Toyota Camry platform

Camry

Look at the new Camry, you won't love it from first sight, nor you will hate it. It is as unadventurous and inoffensive as its 3 predecessors. If you have to praise it, you can still say the new Camry looks a bit more sexy than ever, with sleeker lines running from nose to tail. The slippery profile not only contributes to a good Cd. of 0.28 but also hides its extra dimensions very well - now it offers more head room and rear passenger legroom, thanks to 50mm longer wheelbase and 64mm higher roof. Like the cold-war USA and USSR, Camry fights hard with Honda Accord in "space race".

This fourth generation car is said to have a new platform, however, you will find the Highlander SUV and sister car ES300 have already stolen its debut. Expect Avalon / Pronard, Solara coupe and Sienna MPV to join this platform as well. Yes, it might be new, but by no means revolutionary. Most disappointing is that it still rides on MacPherson struts at each corner, while most rivals (bar the GM ancient designs) are already employing multi-link. However, improvements to chassis rigidity and suspension calibration do enhance handling and refinement - maybe most on the latter. NVH level is lowered, ride is supple, making the Camry a smooth, quiet and refined family sedan as it once renowned for.

Good refinement also comes from engines. Center of limelight is a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder. With twin-balancer shafts it runs almost as smooth as a V6. 157 horsepower is not big number, but the adoption of VVT-i enhance torque delivery across a wide band, making it an easy-going companion. The engine is made of aluminium block and head, with magnesium cam cover and plastic intake manifold to make the lightest in class.

In comparison, the 3-litre V6 is rather disappointing. Without VVT-i, output remains unchanged at 192hp and 209 lbft, which has long been overtaken by rivals. Although refinement is good, its extra weight over the nose make it less nimble to handle than the four-pot, while advantage in performance is not big. So the 2.4 is still my choice.

Of course, if our choices are not limited to Toyota (some people only trust Toyota's reliability and good servicing), Ford Mondeo is still the first priority. Although we said the new Camry has improved handling, with linear and accurate steering, tauter control and strong brakes, it is still a car designed for comfort and driving ease rather than driving fun. Mrs. Robinson and Mr. Grey might enjoy that kind of fuss-free driving, but those who really Love driving will find the steering still lack of feedback, body control is not good in twisty roads and it tends to understeer early. In short, it does not feel as agile as the best European sedans as well as Nissan's new Altima.

Nevertheless, I guess Toyota cares little about that. The successful history of Camry (American best selling car from 1997 to 2000) proves that American care most about space and comfort. The new Camry has plenty of them. No matter whether I like it, it will be another sale success.

Lexus ES300 / Toyota Windom

I want to write more about the new ES300, but I can't. Since the car is still derived directly from the mainstream Camry, it is as technically uninteresting as its 2 predecessors. How uninteresting ? first of all, it is the last car in the world riding on MacPherson struts at each corner while dare to declare itself as a prestige car. For the cheap Camry, this is forgivable, but for Lexus it sounds like a joke. Well, many BMW uses struts up front and Alfa 156 uses them at rear axle, but at both front and rear ? ES300's chassis is the last breed of Jurassic dinosaur.

It seems that most improvements were done to enhance refinement and quietness, most notably is by strengthening chassis, upgrading engine-mount and increasing sound-deadening materials. In this respect, the ES300 still lives up to Lexus' standard, but no longer feels as outstanding as its predecessor a few years ago. That said, competitors have closed the gap or some even surpassed it. In terms of ride quality, the old suspension shows its limit here, offering a floaty ride over undulation. Optional 4-stage adaptive damping actually improves ride and injects more driver appeal at the stiffest setting, but the latter is just relative to the standard car. When come to handling, ES' shortness becomes clear: it rolls, pitches and understeers (remember, it is front-drive). It feels nose-heavy. Its steering is light and lack of feedback. Facing 3-series, C-class, A4 and X-Type, it is hopelessly uninspiring and hopelessly slow on twisty roads.

Slow is also because of an old engine. The compulsory 3.0 V6 (with VVT-i, unlike Camry) is simply unchanged from the old one, producing the same 210hp and 220 lbft. It is as smooth and quiet as before, but neither charismatic nor characterful. Though mating to a new 5-speed automatic instead of 4, the increased weight of 30kg cancel any performance gain. The 5-speeder isn't world-class, blame to sluggish downshift response. And where is Tiptronic mode ? forget it. Lazy drivers don't need that. Keen drivers don't drive the ES.

Perhaps the new exterior styling can score back some points ? unlike its predecessor, it was styled in Japan instead of California, but it has an aircraft-style profile and radical nose to make you believe it was done in the USA. However, the organic grilles and headlights are unlikely to withstand the test of time, and they devoid of any sense of prestige. The last ES300 feels more expensive.

