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Most would probably prefer an XR Ford or an SS Holden as a reward for their day-to-day office toil, even if the Camry is bulletproof reliable with the best aircon in the business and a boot that beats a Falcon. But the straight facts are simple: the Camry is a middle-class, bland beige-mobile and even the chief engineer of the Camry project in Japan admits it is the car you buy after you've eliminated all other potential contenders.
So it's not the car you choose to buy. It's the car you buy because you cannot make a choice. Or because someone buys it for you, or the company fleet. The Camry is actually a great choice for taxi use, but that's another story.
This one is about the newest of the Camry family, the Prius-based Hybrid model now on the production line at Altona in Melbourne. I come to the Camry Hybrid after a promising start at the press preview in Melbourne, but still thinking it's going to be a nothing- burger car that disappears from my memory as soon as it is back with Toyota.
But I am surprised by a surprising car. For a start, I have forgotten how good the basic Camry does the job of day-to-day Aussie motoring. It's quiet, comfortable, rides and handles well, and has a lot of space inside.
It's not as sexy or macho as a Falcon or Commodore, but that doesn't matter in stop-start city traffic or sitting at 110km/h on the freeway. And that's where the Camry Hybrid is a winner. The fuel readout shows a consistent 5.7L/100km at a 93km/h average over three hours, a fantastic result for such a big car.
It's not as trendy as a Euro diesel, or as greenly obvious as a Prius, and there are plenty of reasons not to like the idea of a hybrid - cost and complication for a start - but the Hybrid Camry is a good thing. The seat is still set far too high for driving comfort, and it disappears in traffic, but anything with so much space and such a light thirst has to be a winner in 2010.
You will hear more about the Camry Hybrid in coming months as it joins the Carsguide long-term fleet, but the first impression is surprisingly good. And the air-con is so effective it cannot be run on the coolest setting without creating a fridge-like cabin that matches the car's reputation as whitegoods-on-wheels.
