Toyota Camry (US) review

On the outset it’s telling that the Toyota has benefitted from multiple years of refinement. The cabin is ergonomically quite sound and there’s a particularly strong sense of situational awareness thanks to the wide spectrum of visibility out the front and side windows.

The latest Camry greatly benefits from an updated interior design that makes the dash more elegant and easy to look at, both aesthetically and for the sake of function. Cleaner lines and the fabric-lined touch points elevate the interior in a big way, making it feel premium without the pretense, as it were. There’s no mistaking the Camry’s cabin for the Bentley Continental’s but it doesn’t feel overly cheap. Time will tell how much of that feeling is retained with wear and tear, though.

How is it in the tech department?

Just about all you could ask for is included. To start, the new Camry has an 8in touchscreen as standard with a larger 12.3in screen available as an option. This is paired with a digital gauge cluster found behind the steering wheel which also comes in two sizes, 7in or 12.3in, giving clear info about car functions with an added bit of flair when switching drive modes.

The car is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and is available with Toyota’s Drive Connect subscription service that enables a voice-commanded digital assistant for POI searches and the like. Along the way, the Camry is loaded with USB ports, a mix of USB-C and A for the front and rear passengers, plus it includes a Qi charging pad as standard.

In terms of Safety tech, the Camry comes with a collection of standard features like rear cross-traffic alert and pre-collision systems with pedestrian detection. We can say that this indeed works, though we’re happy to point out that we discovered it to be overly aggressive as it engaged when a passenger of ours was waiting well out of the way of the parking spot we were maneuvering out of. Annoying as it was then, it did prove that the system is keeping an eye out to prevent a true incident from occurring.

In terms of ADAS the Camry is equipped with a robust system that includes dynamic cruise control, lane-keep assist and the like. It’s also loaded with a number of cameras for tight spot traversal, too.

How well does it accommodate passengers and cargo?

All together, the Camry seats five people, three of which fit snugly in the back, though the cabin’s near 100 cu ft of passenger space feels roomy and comfortable when traveling with four people at a time. The trunk will hold 15.1 cu ft of cargo, which translates to a couple moderately-sized suitcases or several rucksacks. Imagine if you had 15 cubes, though. Bet that would be highly satisfying.