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Toyota Camry - The first thing that comes to mind when anyone comes across this name is it's an excellent choice for families who are looking for a boring, reliable, and fuel-efficient vehicle. I recently relocated to the USA and was looking for a similar family car to commute around.

Unlike my previous stint in the US where the market was ruled by buyers with excellent choice of cars with any given brand, it's a seller's market now. Even though the chip shortage is no longer a thing, it's extremely difficult to find a car of choice. Waiting periods of multiple months are common. The one thing that has eased is the markups by the dealerships. While some dealers do add markups, most of them now honor the MSRP and don't add absurd markups. It's better not to talk about the used car market. The prices of used cars are still astronomical. It doesn't make any sense to go with a used car with the rates that are quoted. We are living in some strange times.

My apartment is located right next to a Toyota dealership called Westboro Toyota in Massachusetts. I walked into the showroom on a Friday after booking an appointment and could hardly see any display/demo cars. There was just one Tundra that was on display but otherwise it was quite empty. A friendly sales manager called Alex greeted me and asked about my needs. I used to drive a Seltos in India. While I absolutely loved the car in India due to the sheer practicality it provides (the ground clearance which could just tackle all the giant speed breakers in India), I wasn't looking for any cars with a high GC here. I had decided to buy a sedan and had studied a bit on the various variants of Camry before arriving in the US. Alex checked the inventory and said there are no stocks of Camry but there are couple of them allocated to this dealer and will be arriving in couple of weeks. One was a base variant LE, which has a 2.5L Inline 4 producing 203 hp @ 6,600 rpm, 184 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm and another was a TRD variant, which has a 3.5-Liter V6 DOHC D-4S producing 301 hp @ 6600 rpm, 267 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm.

They had only a LE variant for test drives and Alex took me for a quick drive in it. It was boring. I was not at all interested in this engine and checked with Alex if they had any Camry with a V6 engine for a TD. Unfortunately, they didn't have any V6 variant for TD, but Alex promised that the performance is great. Since I instantly felt bored with the LE variant and was in dire need of a car, I asked Alex to book the TRD V6 for me. He agreed to sell it for MSRP with some accessories added and assured me that I wouldn't be wrong with the choice. I paid the advance and was told that the vehicle is currently in a train and will reach the dealership in another couple of weeks. They shared the VIN number of the car along with the spec sheet. I was told that the color of the car is Underground (Grey). The wait then started.

I watched a lot of videos on the TRD variant on YouTube while waiting for the car to arrive. I got a call from Alex exactly after 2 weeks that the car was just unloaded from the trailer, and I could drop by the dealership anytime to do a PDI before finalizing the car. Since I stayed next door, I just walked into the dealership and saw the car parked. Instantly fell in love with the car

First sight of the car, fresh from the factory:








I gave a green signal to Alex after performing the PDI and he immediately started working on finances and other stuff. I paid the down payment and was told that the car can be picked up once the plates arrived from RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles). Since it was a Friday evening, they promised the delivery on Monday. The endless wait of 2 days started, which felt like 2 years. I got a call from Alex on Monday noon that the car is ready to pick up. I immediately walked into the dealership and the car was ready with the plates.



Dealership has added a Chrome frame with their name around the number plate, which looks very ugly. I need to get it removed soon.




I was handed over the keys and documents and I was on my way in no time. Took out the car into an Interstate Highway and I had a big grin on my face

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TRD specific changes:

V6 engine is offered in three variants - TRD, XLE & XSE. XSE is the topmost variant with all the bells & whistles. I was leaning towards XSE but the dealer mentioned that I can expect an XSE only towards the end of September. I enquired with a few more Toyota dealers and the answers were the same.

TRD V6 variant is loosely based on the SE variant, but it gains some unique features compared to the non-TRD V6 models like bigger brakes, stiffer suspension, lowered body. The complete list of changes that are unique to TRD model can be seen below.

