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A look at the 2007 Toyota Camry
It's been the best-selling car in the U.S., and this year's model is better than the 2006 in dozens of ways.
 NEW YORK (FORTUNE Small Business Magazine) - I quickly felt at home in the new Camry, although the faintheartedness of that sentiment may induce apoplexy in those perfectionists at Toyota. Every time they roll out a new Camry, they announce that they have made it more sporty and stylish than the previous generation. But the Camry is more appliance than automobile, and customers who like it that way have made it the bestselling car in the U.S. for seven of the past eight years.
Making a stylish Camry is like putting gold plating on a microwave. When I saw the 2007 Camry for the first time, I said to myself, "Okay, the Camry looks better. Now let's move on to the important stuff: the practical reasons that cause people to buy Camrys in the first place." Over the course of a Toyota-sponsored three-day ride and drive in the hills northwest of Los Angeles, I realized that the 2007 Camry is better in dozens of ways than the popular 2006 model it replaces. Some prime examples: The new V-6 engine produces 50 percent more horsepower while using the same amount of gas; the car is much roomier inside without crowding a parking space; and the interior craftsmanship and materials would look at home on a Lexus. All this at an improved price: The base four-door manual model goes for $18,270, a few hundred bucks less than the 2006 model, while the LE V-6 costs $23,040. Why don't looks and agility matter to a Camry owner? It's simple: For most buyers over age 40, quality trumps style as the main reason to buy a car, and the median age of a Camry buyer is 55. That's not to say buyers of any age won't appreciate the design of the new model. It borrows the high-waisted, scrunched-window look of the larger Toyota Avalon and adds a droopy headlamp touch all its own. Despite the addition of a raised, squared-off trunk lid, the DNA of previous Camrys is clearly visible. On the road, the Camry performs even better than fans have come to expect-- the car is quick, quiet, and smooth. Engine choices range from the four-cylinder, 158-horsepower unit in the base CE model up to the 268-horsepower V-6, which goes from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds in the higher-end SE and XLE versions, and come with an all-new six-speed transmission. Arriving this fall is something special: the first Camry hybrid. It will produce 192 horsepower, zip the car to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, and squeeze more than 36 miles from a gallon of gas (vs. 22 city and 31 highway for the conventional V-6). Barring some inexplicable disaster, expect another 425,000 Camrys to find their way into American garages in 2006. Their owners won't find their neighborhood profiles any higher, but they can sleep soundly knowing they've made a smart choice. Photos and details: To write a note to the editor about this article, click here. |
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