2016 Toyota Camry review – Roadshow

The Good With loads of interior space, especially in the back, the 2016 Toyota Camry proves easy and accessible for drivers of all ages, but its ride comes off as softer and less sporty than competitors.

The Bad The Camry lacks some features commonly found in the segment like Apple CarPlay and additional ports. Lane-departure warning proves quirky in everyday use, as well.

The Bottom Line If you’re part of the majority that favors comfort and practicality over sporting characteristics, the 2016 Toyota Camry is about as close to perfect as it gets.

If you tell a car enthusiast that you bought a Toyota Camry, you will hear something like “Oh, but it’s so boring. There are so many more engaging cars on the market, like the Honda Accord or the Mazda6.” This might come as a shock to enthusiasts, but not every buyer wants a lively sprite of a car.

Some — or, dare I say, most — buyers want a car that’s practical, reliable and safe. It should get decent-to-good fuel economy, have enough space for the whole family and contain enough creature comforts to not leave owners wanting. And guess what? The Toyota Camry fits that bill wholesale. It will do everything the average buyer wants without breaking the bank (or the owner’s back on a bumpy road).

Is it perfect? Oh, hell no. No car is. Does it jibe with my personal tastes? Not exactly. But, unlike some enthusiasts out there, I know it’s a damn fine car for most buyers on the market. And they seem to agree with me, as the Camry held its place as the best-selling car in the US for March 2016.

Sharp looks, without edge

Toyota refreshed the Camry’s face for 2015, giving it a slightly more aggressive countenance without making the whole thing some exercise in boy-racer aesthetics. The larger grille up front and more pronounced character lines at the rear keep the Camry looking fresh in the face of newer competitors, such as the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord. It’s not as inoffensively uninteresting as it used to be, but it’s still plenty anonymous on the road.

Toyota’s gaping maw of a grille is inescapable. Best to embrace it before it consumes you, too.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Inside the Camry, the anonymity makes way for a bit of life. The nicely designed interior features multiple materials layered atop the dashboard, providing a flow to the door panels and off to the back seat. Our Camry is the XLE model, the luxury trim, and it has a look that’s distinctly different from the sportier XSE variant or the more basic trim levels. The leather seat and steering wheel are both suitably soft, and the seats mitigate muscle fatigue on longer jaunts.

Of course, it’s still an affordable midsize sedan, so there are some cut corners. The plastic atop the dashboard vents, on the center console and the window switch panel is very hard and is likely prone to scratching in very little time. The headliner is made from the same material that holds multiple McDonald’s cups. And Toyota hasn’t yet equipped the Camry with an electronic parking brake, so you’ll still be ratcheting down a foot pedal.

But, on the whole, the interior is just about perfect for your average buyer. It’s immensely capacious, with above-average rear legroom and a roof that’s high enough for taller drivers. Between the center console, complete with Qi-style wireless charging pad, and the purse-sized storage cubby nestled betwixt the seats, storage space is ample. The cupholder fits an iPhone 6S Plus or a large fast-food cup. There are two 12-volt plugs up front, along with one USB 2.0 port, but there are no plugs whatsoever for the back seat.

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Straightforward, accessible tech

Speaking of in-car tech, the 2016 Camry features more than enough newfangled tricks to appeal to general audiences. We’ll start with most obvious way to access these systems — the optional 7-inch screen smack dab in the center of the dashboard (the standard one’s a bit smaller).

You’ll undoubtedly be pleased to learn that Kelis’ “Milkshake” sounds great on the Camry’s optional JBL speakers.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Toyota’s Entune touchscreen infotainment system has been decried as too simple for some, but given the wide breadth of Americans who buy these cars, I think it’s laudable in its simplicity. Positively ginormous buttons and dials for various infotainment functions flank large tiles on the screen, which might be a bit too large-print-magazine for some, but I see them as easy to read and access while in a moving vehicle.

Entune is loaded and ready to go between five and 10 seconds after starting the car, which is on the quick side. I managed the Bluetooth phone pairing process, using screen and phone, in 30-45 seconds.

Navigation is part of an $805 package that includes upgraded JBL audio components, the aforementioned larger touchscreen, Siri Eyes Free and Entune Apps, the latter of which includes connected services like up-to-date weather maps, real-time traffic information and third party apps such as Yelp and Slacker Radio. The speakers sound off with solid range and ample fidelity until you really crank it, which most buyers won’t.

A second display nestled between the gauges shows pertinent information including navigation directions, audio information, fuel economy readouts and vehicle settings. Once you figure out which side of the steering wheel controls the screen (it’s the right), navigating its menus is easy peasy, even at speed.