Performance:

• TRD track-tuned front and rear coil springs, shock absorbers and stabilizer bars.
• 12.9-inch front disc brakes with dual-piston calipers.
• Increased-thickness underbody braces and added rear seat V-bracing.
• TRD gloss-black front splitter, side aero skirts, and rear diffuser with red pinstriping.
• TRD gloss-black pedestal rear spoiler.
• TRD cat-back dual exhaust with polished stainless steel tips.
• About half-an inch lowered than the non-TRD models.
• Active Cornering Assist.
• Lighter body
• Low profile tires (P235/40R19)

Visual:

• Red-painted front and rear calipers.
• Black rear Toyota emblem and "CAMRY" lettering.
• TRD badge.
• TRD instrumentation with red-illuminated accents.
• Red-stitched instrument panel and shift boot.
• Black leather shift knob with red stitching and debossed TRD logo.
• TRD start-up animation.
• Sport SofTex-trimmed front seats with red seatbelts and stitching, red-stitched TRD headrest logo.
• Black floor mats with red Camry TRD logo and red outline.
• Aluminum sport pedals.
• TRD Premium Audio with JBL.
• 19-inch x 8.5-inch TRD matte-black alloy wheels with TRD logo on the center cap.

But the TRD model loses some features compared to the non-TRD V6 models:

• Moonroof.
• Heated seats & steering.
• Rear foldable seats.
• Rear AC vents.
• Rear seats armrest.
• Rear adjustable headrests.
• Auto-dimming IRVM.

The missing rear AC vents sounded like a major dealbreaker for me but later realized that the AC is powerful and cools the entire cabin in no time. The rest of the deleted features were not a dealbreaker for me.

[guyfrmblr]

I have driven this car for around 80 miles since I purchased it and hence the likes/dislikes may be limited but will update over the ownership period in this thread.

Likes:

• Powerful Engine - This V6 NA engine never runs out of breath. All it needs is a light tap on the throttle and it just lunges forward.
• Exhaust Note - The TRD cat-back dual exhaust has a sweet exhaust note. It's not too loud and does not sound like a tin can. It's easy to get addicted to it during the very first drive.
• Driving dynamics - The lowered body with stiffer suspension setup ensures that the car sticks to the ground like a leech no matter what.
• Comfortable seating position - I usually take a lot of time to find the right seating position with any car but I found the seats extremely comfortable and found the right seating position instantly. The 8-way power adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support makes it easy to find the right driving position.
• Paddle shifters - It's fun to drive this engine in the manual mode and I have been using it quite frequently lately.
• Gearbox - The Direct Shift 8-Speed Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) is quick and seamless.
• Exterior styling - My color of choice was White, but I had no choice due to extremely limited stock. The only available color was Underground (Grey color which looks like ash). I didn't like it in the photos, but it looks quite good in real. The front splitter, side aero kits and rear diffuser give it a sporty look. I'm not a fan of the spoiler but it's not too loud like the ones found in Subaru WRX STi.
• Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control & Lane Departure Alert controls - Found these useful while cruising on Interstates and work well.
• Safety - 10 Airbags with a host of safety features as part of Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ makes it a very safe car.
• Audio - The TRD premium audio with JBL includes an 8 channel DSP amplifier, 9 speakers and a subwoofer, which ensures superior sound quality.
• Headlights - The Bi-LED headlights are powerful and offers great visibility at night.
• Brakes - The upgraded brakes ensure that the car comes to a complete halt with no drama under any circumstance. The response is not at all spongy, it's very sharp.
• Acoustic noise-reducing front windshield - This greatly reduces the external noise. The car is absolutely silent if all the windows are rolled up. The only sound I hear inside the car is the humming of the cat-back exhaust.