Inside is much better. There is more space than its RWD or 4WD rivals. Light-color soft leather contributes to a warm-feeling environment. Instruments are clear and economical, but the plastics used is not first-class.

Among Lexus' line-up, this one is the most non-Lexus. It does not feel as prestige as LS, nor as exciting to drive as IS and GS. After all, it is still a pseudo prestige car built on Camry. Small investment doesn't worth good sales.

Avalon / Pronard

Avalon (or Pronard for Japan) is built in the Kentucky plant alongside Camry on which it is based. Basically, it is a grown-up Camry with massive increment of cabin space enable it to be classified as full-size sedan by EPA regulations. In other words, it targets Big 3's products (especially the sales-topping Buick LeSabre) instead of other Japanese cars.

Avalon offers 5 or 6 seats configurations. In 6-seater form, front bench seat is used to accommodate 3 persons, and column shifter is used instead of conventional console shifter. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of space for all occupants, because the wheelbase is stretched by 50 mm from Camry, while width is up 35 mm, height grows 40 mm. However, unlike its American opponents, Avalon is "just" 4.9 meters long, thus its roominess is implemented by efficient use of space rather than adding sheet metal.

Carrying more weight than the Camry, it requires more power. Toyota gave it Lexus ES300's V6 (that is, Camry's V6 plus VVT-i). 210 horsepower and 210 lbft of torque. 4-speed automatic is smooth, although column shifter is tricky to select the correct gear.

Like other full-size sedans, the suspension setting is very soft, hence there is apparent body roll in tight corner. Even so, the Avalon is still better to handle than its rivals.

Camry Solara

While Accord has Accord Coupe and Peugeot 406 has 406 Coupe, Toyota's American Camry also has its own coupe calls Solara. Produce only in the American plant and for sale in North America, the Camry Solara aims to add another 50,000 annual sales to the Camry range (which could help retaining Camry's title as the best-selling car in US).

Toyota's California studio was responsible for the styling job. Having limited by the hard points of Camry platform, the American designers injected some life into the nose and tail. Overall speaking Solara is far from able to be called as a handsome coupe. It lacks the sense of sportiness and sense of occasion that appear in the Peugeot 406 Coupe, which could have been its toughest rivals if it were available in the States. The Solara still looks too fat and too close to the sedan it based. However, this ensure sufficient rear seat room, even surpasses the Accord Coupe. Build quality and comfort are in typical Japanese standard.

Toyota did inject some more dynamic into the chassis, suspensions and engine. Open the bonnet, one can see a revised 3.0 V6 which pumps out 6 more horsepower than the standard Camry unit. That means this is the same engine as Lexus ES300's. Adjacent to the engine is a tower bar which strengthens the front structure. In addition to the stiffer suspensions and improved power steering, the coupe handles much better than the sedan. Nevertheless, comparing with the sedan is useless. View it as a real coupe and you will immediately disappointed with its soft ride, which ruin the body control. Toyota still has to learn from the French how to offer supple ride without sacrificing handling.

Specifications

Model	Camry 2.4	Camry V6	Lexus ES300
Layout	Front-engined, Fwd	Front-engined, Fwd	Front-engined, Fwd
L / W / H / WB (mm)	4805 / 1795 / 1490 / 2720	4805 / 1795 / 1490 / 2720	4854 / 1811 / 1455 / 2720
Engine	Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, bal shaft.	V6, dohc, 4v/cyl, var intake.	V6, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT.
Capacity	2362 cc	2995 cc	2995 cc
Power	157 hp	192 hp	210 hp
Torque	163 lbft	209 lbft	220 lbft
Transmission	5M	4A	5A
Suspension (F/R)	All: strut	All: strut	All: strut
Tyres (F/R)	All: 205/60 R16	All: 215/60 VR16	All: 215/60 VR16
Weight	1435 kg	1545 kg	1560 kg
Top speed	N/A	N/A	N/A
0-60 mph	N/A	8.4 sec*	8.3 sec (est)
0-100 mph	N/A	23.7 sec*	N/A
	Figures tested by: * C&D

Model	Avalon 3.0	Solara 3.0
Layout	Front-engined, Fwd	Front-engined, Fwd
Dimensions	L / W / H / WB: 4895 / 1820 / 1460 / 2720 mm	L / W / H / WB: 4826 / 1806 / 1400 / 2670 mm
Engine	V6, dohc, 4v/cyl.	V6, dohc, 4v/cyl.
Capacity	2995 c.c.	2995 c.c.
Power	194 hp	200 hp
Torque	209 lbft	214 lbft
Transmission	4A	5M / 4A
Suspensions	All: strut
Tyres	205/60 R16	205/65 R15
Weight	1475 kg	1470 kg
Top speed	N/A	135 mph**
0-60 mph	8.4 sec*	7.0 sec*
0-100 mph	N/A	N/A

* Tested by Road & Track ** Tested by Car and Driver