Toyota Camry 2001 test drive - 2004 sedan

Equal to Camry!

The emergence of a new Toyota Camry business class sedan on the wave of current activity in this segment is very timely. The next flagship of the company was not just at the right time in the right place - it has many advantages ...
 
Each time, at the sight of the previous generation, I wondered: why is this respectable car of a respected Japanese brand so small on the roads of Russia? It would seem that the impressiveness of the sedan, its comfort and dynamism, multiplied by supernight and impeccable quality, should incur the consumer with an indefatigable desire to possess such a machine. But no, only a few made a choice in favor of Camry.
 
Perhaps there are two good reasons here. Firstly, a relatively high price, and secondly, the classification of the model remaining for Russians is due to the lack of advertising support-a dark horse.
 
The situation with the new Toyota Camry promises to be in the root of another. Largely due to a decrease in cost. If the previous model with the V6 engine cost the buyer $ 42,000 (and initially at all $ 46,000), then the same generation sedan is offered for $ 36,900. The car with a 2.4 engine and a manual gearbox, of course, will require even smaller investments - $ 27,900. As for the popularization of the name Camry, the beginning of Russian sales of new items, synchronized with its advancement in the European market, is accompanied by a large -scale advertising campaign.
 
And yet, no matter how attractive the price and powerful promotion of the brand may be, the product itself remains the decisive factor in success. And he is kind in every way.
 
In a spacious salon, so much in front and behind that the new Camry is perceived as a limousine. It is well felt that the sedan significantly added to the dimensions and the wheelbase relative to the previous model. By the way, the internal volume of the car and its 587-liter trunk are record in the classroom.
 
I would not undertake that the interior of Camry is the embodiment of luxury, but the machine is equipped with a grand scale. Moreover, the most popular comfort elements are electric windows, heating the front seats, wipers with a rain sensor, climatic installation and so on - in the standard. The individuality of the Camry V6 modification is emphasized by a cruise control, an electroregulation of the front seats and leather trim. The thoroughness and quality with which the Camry salon is trimmed do not give the slightest reason for criticism.
 
What amazes the most - noiselessness of the car. At idle speeds in the cabin - complete silence, and during movement only a whisper of the motor and the rustle of tires are heard. The creators of the car paid close attention to this issue. And although the previous model also did not strain drum membranes, progress is evident.
 
At the wheel of Camry you immediately feel at ease. Very calm and balanced ergonomics contributes to concentration, allowing you to control the machine not only with ease, but also with pleasure.
 
The chin hanging in the air of the central console and the foot handbrake - the curtsy to the American consumer (in the states of Toyota Camry is traditionally popular), but this in no way detract from the ergonomic advantages of the car. Perhaps even the other way around. If you still put a shadow on a wicker, it is worth mentioning a thin rim of the steering wheel and the absence of its longitudinal adjustment (only the angle of inclination of the column changes), which would not hurt when you completely push the chair back.
 
The seats, although wide (American), are very convenient. There is no need to talk about the location of the governing bodies - everything is verified to the smallest detail, okayly tailored and fitted. A sort of canonical business ideal. However, the decision of the designers of the machine place the quarter and fuel scales in the semicircles of the main devices are non -trivial. And here is the innovation designed to improve the review: the windshield, like the side mirrors, is covered with water -repellent material, and the intra -sulfate mirror is able to automatically darken.
 
Toyota Camry's tread is as thorough as life is established in it. A 2.4-liter engine is equipped with a phases of gas distribution phases (VVT-I), which, adapting to various modes of the motor, optimizes the moment and duration of the opening of the valves. 152 hp is removed from four cylinders of this power unit. Power at 5600 min-1. Maximum thrust is 218 Nm at 3800 min -1.
 
With such a source of movement, 1390-kilogram Camry is quite competitive. The maximum 210 km/h and 9.4 seconds that determine its acceptance give the owner of the car the right to consider themselves a privileged member of the road society. A five -speed mechanics allows you to fully realize the potential in the engine. And the modest fuel consumption - an average of 8.6 liters per 100 km - is a pleasant addition to the sense of self -esteem of the owner of the flagship Toyota.
 
For Camry V6, adaptive automatic transmission is more suitable. No wonder this duet is legalized by the manufacturer. The effectiveness of a more powerful version is not stunning: 186 hp At 5300 min-1 and 273 Nm at 4300 min-1, they provide a one and a half-ton sedan of 225 km/h of the maximum speed and the same 9.1 seconds of acceleration dynamics. However, the ease with which the 6-cylinder Camry starts and begins to digest kilometers one by one, eloquently confirms the brilliant reputation of the time-tested engine. For an additional silver, however, it is necessary to sacrifice a higher consumption of gasoline - an average of 11 liters per hundred kilometers.
 
There is nothing unpredictable in the behavior of the car on the road. Neither in corners, nor, moreover, in the straight line. Only a confident movement towards the goal. No surprises, - as recorded in the Camry Constitution, which he sacredly honors. And if a sedan with a 2.4 VVT-I engine simply holds the way perfectly, then Camry V6 is insured from troubles hidden for the time being reserves. In addition to standard auxiliary tools, such as ABS, the system of distribution of brake effort and an emergency deposition assistant, in the storerooms of this modification there is a course stability system and anti -circulation device.
 
The suspension of the Toyota flagship, which has become harder than the same, skillfully mediates in the dialogue of the car with the road. At the same time, depreciation qualities are enough so as not to hit the mud in the mud on a gouged carriageway. In a word, quality is suitable and once again. It manifests itself in everything. From passive safety products (four air pillows in the standard, injured pedal node and steering wheel, active head restraints, etc.) to the external design of the machine.
 
By the way, Camry is difficult to attribute to the innovative one. It is rather collective, absorbed the bright features of cars of other brands. But the compilation turned out to be successful, holistic. Small strokes of individuality (design of the anterior fogs, body testing along the thresholds) emphasize the elegance of the exterior of the machine.
 
Is the new Toyota Camry ambitious? Yes and no. This model of those who assert themselves and find admirers in business. Direct competitor Camry - Nissan Maxima. Agree, it would be interesting to know who? But about that - later.
 
Text: Igor Kuznetsov
 

A source: Magazine 5 wheel [12/2001]