2011 Toyota Camry:  a mainstream car and best seller rolled into one vehicle By ALAN GELL Automotive Journalist Toyota has a stable full of horsepower-laden vehicles, but the brand is better known as one that provides dependable and economical cars.  One of the standouts in the Toyota brand name is the Camry. The Toyota Camry is a best seller.  It has become a mainstay in the mid-size car category for over ten years.  It has earned numerous awards.  It is a good buy.  For 2011, Toyota executives obviously did not want to mess-up their success.  So they left the new year’s model virtually unchanged.  Sure, there were a few fluffy changes here and there, but nothing of any significance.

  Driving a new Camry could be described as staying in a mid-range hotel.  The renovated rooms have a little bit more to offer and have a number of improvements over the older rooms.  Both rooms are comfortable and provide a good nights sleep.  A new Camry has a little bit more to offer than the older models and they have a number of improvements.  But both old and new Camry models offer a solid, comfortable, secure, and safe means of transportation.

A driver generally does not get excited about driving a Camry.  It is not sporty.  It does not attract attention.  Other people do not come up to you in a parking lot and ask you about the car.  What it does for consumers is provide a dependable, value-packed, practical car for a great price.

Camry is available in five models – the CE, LE, SE, XLE, and Hybrid.  Most of these come standard with a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine that provides 169 horsepower.  The four cylinder model is generally matched with a six speed automatic. A slightly more powerful engine is available that offers 268 horsepower with a 3.5 liter V6.  A fsix speed manual transmission is standard, although an automatic is available.  The Hybrid model uses a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder gas engine paired with a battery-powered electric motor.

The interior is comfortable and serves the purposes for which is it designed.  Even the seats are comfortable and notably larger than most small cars.  The cabin looks good, the switches and knobs are all intuitive for the driver or passenger, and there is adequate technological items to provide a generally comfortable ride.  Everything on the dash and control area is logical, simple, and intuitive.  Even the radio has two large knobs – one on each side of the display.  I like that.  It is so much easier to operate than some of the intricate systems that require you to pull over and get the manual out of the glove box.  All the trim levels have Air Conditioning, Power Locks, Power Windows,  a CD and radio stereo system, and seven airbags to protect the occupants.  These are all standard equipment.  A Navigation System and an upgraded 440-watt JBL audio system are option upgrades.
 
The Camry provides a comfortable ride and fairly easy handling.  The driver will feel in control of the car except in the most challenging circumstances.  Stability Control is an option, which many people believe should be standard equipment.  Stability Control has become a significant part of most vehicles’ features and assists the driver in adverse conditions.

Bottom line – the 2011 Camry is a conservatively designed, family oriented vehicle.  It has a quiet and comfortable interior, provides passenger comfort, and has a reputation for great value and practicality.  Gas mileage runs between 22 in the city and 33 on the highway, with 26 mpg being the average estimate.  Pricing begins in the $21,000 range.

There are a lot of new competitors aiming at the Camry since it was first introduced a number of years ago.  Some of them have slightly better mileage, more technology packaging, or lower pricing.  But the Toyota Camry has reliability and a long track record of dependability.  Check out the Camry yourself at a Toyota dealership and see why it has consistenly topped the sales charts.