Sedan Reviews

The past three months have turned my car world upside down. I lived with the Toyota Camry SL during that time, and now new and revolutionary thoughts are popping into my head.Have we all been hoodwinked by SUVs? Could a sedan be a truly great family car? Is the Toyota Camry no longer boring? And is it now, dare I say, a fun and comfortable car? Life changing queries, I know.The reality is after three months it's hard to find any meaningful flaws with the car, as much as I tried.The SL is the top of the range so it doesn’t want for much.You can expect desirable items such as synthetic leather-wrapped seats that are heated, ventilated and power adjustable in the front row. The driver’s seat also has a memory function to remember your ideal seating position. A heated and power adjustable steering wheel is standard. Lots of screens, smartphone mirroring and wireless phone charging.A monster panoramic sunroof lets the light pour in. Great in winter, not in summer, but Toyota has fitted a proper cover to completely block out the sun.That brings me to another point — the air con.Having suffered through lots of summers in an innumerable amount of cars that can’t get something as simple as air conditioning right — the Camry is a breath of fresh, and frigid, air.Every Camry comes with one year free access to Toyota’s connected servicing, which allows you to control a number of features via an app. You can turn the car and air con on before you plan to leave, which means you can cool the car down after it's been sitting in the sun. Take it from me, this is a game-changer with little kids, especially when heading back from the beach or park with the car parked in the sun for hours.You can also lock the car remotely and keep tabs on its vitals, as well as get access to a range of perks such as cheaper petrol.The Camry is also far roomier than any mid-size SUV. The back seat has acres of space. Anyone that’s been in the back seat of a ride share can probably relate. I regularly fitted two child seats, one forward-facing and one rear-facing. Both fit in with plenty of room to spare. The top tether anchor point is a bit of a pain to put in, but I was putting the seats in and out every other day, which is not a concern for most people.On the flip side it is almost five metres long, which is bigger than a comparable SUV. The Camry is also a fun car to drive. Shocking, I know.At its heart is Toyota’s hybrid set-up.Its 2.5-litre petrol engine is paired with an electric motor and a small battery. This combines to make 170kW, which is not far off a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Toyota doesn’t quote combined torque figures, but there is plenty.It makes light work of accelerating up steep hills and there is always plenty left in reserve when needing to overtake at speed.On the motorway the Camry is a quiet, comfortable and refined cruiser. The suspension does a quality job of soaking up bumps and lumps of all sizes, but it can get a little skittish over consistent small bumps.The steering is well weighted and direct, which delivers confidence on all types of roads.On a twisting country road is where the Camry sets itself apart from the SUV set. It’s lower ride height makes it intrinsically better to drive through the corners than its high-riding rivals.Shorts springs and tight body means it holds its weight through the bends better with no lean and it handles sudden change of direction far better, too.Another highlight is the safety tech. It actually works, which for anyone who has tested the new breed of cars arriving on our shores is a godsend.The auto emergency braking, lane keep assist and all the other safety acronyms work as they should. The car isn't beeping and bonging at you for every little thing. The tech is there and will only activate when it is needed. How refreshing to be treated as an adult.The few low lights I could find were mostly trivial.I don't like digital rear view mirrors. I never get the same depth of vision as from a mirror, but I will concede they provide better night and wet weather vision. Still a no from me, though.The long bonnet car can scrape on steep driveways or over speed bumps with large corrugations. So you'll need to be careful.A temporary spare tyre is par for the course these days, but still a poor result for owners as I found out when I got a puncture. Instead of switching out the spare and off I went, I had to put on the space saver and head to the nearest tyre store to get the puncture wheel repaired. A few hours I won’t get back.I also wasn’t able to get close to the official 4.0 litres per 100km claimed fuel use figure. I managed 5.1L/100km over my time. The fact it needs premium unleaded petrol is a bummer, too.I didn’t get to spend as much time behind the wheel the last month as planned due to time spent overseas and interstate, but it was unlikely I’d dip below the 5.0L/100km mark judging by the first 1000km.Toyota Camry SLAcquired: August, 2025Distance travelled this month: 195kmOdometer: 2849kmAverage fuel consumption this month: 5.1L/100km

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