It will be a best-seller, but is it any good? The 2018 Toyota Camry
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I always had a fear of drowning in my car! Sounds like this one is for me.
EDIT: typo has been fixed. sry for snark
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It is a family car, I mean it wasn't really meant for driving fun, its a poser with a sporty outfit. I'd agree that most people don't care about what makes a good car good. Most people seem to care more that they can drive around a nice living room.
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Never did get the Camry thing. My wife has one, it will one day be mine (she gets the new vehicles). But it's meh to me, just generic auto thing... maybe that's it's appeal?
The 2018 looks like more of the same.
The 2018 looks like more of the same.
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Having embraced CarPlay, I find it's omission jarring for a current model. Using it for podcasts, Pandora, etc. is just part of how I think this part of a car should work at this point.
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Agreed. That nose looks like the designers couldn't decide on whether they wanted to go Acura, Mazda, or Subaru, so picked all three.
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Nope. Nope nope nope. For something I'll spend a lot of time in, I damned well better enjoy it.
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I'd say that the Camry is one symptom of people not particularly caring about how their vehicles drive, but the biggest indictment is the explosion in popularity of crossovers like the RAV-4 and CRV. Here in Winnipeg the small/medium crossover is the Official Car of "Oh, I didn't see the other car coming," "I missed my turn so I'm going to cut across three lanes slowly without looking," and "I don't know the speed limit here so I'm going to just drive slowly."
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It just keeps getting uglier and uglier every year, wtf is wrong with toyota? Did they hire some tween to design it?
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I realllllllly wish I had carplay. One of the things on the otherwise very short list of gripes about my car.
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You hadn't noticed that just sharing the road with Toyota owners? It's like the official car of slow drivers. I actually get through stop lights faster when I pick the lane with the fewest Toyotas in it.
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The real question is, will it display the true mark of a Camry loyalist?
https://jalopnik.com/the-incredible-mys ... 1785413530
https://jalopnik.com/the-incredible-mys ... 1785413530
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What I hate about it is the poser "sportiness." It's a Camry. It's boring. And that's perfectly fine since there's a big market for people who want sensible bland cars that will last a million trouble-free miles. Who do they think they're fooling with these aggressive looks? Are they trying to lure teenagers into their core market? I'm seriously confused here.
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Most people don't care how it looks, or care if you care how it looks. They want a dependable car that is cheap to repair if things go wrong and is economical to drive and has high safety standards. I'm not sure how supposedly intelligent people still don't get this basic concept.
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"evidently there are an awful lot of car buyers out there who just don't care much about their cars"
Average car ownership is 7 years. So yeah, most people don't give a crap about what new cars are out this year or what the new features are. Most people do care about longevity the trustworthiness of the brand. Me personally, whenever I replace my Camry, it will probably be another used model.
Average car ownership is 7 years. So yeah, most people don't give a crap about what new cars are out this year or what the new features are. Most people do care about longevity the trustworthiness of the brand. Me personally, whenever I replace my Camry, it will probably be another used model.
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I'd be fine with the Camry if they could just admit that it is what it is; basic transportation that people buy because that's all they want. It's fantastic at being that. Just be that. Chill with the styling and the vroomy ads - you're not fooling anybody, it's OK to be boring sometimes.
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Fundamentally there's a mismatch between consumer vs. most automobile enthusiasts who become reviewers.
The former is the market automobile manufacturers spend time to study and satisfy. The latter are the folks who can make or break your brand reputation, but most of the time don't understand the market.
For example?
For the past 10+ years we've seen basically every reviewer go around a new car touching every interior saying oooo soft touch, I need my soft touch. Most consumers? Don't care as long as the contact points are padded. Reliability, affordability & looks don't embarrass you ends up being higher on the list than perceived quality or speed around the Nurburgring.
There's a reason why the F-150 and Camry have been selling so well for so long. And it is obviously not listening to automobile critics.
Car reviewers love how VW Golf's handle. Owners love how it drives until there's a breakdown - or if they have kids, how awful it is to install a childseat. Meanwhile Betsey the mom who actually has the $ to buy a new car goes car shopping with her oversized childseats - whoops not getting the sale VW.
The former is the market automobile manufacturers spend time to study and satisfy. The latter are the folks who can make or break your brand reputation, but most of the time don't understand the market.
For example?
For the past 10+ years we've seen basically every reviewer go around a new car touching every interior saying oooo soft touch, I need my soft touch. Most consumers? Don't care as long as the contact points are padded. Reliability, affordability & looks don't embarrass you ends up being higher on the list than perceived quality or speed around the Nurburgring.
There's a reason why the F-150 and Camry have been selling so well for so long. And it is obviously not listening to automobile critics.
