V-6 Camry a sport sedan first entered my mind. This caused me to conduct a poll. First among my fellow journalist out in Oregon. Then back home with friends, both auto enthusiasts and some current Camry owners. My “Can a Camry be a sport sedan?” question created some lively discussions. Based on a majority of opinions, including mine, the verdict is yes.
Toyota has made enough improvements that stiffen the chassis, while providing a perfect leather-wrapped wheel, connected to responsive steering hardware to now go around public road corners at a sane speed and experience pleasure, if not delight.
The engine’s ability to pull you out of said corners is enhanced by the eight-speed transmission’s fluid shifts. You suffer no loss of comfort with the slightly stiffer suspension, yet have better stick-to-it-iveness when you want it.
Oh yes, it is also a very quiet car, except when you press hard on the gas, then the song you hear exiting through the V-6’s four chrome tips might stir your need-for-speed reaction.
Will many buyers of BMWs, Cadillacs and Audis start cross shopping the Camry? Maybe not, but among those loyal legions of Camry fans who enjoy motoring decisively, there is cause for rejoicing.