2013 Toyota Camry Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015 Toyota Camry & Aurion as a used buy.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 1999-2014 Toyota Camry and Aurion.

NEWThe Camry might be one of the country's top selling cars, it's hugely popular in the business world, but it rarely gets more than a casual glance from the wider motoring community.It's always been the fall-back car for those who don't really care too much about what they drive. Most know about Toyota's reputation for reliability, and appreciate the resale that comes with the brand, but few care about anything beyond those fundamentals of car ownership.The release of the new eighth generation, Australian-built Camry thus passed by with little fuss being made of what was in many ways a much-improved car. Toyota revised its model line-up, giving more separation to the fleet models and the new sportier models that were aimed more at the private buyer.The Altise was aimed at fleet buyers, while private buyers got to choose from three variants of the newly named Atara: S, SX and SL. The Camry has never been renowned for its looks, it has always sat comfortably at the conservative end of the styling scale, but the new model in 2011 was quite attractive with clean lines and a handsome profile.Inside, the cabin was a much more pleasant place to be with more room and better comfort, and a more appealing dash layout. Beyond the cabin there was a good-sized boot.Power came from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine delivering 131 kW and 231 Nm, enough to endow the mid-sized sedan with impressive zip. It was sufficient to keep up in the cut and thrust of city traffic, and still cruise comfortably on the open road.It was also more economical than the old model, with Toyota claiming the fuel consumption was reduced by a full litre per 100 km. Backing up to the engine was a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission, with the final drive being sent to the front wheels.On the road the new Camry was quiet, handled nicely and rode with admirable smoothness. With a full arsenal of safety gear, including seven airbags, ESP, traction control, rear cameras and blind-spot alerts there was no question about it getting all the ticks of approval ANCAP could hand out.NOWMost Camry owners praise their cars. They particularly like the roomy cabin, the big boot and the fuel economy. Those few who criticise it usually complain about the performance of the engine, although there are fewer complaints about the 2.5-litre engine than there were about the smaller engine in the previous model.There has been one recall of the Camry. That was in 2012 when Toyota reported there was a possibility that the fuel hose connecting the main fuel supply line to the engine could have become wrinkled during manufacture. If so, it could result in a hole in the fuel hose that could cause a fuel leak.When checking a car prior to purchase check the service record to make sure all is well in the maintenance department. One thing you don't have to worry about with the Camry is a timing belt change; they have a chain that doesn't require changing.SMITHY SAYSEighth time round Toyota's quiet achiever became a much more desirable car.Toyota Camry 2011-2013Price new: $30,490 to $39,990Engine: 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder, 133-135 kW/231-235 NmTransmission: 6-speed automatic, FWDEconomy: 7.7 L/100 kmBody: 4-door sedanVariants: Altise, Atara A, Atara SX, Atara SLSafety: 5-star ANCAP

