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2009 Toyota Camry Review

November 5, 2008

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

More modern and stylish than before
Automedia

Well developed surface detailing plays light nicely
Autoblog

The outside has been touched with a splash of pizzazz
Cars.com

Intelligently designed" interior
Automobile Magazine

Sexier styling
Motor Trend

2007 saw the debut of a completely redesigned Camry; Toyota gave it sleeker styling, along with a richer feel, which resulted in the most Lexus-like Camry yet. The 2009 Toyota Camry goes virtually unchanged, aside from some minor cosmetic bits.

TheCarConnection.com recognizes that the Camry has always suffered a reputation of being a bit dull. Autoblog reports, "The best thing about the Camry's half-pretty styling is the anonymity afforded by the glut of them on the road, and the car itself tries very hard to avoid offending anyone." Cars.com continues with that theme, adding, "The hallmark of this sixth-generation Camry is Toyota's effort to shake the stodgy, plain reputation the car had developed in some circles." The 2009 Toyota Camry is "a departure from the upright style of previous models," Automedia says, one that "shares Toyota's shapely new sedan look with its larger stablemate Avalon and upscale cousin Lexus ES." Finally, Motor Trend weighs in, commenting, "The sexier styling addresses the major complaint voiced by current Camry owners—too vanilla."

Autoblog remarks of the Toyota, 2009 edition, "Its exterior styling is more expressive than previous Camrys; one could even get away with saying the styling was a motivating factor in the purchase of a Camry," adding that "the front end has a suggestion of feline to its face, and the hood has some well developed surface detailing that plays light nicely." Furthermore, Automedia points to the SE edition, saying that it "looks decidedly more athletic than the others."

Automedia calls the 2009 Toyota Camry's interior "more modern and stylish than before," while Automobile Magazine describes it as "intelligently designed." "Large controls are logically placed," says Edmunds of the Toyota 2009 Camry, adding, "One of the few exceptions to the hyper-practical design dictum is the stylish ice-blue backlighting for the audio and climate controls."

Conclusion

The 2009 Toyota Camry further closes the gap on its upscale cousins.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:More modern and stylish than beforeAutomediaWell developed surface detailing plays light nicelyAutoblogThe outside has been touched with a splash of pizzazzCars.comIntelligently designed" interiorAutomobile MagazineSexier stylingMotor Trend 2007 saw the debut of a completely redesigned Camry; Toyota gave it sleeker styling, along with a richer feel, which resulted in the most Lexus-like Camry yet. The 2009 Toyota Camry goes virtually unchanged, aside from some minor cosmetic bits. TheCarConnection.com recognizes that the Camry has always suffered a reputation of being a bit dull. Autoblog reports, "The best thing about the Camry's half-pretty styling is the anonymity afforded by the glut of them on the road, and the car itself tries very hard to avoid offending anyone." Cars.com continues with that theme, adding, "The hallmark of this sixth-generation Camry is Toyota's effort to shake the stodgy, plain reputation the car had developed in some circles." The 2009 Toyota Camry is "a departure from the upright style of previous models," Automedia says, one that "shares Toyota's shapely new sedan look with its larger stablemate Avalon and upscale cousin Lexus ES." Finally, Motor Trend weighs in, commenting, "The sexier styling addresses the major complaint voiced by current Camry owners—too vanilla." Autoblog remarks of the Toyota, 2009 edition, "Its exterior styling is more expressive than previous Camrys; one could even get away with saying the styling was a motivating factor in the purchase of a Camry," adding that "the front end has a suggestion of feline to its face, and the hood has some well developed surface detailing that plays light nicely." Furthermore, Automedia points to the SE edition, saying that it "looks decidedly more athletic than the others." Automedia calls the 2009 Toyota Camry's interior "more modern and stylish than before," while Automobile Magazine describes it as "intelligently designed." "Large controls are logically placed," says Edmunds of the Toyota 2009 Camry, adding, "One of the few exceptions to the hyper-practical design dictum is the stylish ice-blue backlighting for the audio and climate controls." ConclusionThe 2009 Toyota Camry further closes the gap on its upscale cousins. 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY STYLING | [7 out of 10] Automedia: "More modern and stylish than before" Autoblog: "Well developed surface detailing plays light nicely" Cars.com: "The outside has been touched with a splash of pizzazz" Automobile Magazine: "Intelligently designed" interior Motor ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Except in sporty SE trim, the 2009 Toyota Camry has perhaps the softest, most comfort-oriented ride among mid-size sedans. The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, however, also emphasizes ride quality and comfort, and it has more distinctive styling, equivalent performance, and more impressive materials and quality. The Malibu also includes electronic stability control on all of its models except the base LT. The new-for-2009 Accord has—compared to the Camry—a stunning interior, especially in the more expensive V-6 models. The Fusion and Altima have a sportier driving feel but are a little smaller inside. The Volkswagen Passat is another good alternative to the Camry—especially with the base 2.0T four-cylinder engine—but beware of spotty reliability.

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See the Toyota Camry in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (3 total)

  1. By Ralph #1, Posted: 7/23/2009

    Loving the 40+ mpg from the hybrid on my 45 mile RT daily commute. Smooth, comfortable on trips. Not fancy for sure but extremely functional and economical. Handles well.Other car is an Avalon. Toyota has it figured out. Why not Detroit?

  2. By Jay #2, Posted: 8/11/2009

    I am not impresses with my 09 Camry. It has poor quality construction of the interior. The dash rattles, there's metal poking up through the seat, the engine hesitates when I press the accelerator to pass someone on the interstate. Big time buyers remorse.

  3. By Ryan #3, Posted: 9/30/2009

    This car is too big for a 4 cylinder engine, it definately hesitates to accelerate and when you force it to do so your fuel economy goes out the window.

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