Excitement isn't the stock and trade of midsize sedans. These cars are meant to get you from A to B comfortably and efficiently with plenty of room for passengers and stuff. Going fast isn't really the idea, and to wit, all but one of the Camry's competitors has dropped their V-6 engine in favor of a little turbocharged four-cylinder. Despite all the changes to the 2015 Camry, though, its big V-6 soldiers on.
The reason, Toyota says, is simple: It works. The 3.5-liter V-6 has proven itself reliable and versatile over the years. More than that, it still makes class-competitive power and returns class-competitive fuel economy. Why reinvent the wheel? What the data sheets don't tell you is that it's also a sweetheart of an engine. It feels more powerful than the numbers would suggest and delivers that power in a nice, smooth, linear pull all the way up to redline, producing a nice, soft growl along the way. In the Camry, it's mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that's generally quite smooth, but will give you a small bump on downshifts. It's not quite as smooth as the four-cylinder powertrain, but it's pretty good. As the V-6 powertrain is unchanged for 2015, and because Toyota says the new car weighs about the same as the old one, it's more than likely the performance will also be unchanged. The last V-6 Camry we tested, a 2012 SE model, weighed 3320 pounds and hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds (0.2 second slower than a 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost). It needed only 14.2 seconds to finish the quarter-mile and did so at 100.6 mph (one tenth of a second slower than the Mustang but nearly 3 mph faster). Stopping that Camry from 60 mph required 120 feet. Out on the skidpad, it pulled 0.81 g average and completed our figure-eight test in 27.2 seconds at 0.66 g average (significantly slower than the Mustang, in case you were wondering). Likewise unchanged from that 2012 model is the EPA-estimated fuel economy, which rings in at 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.
Steering and brakes have been updated. The former has been retuned to be more responsive and provide more feel (debatable), while the latter are actuated by a new booster that greatly improves pedal feel. Put it all together and you have a car that is much more responsive than the one it replaces. Responsive, though, doesn't necessarily mean exciting. Rather, the Camry feels very capable, but also very dispassionate. It goes around a corner perfectly competently and confidently, but without any enthusiasm. It's good, but it's not fun.
All in all, the 2015 Camry V-6 is a greatly improved car compared to the one it replaces. It looks better, it's more comfortable, and it drives better, even if it isn't emotional about it. Midsize sedans like this may be more about the destination than the journey, but if you want to get to there a bit quicker than the rest, the Camry V-6 might be the car for you.
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| TOYOTA CAMRY v6 |
The reason, Toyota says, is simple: It works. The 3.5-liter V-6 has proven itself reliable and versatile over the years. More than that, it still makes class-competitive power and returns class-competitive fuel economy. Why reinvent the wheel? What the data sheets don't tell you is that it's also a sweetheart of an engine. It feels more powerful than the numbers would suggest and delivers that power in a nice, smooth, linear pull all the way up to redline, producing a nice, soft growl along the way. In the Camry, it's mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that's generally quite smooth, but will give you a small bump on downshifts. It's not quite as smooth as the four-cylinder powertrain, but it's pretty good. As the V-6 powertrain is unchanged for 2015, and because Toyota says the new car weighs about the same as the old one, it's more than likely the performance will also be unchanged. The last V-6 Camry we tested, a 2012 SE model, weighed 3320 pounds and hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds (0.2 second slower than a 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost). It needed only 14.2 seconds to finish the quarter-mile and did so at 100.6 mph (one tenth of a second slower than the Mustang but nearly 3 mph faster). Stopping that Camry from 60 mph required 120 feet. Out on the skidpad, it pulled 0.81 g average and completed our figure-eight test in 27.2 seconds at 0.66 g average (significantly slower than the Mustang, in case you were wondering). Likewise unchanged from that 2012 model is the EPA-estimated fuel economy, which rings in at 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined.
Steering and brakes have been updated. The former has been retuned to be more responsive and provide more feel (debatable), while the latter are actuated by a new booster that greatly improves pedal feel. Put it all together and you have a car that is much more responsive than the one it replaces. Responsive, though, doesn't necessarily mean exciting. Rather, the Camry feels very capable, but also very dispassionate. It goes around a corner perfectly competently and confidently, but without any enthusiasm. It's good, but it's not fun.
All in all, the 2015 Camry V-6 is a greatly improved car compared to the one it replaces. It looks better, it's more comfortable, and it drives better, even if it isn't emotional about it. Midsize sedans like this may be more about the destination than the journey, but if you want to get to there a bit quicker than the rest, the Camry V-6 might be the car for you.
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