2014 TOYOTA Camry Review

Let's be honest here – nobody grew up dreaming to own a Toyota Camry and yet, apparently, we all buy one. For years and years, the Toyota Camry has been America's best-selling car. The reasons behind that? That's what we're here to find out.

Toyota's dominant mid-size sedan is now in its seventh generation and it feels as Camry as ever. It is difficult, truly difficult to find any major flaw with the Camry. Nonetheless, it is pretty much impossible to see it as too different from an appliance.

During our time with the 2014 Camry, we asked several people who had chosen one, or other Asian brands over American ones, to explain their pick. The superior reliability clearly topped our list of conversational topics. Of course, the related resale value argument followed.

The new model maintains quite a lot of the previous generation's technical pillars, but Toyota aimed to sprinkle some desirability over the Camry's practical package. For instance, when Toyota introduced the seventh-generation Camry in late 2011, they came up with the SE, a sportier trim level. This proved rather popular, with 45 percent of the buyers opting for it, so it can also be found on our tester as well.

Toyota has just presented a makeover for the Camry at the 2014 New York Auto Show. The changes come a little early and are more comprehensive than the carmaker's usual mid-life refresh techniques. The refresh includes about 2,000 new bits and pieces. Still, the 2015 Camry won't land in showrooms until this fall, which means that, for now, we are left with our pre-revamp test car. Don't worry though, throughout the review, we'll go over the updates, wherever they are relevant.

Toyota's Camry may come with front and rear end styling that is as Japanese as possible, but take a look at the side view for a second. With a silhouette that inspires sturdiness and generous cabin space, this could very well pass for an American mid-size offering.

With the 2014 Camry, you can see that Toyota has tried to make the vehicle look a bit more memorable. The efforts are shy though and they're decently integrated into the vehicle's bland overall appearance.

One aspect that drew our attention in particular was the collection of aerodynamic elements. It doesn't matter if these came from Toyota's F1 expertise or from its Prius, they are present - look closely and you'll notice the side mirrors and the rear lights hold aero fins. Moreover, the part of the rear bumper that goes under the car comes with similar elements. Streamlining it shall be then.

While our 2014 test car kept the exact dimensions of the previous-generation Camry, the 2015 revamp enlarges it by 1.8 inches (46 mm). At the same time, the tracks are now 0.4 inches (10 mm) wider. The chassis also features extra spot welds for increasing rigidity, even though the current model didn't perform badly in this area.

Nonetheless, the greatest change is the one the Camry really needed and it concerns the exterior design.

Just look at that grille and tell us it's not close to Lexus' spindle design. At the back, the resemblance is even stronger. We're not here to discuss what this means for Lexus customers, but, as far as the Camry is concerned, the changes are welcome.

If you've ever had trouble fitting all your stuff into your luggage, our tester should serve as the best tutorial on the matter. This car knows what efficient packing means.

Despite the fact that the 2014 Camry hasn't grown an inch, its cabin is more spacious. From the position of the accelerator pedal to the seats and the headliner, everything was redesigned or repositioned to offer more space. Indeed, there's plenty of room in here. With the exception of the rather uncomfortable middle rear seat, that is.

The 2015 Camry's growth will obviously bless us with even more cabin room, so your little ones can bring those extra toys for the family vacation.

Sitting in here, it's not difficult to tell that Toyota has built a strong design identity. We mean this in a literal sense. The cabin says "I'm strong" and we do like the dashboard's manly appearance. The only area that brings a feeling of cheapness to mind is the upper section of the center stack – from the central air vents upwards. The bad part here is that this hasn't been touched by the refresh.

What the facelift has brought though, is a host of changes aimed at moving the cabin slightly upmarket. You can now opt for genuine leather and a material called Ultrasuede. The... pleather in the Camry was starting to become annoying, so we approve the move.

Among others, this means we won't see the questionable dashboard stitching over something that is not leather – Toyota shared this weird feature with Renault (on the Laguna Coupe).

Moreover, the 2015 Camry comes with a redesigned center console tray. The list of novelties is led by the possibility to wirelessly charge your smartphone.

We found the dashboard instruments easy to read and nice-looking and the 2015 model brings a 4.2-inch information display between them.

Toyota should've also upgraded the padding though. This is present throughout the cabin, but there are many areas, such as the center armrest, which could've been softer.

Inside the Camry, the space and the ergonomics all come together to offer you the feeling of having made a truly handy choice. There was just one thing that amused us in here. Doing away with the Japanese tradition of placing a set of buttons to the driver's lower left, the Camry holds these on the upper side of the dash. Thus, it's very, very easy to reach the ESP Off (VDC in Toyota language) button. In a Camry.

Another asset comes in the form of the visibility. Special credit for this goes to the generous rear window – presently we are roaming the city and that wide rear view angle is reassuring.

Yes, people outside the US have also gotten the Camry idea.

This also means you get a hefty decent boot. 15.4 cubic feet (436 liters), to be more precise.