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

Boring, bland, cardigan-car - once upon a time, these were commonplace phrases when talking about a Camry.Reliable but uninspiring is no longer the catchcry, thanks to a sharp new suit and some serious work on the chassis, the new Camry has made solid progress in the appeal stakes and the hybrid has the added greeny factor without being weird enough to only draw an early-adopter crowd.VALUEThe hybrid Camry range starts at $34,990 but we've been thrown the keys to the HL top-spec model, which pushes the price up to $41,990 - Toyota says there's $4500 of extra gear for a $1500 price rise.Both front occupants in the HL get power-adjustable seats (the driver's is equipped with a two-position memory), dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, 17-in alloy wheels, fog lights, a rear bootlid spoiler, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and phone controls, an electric rear-window shade and auto-dipping rearvision mirror.The HL hybrid also gets an exceptional 10-speaker JBL digital radio and iPod integrated sound system and the satnav (with SUNA real-time traffic info) are all controlled by the touchscreen, which also displays the rearvision camera.TECHNOLOGYThe most obvious technology is the petrol-electric drivetrain - a 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder engine, a tricky set of gears and two electric motors. It all adds up to a smooth and efficient system that seamlessly goes from electric only to petrol-electric drive, as well as driving and generating charge for the battery, with little in the way of disturbance as the petrol motor starts and stops as required.The result is a 118kW/213Nm petrol four-cylinder engine combining the electric motor producing 105kW/270Nm 650v electric motor, which gives the driver plenty of pep when required.The HL's JBL 10-speaker surround sound system has iPod integration via Bluetooth or USB cable and uses lightweight speaker and amplifier components. It's one of the first mainstream cars to feature full digital radio compatibility - Toyota says digital radio produces significantly clearer sound from mainstream radio stations as well as exclusive digital-only stations.DESIGNThis is where the current car can leave its old image behind - the look is sharp and it almost has character. It's not grown a great deal over the outgoing car but the "bracket creep" of medium cars is obvious when you consider the first Camry of several decades ago.The new car is 375mm longer, 135mm wider, 75mm taller and its wheelbase is 175mm longer, plus  - in hybrid form at least - it weighs 565kg more. The hybrid model gets a different grille, a blue-tinged badge and headlight trim.The cabin has ample space and hits the quality mark when it comes to fit and finish - it will easily accommodate a family of four and has rear vents and a rear window shade, all of which are handy for keeping kids comfy and quiet.The test car had light coloured upholstery which shows wear quickly - again, the rugrat factor would warrant a darker colour - but there's good in-cabin storage.The bootspace has improved, with relocated electrical systems improving bootspace by 8 per cent to 421 litres.Where the engineering and design falls down is with a miniscule 300kg towing capacity, but more on that later.SAFETYThe new Camry range carries a five star ANCAP crash rating - the old one did too but the 2012 model went very close to full marks.The top-spec model's safety features list includes seven airbags (dual front, side, full-length curtain and a driver's knee), a seatbelt use warning system for all seats, stability and traction control and ABS brakes.The flagship hybrid also gets the blind spot monitor system (which detects vehicles dwelling in the next lane) and auto-dipping high beam system.DRIVINGThis is no longer bland and mundane transport. First impressions of cabin quality continue when the start button is pushed and silence often follows.Resist the temptation to hit the button again and look for the READY light - while noise is often absent the hybrid wafts away on battery power alone until the right foot heads further into the accelerator pedal.The ride is firmer than you might expect but it deals with road bumps nicely and manages to corner with reasonable aplomb as well. The local Toyota engineers have had a hand in tuning it for Australian driving tastes as well as taking into account the battery weight over the rear wheels.It's not going to frighten an SS-V V8 Commodore on a bendy back road, but it's not going to disgrace itself either, with steering and handling properties that border on enthusiastic.Where the hybrid is going to score is in the fuel economy stakes - the outgoing car was not thirsty but the new drivetrain has improved its appetite by more than 13 per cent to 5.2 litres per 100km, with our stint in the car in mainly suburban running returning numbers in the six range.The improvements in the boot have given near-normal levels of luggage space but the Camry hybrid has been engineered with a towing capacity of only 300kg (braked or unbraked) - the car goes electric-only when reversing, hence the low number.Toyota says is sufficient to tow a small trailer - given the average 6x4 can weigh 250kg that doesn't leave much for cargo. A normal Camry has a braked towing capacity of 1200kg, or 500kg for an unbraked trailer; even a base-model Yaris three door has a braked towing capacity of 900kg, or 550kg unbraked.VERDICTWorkhorse issues aside the petrol-electric Camry provides smooth, quiet and frugal family motoring that is good value-for-money, particularly when you consider the Camry's size and the Prius pricetag.Toyota Camry Hybrid HLPrice: from $41,490Warranty: 3 years/100,000km (hybrid battery 8 years/160,000km)Resale:  46 per cent (Source: Glass's Guide)Service interval: 15,000km/9 monthsSafety rating: five starsSpare: Full-size alloyEngine: 2.5-litre 118kW/213Nm petrol four-cylinder, 105kW/270Nm 650v electric motorTransmission: CVT; FWDBody: 4.8m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.5m (h)Weight: 1610kgThirst: 5.21/100km, on test 6.2; tank 65 litres, 91RON; 121g/km CO2