Our long-term 2007 Toyota Camry's backseat hasn't gotten much attention on the blog to date, but just as in past Camrys, it's comfortable and functional for everyday family use. Sitting in the back of our LE V6 long-termer feels almost exactly like sitting in this 2002 four-cylinder LE model we tested several years back -- the bench feels a little too low (for a long-legged adult like myself), but there's plenty of legroom behind the front chairs.

During the '07 redesign, Camry gained exactly 1/2-inch of rear legroom. Hip room is basically unchanged, but Toyota's midsize sedan lost 1/2-inch of rear headroom -- which probably explains why the bench itself had to remain low. And even with this provision, head space isn't abundant in the '07 model.

You might also notice that our new Camry lacks the door-mounted juicebox holders present in the '02 model (and visible in the photo above). Evidently, focus group participants didn't think those holders were as clever as our editors did at the time.

Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor @ 20,430 miles

Read through the most recent blogs regarding the leather seats on our long-term Audi Q7 and Hyundai Azera: They're filthy (the seats, not the blogs). It seems that a team of  belt and jeans wearing car writers will have that effect on a light colored interior rather quickly.

Not so with our Camry. 20,000 miles into the test and the cloth bares not a scuff nor spot of dye transfer. Cloth also has the distinct advantage of being cooler than the surface temperature of the sun when left in direct sunlight. It’s also cheaper. To add leather we would have to step-up to the SE model equipped with Option package 3.  Figure just a hair under $4,000 total.

So a savings in excess of 3,000 USD and a more user-friendly material. What’s not to love?

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 20,200 miles.

I noticed when I checked our archives this morning that we've commented on this issue before, but I saw it myself for the first time last night, so it's new to me: The area surrounding the ignition on the Camry's steering column looks like it's been mauled by a gang of bored kittens.

Guess we need to have our editors declawed. Not really sure what goes into making a steering column scratch-proof. Looks like Toyota hasn't quite figured it out either.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 20,050 miles

I spent a week in our 2007 Toyota Camry LE and drove a patriotic total of 1776 miles. If you spend that much time and those many miles behind the wheel you feel you should know the car through and through. So I feel I should have a summary comment about this car and it's value to the Great American Consumer.

An earlier blog post sparked a lively discussion of whether the Camry is simply an appliance. I was impressed with the comments on that blog post both from people who liked the Camry and its detractors. It's interesting to see the level of passion evoked by the choices we make in the cars we drive.  And the eloquence with which some of the comments were expressed.

One comment jumped out at me. I'm paraphrasing here but the gist of it was that while the Camry offers good ride comfort, roominess and practicality, there are lots of cars on the market that offer all that but with spirited performance. This set me to wondering what I would choose over the Camry. The first car that came to mind was the 2007 Nissan Altima SE. Quiet and comfortable on the highway, composed in the corners with plenty of acceleration for any situation.

Still, I found myself respecting the Camry and getting a better insight into its popularity. I was tempted to quote P.T. Barnum's famous saying, "You'll never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." But it's not that simple. Toyota has simply discovered what people want and has given it to them. It doesn't handle well but it rides great. It's got a cavernous trunk and a back seat that actually will accommodate three people. One of the best features that few other cars can match: over 1,776 miles of driving (about 75 percent highway) I averaged 30.6 mpg -- and that's with a V6.

Here's the one thing I really disliked about the Camry. The backseat is very high, the deck is long and the window slope is very shallow. Rear visibility for lane changes was terrible. The view forward isn't much better. The light gray dash reflects in the windshield and washes out your vision. And the chrome trim around the shifter is surprisingly distracting when the sunlight pours straight into the cabin. Occasionally it caught the sun and reflected into my eyes so strongly I had to hold my hand over it.

Still, the Camry is a good highway car, what my brother used to call a "shooby-cruiser." I like that term better than "appliance."

Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor, Edmunds.com, 19,990 miles.

I drove our 2007 Toyota Camry for 430 miles and it didn't even break a sweat. My family and I drove from Long Beach to Davis, California, to look at colleges for my son. When you're going through the Central Valley on Interstate 5 most of the traffic is doing over 80 mph. We weren't really in a hurry to get there so I set cruise control at 75 and just chilled. We drove the whole way without getting anywhere near empty on the first tank of gas.

Sorry about the dull photograph. There's not much in the Central Valley to pose the Camry next to. We plan to go to Mount Lassen so the scenery is bound to improve.

A couple of days ago I was in San Diego with the Camry and picked up a rich friend of mine to play some golf. As he climbed in he said, "This is one of the all time great cars." I think he said that because of the classy metallic gray color and the sharp lines in this redesign. I don't feel that the interior lives up to the look of the outside, but this is a great road trip car. Comfortable, quiet, roomy. Big trunk. Good fuel economy. Great range.

Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor, Edmunds.com @ 18,430 miles

I know a dark gray 2007 Toyota Camry isn't the type of car that stands out in a neighborhood where orange Lambos and red Ferraris are parked in front of the local gym but, come on, that doesn't mean it's completely invisible. I was crossing the intersection at about 10 mph during rush hour, almost on the other side of the traffic light, when this black Jeep Cherokee who had been waiting on my right to turn into my lane decided he didn't want to wait any longer and barreled through. He would have hit me if I hadn't done some evasive maneuvers, i.e. turn the wheel and stop. I beeped that little Toyota beep to alert "Hey, I'm drivin' here!" but the guy didn't so much as glance in my direction.

Now, was it because the setting sun blinded him as he was making the turn so he couldn't see me? Or maybe it was because the gray of the Camry served as camouflage with the asphalt? Or was it simply that he's a big ol' [insert your favorite expletive here]? Seriously, how can you miss this big sedan? I bet if I were driving, say, a red Ferrari, this wouldn't have happened. Heh.

Deputy Managing Editor Caroline Pardilla

Last week the ever-helpful "MAINT REQD" (Maintenance Required) idiot-nee-warning light popped up in our long-term Camry. The car was not, as the screaming-yellow beacon intimated, on the verge of catastrophe; we were simply a thousand (2,541) miles or so past the 15,000mi recommended service. Phew.

The service included inspections of the brakes, tires, belts, hoses, lines, bolts and the battery. As well as an oil change, air filter replacement, and a transmission drain-and-fill to keep that six-speed autobox working as effectively, and smoothly as we’ve become accustom.

The damage?  $162.11, about $15 more than the Edmunds’ Maintenance tracker estimates. 

But, at 17,541 miles, we’re only a few weeks away from another vague warning light, and another trip to our friendly Toyota dealer for the 20,000 mile service. 

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 17,541 miles.

OK, the title alone is enough for this post to get dismissed by hard-core car guys and exotic-car fans, as well as alienate me from the car guys on staff. But oh well. I rode in the Ferrari (I'm not on the short list of people on staff who are allowed to drive it) and drove our 2007 Camry this weekend.

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My Dad back in Virginia has never been, well, very style-oriented.  The wallpaper at his office now is the same as it was during the Nixon administration.  So when he bought the new 2007 Toyota Camry, I dismissed it as another chance for him to buy the most vanilla car around. 

In some ways, I was right.  The Camry does not provide much excitement to the driver and there is nothing particularly bold about it, but having spent an evening in our long-term Camry left me pleasantly surprised in the style department.  I noticed on the Auto Show floor that this new generation looked much better, but upon driving it, it really came through that, though not necessarily exciting, the interior actually is a little creative and stylish. 

Though not to everyone's taste, I really liked the illumination of the center stack. It is fairly futuristic and cool, and fits in nicely with the otherwise tasteful interior.  Again, we're talking relative to expectation here, but still, I want to thank the folks at Toyota for giving my father a little dash of style.

 

 

If only it stung like a bee. . .

The last time I drove the Camry, I made much hay about how impressive its V6  is. Great power, nice acceleration, you can even chirp the tires in 1st gear if you use the auto-shift. But this car is WAAYY too floaty for me. I realize I am not the typical Camry customer, and I'm pretty sure sales will not plummet based on my comments. But I like a car that's responsive, with tight steering and tremendous road feel. Such is the Infiniti G35 Sedan that I drove last week. Incredible. It has stunning acceleration and a beautiful engine, but you never forget that you're going incredibly quick. You are absolutely in tune with the road and the suspension is tight and responsive.

At one point I actually had the Camry up to nearly XX mph on the freeway (suffice to say pretty damn fast). It was late and the other cars were going quite quickly, so it wasn't as if I was passing absolutely everyone as though they were parked. But I was absolutely STUNNED when I saw the speedo. Because the car never FELT as if it were going that fast. There is very little chassis feel, and the car bounces up and down on its suspension like a pillow-top Sealy with wheels.

Now, part of this job is not to criticize every car as if it's designed for you, and I would never buy a Camry, or a minivan, or a pickup truck. (I am not their target demo by a LONG shot.) Our job is to get in the mind of its target buyer. But I think that such a lack of road feel, translated to the driver, can be dangerous. For any driver, not just us enthusiast types. I don't think the target buyer needs to feel absolutely every imperfection in the road, but in the Camry's case, I think such an incredibly soft suspension is a bad thing.

Senior Copy Editor Doug Lloyd @ 16,766 miles