2005 Toyota Camry Review

Specifications

Perfecting the Ideal Family Sedan

While its the best selling car in the U.S., the Camry still gets no respect from “real” car enthusiasts. A Toyota spokesman recently said that “non-owners make assumptions about Camry,” which is probably true. After all, Im a non-Camry owner and Ive always considered it the automotive equivalent of sliced white bread, more middle-America than a Chevy Impala and many times more popular.

Theres a reason for that, of course. Toyota has created a car that does everything that most new car buyers want better than “the heartbeat of America.” Without beating Chevy up too badly, its almost unfair to compare the two cars. Ask any Camry buyer, and they wouldnt even consider the domestic offering, or any other import either; theyre that loyal. The Camry might just be the ideal family sedan.

But has Toyotas attempt of creating a car thats all things to all people made the Camry dull? Ask any automotive journalist worth his or her salt what 4-door family sedan to buy and it will most certainly be rated high on the list. Ask the same person what sport sedan to purchase and it wont, simple as that.

Just the same, Toyota is out to move its award-winning luxury-biased family hauler farther up the sport sedan buyers list, and after testing out its new and improved 2005 variant, especially in 3.3-liter V6 SE trim, Im beginning to see their point.

First of all, the top engine is more or less the same unit as in the ES 330 and RX 330, both Lexus models. Lay into the throttle and it really gets up and goes. The top engine makes 225 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, which in comparison to its arch rival Honda Accord V6 is down 15 horsepower, with the Honda at 240, but up 28 lb-ft of torque than the Accords 212. From a driving perspective this means that the Camry SE V6 offers a smoother, crisper takeoff than the Accord V6, better suiting its luxury bias, with less hills and valleys in the rev range, so to speak. In comparison to the 3.3-liter Camrys linear power band, the Accord engine is sportier, spinning more freely and producing more power up higher in the rev range. The result is a spirited 8.4 second zero to 100 km/h time for the Camry, and a somewhat quicker 7.4 second run to the same velocity for the Accord.

Again were back to the reality that most Camry buyers dont really care if the guy next to them in the Accord can sprint to 100 one second quicker than them, whats a single second in the space of a trip to the office after all? Even if you hit 30 stoplights, thats only 30 seconds difference so who really cares? Hondas buyers have traditionally cared more about such performance-oriented details, as trivial as they might seem to Camry owners, which is why the two brands often attract diverse customers.

Of course there are other brands that produce very well made cars targeting the midsize sedan market other than Toyota and Honda, including the Chrysler 300, Mazda6, Nissan Altima and Mitsubishi Galant, etc., but the Camry and Accord are just so much more significant than all the rest when it come to sales numbers that they warrant separate attention.

All of the cars mentioned offer at least two engine choices, the first being a 4-cyliner for those wanting to spend less when purchasing and save on fuel, and the other being a 6-cylinder. The Camry actually offers three engines, the aforementioned top-line V6 and the expected entry-level 4-cylinder, plus another V6, a 3.0-liter unit that makes a respectable 210 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 220 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The 3.0-liter comes in the Camry LE V6 and XLE V6. My guess is that average drivers wouldnt be able to tell much of a difference between the two engines. Both are made of aluminum, offer dual overhead cam technology and 4-valves per cylinder, plus feature Toyotas Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i). While being a newer engine design with some improvements in refinement over the 3.0-liter, the 3.3 simply offers more displacement and the resulting increase in output.

Personally I really like the 2.4-liter base engine. Im a big fan of 4-cylinder engines, and the 2.4 is one smooth operator. Like the sixes it offers the same high-tech Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i) system, as well as dual overhead cams and 4-valves per cylinder. Output, of course, is down substantially over both 6-cylinder models, but at 160 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 163 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, it moves the Camry along at a fair clip, reaching 60 mph from standstill in about nine and a half seconds in 5-speed manual mode, only available in 4-cylinder SE trim, or ten and half when equipped with the 5-speed automatic.

The 5-speed automatic is the standard transmission for all other Camry models, a change from last year where the 4-cylinder cars only offered a 4-speed auto gearbox. Its wonderfully smooth as expected, no matter which engine is chosen, downshifting quickly and upshifting without commotion. Again, unlike the Accord, and other more sport-oriented sedans such as the Mazda6, Mitsubishi Galant and Nissan Altima, the Camrys transmission doesnt offer a do-it-yourself manual shift mode. While theres nothing particularly wrong with this fact, those who want a little more driver interaction will be let down. Such manual-mode transmissions offer more control through the curves, holding a specified gear through the corner and then only shifting down when told to do so - although some automakers prompt such transmissions to shift down at redline.

