2012 Toyota Camry - Page 1 Review

If you think the 2012 Toyota Camry doesn't look much different than the 2011 from the outside, you're right. The design is purely evolutionary; but climb inside, peruse the feature list, or take it for a test drive and you'll find that, from a family standpoint, the best-selling Camry remains one of your best bets.

If you can look past its ubiquity on the outside, the 2012 Toyota Camry offers one of the most spacious, nicely trimmed interiors in the mid-size sedan class, complemented by excellent ride quality. And Toyota has made substantial improvements in the Camry's occupant protection and its feature set. For all those reasons, we at FamilyCarGuide give the 2012 Camry a 9 out of 10. Just a few issues, like a rear seatback that doesn't quite fold flat, and front seats that lack side support if you live around curvy roads, keep the Camry from being a perfect 10.

You can get the 2012 Camry in three very different mechanical configurations: four-cylinder, Hybrid, and V-6. The base 178-hp four provides plenty of power for most family needs, and it's very smooth. But the top-of-the-line 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 gives the Camry more of a luxury-car personality, making it feel confident even with full loads.

2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid models are quite possibly the best choices for most family buyers—especially those who'll use the Camry for around-town errands and commuting. The Camry Hybrid, with its special version of Hybrid Synergy Drive—borrowing many developments from the latest Prius—gets an incredible 43 mpg in the city (39 highway).

Across the Camry lineup, there's lots to love from a passenger standpoint, if not from the driver's seat. Toyota's conservative roofline makes a lot of sense, as there's adequate headroom for most adults. Ride quality is superb, interior trims have been improved, and the trunk is still huge.

Toyota is also anticipating top safety ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. To that point, the automaker had included ten standard airbags, and a blind-spot monitoring system is available. The Camry also packs plenty of standard features, including Bluetooth connectivity across the model line. Bluetooth audio streaming, iPod connectivity, and USB inputs come with most audio systems, and options include a voice-recognition nav system and high-end JBL audio. The advanced Entune system—with apps for Pandora streaming audio and Bing Search, for example—is also offered as an option.

For more about the 2012 Toyota Camry lineup, in detail, see The Car Connection's full review.