BALLER ON A BUDGET

Range-topping Sports Luxury models get a 17-speaker Mark Levinson stereo, upgraded front seats and power reclining rear seats, a rear window sunshade and more. The best bit might be the ludicrous amount of rear seat space room that rivals the loaded Mercedes-Benz SClass for the price of a C-Class.

YOU’VE GOT TO GET THE HYBRID

A conventional 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 152kW is standard, or you can get a 2.5-litre hybrid for about $2000 more.

The latter uses less fuel ( just 4.8L/100km) to make more power (160kW), while ramping up the sort of quiet refinement people expect from a luxury car.

It’s a sensible choice, which is why some 85 per cent of customers go the petrol-electric route. But it’s not sexy – you’ll find the same technology under the bonnet of most taxis in any capital city.

BUT NOT THE F-SPORT

We’re fans of the Lexus ES. It’s a spacious, comfortable and pragmatic choice.

But the glam-Camry is nowhere near as fun to drive as a BMW 3 Series or Genesis G70, so we’d steer away from the tauter suspension, low-profile tyres and angry black rims of the ES - the latter look like something a teenager on a budget might do to grandad’s hand-me-down .

The basic version on 17-inch wheels is easier to reconcile, as is the fully-loaded Sports Luxury with its opulent cabin at an eyecatching price. After all, the middle option isn’t always right.