Park a white, four-cylinder 2010 Toyota Camry LE in your garage next to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS or a Porsche Cayman S and don’t be surprised if the neighbors start wondering if you’re bipolar.Maybe the Camry is your wife’s car. Or your grandmother’s.But with close to half a million sold annually in the United States, Camrys are daily transportation for just about every type of buyer: The young, the old, and the somewhere in between, not to mention the automotive enthusiast, the vehicular ambivalent and the casual car fan.No other car on offer in North America has such mass appeal as the Camry, and with a revised 2010 model just now making its way to showrooms, we decided it was time to take an in-depth look at the most mainstream of Main Street America Camrys.It’s hard to drive a city block without encountering at least one Camry, the best selling sedan in America. Toyota’s solution for middle America, the Camry came out of nowhere in the early 1990s to unseat Ford and General Motors’ offerings by serving up a healthy dose of the refinement and reliability that was lacking in contemporary domestic offerings.Now halfway through its seventh generation, the Camry has been custom-tailored for the North American market. A mild update for 2010 gives it a new base powertrain and a light refresh outside. Camry slots into the most competitive segment in America: The midsize sedan arena. While the rivals are numerous, only a handful of cars really compete for market share. Hailing from the Motor City, the heavily revised 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan pose a serious threat as they continue to gain market share. But don’t discount cross-town rival General Motors’ Chevrolet Malibu , which impressed us earlier this year with its performance and its fuel efficiency. For 2010, the Camry gains a new 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. Putting out 169 horsepower in base LE and upscale XLE trim levels, it adds another 10 ponies for the vaguely sport-oriented SE trim. A six-speed automatic brings things into the second decade of the 21st century, although the ever-important highway fuel economy rating of 32 mpg trails the 34 mpg rating of a similarly equipped Fusion.Outside, Camry gained a mid-cycle refresh that will really only go noticed by current owners. Wallflowers will delight in the Camry’s rather anonymous looks. Inevitably, with around 425,000 sold last year, the Camry isn’t the kind of car that induce double-takes and stares of admiration from the public. Our test car’s LE trim level represents the volume Camry model, which makes it all the more ubiquitous.Simple and mostly cohesive, the Camry’s shape is hardly inoffensive. Toyota continues to play it safe with the 2010 model. Look closely and you’ll find that the grille is a little different and the tail lamps have been updated, but that’s it. Our tester was dressed up a little, but not much, by a set of optional 16-inch alloy wheels. Over the years, the Camry has gone from crisply-toned minimalist to a jellybean shape that’s a little too bulbous for our tastes. We’d like to see Toyota get a little more daring with the next-generation model. Hot Fusion sales have indicated that a polarizing design element, like the Gillette-style three-bar chrome grille, don’t keep buyers out of showrooms.
Park a white, four-cylinder 2010 Toyota Camry LE in your garage next to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS or a Porsche Cayman S and don’t be surprised if the neighbors start wondering if you’re bipolar.Maybe the Camry is your wife’s car. Or your grandmother’s.But with close to half a million sold annually in the United States, Camrys are daily transportation for just about every type of buyer: The young, the old, and the somewhere in between, not to mention the automotive enthusiast, the vehicular ambivalent and the casual car fan.No other car on offer in North America has such mass appeal as the Camry, and with a revised 2010 model just now making its way to showrooms, we decided it was time to take an in-depth look at the most mainstream of Main Street America Camrys.It’s hard to drive a city block without encountering at least one Camry, the best selling sedan in America. Toyota’s solution for middle America, the Camry came out of nowhere in the early 1990s to unseat Ford and General Motors’ offerings by serving up a healthy dose of the refinement and reliability that was lacking in contemporary domestic offerings.Now halfway through its seventh generation, the Camry has been custom-tailored for the North American market. A mild update for 2010 gives it a new base powertrain and a light refresh outside. Camry slots into the most competitive segment in America: The midsize sedan arena. While the rivals are numerous, only a handful of cars really compete for market share. Hailing from the Motor City, the heavily revised 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan pose a serious threat as they continue to gain market share. But don’t discount cross-town rival General Motors’ Chevrolet Malibu , which impressed us earlier this year with its performance and its fuel efficiency. For 2010, the Camry gains a new 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine. Putting out 169 horsepower in base LE and upscale XLE trim levels, it adds another 10 ponies for the vaguely sport-oriented SE trim. A six-speed automatic brings things into the second decade of the 21st century, although the ever-important highway fuel economy rating of 32 mpg trails the 34 mpg rating of a similarly equipped Fusion.Outside, Camry gained a mid-cycle refresh that will really only go noticed by current owners. Wallflowers will delight in the Camry’s rather anonymous looks. Inevitably, with around 425,000 sold last year, the Camry isn’t the kind of car that induce double-takes and stares of admiration from the public. Our test car’s LE trim level represents the volume Camry model, which makes it all the more ubiquitous.Simple and mostly cohesive, the Camry’s shape is hardly inoffensive. Toyota continues to play it safe with the 2010 model. Look closely and you’ll find that the grille is a little different and the tail lamps have been updated, but that’s it. Our tester was dressed up a little, but not much, by a set of optional 16-inch alloy wheels. Over the years, the Camry has gone from crisply-toned minimalist to a jellybean shape that’s a little too bulbous for our tastes. We’d like to see Toyota get a little more daring with the next-generation model. Hot Fusion sales have indicated that a polarizing design element, like the Gillette-style three-bar chrome grille, don’t keep buyers out of showrooms.
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