Car reviewers love how VW Golf's handle. Owners love how it drives until there's a breakdown - or if they have kids, how awful it is to install a childseat. Meanwhile Betsey the mom who actually has the $ to buy a new car goes car shopping with her oversized childseats - whoops not getting the sale VW.
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Styling from the past 5 years has largely gone down hill in my opinion, and made many cars look distinctly similar. This looks like similar to the Lexus LS, which I actually love, but this execution is kind of ugly. Combine that with a lack of CarPlay or Android Auto and I won't give it a second look. Having an infotainment system that gets software updates for the lifespan of the car is a huge deal, and at least there is a possibility of that happening when it's really your smartphone behind the scenes.
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Crap radio system, boring driving dynamics, but a reputation for stellar reliability. When my Mazda lease is up in July, I hope to have a lot of homework done on what my next car may be if I don't stick with my current 2016 Mazda6. This will not be it.
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I still remember those Toyota commercials that were like less-cringey versions of the Chevy "real people" schlock of recent years where the only thing any of those owners gave a fuck about was not having to give a fuck about their car. It's the only honest advertising I've ever seen for the Camry.
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Why do car reviews read a lot like Android phone reviews. "This product is X because its processor is Y. End of review." What about looking past raw performance and discussing, eg, the quality of the materials used in the interior?
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Honestly one of the ugliest cars on the road. Toyota and Honda both need to take a page out of Mazda's design playbook. They've been killing it in the looks department.
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I had a Camry [2011ish?] for awhile. If I could get a Camry with HP and decent suspension, I'd still be driving a Camry. I absolutely loved the acres of legroom both front and back, and the massive trunk space, plus the drivers seat was perfect for me and my bad back. I just didn't love that it was a gutless wonder getting onto the highway.
I'm currently in a 2011 G37x sedan. I love the HP and driving feel. The driving seat isn't quite as good for me and my back as the Camry, but it's decent. However, I don't love the complete lack of legroom in the back seat.
So... first one to make a car with the room [and driver's seat] of the Camry with the performance of the G37x wins.
I'm currently in a 2011 G37x sedan. I love the HP and driving feel. The driving seat isn't quite as good for me and my back as the Camry, but it's decent. However, I don't love the complete lack of legroom in the back seat.
So... first one to make a car with the room [and driver's seat] of the Camry with the performance of the G37x wins.
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I have a 2014 Camry SE. I bought it because it is a practical family car. It was the only one in its class with an acceptable back seat. Good legroom, good headroom, and wide enough for three growing kids. It was also one of the cheapest in its class. It is also good on gas and incredibly reliable. After nearly 4 years and 157, 000 km, I've only had to do regular maintenance (oil, tires, etc)
The only thing I don't like is the turning radius. It is annoying to park, especially in tight parking garages.
I care a lot about my car, but not in the way that you mean.
My priorities are:
(1) Fits my family and luggage for a long trip.
(2) Not too expensive to buy or run for 7-12 years
(3) Has enough power to accelerate going up a steep hill on the highway.
My Camry has all of those things nailed. When this one dies, I would buy another, except I hope to be rid of a kid or two, so I'll hopefully go for something smaller.
The only thing I don't like is the turning radius. It is annoying to park, especially in tight parking garages.
I care a lot about my car, but not in the way that you mean.
My priorities are:
(1) Fits my family and luggage for a long trip.
(2) Not too expensive to buy or run for 7-12 years
(3) Has enough power to accelerate going up a steep hill on the highway.
My Camry has all of those things nailed. When this one dies, I would buy another, except I hope to be rid of a kid or two, so I'll hopefully go for something smaller.
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I really want to bring up the Aztek, or the new electric version of the Aztek known as the "Model X" (before the Elon Horde descend upon me for that, I'll note I'm a Tesla driver and loyalist, but the Model X is not pretty IMO), but honestly there's so much out there that is uglier, like you mentioned. Lexus with their new brand grill is just… wow?
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Speaking of the Honda Accord, are you going to be reviewing that as well, Jonathan?
I've always had a soft spot for the Accord and the new Civic-lite engine has piqued my interest.
I've always had a soft spot for the Accord and the new Civic-lite engine has piqued my interest.
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That front bumper... Ugh... I can't even...
Absurdly awful.
Why can't Toyota learn styling from Mazda?
Absurdly awful.
Why can't Toyota learn styling from Mazda?
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Camry and Corollas seem to be bought by people who want a reliable go point A to point B car... they couldn't care about handling, performance, or much looks. It's about function... that's it.
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I'm not Mr. Gitlin, but I'd say the Accord this cycle is fundamentally a better car for the Camry. I think Toyota is trying to tweak the last bit of life out of the current Camry platform before it makes a big transition, and it is suffering a bit.
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It's the V6 model with over 300HP. This is NOT the car that 95% of Camry buyers choose. If you're paying a significant premium for a less efficient but more powerful V6 then you probably also want some sporty styling.
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