We spend a week in the recently refreshed version of the bestselling car in America
Pros:
More distinctive styling
Refined interior
Quieter ride
Cons:
Steering improved but isolated on center
Handling is secure but could be sharper
Only average fuel economy
2015 Toyota Camry changes
Although a mild refresh might have done the trick, Toyota, instead, chose to overhaul the best-selling car in America by re-engineering the Camry after just three years.
You read that correctly. Even though more than a million copies have been sold since the current generation launched in 2011 as a 2012 model, Toyota took the Camry down to its chassis and, going bumper to bumper and floor to roof, re-engineered nearly 2,000 parts including the body - where only the roof remains unchanged.
Taking a closer look at the specifications, a number of key parameters weren't changed or, if they were, not so much. Wheelbase, height and width remain the same, although overall length is up by 1.8 inches. Front and rear track were increased by 0.4 inches, but all three engine/powertrain combinations are carryovers – a standard 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, an optional 3.5-liter V6 and the 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle 4-cylinder/105 kW electric motor found in the Camry Hybrid.
The changes for 2015 encompass two new trim levels. With a take rate on the sport-oriented SE model of 45 percent of all Camrys sold, Toyota has added a new XSE grade that includes 18-inch alloy wheels, firmer suspension tuning and luxury touches featured on the XLE grade.
Stretching sportiness further is the new SE Hybrid trim featuring projector-beam headlights, sport mesh grille, 17-inch graphite alloy wheels, rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension and smoked chrome highlighting the upper grill and rear trunk trim.
2015 Toyota Camry XLE
Exterior
Outside the 2015 Camry XLE wears all-new sheetmetal. The new front fascia features a large, aggressive, trapezoidal grille flanked by a pair of deeply-recessed vertical LED daytime running lights. The headlight enclosures are narrower and now feature low-beam projector lamps.
Along its flanks, a more prominent upper character line makes the body look less slab-sided, while the lower character line is more deeply sculpted.
In back, the oddly-shaped taillights of the outgoing model have been replaced by teardrop-shaped units, with a chrome trim strip bridging the gap between them.
Interior
Inside, the dual-screen center stack has been axed in favor of a larger single screen flanked by bigger knobs and buttons. The instrument cluster has been cleaned up and now features a matching tach and speedo bracketing a new 4.2-inch TFT screen. The controls have been simplified, knobs and buttons are now larger and there are more soft-touch materials on the doors. XLE models like our tester come standard with leather trim and power driver and front passenger seats.
The new center console offers more storage and there's a new enclosed bin in front of the shifter that offers a 12-volt power port, USB port, and optional wireless charging pad.
What hasn't changed is the ample room for both front seat occupants as well as for three adults in back. The steering wheel both tilts and telescopes and all major controls are both intuitive and within easy reach of the driver. Thanks to plenty of glass and narrow window pillars, views out the front, sides, back and rear three-quarters is excellent. In addition, all Camry models now come equipped with a rear view camera.
Under the hood
Our tester was equipped with Toyota's 2AR 2.5-liter 4-cylinder – the engine of choice for 85 percent of Camry buyers and for good reason. Although it lacks direct injection, it does come with variable valve timing and produces a silky 178 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 170 lb.-ft. of torque at a very usable 4,100 rpm.
Its EPA estimated fuel economy is 25/35/28 city/highway/combined, while our own observed fuel economy was 24 miles per gallon in some very cold winter suburban driving conditions.
On the road
Among the many changes on the 2015 Camry are additional spot welds to the door opening flanges for increased rigidity. This enabled engineers to tune the suspension for more aggressive handling. But despite these changes, the Camry's ride remains more comfortable than sporty.
Nonetheless, its more compliant suspension features an even flatter trajectory through corners. Road, tire, wind and engine noise has been reduced even further through the use of improved window and door seals, redesigned side mirrors to better control turbulence and noise and the addition of 30 percent more noise-insulating material in the one-piece carpet.
Acceleration with the 2.5-liter four is brisk. Braking is also very good, but while the feel through the pedal is linear, there's not a lot of tactile feedback through the pedal, making it a bit difficult to carefully modulate the brake pedal. On the expressway, the Camry feels stable and secure. We never had any issues merging into traffic or overtaking other vehicles. It's also unaffected by either crosswinds or grooved pavement and the turn signal is equipped with a tap to pass feature – an especially handy feature we believe should be a safety feature on all vehicles.
Speaking of safety, in addition to the standard safety fare that includes dual-stage advanced front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver's and front passenger's knee airbag, the 2015 Camry offers a plethora of optional features. These include a Pre-Collision System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Auto High Beam Lane Departure Alert, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
Pricing
2015 Camry non-hybrid prices start at $23,795 for the LE and can top out at close to $38,000 for an XLE model with all the options and accessories. Our Predawn Gray XLE tester had a base price of $26,150. Safety Connect ($515), Technology ($750), Premium Audio with Navigation ($1,490) and Convenience ($845) packages along with Blind Spot Monitor ($500), moonroof ($915), wireless charging ($75), illuminated door sills ($299), floor mats ($325), rear spoiler ($260) and remote start ($499) plus an $825 delivery and processing fee brought the total MSRP to $33,448.
The Bottom Line
There's a lot to like about the 2015 Toyota Camry. It comes with smooth and secure handling, a quieter interior, decent fuel economy and more aggressive styling than its predecessors.
On the other hand, the ride is merely comfortable, not sporty, handling is secure but hardly sharp, its styling is improved, but hardly distinctive and its gas mileage is decent, but hardly at the top of its class.
But the fact remains that the 2015 Camry comes very close to putting its previous car-as-appliance approach to rest.
Currently Camry owners should be very pleased with the new model, while more buyers looking for quality and reliability as well as more than a touch of style will undoubtedly be adding their local Toyota showroom to the list of dealers to visit.