Neutral:

• Absence of moonroof - This is not a dealbreaker for me, but Toyota shouldn't have skimped on this.
• Stiff ride - Even though I'm fine with this, the complaint is mostly from the family. While the stiffer suspension greatly improves the driving dynamics, this combined with the low-profile tires ensures that every pebble is felt inside the cabin.
• Spoiler - I'm not a huge fan of funky spoilers. It's not very loud but it would have been good if Toyota had toned it down a bit. The spoiler in XSE variant is the best. It has a very minimalist design.
• Lack of foldable rear seat - Forget about 60:40 folding, the rear seats in the TRD variant do not even fold. This is due to the presence of the chassis V-brace behind the rear seat. While this might be a dealbreaker for many, I'm not much bothered about it. All my previous cars had this, but I may have used it only once or twice in the last 18 years of driving.

Dislikes:

• Bland interiors - While the quality of the materials used is good, the interiors look quite dated. The designs on the seat are from the previous decade. Coming from a Kia, it's a downgrade for me.
• Infotainment system - Toyota needs to really step up the game on this. The UI looks straight out of early 90s and is laggy.
• Absence of fog lamps - This is a major trend with most of the manufacturers these days. I have no idea why every car OEM is keen on deleting fog lamps. It's extremely convenient during low visibility.
• Lack of dual zone climate control - The XLE & XSE variant have this convenient feature. I have no idea why Toyota skipped this on the TRD variant. It's an expected feature at this price point.
• Absence of auto-dimming IRVM - This is one more pointless deletion by Toyota in the TRD model. There is absolutely no point in skipping this feature.
• Absence of auto-folding ORVMs - None of the Camry variants have this. I'm not sure why Toyota has skipped this convenient feature.
• Lack of heated seats and steering - The winters are harsh in Northeast and it would have been a good addition.

I'm not going to comment anything on the Toyota reliability for now. I have seen discussions/arguments on every thread related to Toyota about its great reliability. This is my first Toyota car and I'll reserve my comments on the reliability until I experience it during the course of ownership. Meanwhile every car that I owned since 2001 very extremely reliable, which includes cars from Maruthi, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda and Kia. So not sure how the Toyota reliability differs from those.

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Exterior shots:

The Grey color (which Toyota calls it as Underground) looks different when viewed under sunny and cloudy conditions. Here are some of the pictures which were taken under sunny conditions. Compare these pics with the ones in the opening post. It mostly looks appears like dark grey under cloudy conditions.

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Engine:

This variant comes equipped with a 3.5-Liter V6 DOHC D-4S that produces 301 hp @ 6600 rpm, 267 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm. These numbers are copied from the spec and I'm a lay man when it comes to understanding these numbers or technicalities and won't pretend to be an expert on jargons like mid-range, low-range, ratios, 0-60, etc. The only thing I can comment on the engine is that it's powerful and is a joy to drive.

The heart of the car:




The sweet exhaust note of the Cat-Back dual exhaust. I recorded this with a phone, but it sounds sweeter than the sound heard in the video recording. It's not too loud and Toyota has tuned it just right.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fDAxMv8Dw60?feature=share

TRD Cat-Back exhaust:


Rear diffuser:


Front splitter:




Side aero skirts:




Spoiler:




Michelin tires (P235/40R19) with matte black alloys. The red calipers can be seen here (The red paint adds an additional 10 HP ):




The TRD logo (which adds an additional 10 HP )


Again, I have no idea what diffusers, splitters or skirts do. Will read about them in internet sometime and try to become an armchair expert soon.

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Some shots taken at night.

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Interior shots:

The dashboard is basic but functional. All the buttons and knobs are in the right place and feel durable. It's the design which looks dated.


I hate the steering wheel design. That horn pad design looks ancient and is straight out of the Toyota parts bin that is shared across all their vehicles.


Paddle shifters:




A TRD animation shows up on starting the ignition. All dials are analog with red accent.


Front seats are extremely comfortable. As I stated earlier, I was able to find my driving position in no time.


The driver seat gets a 8-way power adjuster with lumbar support.


