Toyota’s 2015 Camry: Still Sitting on Top
It’s Thanksgiving 2014 and morning is unfolding with bright sunlight on the season’s first snow. There’s lots of blue sky and the bits of the Merrimack River I can see from my third-floor window are even bluer.
The goal is to write about today’s test car, the 2015 Toyota Camry, before joining old friends for dinner.
With Camry, the major story line is the way it’s dominated domestic sales for the past 17 years, being the best-selling car in America for 12 straight years and for 16 of the past 17.
Its closest challengers among the midsize set are the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Ford Fusion, all worthy competitors.
Can it retain that top spot?
That was the question I was pondering the other afternoon as I was cruising around town, looking for a good spot to photograph the Camry.
My travels took me to Plum Island where the spot presented itself, a driveway that went steeply uphill with only blue sky as a background.
So, what has Camry done to keep that lofty perch?
In the Toyota manner, they’ve continued their tradition of making continual upgrades.
Hopping behind the wheel of a new car such as this Camry always is interesting. You wonder if your first impression is the correct one. Sometimes a vehicle grows on you over a few days; other times you wonder, “Is that all there is?’’
Not with the Camry. This latest version seems as refined as ever. We were driving a premium XLE, V-6 with the six-speed automatic transmission and an Eco mode. The power train is a carryover.
Base price was a hefty $32,195 (including destination). Options included Toyota’s Safety Connect for $515, which provides stolen vehicle locator, roadside assistance, and collision notification. We also had blind spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert ($500), premium audio/navigation ($805), illuminated door sills ($299), rear spoiler ($260), and carpet and trunk mats ($225).
Best of the options was a $750 technology package that added a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, dynamic radar cruise control, and automatic high beams. All work well and are the systems that continue to move us toward autonomous (self-driving) and safer vehicles.
Bottom line: $35,549.
Our XLE and the base LE are the traditional Camrys.
However, Toyota has reached out to the 45 percent of Camry buyers who have been opting for the sportier SE by introducing an upgraded version of that model for 2015, the XSE.
Our test XLE’s 268-horsepower V-6 is rated for 31 miles per gallon on the highway and 25 in combined driving. We averaged 27.2 mpg in a week that included a brutal day of Boston commuting.
Outside, the Camry gets new sheet metal as everything but the roof is changed, resulting in a new look for this generation, which was introduced as a 2012 model.
In front, Camry follows what’s becoming an industry-wide trend towards a narrow headlight bar. It features self-leveling headlamps and a larger piano-black mesh grille below. Our XLE V-6 had LED headlights and driving lights. Lower trims have projector-beam halogen headlights.
A pair of well-defined character lines runs on the sides, giving the car a more rakish look.
Toyota thinned out the look of the “C pillar’’ (back of the roof) by blacking out a portion in combination with a piece of fixed glass behind the rear side windows. It’s a mixed bag. Style-wise, it looks busy from the side; utility-wise, it aids visibility and brightness.
On the road, the XLE’s suspension is set for comfort and makes road trips a pleasure. The XSE, in contrast, gets bigger (18-inch) tires, higher rate coil springs, internal-rebound shock absorbers, firmer bushings, and model-specific electric power steering tuning.
The interior is quiet. Soft-touch materials and leather-trimmed seats and wheel give it an upscale feel. Controls are Toyota-intuitive and the company has retained the large tuning knob for the radio. Setting pre-sets is easy and you can mix and match AM/FM/XM on the same grouping.
Toyota has gotten used to saying it sells a Camry every minute.
There is every reason for that to continue.
2015 Toyota Camry XLE
THE BASICS
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $32,195/$35,549. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: 21 city/31 highway/25 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 27.2 mpg. Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6, 6-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive. Body: 5-passenger, midsize sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 268 Torque: 248 lb.-ft. Overall length: 190.9 in. Wheelbase: 109.3 in. Height: 57.9 in. Width: 71.7 in. Curb weight: 3,460 lbs.
THE GOOD
Contemporary new styling, reliability, resale value, comfortable interior.
THE BAD
The “perfect appliance’’ mentality isn’t for everyone.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Camry set the bar high originally, then raised it; now a host of others are joining in the party.
ALSO CONSIDER
Chevrolet Malibu, Chrysler 200, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Passat.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com