Test drive Toyota Camry
You will not see such "Camry" in taxis and corporate parks: JBL, projection, 18-inch wheels, three-zone climate and, most importantly, 3,5 V6. Top Camry without a pass stuck in the garage Autonews.ru for the period of self-isolation
We had ambitious plans for this Toyota Camry: we expected to collect all generations, and later - to compare it with classmates: the new Hyundai Sonata and the restyled Mazda6. But there was a coronavirus, passes, imprisonment, masks and that's all.
The sedan with the encouraging V6 badge at the stern has been standing in the parking lot for the second month - under a layer of dust, in silence and with a hazy future. We meet with him a couple of times a week: I drive out of a nearby parking space, see off the predatory squint of Camry LED headlights in the rearview mirror and dream of polishing dry asphalt again somewhere on an empty Varshavka.
In Sport mode, the Camry really can't really catch on when it comes to a quick start from a standstill. In a stream, a Toyota that abruptly takes off from its place is similar to a light-engine plane: the front axle is unloaded, the sedan squats on the rear wheels and begins to accelerate rapidly. Hence, the dynamics are not the best in the class at the level of 7,7 s to 100 km / h. If the Camry was all-wheel drive, 249 forces and 350 Nm of torque would be enough to confidently leave 6,5 seconds. But the honest atmospheric "six" will hardly leave chances even for turbocharged classmates: in the range of 60-140 km / h, it is able to bypass both Mazda6 and Kia Optima.
In general, the operating experience of Toyota Camry before the pandemic showed that versions with V6 stand out somewhat: such cars are not bought by corporate parks, they are not in taxis and in the rental. Basically, top-end Camry is chosen by those who want dynamics, but do not accept turbocharged engines, and also believe in liquidity and are convinced that a car is also an investment.
Indeed, for this amount (up to 2,5 million rubles), there are simply no cars with large aspirated engines and decent dynamics. Considering buying a Camry as an investment even now, when it is not clear what will happen tomorrow, of course, is incorrect. On the other hand, this is one of the most liquid models on the market - losses are minimal, and the sale process itself will hardly take longer than a week. And don't be confused by the Camry being in the top for thefts - since 2020, all Toyota models have begun to receive the T-Mark protection system (individual body marking, which is visible under a microscope).
In general, the Toyota Camry V6 is a world of its own. It is not for nothing that there are even poems about the "Camry three and five".
How fast things are changing. Two years ago, at a test site in Spain, I was one of the first to test the pre-production Toyota Camry V70, and now it is going through COVID-19 with us in the Autonews.ru garage. However, all this time I was waiting for a new gearbox from the Japanese, but, alas, did not wait.
We are talking about an eight-speed "automatic" as in the new RAV4 - there the box is paired with a 2,5-liter aspirated. The Camry version with this engine is still the most popular, but instead of the new 8-speed automatic transmission there is still a "six-speed", inherited by the sedan from the previous generation V50. In general, Camry with the new "automatic" should be a little faster and more economical.
But the Camry V6 from the very beginning is produced only with an eight-speed gearbox - and this is another reason to overpay and choose the top option. And do not be confused by the fuel consumption: for a week in mixed mode, where there were "burgundy" traffic jams (yes, Moscow used to be like that), and the highway, and traffic lights, Camry burned 12-13 liters. A normal figure for not the lightest sedan with a large aspirated and 249 forces.
I like the way it behaves on the road: at high speeds it keeps just as confidently as the platform Lexus ES, and in city mode the Camry is soothingly calm, but by no means a roll, as it was before (I'm talking about the V50). By the way, there are no more reasons to scold the Camry for its appearance either: this design is already four years old and it seems that it has not aged one iota.
Yes, the Camry has good looks, a very reliable engine, high liquidity, a modern (finally!) Interior and a cool suspension. But you admire all this exactly until you open the price list. For the most equipped options, they ask for a minimum of 34 yew. dollars, and the most basic version with a cloth interior, a two-liter engine and 16-inch wheels costs almost 22,5 thousand.
Honestly, I adore the topic of chip tuning, power measurements at stands, testing dynamics in civilian conditions, and this is all about the squeal of rubber and cutoff. Toyota Camry 3,5 has already turned from an ordinary sedan into an urban legend - the V6 nameplate on the hood automatically means that it is a real petrolhead behind the wheel.
The only thing that should be confusing is the front-wheel drive. Yes, 249 forces and 350 Nm of torque is an overkill, but on the other hand, when Camry confidently hooked on, it continues to shoot where low-volume "turbo-fours" surrender.
Moreover, Toyota's aspirated engine has good potential for tuners: by and large, in Russia, the engine was artificially “strangled” to 249 tax forces. In the USA, for comparison, the exact same engine with minimal differences produces 300 hp. with. and 360 Nm of torque and promises dynamics at 6,5 seconds.
Of course, flashing the control unit has a detrimental effect on reliability, and we in no way recommend doing this - at least, this may become a reason for withdrawing from the warranty. But something else is important here: the motor has such a margin of safety that you don't have to worry about its resource at all. Unless, of course, you are not going to drive a Camry all your life.
However, let's leave the technique. With the change of generation, the Camry has become quieter, it is no longer afraid of sharp turns and steers well, but there is a problem: I feel uncomfortable in it. Yes, the Japanese have made a giant step forward in terms of ergonomics and finishing materials - Camry has become closer to the perception of "Europeans", which is great. However, I still miss advanced multimedia with cool graphics, fully digital tidy and familiar options like the electric boot lid. All this is not in any of the configurations.