Toyota set up a short autocross course in an empty parking lot so that we could run the Camry through its paces. While not long enough to give it a thorough shakedown, the short slalom, few tight turns and long sweeping curve ending in a braking, were ample to test the differences between models. The 17-inch rims and performance tires on the SE V6 were immediately noticeable, as was the sport models tuned suspension set up. It was much more responsive to turn-in than the base model or top-line XLE, but nevertheless was still out of its element on the track. Understeer is the order of the day, which loosely translated means when high speed and the need to change direction combine forces against the Camry it leans quite dramatically in the opposite direction that the steering wheel is turning and the front tires give way, pushing the car away from the curve. While this doesnt sound ideal, its a heck of a lot better for the average driver than too much oversteer, which does the opposite and allows the rear wheels to break traction, swinging the rear end of the car around to meet the front - not good by the way. A talented performance driver can make oversteer work in his or her favor, but most of us poor clods, who dont have the necessary track time so as to learn to compensate by adding opposite lock steering, tend to panic and either do nothing at all or turn the wheel in the wrong direction, either of which will probably spin the car right around, hopefully only once. So, in the case of the Camry, understeer is a good and faithful friend and thus much has been dialed into its general suspension/steering geometry in order to keep customers facing the right way on the road, and resultantly more in control.

For that reason the Camry might be the ideal performance sedan for the average driver. Fact is, theres no fiddling around with a manual-type shifter to take your mind away from staying between the lines, its handling limitations will keep you well within check, and when its tires finally give way to the limits of adhesion itll safely nudge a little off-line prompting you to slow down. Also, the brakes are superb and ABS is standard across the line.

What the Camry will give more of than most of its sportier rivals is peace of mind. The car is not only a best seller, but it is rock solid reliable. No doubt thats one of the main reasons it has such a high repurchase rate.

And 2005 is the year to do it. Toyota has revised much of the car, including the grille, headlamps, taillamps and bumper. What I like about the new model is the separation given to the various trim levels. The luxury versions get an extremely classy, Lexus ES 330-like chrome grille featuring horizontal slats, surrounded by updated headlamp clusters with bright chrome backgrounds. The 4- and 6-cylinder SE models get the same basic light clusters, but their backgrounds contrast in black, matching a black mesh grille. The taillights get the black background treatment too. All models also get updated aerodynamic packages, with sporty ground-effects. The SE models are the sportiest, and include an attractive rear decklid spoiler.

Inside, the first thing to notice is a new lower console that reaches up to meet the center stack in a more fluid single motion than the previous car. The SE gets a sporty 3-spoke steering wheel while other models feature a more conventional 4-spoke wheel. In back, a new rear center headrest makes sure all passengers are equally protected. Finishing off the interior are new seat fabrics, with leather still being offered as an option. Oh, by the way, all 2005 models feature clean air filtration too, making the spacious cabin an environmentally friendly safe zone from the toxic emissions the spew from adjacent vehicles in rush hour traffic. The sporty SE also gets red on black Optitron gauges.

Altogether the new Camry is an improvement over the 2004 model, which was already one of the best in its class with regards to ergonomics. The seats are extremely comfortable, supportive in the lower back, the upper back and under the thighs, but laterally theyre designed for all body types - meaning if youre smaller in girth youll be sliding around between side-bolsters during active cornering. The bolsters are also not very large, which is normal for this class of car. I would have appreciated something a little more aggressive in SE models, however, as I found it hard to control the steering wheel while using one of my arms to steady my upper body as I was sliding around on the slick leather seats.

Of course, I shouldnt expect Toyota to turn the Camry into a world rally replica racer or anything. The fact the conservative brand has put out something as “tuned” as the SE V6 right out of the box is a big step up the performance car ladder.

If you want more, Toyota offers a variety of performance upgrades through its Toyota Racing Development (TRD) division, including a suspension lowering package, 18-inch chrome rims and additional aerodynamic add-ons. The automaker spiffed up an SE V6 with a variety of such extras and I was truly surprised at how “bling” it looked. The wheels, suspension drop and deep red metallic paint, which is stock by the way, looked stellar.

But most Camry purchasers wont be looking to customize their ride. The majority, 46 percent, purchase the base LE version, merely for good, reliable, comfortable and safe transportation.

A Toyota spokesman summed up the new model succinctly, by saying, “Camry delivers elegance, refinement and sophistication, plus peace of mind and value through a complete ownership experience.”

No wonder so many Camry owners keep coming back for more.