We Like: Light and rigid chassis, V-6 verve, diamond-quilted seats
We Don’t Like: Refinement lapses, unsubstantiated sport pretensions
Most editors agree: This is one giant leap for the Camry. The TNGA platform underpinnings make this car lighter, stiffer, roomier, and better-handling. It looks better, too. Tom Gale praised the car’s overall gesture and improved stance, but he found some details overwrought. Still, in a vacuum—or an underinformed marketplace—it shines and will sell like Patti Cake$.
But side-by-side comparisons with the Accord reveal disappointing lapses in the Camry’s refinement. The doors slam with a tinny clang, the idling four-cylinder vibrates the car, and the automatic electric parking brake actuates noisily.
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Angus MacKenzie: “The Camry appears expensive from a distance, but when you look closely, the fit and finish isn’t all that great,” Christian Seabaugh saw some interior issues. “This infotainment system is quickly lagging behind the competition—you can’t even get CarPlay,” he said. The new Honda Accord outflanks Camry in all of these areas, and it’s bigger inside by a cubic foot or three in the front, rear, and trunk.
Another issue: The XSE V-6 shouts “I’M SPORTY!” but the 2.0-liter 10-speed Accord is quicker to 60 mph, and when you press the hot-rod Camry in the corners, its steering feels pretty numb, the body rolls lazily, and there’s no sport transmission logic to speak of. Seabaugh felt the Hybrid model “fit the character of the Camry better than the other two pseudo-sporty models,” although the EV mode shut off frustratingly at 25 mph. In the end it was the Accord’s superiority that barred Camry from the finals.
| 2018 Toyota Camry LE Hybrid | 2018 Toyota Camry XLE | 2018 Toyota Camry XSE (V6) | |
| BASE PRICE | $28,695 | $29,345 | $35,845 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $31,600 | $33,865 | $38,230 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan |
| ENGINE | 2.5L/176-hp/163-lb-ft plus 118-hp/149-lb-ft front electric motor; 208 hp combined | 2.5L/203-hp/184-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 | 3.5L/301-hp/267-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| TRANSMISSION | Cont variable auto | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3,584 lb (57/43%) | 3,492 lb (59/41%) | 3,665 lb (60/40%) |
| WHEELBASE | 111.2 in | 111.2 in | 111.2 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 192.1 x 72.4 x 56.9 in | 192.1 x 72.4 x 56.9 in | 192.7 x 72.4 x 56.9 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 7.4 sec | 7.6 sec | 5.8 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 15.6 sec @ 92.6 mph | 15.9 sec @ 90.2 mph | 14.3 sec @ 99.6 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 125 ft | 122 ft | 123 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.75 g (avg) | 0.81 g (avg) | 0.82 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 27.8 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) | 27.3 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) | 26.7 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON | 51/53/52 mpg | 28/39/32 mpg | 22/32/26 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 66/64 kW-hrs/100 miles | 120/86 kW-hrs/100 miles | 153/105 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.37 lb/mile | 0.60 lb/mile | 0.76 lb/mile |
The post Toyota Camry: 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender appeared first on Motor Trend.
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