Is The Toyota Camry Still A Bada** Car?

Toyota has been producing the Camry for nearly 40 years. In that time, my father-in-law acquired one made in 2011 a few years back. He loved it almost instantly. It had a comfortable ride, decent fuel economy, looked sleek and boring, and it was "fast." The Camry he had was one with the 3.5L V6 under the hood that produced nearly 270 horsepower. The tires would spin getting off the line, if he wanted it to, and his favorite thing was how great the top-end horsepower helped him "zoom" ahead of anyone so he can overtake them. He always said, "That's a badass car!" "Why Mr. P.?" I would ask him. "Because Charles, it is a sleeper. It looks boring and like it wouldn't be fast!" he'd reply, "I could be sitting on the highway minding my own business and someone would want to pass me and all I'd have to do is put the pedal to the floor and BOOM! I'd be off way past him." So, my question is this: is this Camry just as much of a badass car as my father-in-law's? Let's find out.

Exterior Styling

Compared to his car, this Camry looks a bit more aggressive in the front. With the blue accents on the Toyota emblem, it gives the Camry a bit of character as well. This year model doesn't look as boring, I would say, as my father-in-law's but it is no GT86. Toyota has done well in keeping the Camry a sort of boring and yet exciting to look at sedan. Honestly, it looks better than some sedans in its class. My father-in-law probably would agree with that.

Interior Design

The interior of the Camry is more exciting than my father-in-law's and I am sure he would agree too. In his car, he has plain cloth seats with barely anything that could be called an infotainment system. Even this car has heated and ventilated seats that are more stylish with the two-toned leather. The trim blends well together and the space is just as abundant as his Camry, but more fashionable. The trunk is just about the same size as well. Mr. P. would approve for sure. I am most positive about that. He would be more happy to see more safety features on this car than his because that was always a main concern for him.

Price and Options

So, how much does this Camry cost? After everything, the total price comes to $39,619. What does that include? Well, for safety, the Camry comes with Toyota Safety Sense including pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, stability and traction control, electronic brake-force distribution, smart stop technology, back up camera with rear-cross traffic alert, and lots of airbags. The government did not give it "5 stars" overall and in every category for no reason. For comfort and convenience, the Camry comes with an infotainment system capable with Bluetooth connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, powered driver seat, heated and ventilated front seats, heads-up display, sat-nav, and premium audio with JBL speakers, subwoofer, and amplifier.

Performance

It all comes down to this. The last thing my father-in-law would say is: Can it get up and go? Well, the hybrid system mated to the 2.5L 4 cylinder engine only produce slightly over 200 horsepower. It isn't even close to what his car has. But the top end really does get it moving at a fast pace for a 4 cylinder. It wouldn't beat a Ferrari, but it would overtake a few other sedans in its class. The good thing is that it does have great ride comfort. The steering is sharp and light. Braking is stupendous. And where it actually shines is at the gas pump. I was able to achieve a combined fuel economy of 42 miles to the gallon with my driving habits. He would approve of that. At least the fuel economy stays closer to the manufacturer rates it at.

Conclusion

So, is the Toyota Camry still a badass car? In short, yes. Sure, it cannot spin tires off the line but the top end does throw your head back into the headrest. The ride comfort is as great as the fuel economy. And the styling is not as exciting as some cars on the market but has character. I know my father-in-law would say, "That's a badass car!" followed by, "but not as much of a badass car mine is!" If you're wondering why I am speaking in past tense with him, I am sure it is not hard to figure out why without saying much. He has been missed greatly and still would love to be seeing me doing what I do and loving it. I will only talk about him in this article and future Camry reviews but this is the first one since. I wanted this article to be the first of many to honor him. It is the least I can do for all that he has done for me. And I know he would say that the Camry is still a badass car.

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