Toyota Fortuner vs Toyota Camry

What's the difference?

The Toyota Fortuner is a family friendly wagon and a very capable 4WD, but it’s looking and feeling decidedly old, especially when cross-shopped against the current highly competitive 4WD wagon market in which vehicles are increasingly stylish, sophisticated and packed with driver-assist tech (that isn't clunky) and standard features (that are extensive).

The Fortuner is practical and easy to live with as a daily driver, and in GXL spec it makes a lot of sense as a functional not flashy off-road tourer, but it’s far from the best family 4WD wagon around.

Until a next-generation Fortuner possibly arrives, there are plenty of Toyota fans who’d happily settle for a current Fortuner – if they haven’t already.

Ah, gotta love a sedan that knows its audience and the ninth-gen Toyota Camry Ascent proves once again why it’s a popular choice.

On top of the space and practicality, you get a shiny new design and technology. Overall the Camry Ascent is a well-rounded base-model - what’s not to love?

The GXL is 4795mm long with a 2745mm wheelbase. It is 1855mm wide, 1835mm high and has a listed kerb weight of 2185kg. It has a 11.6m turning circle.

Not a lot has changed in terms of the Fortuner’s looks over the years and while it stubbornly retains that pleasingly non-offensive exterior of most modern SUVs, it does manage to not be totally bland.

The GXL is a body-on-frame 4WD based the HiLux, so it’s no sports car in appearance whether you gaze at it from the front, side, rear or from a bird’s eye view, but it doesn’t look like a block of rotten wood, so unless you’re looks-obsessed, then you should be okay driving this around.

The Fortuner interior is looking dated and the standard dark grey fabric cloth seats, though well-suited to coping with day-to-day messes and spills, don’t do the cabin any favours either, and – you know what? – I don’t mind any of it. Note our test vehicle on this occasion had black leather-accented seats as part of its GXL Option Pack, but I've spent time in cloth-seat Fortuners.

There is a strong 'taxi'-association with the Camry because of how popular it is as a commercial fleet car and while the design has been updated and modernised, that vibe still remains. It's a Camry, after all.

But the new tapered nose with its slim LED headlights look sharper than the previous model and the rear slopes into a neat spoiler that accentuates a sharper rear end.

The new design looks far more modern and dare I say it: sporty.

A lot of the changes are in the cabin where the Camry benefits from a completely restyled dashboard that looks sleek and stylish, with the tech screens integrated into the panelling.

The cockpit still feels very driver-oriented, which is always appreciated, but now not at the expense of the front passenger.

The cloth seats look much nicer than the standard basic stuff you usually get and there are enough tactile dash and door panels to make it feel cosy, despite it's soft-touch points still looking too plasticky.

The overall feel for the cabin is one that is pleasant and well-built, although cloth seats always give me anxiety when kids are around.

The Fortuner’s cabin has a comfortably familiar feel to it and, thankfully, this interior is all about function not fashion.

It’s a practical space, with standard cloth seats (as mentioned our test vehicle has the Option Pack leather-accented seats, but I’ve spent enough drive time in Fortuners with cloth seats to know how those cope with the mess and dirt of everyday life), carpet floors with rubber mats, and durable plastic surfaces everywhere.

Up front, there’s an 8.0-inch multimedia screen (too small, not clear and bright enough) and that system has USB-connected Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (no wireless anything), and a 4.2-inch colour driver’s display, which is too small, too basic and part of an outdated mix of analogue and not-new-enough digital instrumentation.

There are the usual storage spaces – including a glovebox, a centre console, a tray for your smartphone, pop-out cup-holders on the outboard edges of the dash – and a USB port and a 12V socket for charging purposes.

The Fortuner’s three rows are in a 2-3-2 seat configuration. The 60/40 split-fold second-row seat has a one-touch, tumble feature. The 50/50 third-row seats are able to be stowed away, sort of. When folded to each side they protrude into the load space, reducing the size of what would otherwise be a more useable cargo area.

It’s reasonably comfortable in the second row; I sat behind my driving position and I had adequate head and knee room.

The second row has cup holders in the fold-down armrest, ceiling-mounted controls for the aircon, and two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchor points.

All three rows get aircon – with ceiling-mounted vents – and there are a few storage spaces in the third row, but no cup-holders. 

In terms of comfort, it’s ordinary back here; the seats are flat and unsupportive – and, for anyone other than children, the space is tight. 

Boot space is listed as 200 litres with the third-row seats in use, and in that area there are cargo hooks and a 12V socket.

Stow away the third-row and cargo space increases to 716 litres. But the seats still jut into the cargo area, greatly reducing your actual useable load space, and they also obscure a lot of driver vision to the rear.

With the second and third rows out of the way you have a listed 1080L of cargo area.

Sedans tend to fly under the radar when people think of cabin space but that's a mistake. Head- and legroom in both rows will make taller occupants very happy and the transmission tunnel isn't massive, so middle seaters will still be able to get comfortable.

Despite being a low-profile car, access is easy enough and it's only the sloping roofline at the rear that might make you bump your head as you get in.