Whereas the front passenger seat gets a 6-way manual adjuster. Look at the design of the seat, straight out of 90s.


The rear seats are comfortable but do not get adjustable headrests. They cannot be folded down. The red seat belts look tacky in pictures but look pretty nice in real.


No rear AC vents:


Two rapid USB chargers at the rear:


TRD gear knob (Red stiching):


It has an electronic parking brake. There are three driving modes - Eco, Normal & Sport. The Sport mode really opens up the engine.


There is a small storage area in front of the gear knob which has a sliding lid:


The storage below the front armrest is adequate. It has two USB charging ports (USB-A & USB-C):


Aluminum sport pedals:


A closer look at the side AC vents. The automatic high-beam, traction control, boot-lid opener and fuel-lid opener buttons can be seen at the bottom:


There is a small storage area below those buttons:


Basic sun visors with a vanity mirror and an extension:


Basic IRVM:


Two LED map lights and a SOS button:


Tiny glove box for a car that boasts about space. Even the cars manuals are a tight fit in it:


Front door pad:


A huge 428L boot that gobbles up whatever is thrown at it.


The TRD floor mats. Since the dealership installed the All-Weather floor liners, the TRD summer mats were packed and given during the delivery.


Basic key fob. My colleague gifted me a keychain with TRD lettering to spice it up a bit:

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Audio & Infotainment:

This car comes equipped with TRD premium audio with JBL includes an 8 channel DSP amplifier, 9 speakers and a subwoofer. It sounds good. I'm not an audiophile but it sounds good to my ears. I listen to several types of audio tracks ranging from Carnatic Classical to Western and everything was well rendered by the audio system.

A big thumbs up for this wonderful audio system






Whereas a big thumbs down to the infotainment system . This car comes equipped with a 9-inch touch screen.


Turn it ON and you'll be greeted with a UI which looks slightly better than the Windows 3.1 UI. It's very laggy. Some of the click actions take a couple of seconds to respond. While the other car manufacturers are equipping super computers inside their infotainment systems, Toyota is stuck with an OS that looks like a side project done by high school students. The only saving grace is that it now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (which Toyota were very reluctant to support up until recently).

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Toyota App:

Toyota App is used to control some of the functions of the car remotely. It works well on iOS. Toyota provides a 1-year complimentary subscription on the Remote Connect service. This feature can be used to Start/Stop the ignition, lock/unlock the doors, get some info on the fuel level, DTE, odometer reading, etc. The features of this service work pretty well.

Options to start/stop the ignition, lock/unlock the doors remotely.


Status of the car:


Tire pressure:


Last known location. The car can be remotely disabled if found to be stolen.


Displays some driving statistics:

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Initial driving impression

Driving in the city:
While there are no congested city roads around the place where I live, I have once taken it to Boston downtown which has congested roads with bad traffic. The car performed pretty well in the city traffic. The gear shifts were seamless and didn't feel any jerks.

Driving on the highway:
This car is meant to be driven on highways. It always manages to put a wide grin on my face whenever I take it on Interstate highways. It never feels out of power at any speeds. I'm yet to take it on a really long drive on a highway but I'm sure it's going to perform well. There are some upcoming long trips that are coming up and will update the experience in this thread.

Suspension and ride quality:
The TRD tuned suspension is stiff. Every pebble is felt inside the cabin. The best thing about this suspension setup with lowered height is that it just stays planted on any type of road. I never felt nervous at any point in time with this car.

Gearbox:
This car has a Direct Shift 8-Speed Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and it performs pretty well. The shifts are seamless and is well mated with the engine.

Brakes:
This car has bigger brakes compared to the non-TRD variants. They are sharp, and the car just stops in a straight line from any speed with no drama.

Fuel Efficiency:
It's too early to comment on FE. Toyota advertises that it gives 22 MPG (9.3 kmpl) in cities and 32 MPG (13.6 kpl) on highways. I'll update the real-world figures in this thread in future.

