Svizec Vehicle & Auto Info

2011 TOYOTA CAMRY CHANGES

The 2011 Toyota Camry will carry over the 2010 Camry’s appearance changes, the first given this design generation since it debuted for model-year 2007. As before, Camry comes in a single four-door sedan body style that begins with a base CE model and climbs through the volume-selling LE trim, sporty SE grade, and top-of-the-line XLE model. Slotted between the LE and XLE is the 2011 Camry Hybrid. Style changes associated with the 2010 mid-cycle freshening were mild.

All models got gently revised grilles and all but the Hybrid gained larger headlamps and revised taillamps. New wheel designs were part of the updates. Sizewise, Camry’s square in the middle of the midsize-sedan field but makes wonderfully efficient use of cabin space.
There’s comfortable room for four adults, five with some shoulder-rubbing. Seats are soft yet supportive, and the trunk is roomy, despite intrusion from the lid’s hinges. Camry’s basic structure is engineered to serve Lexus, Toyota’s premium division, where it’s the foundation for that brand’s best-selling car, the ES 350. That helps account for Camry’s uncommon ability to isolate occupants from unwanted noise and unpleasant road surfaces.

Mechanical:

The 2011 Toyota Camry will continue with two conventional gas powertrains and a gas-electric hybrid system. All models have front-wheel drive, which places the weight of the engine and transmission above the front tires, a traction benefit in slippery conditions.

Camry’s four-cylinder engine is rated at 179 horsepower in the SE model, 169 in the other trim levels. All but the CE are available with a 268-horsepower V-6. The four comes with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic; the V-6 only with a six-speed automatic.

The 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid teams a four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor for a net 187 horsepower. It saves gas because it can drive at low speeds on electric power alone and can automatically shut off its engine at idle, then immediately restart it at a touch of the gas pedal. The hybrid system uses a continuously variable automatic transmission and recharges itself with no plug-in required.

Like Camrys before it, the 2011 Camry will never be confused with a sports sedan. It aims for, and delivers with great success, a stable, predictable driving experience. The four-cylinder satisfies virtually any everyday acceleration need; the V-6 exceeds most. Except for the ability to move silently at low speeds and shut off at stops, the Hybrid performs much like the conventional four-cylinder model, so its fuel-saving character is pretty transparent.

Camry can be legitimately criticized for going a little heavy on the Novocain. Steering is numb and feathery light. In fast turns, the SE version is reasonably balanced, but tire squeal, nose plow, and body lean is the rule with the other models. Still, drive it like you understand it, and no other midpriced midsize can match Camry’s refinement. Few approach its reputation for reliability and resale value, either.
Features:

The 2011 Toyota Camry will boast a standard-equipment list that covers the comfort and safety essentials, with a nice dollop of convenience-tech, too. Air conditioning is standard, as is a steering wheel that tilts, telescopes, and has audio buttons. Cruise control, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and power windows, locks, and mirrors also are included even on the base CE model.

All but the SE have split-folding rear seatbacks. Every Camry comes with head-protecting curtain side airbags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, and an antiskid system. Also known as vehicle stability control, antiskid minimizes chances of sideways slides and teams with standard traction control, which enhances grip away from a stop.

Leather upholstery, power sunroof, navigation system, and remote engine start are among the options, though not all are available on every model. Optional or standard on every model is an audio system that includes Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, integrated satellite radio, and USB linking for iPods and other MP3 devices.

The Camry Hybrid has Fraichir cloth upholstery, a combination of silk protein and synthetic fiber that Toyota says is gentle to the skin. Camry’s dashboard controls operate with uncommon smoothness, its gauges are big and vividly illuminated. The interior is bright and airy, but running your hands over the instrument panel and cabin walls reveals some lightweight plastic panels. It’s far from a deal-breaker, but does reveal some cost-cutting that Toyota would do well to correct for the next-generation Camry.