However, the more dynamic SE equipment level does bring a drawback for urban driving and we're referring to the electromechanical steering, which requires greater effort.

Speaking of this, let's take a paragraph to go over the various flavors in which you can have the Toyota Camry. At the base of the range, we find the L and LE grades. These are complemented by the premium-targeting XLE and the SE.

From the 2015 model year onwards, Toyota offers the best of the last two worlds, with the XSE trim. The 2015 XSE and SE Camrys can be distinguished by their sportier front fasciae.

Speaking of sporty, we prefer the SE model’s stiffer suspension. In the end, this is a better deal, since you gain more in terms of handling than what you lose on the comfort front.

The Camry patiently keeps you and your passengers in comfort. Nonetheless, there are missing bits. For instance, when you’re doing your highway driving, you’ll be left wishing for some extra soundproofing. While the Toyota Corolla lets too much road noise come in, the Camry doesn’t fully manage to keep the wind acoustics in check.

This is where the 2015 Camry steps in though. From a carpet that’s 30 percent better at insulating to redesigned door mirrors, the revamp promises to bring quiet in here.

What the 2015 model year doesn’t offer though, is a new list of engines. The yet to be announced output and efficiency may be a bit better, but the powertrains are essentially the same as those on our 2014 Camry.

This means you start off with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit delivering 178 hp and 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic, this will do just fine for daily use.

The four-cylinder Camry has two faces. Drive it up to 3,000 rpm, preferably with that “Eco” green light on the dash, and this is a decently refined sedan that can cater to your family’s needs. The engine feels a bit like those diesels Europeans love so much, with its sweet area being between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The long gear ratios are not exactly a surprise here.

If you are in a hurry though, the engine does fulfill its duties, but it all feels harsh. You’ll know you’ve chosen a car that’s practical, but nothing more.

This is why the 3.5-liter V6 is more of a comfort option. Matted to the same six-speed slushbox, the mill delivers 268 hp and 248 lb-ft (336 Nm). This comes to add to the Camry’s solid feel, making it a truly dependable choice. Of course, with the occasional sprints, you can also have a bit of fun smoking certain drivers.

No matter how difficult the road is or what kind of treatment you are applying to the throttle, neither you, nor your passengers will ever feel any trace of danger. Especially in SE trim, the Camry handles in a trully fair manner. You can’t upset this car through the corners.

Yes, there is a degree of body roll, but once it all settles, things go as linear as possible. Or uneventful, it all depends or how you wish to regard this behavior. Driving a Camry does bring many advantages, but it is as exciting as sitting in the back of a bus.

As for what the passengers can do, it all depends on which of the three infotainment versions you've chosen. It all starts with a six-speaker audio system using an LCD screen to talk to you. The intermediate option keeps the number of speakers, but you do receive a 6.1-inch touchscreen and navigation with voice control.

The range-topping choice sees 10 JBL GreenEdge speakers spread around the interior of your Camry. As with other Toyota models, the obsession for efficiency has also been transferred to the audio part – the GreenEdge tech allows the speakers to use 58 percent less energy compared to the previous Camry's 8-speaker range-topping system. Of course, superior quality is also mentioned. The system does provide a pleasant experience, but, as you can expect, is not something to remember.

As for the touchscreen display, the system keeps up with your commands, but its graphics are outdated.

We gave the Camry a nine in the safety department, but we have to admit it missed the maximum score by a small margin. The only official test where it didn't receive the maximum rating was the NHTSA small overlap. Here, the Camry offers moderate protection. As a driving experience though, this is totally safe.

It is one of those things that makes so many people go out there and buy one of these Toyotas.

The Camry is that friend that's always there for you. Others may not see it as being very bright or too pleasant during a conversation. However, you know just how dependable and reliable this is. Of course, Toyota's Camry is also easy to use. The combination between the aforementioned factors is probably the best part of the vehicle.

When inside the Camry, it is easy to focus on your other activities, as using this vehicle is an intuitive action. What is also intuitive is the Camry's affordability. The four-cylinder Camry starts at $23,235, including delivery charges. As for the Camry V6, this starts at $28,660.

One issue with the Camry is that people tend to take too many things for granted. Not too many folks will want to walk up to Monte Kaehr, Camry Chief Engineer and shake his hand for the solid feel of the thing. On the other hand, the engineer shouldn't make the assumption that people who look for that feel aren't emotional at all, so they do not require a communicative vehicle.

As an example, the Toyota could learn a thing or two from the Mazda6. Sure, there's a premium border separating the two, but this is not relevant for our point: Toyota should sprinkle just a tad of driving involvement over its experience. The subliminal kind that even appeals to those who take driving as a chore.

This all brings us to the 2015 model year revamp, which won't hit the showrooms until fall. We are not really holding our breath for a future where a Toyota Camry makes for an involving drive. Nevertheless, Toyota’s promise may materialize in a different manner. You see, the worst part of the Camry is that it does make you feel you are in a budget car. The updates brought by the 2015 refresh should change that.