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2011 Toyota Camry
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The 2011 Toyota Camry is once again simply one of the best family sedans available. Sure, it's not known for its sporty and engaging driving experience, but its comfortable and plush drive is renowned, while its roomy cabin, excellent safety ratings and strong yet fuel efficient V6 have helped the Camry impress for years now. And the 2011 is no different.
The Camry's available 268 horsepower and super-smooth V6 engine is considered by most to be the best in the family sedan market, while the smaller 2.5-liter inline-4 still provides respectable power. Toss in its high level of comfort and long list of available features (including luxury) and the Camry satisfies whether used for daily commuting or long family road trips.
While the 2011 Camry is a top choice, the midsize sedan segment is particularly crowded and competitive. Top rivals worthy of serious consideration include, in no particular order, the Hyundai Sonata, the Ford Fusion, the Honda Accord, the Chevy Malibu, the Nissan Altima and the Mazda 6.
Trims, Standard Features And Options:
The 2011 Toyota Camry is available in four trims: base, LE, SE and XLE. While the base Camry comes with the four-cylinder engine only, all other models are offered with either the four-cylinder or V6.
Even the base Camry is quite well-equipped with standard features which include full power accessories, cruise control, auto up/down windows, 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat and a 6-speaker CD stereo system with an auxiliary input jack. The Camry LE has all of the previous features plus an 8-way power driver seat and keyless entry.
Standard features on the Camry SE include 17-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, and special exterior and interior styling accents.
The top-of-the-line Camry XLE returns to the LE's softer suspension and 16-inch wheels while upgrading with leather upholstery (on the V6 model), a power passenger seat, a moonroof, automatic dual-zone climate control, reclining rear seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, wood-tone accents and a premium JBL-branded audio system with satellite radio, an in-dash CD changer and Bluetooth phone and music connectivity.
Most of the XLE's upgraded features are available on the other models as options. Additional major options, depending on trim level, include navigation, heated front seats and keyless entry and ignition.
Engines, Powertrain And Gas Mileage:
The standard engine powering the base, LE and XLE models is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 169 horsepower. The SE comes with an adjusted version of the same engine that generates 179 horsepower. A 6-speed manual transmission comes standard on all four-cylinder Camrys except for the XLE, which only comes with a 6-speed automatic. The automatic is optional for the other models, while all Camrys are front-wheel drive.
Available on all models except the base Camry is an optional 3.5-liter V6 that's good for a robust 268 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, and comes only with the 6-speed automatic transmission. A Camry so outfitted goes from a standstill to 60 mph in a very quick 6.5 seconds.
The EPA-estimated gas mileage for a manual Camry with the 2.5-liter engine is a solid 22 mpg city and 33 mpg on the highway. An automatic version dips only slightly to 32 mpg highway. The gas mileage for the V6 is 19 city and 28 highway, impressive numbers for a car with this kind of acceleration.
Safety:
Standard safety features for all Camry models include stability control, antilock brakes (ABS) with brake assist, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag.
The 2011 Camry aced all government crash tests by earning perfect five-star-ratings across the board in all frontal and side impact protection categories.
Interior:
The 2011 Camry's cabin is attractive, comfortable and user-friendly. There's also an abundance of storage compartments and the blue backlighting for the climate and audio controls adds an upscale ambiance. The SE boasts sportier interior styling accents, while the XLE creates a more luxurious look and feel with very good imitation wood accents and reclining rear seats - a feature not usually found in this segment. The trunk capacity for all Camrys is a useful 15 cubic feet.
While the seating is both comfortable and supportive, front and rear, there has been a noticeable dip in build and materials quality from previous-generations. The panels look a bit cheap and some of the plastics are lower quality. While the Camry's interior certainly isn't a liability, it no longer is above average for this class.
Drive:
The Camry's ride has earned worldwide acceptance by favoring driving comfort over dynamic performance. While the SE tries to add some "fun-factor", its suspension is actually only slightly firmer. The Camry succeeds well in providing a ride that's smooth, comfortable and quiet.
That said, the V6 Camry is one of the fastest straight-line sedans in its price range and still produces impressive fuel economy numbers. While the four-cylinder is naturally less spirited, this is an excellent engine that produces solid performance and fuel economy for a midsize sedan.
Prices:
2011 Toyota Camry:
Base, manual: list price: $19,595, invoice price: $18,123
Base, auto: list price: $20,645, invoice price: $19,095
LE, manual: list price: $21,050, invoice price: $19,050
LE, auto: list price: $22,100, invoice price: $20,001
LE V6, auto: list price: $24,765, invoice price: $22,287
SE, manual: list price: $22,365, invoice price: $20,127
SE, auto: list price: $23,335, invoice price: $21,027
SE V6, auto: list price: $26,040, invoice price: $23,434
XLE, auto: list price: $26,125, invoice price: $23,511
XLE V6, auto: list price: $29,245, invoice price: $26,318
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