Model Tested: 2007 Toyota Camry Altise

CarAdvice rating: 3.5/5

From now, the new Camry will only use a 4-clylinder engine. The new Camry also uses an all-new chassis and styling over the previous model. Toyota is promoting the new Camry as being "equal or superior to many of its imported competitors".

Interior

The interior isn't too bad. The steering wheel, although feeling a little plastic, is a great size and features tilt and reach adjustment. It features audio steering wheel controls and cruise control. Although the audio controls are backlit, the cruise control isn't and it is hard to figure out which direction to push the stalk, due to not being able to see the inscribings at night time.

The speedometer and tachometer fascia is very new-age and looks quite sporty. The HVAC controls are large - very large in fact - and are very easy to use and make sense. They do feel quite flimsy and hollow though. The display screen used for radio and CDs looks quite funky at day and night, the only concern at night is the utter brightness of the it. There is no way to reduce the brightness of the outer blue lights and they can get quite distracting during night-time driving.

Changing gears is now accomplished through an S-gate style shifting mechanism. The only issue in that regard is the slight confusion when selecting Drive; it's all too easy to shift into 4' opposed to D'. The handbrake also feels like it's miles away from the driver, it is positioned to the far left of the central cluster and requires a bit of back bending to reach. There are several little cubby holes hidden in the dashboard that hide away nicely when not in use. There is also a very generously sized glove box on offer too.

Driver and passenger seats are quite comfy and relaxing to sit in. They have upper and lower side bolsters that subtly hug you into position. The driver also receives electronic lumbar adjustment; the other seat adjustments require manual labour. There are also power windows on all 4-doors as standard equipment, with driver auto-up function.

Space

One thing that took me by total surprise was the amount of room inside the new Camry. With a figure like mine, the driver's seat always ends up in the furthest back position. With this position in action, rear seat passengers still had a very commendable amount of room - and dare I say it, as much as, if not more room than Commodore and Falcon. Rear seat passengers receive no armrest though; the seats are 60/40 split-fold.

The roof liner would not stop rattling during normal driving. Some of the plastics used on the interior are also of questionable quality; they feel far too cheap and nasty to be at home in a vehicle that looks as fine as the Camry does.

Exterior

It's really not Toyota-like; it has changed - for the better. Of the people that stopped me to ask questions, most liked the front-end the most, it just carries that unique appeal that Camry's have never had.

Up the front the smiley front look features halogen projector headlights and a big grille intake for air-induction. It's a very simple front end that isn't overly fussy and is a total change from the norm.

Drive

Another thing that totally surprised me was the handling in the new Camry. One of the first things I noticed was the firmer ride and spring quality.

One thing that totally let the team down was the engine. The new Camry uses a 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder motor that produces 117kW at 5700RPM and a meagre 218Nm of torque at 4000RPM. The engine also utilises Toyota's VVT-i system and is pronounced when you head north of 3000RPM.

Weighing in at 1500KG, the engine simply can't keep up with the car. It just feels totally lifeless and doesn't work in sync with the 5-speed automatic gearbox.

Safety

Safety features on the Camry Altise include: Driver and passenger SRS airbags; ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); Brake Assist (BA) and Toyota Safe-T-Cell.

In the wet the Camry breaks into wheel spin far too easily. This is due to the rather sensitive throttle at standstill. If you tap it too hard, the engine lays down a platter of power far too quickly and before you know it you are sitting there battling for grip - not the best situation. The brakes are very tough and rugged.

Value

Fuel consumption wasn't all that impressive. Toyota claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.9L/100KM for the automatic Toyota Camry. I struggled to achieve 12.5L/100KM, let alone 9.9L/100KM.

The base model is valued at $29,500, in addition to this; the test vehicle also had the optional Safety Package which includes front side and full length curtain SRS airbags.

Features

Other features that come standard on the Toyota Camry Altise include: Power steering; power windows on all four doors; central locking with panic alarm; air-conditioning; cruise control; single-disc CD-player with MP3 and WMA compatibility; auto-on/auto-off headlights and engine immobiliser.

The new Camry range also boasts a 3-year / 100,000km warranty.

Conclusion

The new Camry is fantastic. The interior is extremely spacious, functional and most important of all, easy on the eyes. The boot is absolutely huge and easily caters for objects of all sizes.

The new Camry is a car that easily stands out from the rest of the crowd.

Although I feel let down by some questionable build quality and seismic fuel consumption, it doesn't detract from the fact that the new Camry is a capable car. As long as you don't expect stellar performance from the engine, it should serve its purpose relatively well.

If you had of asked me last year if I would recommend buying a Camry as a family car, I would have laughed at you. If you were to ask me again today, I would laugh at you for not considering it as a serious option.

Photographs and review by Paul Maric

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