Seat comfort is excellent with thick padding and cushioning to be enjoyed. The front seats are manually adjustable but lack lumbar support, which you'll notice on a longer trip.

The window sills don't sit too high, so my seven-year old had a good view this week but the cloth seats have upped the anxiety as he tends to be messy. He also loves having directional air vents and that keeps him happy on hotter days.

Storage is great for the class with a 7.0L middle console, large glovebox that can hold a manual and other bits, two map pockets, four cupholders, four drink bottle holders, a sunglasses holder, and a functional centre console tray that has multiple cubbies to delight those that travel with lots of stuff.

The boot capacity hasn’t changed and sits at a large 524L capacity, which is decent for a sedan. The boot aperture isn’t too narrow either, so it's easy to access items that roll to the back. The rear seat has a 60/40 split, to open up storage as well.

The boot has a powered boot release that can be accessed via the key fob and while you have to manually close it, it's a super light lid to operate.

Technology feels well-rounded now with the upgrades and the touchscreen multimedia system sports the same system you'll find in Lexus models, which is far superior to the older Toyota software. Basically, it's simple to use and looks good, which is a great combo.

The phone mirroring apps are now wireless and that means one less cable to worry about and charging options are good with five USB-C ports (3/2), and a 12-volt socket but you do miss out on a wireless charging pad at this grade level.

Basically, the Camry now offers better technology and style but the practicality of the cabin remains at an all time high.

There are now only three model grades available for the Camry and they are all offered exclusively with a hybrid powertrain. The model on test for this review is the enrtry-grade Ascent.

With the hybrid powertrain and new tech, the entry price is $4939 dearer than before and it now carries a $39,990 before on-road costs price tag. Of the mainstream medium sedan rivals, only the ageing Mazda6 Sport sedan is more affordable at $36,290 MSRP.

What’s interesting to note is that some of its other rivals, the new Honda Accord e:HEV RS and Skoda Superb, are only offered in one highly-specified grade and they come with corresponding price points. The Accord sits at $64,900 drive-away, and the Superb at $69,990 drive-away. So, if you’re in the market for a sedan, there is a good sense of value for the Camry at the moment, despite its price hike.

Standard equipment for the new Camry includes cloth upholstery, an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system with satellite navigation, Toyota Connect app, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

Practical features include 17-inch alloy wheels, temporary spare tyre, power-release boot lid, and manual release buttons for the rear seats in the boot area.

Strangely though, the base model still misses out on rain-sensing windscreen wipers for some reason.

Every Fortuner in the line-up has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine – producing 150kW and 500Nm – and that’s matched to a six-speed automatic transmission.

In terms of performance, the Fortuner is not going to set any hearts a-flutter: it’s sluggish off the mark, it takes a heavy right boot to make it feel like anything other than lacklustre on the move, and the six-speed auto downshifts quite harshly at times, especially when going up or down long, gradual inclines on the highway.

However, the 4WD set-up is effective, with adequate low-range gearing, a quietly efficient (but a tad clunky) off-road traction control system, and a rear diff lock.

The 2025 Camry has the new and improved hybrid system that Toyota is rolling out and a redesigned electronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) – both changes are welcome to the 2.5L four-cylinder engine.

This combo produces up to 170kW of power, which is up from the previous model but the torque remains the same at 221Nm. 

The Fortuner has official fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km.

On this test I recorded 9.6L/100km.

Going by my on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 833km from this Fortuner’s full 80-litre tank.

The outgoing model had an excellent combined fuel cycle figure already but the new hybrid system improves it again to just 4.0L/100km. With the 50L fuel tank, that gives you a theoretical driving range of up to 1250km. Outstanding for a family car!

After doing 803km this week and those kilometres being mostly open-road driving, which is where hybrids are at their least efficient, my real-world figure was 4.4L, which is still great. Expect it to be even better in the city.

On-road, the Fortuner offers up a pretty standard driving experience for a ute-based wagon. It’s on the HiLux ladder-frame chassis, and it has a firm ride, bordering on harsh. Having said that, you do get used to it soon enough and the Fortuner's coil-spring suspension set-up takes most of the sting out of surface irregularities, except for the more severe dips and bumps.

The Fortuner’s driving position offers plenty of visibility – although the A-pillars are bulky and the third-row seats block vision to the rear when they’re folded up to the sides of the cabin.

This 4WD wagon is generally quiet, although there’s noticeable wind-rush noise around the wing mirrors and engine noise builds to a diesel shriek when you use a heavy right boot as is regularly required.

Steering – reach- and rake-adjustable – is adequately light and sharp, and the Fortuner, with its 11.6m turning circle, is reasonably nimble in suburban areas.

Acceleration, from a standing-start or for overtaking, is laggy but available power and torque come in handy during general driving, making the Fortuner more agreeable all-round than previous versions.

The six-speed auto is generally right for the job, but it downshifts harshly, especially when going up or down long, gradually sloping highway stretches. That happens enough for it to be on the wrong side of annoying.

