2012 toyota Camry Xle V6

2012 Toyota Camry Xle V6: While the 2012 Toyota Camry lacks the instantaneous appeal of some competitors, a number of essential, step-by-step enhancements make it a deserving contender for any kind of family-car consumer.

The five-seat car comes in L, LE, XLE and sport-tuned SE trims. A four-cylinder engine is basic, with a V-6 optional on the SE as well as XLE. I evaluated the much-improved Camry Hybrid individually. The new Camry won't take place sale till October, but I drove most variations at a media preview.


2012 Toyota Camry Xle V6


That Point's New?

Toyota defines the Camry as all-new-- 7th generation, upgraded from top to bottom-- however the styling suggests a milder upgrade. The cars and truck's size, width and wheelbase remain the very same. The headlights look even more reshaped than reimagined. The boomerang taillights add something fresh, but the side account smacks of the old Camry.

The Camry SE has flashy body treatments and 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels, versus 16-inch steel wheels on the base design. Much better integrated compared to the outbound Camry SE-- whose slapped-on extensions had all the makings of a price cut nose job-- it's the clearest redesign of the number, if you can follow its face. I see the late-2000s Acura TL, some Mazda6 and a great deal of woodchuck.

Revamped Inside

The revamped cabin feels richer, if less consistent, than before. Clothed with sewn artificial leather and a chrome-flanked, increased facility panel, the dashboard has lots of upscale eye candy. The high quality surpasses sight alone-- the environment regulates really feel weightier and also the gearshift crisper relocating from Park to Drive.

I favor the last Camry's cushy seats to the new variation's, which are a touch firmer. Still, the vehicle driver's seat has great modification array, and the facility console does not encroach on hip or knee space. Though the rear seat is not as cavernous as a Volkswagen Passat's or Honda Accord's, it fits grownups fine, with great headroom and also a hump-free floor. The Camry XLE sheds its reclining rear seat, yet all trims acquire a 60/40-split folding backseat. The previous generation's SE and also XLE backseats didn't fold.

A couple of locations get the short shrift: affordable rear door panels, a worn headliner, say goodbye to one-touch power windows throughout. Overall, however, cabin top quality really feels competitive, if short of the Kia Optima as well as Passat. And also the Camry's practicality-- huge storage cubbies, exposure unfettered by a descending roofline or thick window columns-- ought to attract buyers.

Trunk volume measures 15.4 cubic feet, up from in 2014's 15.0 cubic feet (14.5 in some trims) as well as beating the Accord. If trunk area is high up on your checklist, have a look at the Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion. Both cars top 16 cubic feet.

The Complaint is Hold

The prior generation Camry was quick: capable with the 178-horsepower four-cylinder, muscle with the 268-hp V-6. That carries over for 2012, along with a 2 mpg renovation for every version in combined city/highway mileage, inning accordance with EPA quotes. At 28 mpg with the four-cylinder and also 25 mpg with the 6, the Camry leads all competitors yet the Sonata. Credit Toyota for slimming most versions down more than 100 extra pounds, tweaking the drivetrain, adding fuel-saving electric power guiding and also outfitting the Camry with lower-rolling-resistance tires.

I'm sold on four of the 5 modifications. Like many family-car automatics, the Camry's six-speed discovers multi-gear downshifts, yet it upshifts smoothly and also generally kicks down quickly enough. (Toyota has actually dropped last year's standard transmission.) Exactly what's more, the Camry outsteers its predecessor. I drove 2011 and also 2012 Camry LEs back-to-back, and the old vehicle's comatose steering responses as well as freeway discomposure have reduced. The 2012 Camry's wheel still goes numb during quick lane modifications-- the Accord and also Combination maneuver better-- but it feels a lot more confident than it did.

The tires, however, are anything but. The Camry LE has Michelin Power Saver Green-X all-seasons, whose reduced moving resistance enhances gas mileage. Sadly, it comes at a high expense. Push the accelerator, and the front wheels rotate away. On sweeping curves, the tires damage from the line early, reined in only when the standard digital stability system calls order. The outgoing Camry utilized common Michelin Energy MXV4s. Where they stuck, the Power Savers wander off. Most awful of all, I observed this after hours of moderate driving with temperatures in the 80s. On a blustery winter day, I fear the Power Savers would make out also worse.

The Camry XLE and four-cylinder SE wear 17-inch Michelin Primacy MXV4s. They, also, do not have much grip. The V-6 SE has 18s as well as Michelin Primacy MXM4s, which-- finally!-- play good. They fit the SE, which enhances its discordant precursor. The last SE dealt with also poorly to validate its uneven ride. I drove both generations back-to-back, as well as the new one leans more but handles better-- sharper equilibrium, stylish drifting, far better steering comments. I just want Toyota had actually functioned comparable magic with the suspension. It doesn't jar as much via holes and also ruts, however small bumps are felt in a fatiguing, ever-present rhythm. Some competitors-- the Suzuki Kizashi in particular-- discover much better ground in between trip as well as handling. The Camry SE has boosted, however it's not there yet.

Ordinary Camry trims ride a touch firmer than previously, however total comfort still impresses. So do the brakes. Toyota switched in a little larger four-wheel discs for 2012, and also the straight response enhances the Camry standard.

Safety and security, Quality & Prices

Since this writing, the Camry has yet to be crash-tested. There are 10 standard air bags. As required of all 2012 models, a digital security system and anti-skid brakes are common. An unseen area warning system is optional on the XLE. Toyota has yet to value the vehicle, however authorities informed me the popular LE model won't stray a lot from its 2011 rate-- $22,700 with the automatic-- and also the price of the SE and XLE "will certainly be significantly reduced" compared to their predecessors. Those trims were around $24,000 and also $26,500, respectively, with automatic transmissions.

Don't expect to find a Camry L easily. Toyota claims the base trim will certainly consist of less than 5 percent of all sales-- mainly to business fleets, not consumers. Conventional features include air conditioning, cruise control, power accessories, Bluetooth and an iPod-compatible stereo. Mainline Camry trims add steering-wheel audio controls, remote keyless entry as well as a touch-screen stereo with Bluetooth audio streaming. Check all the choices, and also the Camry could have heated leather upholstery, power pole position, a moonroof, JBL sound, two separate navigation systems (see the pictures to compare) and also Toyota's Entune multimedia system, which we detail right here.

Camry in the marketplace

Toyota chose short conclusions with the brand-new Camry: Squeeze out one more 2 mpg, refine the guiding and handling, enhance the brakes. Some purchasers might desire the carmaker had actually opted to toss a styling long round, as Kia and also Hyundai did. Toyota can miss out on some brand-new buyers because the redesign looks too moderate.

But I'm not exactly sure the Camry needed a styling overhaul; after all, its precursor had matured well. The carmaker has to bring back the nameplate's track record for bulletproof reliability, which has sunk to simply ALRIGHT over the last few years. The interior is a couple of flubs short of family-car excellence, as well as the skateboard tires mar an or else fine-tuned driving experience. However the perceptiveness continue to be, and on the whole the Camry has improved dramatically. It continues to be, more than ever, a poster vehicle for your right mind.