Warranty Information

Basic Warranty - 36 months/36,000 miles
Power Train - 60 months/60,000 miles
Corrosion Perforation - 60 months/unlimited miles
Restraint Systems - 60 months/60,000 miles

Conclusion

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase of this car. It has many shortcomings in terms of features, but I feel it's not too bad compared to the price point of this car. The things I love the most about this car are its engine and driving dynamics. It just stays flat on any type of road. Throw it into a corner and it handles extremely well without any drama. And not to forget the sweet exhaust note that provides a great aural experience. This car is not recommended for someone who is more technically inclined as it has a basic set of gadgets and features compared to the other modern cars out there. I'll update this thread regularly with the ownership experience.

[Gannu_1]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Wishing you an amazing ownership Vinay!

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Audio & Infotainment:

Turn it ON and you'll be greeted with a UI which looks slightly better than the Windows 3.1 UI. It's very laggy.

While the other car manufacturers are equipping super computers inside their infotainment systems, Toyota is stuck with an OS that looks like a side project done by high school students.

Somehow I've felt the UI of the infotainment units on the Toyotas and Hondas are very rudimentary unlike the Germans or even Kia/Hyundai. Feels very primitive even though the OEM is a reputed firm like Alpine.

[GTO]

Man, I love this generation of the Camry & I love your V6 TRD even more. Big congrats on the car. IMHO, this is one of the best family sedans on sale in the world today. Toyota truly moved the game up with the current Camry.

Enjoy the 6-cylinder motor, there is no going back to an inline-4 once you taste a 6. And that acceleration time of ~5.6 seconds for the 0 - 100 is comparable to sporty cars from the 90s (e.g. Acura NSX, Aston Martin DB7 or early 90s M5s). All this in a car with space, practicality and reliability.

Will go to our homepage tomorrow .

[extreme_torque]

Lovely looking thing. Unfortunately Toyota stopped selling V6 here in Australia but we never had the TRD version anyway. The buyers are also preferring the hybrid version which has terrific fuel economy.

[84.monsoon]

Excellent review thanks for sharing a detailed account of your car decision making process after moving to the US. Many of us have gone through a similar process and I could not help but remember my own move to the US 25 years ago. There was no team-bhp then and it was my first car purchase, one had to relay on the collective wisdom of a group of Indian classmates and friends who had moved earlier. Every single one in the group bought only one of 4 cars - Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, with an occasional Nissan Sentra as an outlier. Buying anything outside of this set the strongly discouraged by the value-conscious, service-conscious, resale-conscious and reliability-conscious Indian community in the USA, Sadly, none of my friends back then seemed to have even a single bone of auto enthusiast inside them

I guess I had a bit of a car enthusiast somewhere deep within me even then, although I had never owned any cars at that point. Back in 1998, the internet was just becoming useful as a tool to research cars and I ended up shortlisting the VW Passat (It had the 1.8 TSI engine that was just introduced back then making 150 HP) and the BMW 318i. My friends strongly discouraged me from buying either of these two cars and convinced me somehow that I would spend a lot of time and money just to keep these cars running due to poor reliability. They somehow persuaded me to stick with Toyota or Honda.

Went with a friend who was super happy with his Toyota Corolla with a vague idea of getting a Camry. I went through the exact same feelings that you outline after testing the 4 cylinder variant of the Toyota Camry - what was then a 2.4 litre DOHC (DOHC technology had just been introduced by Toyota in its US line up, and faithfully continues with many incremental improvements). The car has just 133 horsepower and was a sloth. Much against the wisdom of all my friends, I decided to plonk down 4000 more dollars to get the 3.0 litre, 24 valve, DOHC V6 Camry. It was the first V6 in our extended Indian friends circle. That car had 192 HP back then and was silky smooth to drive and had very good pick up on the highways. Served us so well for 8 years and 90K miles.

Best of luck with your new car!

[Aditya]

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