Some aspects of the Fortuner’s driver-assist tech is annoying: active cruise control is too abrupt and pre-emptive, consistently miscalculating the space between the Fortuner and the vehicle in front as accurately as most of its rivals. This clunky application of tech to real-world scenarios works against the Fortuner. 

While driving a lightly corrugated and rutted dirt track o the way to our set-piece off-road tests, the Fortuner’s ladder-frame chassis yielded a stiff, firm ride, bashing and bouncing over any and all surface imperfections. Airing down the Yokohama Geolandar ATs (265/65R17) from 38 psi (pounds per square inch) to 26 psi takes some sting out of the ride.

The Fortuner is a very capable 4WD with standard off-road measurements, including ground clearance (216mm), approach angle (29 degrees), departure angle (25 degrees) and rampover angle (23.5 degrees). It has a listed wading depth of 700mm.

The Fortuner’s switchable part-time 4WD system has two-wheel drive (H2), and high- (H4) and low-range (L4) four-wheel drive. There’s ample low-end torque on offer – on tap across a broad rev range – for controlled low-speed 4WDing and the unfussed turbo-diesel engine keeps the Fortuner ticking along, without any hassle. 

Engine braking is good, keeping the Fortuner to a sustained and composed momentum on downhill runs.

The off-road traction control system is an effective set-up, limiting wheel-spin and sending much-needed torque to the tyres with some useable traction, with the aim to keep the vehicle moving along at a safe, controlled pace.

Besides that, the driver always has the option of engaging the rear diff lock for more traction action.

Wheel travel is decent for a wagon like this and if you can get the full suspension flex, and drop any mid-air tyres to the dirt for more traction, chances are you’ll be able to get moving along safely soon enough.

So, the mechanicals are fine – its 4WD set-up is very effective – but the Fortuner doesn’t have a whole lot of ground clearance (a claimed 216mm, standard for a contemporary 4WD wagon) and the side steps are prone to hitting on the edges of steep and deep ruts, but those factors are easily overcome through considered driving and tyres that are better suited to off-roading. 

The standard Yokohama Geolandar AT tyres are somewhat of a flaw in the Fortuner’s off-roading set-up. Sure, they’re technically all-terrains, but I reckon a better bet for you – if you’re planning to drive anything beyond formed trails – is to invest in a set of more aggressive all-terrains with greater sidewall bite. 

If you’re planning to use your Fortuner to tow anything, keep in mind that it has a 750kg unbraked towing capacity and 3100kg braked towing capacity. Remember: to be on the safe side, avoid going loading up to anywhere near those capacity figures.

Payload is 615kg (easily reached when you factor in people, pets, camping gear and more), gross vehicle is (GVM) is 2800kg, and gross combined mass (GCM) is 5900kg.

Toyota really does the hybrid thing well – the engine and electric motor handle duties effortlessly between them, with minimal fuss like noise or gear changes.

The well of power feels deep enough to really let it loose on the highway, if need be, but that also makes it zippy in the city.

This is sure-footed in most scenarios and I like the comfort that brings to the driving.

The steering is direct enough to feel responsive but not sporty. It handles corners well and suspension is well-tuned, so you don’t wince when you hit bumps.

Being set low and having average-sized windows means visibility can be a little hampered when heading down a hill as you bob and weave to see around the rear-view mirror and thick pillars.

The Camry is 4920mm long (33mm longer than previous gen) and it fills out a space. With it's low profile, you have to be careful not to scrape the bottom on anything but it’s still relatively nimble in a car park because of its tight steering and clear 360-degree camera system. 

The Camry has a brand-spanking new five-star ANCAP safety rating from this year (2024) and now sports eight airbags, including a front-centre airbag.

The safety features list is impressively long with all of the biggies included like blind spot monitoring, SOS call button, driver attention alert, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert, forward collision warning, LED daytime running lights, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, a 360-degree view camera system, and front and rear parking sensors.

The adaptive cruise control has a new cornering feature, which will slow your speed down in corners but it didn't always activate and when it did, it slowed down too dramatically to make the system feel smooth to use.

All other systems feel well-tuned for daily driving.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

The new Camry has auto emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian, motorcycle, cyclist and backover function, which is operational from 5.0 to 80km/h (up to 180km/h for car).

A five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty covers the Fortuner, which is par for the course these days.

If you stick to the relatively short servicing schedule – six months or 10,000km with at authorised dealerships – Toyota says it will cover the engine and driveline for up to seven years. All warranty elements are subject to terms and conditions, so make sure you’re fully aware of those.

Capped-price servicing applies and, for our test vehicle, it was $290 per appointment for the first five, then $377.38, $813.93, $572.55, $478.93 and $377.38.

The Camry comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty but that can be upped to seven years if you exclusively service with Toyota and on schedule, which is good for the class.

You get five-years capped-priced servicing at just $255 per service, which is extremely reasonable and intervals are good at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Camry likes the good stuff though and only drinks a minimum of 95 RON unleaded petrol.