When I first saw the TV commercials for the 2007 Toyota Camry, I was surprised by how sexy it was. A new 268-horsepower V6? Sexy, more sinister lines than the previous model? (Its headlamps almost look Mazda-ish.) I wanted a piece of that! So I jumped at the chance to take it for a looong drive to Lake Tahoe for a wedding to break Baby in for its first road trip ever. Sitting in the driver seat for nine hours is such a grueling prospect but just looking at the spacious interior eased my worries a bit.
With three travelers, three sets of luggage, three backpacks and all our road trip snacks and water bottles, my brother, his boyfriend and I were still able to make ourselves comfortable as there was ample trunk space, plenty of cupholders, lots of storage space, and room to stretch out in. In fact, sitting in the back was a treat, not losing place in the "Shotgun" contest.
When I wanted a break from driving, I opted to lounge in the backseat to get some shut-eye. Just sank into my seat and fell asleep. The only thing that bothered me was how the seatbelt kept cutting into my neck. The Camry comes with some outboard rear seatbelt comfort guides but I'd get carsick reading the owner's manual with the car in motion.
The ride itself was so smooth and quiet and I almost felt like I was on a ship while sitting in the backseat with my eyes closed feeling the car gently rock back and forth as it traveled the twisty mountain roads to Tahoe.
During a hailstorm, as far as I could tell the Camry still stuck to the asphalt as it's equipped with Vehicle Stability Control and traction control. But since it's a big car, and not my car, I wasn't about to test it out with sudden launches or quick stops on the slippery mountain roads.
Other things we liked about the Camry:
Caroline Pardilla, Production Editor at 4867 miles
When I wanted a break from driving, I opted to lounge in the backseat to get some shut-eye. Just sank into my seat and fell asleep. The only thing that bothered me was how the seatbelt kept cutting into my neck. The Camry comes with some outboard rear seatbelt comfort guides but I'd get carsick reading the owner's manual with the car in motion.
During a hailstorm, as far as I could tell the Camry still stuck to the asphalt as it's equipped with Vehicle Stability Control and traction control. But since it's a big car, and not my car, I wasn't about to test it out with sudden launches or quick stops on the slippery mountain roads.
Other things we liked about the Camry:
- The auxiliary input so we could hook up our iPod. After fussing with our FM transmitter and traveling through many towns, having to hunt for a free radio signal all the time became a pain in the butt, so we gave in and stopped off at a Radio Shack for an aux plug. The best $5 ever spent.
- The fact that you can pop open the trunk lid with the key fob. It just doesn't unlock the trunk, it pops it open for you.
- When you put the car in gear, the door locks lock and when you park it, they unlock. Nice touch!
- Awesome fuel economy. From Tahoe to L.A. we could have just stopped once since we only hit "empty" one time, but bathroom breaks cannot be denied.
- Did I already mention that 268 horsepower? Great passing power.
Caroline Pardilla, Production Editor at 4867 miles
desmolicious says:
12:59 PM, 10/ 9/06
What was your fuel economy? It appears that this car, which I think is the best looking Camry by a wide margin , is making the 23mpg Accord Hybrid seem a bit silly.
drjames says:
11:25 PM, 10/ 9/06
great post, but any dissappointments? I know 'it's a camry', but there has to be something wrong with it, no?
caroscuro says:
11:08 AM, 10/10/06
Desmolicious, I got about 25.9 mpg driving extra-legal highway speeds ::cough, cough:: and up mountain roads. So pretty good.
Drjames, I really don't have any disappointments with the car. It was a great travel companion for my long weekend. But I'm sure things will come up in the course of its year with us. They always do. :)
drjames says:
09:32 PM, 10/13/06
Have you tried deactivating the VSC/trac control to determine if it's faster/more fun?
mustangptm says:
05:54 PM, 11/ 3/06
My 2002 Taurus had a trunk that would pop the trunk all the way open for you when the key fob or interior trunk open button was pressed. Also, the doors lock and unlock autimatically when put in gear too!
drjames says:
06:16 PM, 11/ 4/06
mustangptm, the 07 Camry also "automatically" locks and unlocks when put into gear too, which can also be disabled and set to lock when a certain speed is achieved, since many including myself find it a hassle.