Driving a dream? Test drive of the restyled Toyota Camry VII (XV50)

The Toyota Camry is a real bestseller on the market. At the secondary market, it is consistently among the top 10 most popular. From January to March 2021 alone, the model was checked through the service 98,127 times.

"Toyota Camry 7" body XV50 was introduced in 2011. Three years later, the car went through a restyling (sometimes you can meet the designation XV55). She was refreshed exterior, interior and slightly updated technology.

To find out how good the sedan is, we took the restyled 2015 Toyota Camry for a test drive in the basic configuration (2-liter engine) with 97 thousand km mileage.

Does the 2015 Toyota Camry have corrosion

The appearance of the Toyota Camry VII is classic. Here it is difficult to pick on anything, but still it is the restyling XV50 I like more. The sedan looks fresher with new optics and bumpers.

According to owners' reviews, the weaknesses of the Toyota Camry XV50 include paintwork, although the restyling has fixed the main points with corrosion on the hood and trunk lid. Our car has only signs of battle wounds from parking lots and yards. The car has not had an accident, as seen in the report.

The trunk is big. The owner is satisfied with the volume of 506 liters: in the compartment fits everything that is necessary. Plus it is possible to fold backs of rear seats, though it is visually narrow for bulky cargoes.

I like that the trunk hinges are finished with plastic and the lid itself looks neat. There is a layer of noise insulation and a separate handle for closing.

Also read: What to choose: Mazda 6 or Toyota Camry

Will we have to suffer with the engine of the Toyota Camry XV50

The first thing we look under the hood of the Toyota Camry. It is good that there are gas stops. The 2 liter 6AR series engine is a good, reliable motor. In contrast to the pre-styled cars it has a little bit more power (150 powers instead of 148) and direct fuel injection is applied.

There are no problems with this Toyota Camry motor, the main thing is not to score on maintenance. The owner had no complaints about the engine - only oil changes and consumables. The only recommendation is to fill up the engine with 95 m gasoline, in order to avoid unnecessary cleaning of clogged injectors.

Otherwise, as with the majority of "Toyotas", the owner has nothing much to do under the hood. One only has to add washer fluid and look at oil level just in case.

The hood closes with a characteristic metallic sound, which is not too appropriate for a business sedan.

Also read: the eternal dispute of business class: Nissan Teana or Toyota Camry.

What was upsetting about the interior of the Toyota Camry 7

The trim on the driver's door is simple. There is a soft fabric insert, the plastic is mostly hard. But the inscription All Auto can be seen on the control unit of windows - they have not spared on an automatic mode, which was pleasant.

The driver's seat looks mediocre: the left side is pretty worn out, although the mileage of the car is less than 100 km. Anyway the quality of finishing materials is a minus of Toyota Camry.

The design of seats has been improved on restyled cars, but it has not saved from pressed sidewalls up to the end. The steering wheel on our Toyota Camry with the new design for 2015 looks good, but the rim itself is plastic and already shiny, which does not fit too well with the image of a business sedan.

Otherwise, the interior looks good. The gearshift has a nice chrome finish. There are inserts like wood and even imitation stitching on the front panel.

As regards the equipment the basic complete set has everything necessary: two-zoned climate, good "music", front and rear parktronic, heated seats and windshield. In my opinion, the interior of more expensive complete sets with leather trimming and color screen of multimedia looks nicer.

The rear row is spacious. I sat behind myself with plenty of room. It's nice that there is an armrest with cup holders and its own ventilation deflectors. There is no heated rear sofa and no USB connectors.

Can the Toyota Camry VII take the primer and how much it "eats"

On the move, the Toyota Camry VII generally fits the image of a business sedan. Potholes and road unevenness suspension smooths out well, although I expected even more comfort and softness.

Noise isolation is good. There are some small "crickets". It is difficult to define where exactly the sound comes from. The clearance of the car is 16 cm. The owner says that he feels for sure even on unpaved roads. The power of the car is surprising: the engine of 2 liters (150 powers) is enough for a big "Toyota Camry".

The engine will be liked first of all by quiet drivers. Acceleration up to a hundred on the passport makes 10,4 seconds, and by senses the car really picks up quite good. For those who like more dynamic driving the 2,5 or 3,5 liters engines will do.

The "Camry" consumes an average of 10-11 liters per hundred, in winter the consumption can grow to 12 liters. On the highway the result of 8 liters is realistic. I think the six-speed automatic system (before restyling it had four gears) plays not the least role in economical efficiency. It works very smoothly - the shifts are imperceptible.

Many people still remember Toyota's slogan "Drive the Dream. But I can't say that the handling is the Camry's strong point. The steering wheel is hollow at zero, the effort is blurred. For sharp maneuvers or fast cornering this setting is hardly suitable. A light steering wheel would be good for parking and for quiet driving in the city and on the highway.

Also read: What's good and bad about the Toyota Camry XV50: owner reviews

For whom the Toyota Camry VII (XV50) will be a dream come true

"Toyota Camry is originally designed for a wide range of consumers. It is loved not only by entrepreneurs - the car can often be found in corporate fleets, government agencies and even in cabs. The sedan will also suit family buyers because of the spacious interior, trunk and reliability. The Camry is not ashamed to go to a business meeting or an expensive restaurant.

The car is comfortable and economical, suitable for highway trips. For those who like to "go wild", there is the legendary version with a 3,5 L V6.

Will you lose out when reselling the Toyota Camry XV50

On average, the restyled Toyota Camry VII costs about 25 000 USD, the 2015 cars are 100 thousand cheaper.

There are many offers. Only restyled sedans sell about a thousand, a tenth of them - with a basic two-liter engine.

The price at the secondary market speaks about an important advantage of "Toyota" - high residual value. That is, the car, bought six years ago, can really be sold for almost the same money as it cost new, and in some cases even more expensive! It is hardly difficult to sell the car to the next owner, the model is very liquid.

After buying it, it's better to install an alarm or lock on the gearbox: "Camry" is loved by thieves.

Also read: How is the old Toyota Camry XV50 better than the new XV70?

Would I buy myself a Toyota Camry VII?

More of a no than a yes, given all the pros and cons of the Toyota Camry. For all my love of large sedans, I'll take a closer look at the competition. They will probably lose out on residual value or reliability, but will give more emotion from being behind the wheel and a more interesting quality of interior materials. This could be the Honda Accord 9, which I told you about earlier.