Toyota Camry Altise Car Review

Overview

The Toyota Camry has a lot of competition in the large-sedan market.

The interior of the new Camry definitely wasn't shabby. It also has audio steering wheel controls and cruise control.

When changing gears in the new Toyota Camry Altise, you now get to use an S-gate style shifting mechanism. Although the body roll is nothing compared to a sports cars, for a Toyota Camry it is very impressive.

In conclusion, the new Toyota Camry Altise exceeded many of my initial expectations.

Details

If you have yet to step foot in the new Camry Altise then you will be taken back by the amount of space inside. Even with the front seats pushed back in to the furthest position possible, passengers in the back will have enough room to remain comfy. The amount of space is respectively compared to that found in the Commodore and Falcon, and holds its own very well against them.

When changing gears in the new Toyota Camry Altise, you now get to use an S-gate style shifting mechanism. There is one problem with this though. When you are selecting Drive it is way to easy for you to shift it into '4' rather than 'D'. Along with that, the handbrake seems like it was positioned too far away from the driver. It is located near the far left of the central cluster, which is certainly not easy to get to. The dashboard features many little cubbies to store things in that are easily hidden when you aren't using them. This combined with the well sized glove box gives you an ample amount of storage areas.

The interior of the new Camry definitely wasn't shabby. This steering wheel feels a little bit cheaply made, but it is the perfect style and has adjustable tilt and reach. It also has audio steering wheel controls and cruise control. The steering wheel audio controls simplify the daily tasks of changing the radio station or the track on your CDs, and are backlit to help you see them during the night. However, the cruise control stalk isn't backlit and can be a little difficult to push it in the right direction at night time.

The driver and passenger seats are very comfortable to sit in and provide sufficient support. They are equipped with upper and lower side support, which makes fitting snug in to position effortless. The driver's seat comes with electronic lumbar support as well, while passengers seats are only manually adjustable. The seats in the back unfortunately do not have arm rests, but they do fold down into a 60/40 split.

The speedometer and tachometer have a very nice modern and impressive look to them. Also, thanks to the HVAC controls being large, it is much easier to make sense of them and makes them a lot easier to use. The radio and CD player has a spectacular look to it whether it is day or night. The downside being that at night it could be a little too bright for some people. Unfortunately, there is no way around this as the brightness of them can not be adjusted.

The Toyota Camry has a lot of competition to compete with. In the past, the Camry has been pretty dull, boring, and quite conservative. Toyota definitely took note of this and decided to go for change. Now on the Toyota Camry only use a four-cylinder engine while the V6 is being reserved for the upcoming Aurion. It is also being equipped with an all-new chassis and the style makeover from the previous model. When promoting the new Camry Toyota said it was going to be equal or superior to many of its imported competitors. Many still doubted that this would amount to anything, but the Toyota Camry Altise is here to prove them wrong.

The exterior of the new Camry is absolutely great looking. The old style has definitely been thrown away and it is now competing with the flashy appearances of well known sporty vehicles. As you drive down the road you are sure to see many people's jaws dropping to the ground. This change was definitely for the better and will increase the popularity and status of the Toyota Camry in the future. When looking at the front of the vehicle you will see the beautiful large grille and halogen projector headlights. The front end design was kept simple, but it fits the car like a glove. From the side you will notice a nice set of Dunlop Sport radials that give the car a nice sporty look. Sorry to say though, the Camry Altise does not come equipped with alloy wheels as a standard.

With the new look and feel of the Camry Altise comes a new price as well. The basic model starts at a price of $29,500. If you want to add the optional Safety Package, then it will cost a little bit more than that but not much. The safety features included with this vehicle are as follows: SRS air bags, Antilock Brake System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), and the Toyota Safe-T-Cell. Other standard features include: single disc CD player that is MP3 and WMA compatible, power steering and windows, central locking accompanied by a panic alarm, cruise control, air conditioning, engine immobilizer, and automatic headlights.

Once you are behind the wheel and driving the new Camry you will definitely enjoy the way it handles. The new setup gives you better spring quality and a much firmer ride than before. Going around corners and curves is no longer a difficult task due to the new chassis. Although the body roll is nothing compared to a sports cars, for a Toyota Camry it is very impressive. The only thing that I wasn't happy to see in the Camry was the motor. The 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine has trouble keeping up with the car, which can partially be attributed to the weight of the vehicle. The brakes however, work like a charm. They are very sturdy and strong, doing there job better than many had expected to see.

In conclusion, the new Toyota Camry Altise exceeded many of my initial expectations. From the spacious interior to the over all functionality of the vehicle, it is a very impressive car to hit the market. The stylish new look gave the Camry a much needed facelift and should make plenty of drivers happy. The new Camry is no longer just a family car, and should appeal to all age groups since it is now a much bigger competitor among its class. Personally, I think it is about time that Toyota took the Camry to a new level. Now that they have succeeded in doing so I can't wait to see what they will do with the future models. A few years ago, I would probably be writing a much different review but now I would recommend this car to anyone.