The 2007 Toyota Camry Proved Bestsellers Don’t Have to Be BoringMotorTrendRon KiinoFri, September 25, 2026 at 2:55 PM UTCAdd us on Google2007 Toyota Camry First Drive: Bestseller Gets FunMotorTrend Archives[This story originally appeared in the March 2006 issue of MotorTrend with the headline "The Best Bestseller."] Since introducing the Camry sedan in Japan in 1980, Toyota has sold more than 10 million worldwide, with over 6.5 million snapped up in the United States, the world's single largest market for the model. Last year, alone, Toyota sold more than 400,000 of the family freighter, making it the bestselling passenger car in the U.S. for the eighth time in the last nine years.Never an automaker to rest on its laurels, Toyota will attempt to make 2006 another best-selling year for the Camry, and it'll likely succeed due to the introduction of the all-new iteration you see on these pages. Now in its sixth generation, the 2007 Camry line includes the most powerful version ever as well as the most fuel-efficient example to date. Plus, the new family comes with more standard equipment than ever before and offers the most trim levels yet, now totaling five.MotorTrend ArchivesDespite being roughly the same size as the outgoing Camry—the 2007 is an inch wider, an inch lower, and, at 189.2 inches, identical in length to the 2006—the new car appears more compact and more athletic, thanks to tauter sheetmetal draped over a 2.2-inch-longer wheelbase, which now spans 109.3 inches. The sexier styling addresses the major complaint voiced by current Camry owners—too vanilla. Inside, passenger volume is down 0.4 to 2.1 cubic feet, but rear legroom is up half an inch. Toyota engineers have added room where it'll be appreciated and deleted space where it won't be missed. Moreover, cargo volume is up to 16.7 cubic feet, an increase of 1.7 to 2.2 cubic feet.AdvertisementAdvertisementSimilar to the fifth generation, the new gen is offered in four gasoline-powered trims—CE, LE, SE, and XLE—but adds a fuel-thrifty newcomer, a gas/electric hybrid that's expected to account for roughly eight percent of Camry sales in calendar year 2006.MotorTrend ArchivesThe entry-level CE, a low-volume variant at five percent of the mix, is no longer the bare-bones penalty box it once was. Standard features on the CE now include 16-inch wheels, a tire-pressure warning system, a six-speaker CD audio system, power windows and door locks, cruise control, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic throttle control, and seven airbags. Available only with a 158-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder mated to either a standard five-speed manual or an optional five-speed automatic, the CE will be priced to start under $20,000.The big-volume LE, projected to account for 60 percent of sales, adds an eight-way power driver's seat and keyless entry as well as the option of a 268-horse, 3.5-liter V-6 paired with a six-speed automatic. LE prices will open at about $21,000 for a four-banger with an automatic (no manual tranny for the LE, XLE, or SE V-6), with V-6 versions adding about $2500.MotorTrend ArchivesFor driving enthusiasts, the SE, the so-called sporty version, offers 17-inch wheels, a black grille, foglamps, front and rear spoilers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, metallic interior trim, and a stiffer suspension. Prices are expected to open at around $22,000 for an SE four-cylinder/five-speed manual and top out at roughly $28,000 for a loaded V-6.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe flagship XLE, which luxuriates with heated mirrors, a premium 440-watt eight-speaker audio system with Bluetooth, dual-zone automatic climate control, faux wood trim, a power moonroof, a four-way-power passenger seat, and leather interior on V-6 versions, will command $24,000 or so for a four-cylinder and about $29,000 for an optioned-up V-6.MotorTrend ArchivesBehind the wheel of each of the new Camrys one notes that Toyota has boosted refinement in interior quality and driving dynamics and upped the performance ante in the midsize V-6 segment, especially with the SE. From the CE to the XLE, cabin accoutrements, noise levels, and fit and finish seem near or at Lexus levels, certainly in the upper-echelon XLE, which should give pause to prospective Lexus ES shoppers. While the 2.4-liter four-cylinder has received only a four-horsepower increase, thanks to a higher-compression ratio (9.8:1 from 9.6:1) and new intake and exhaust manifolds, the V-6 has been given a 58-horsepower injection compared with last generation's 3.3-liter. Displacing 3.5 liters, the new twin-cam six, which is the same engine used in the Avalon and RAV4, produces stout outputs of 268 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 248 pound-feet of torque at 4700.MotorTrend ArchivesIn the preproduction SE example we wrung out through California's twisty roads, the 24-valve mill felt robust and smooth, delivering the gusto and fine-tuning befitting a would-be present-day Supra. The new six-speed auto sets a fine example for shifting with speed and seamlessness.Speaking of which, Toyota has gone to greater lengths to heighten the S half of its SE badge. Whereas the previous version's sportiness was distinguished predominantly by cosmetics, i.e. wheels, spoilers, and some black trim, the new SE receives a host of chassis and body enhancements to improve dynamics. The springs are 15 percent stiffer, the dampers 50 percent firmer, the front anti-roll bar is thicker, and the body is reinforced with an underfloor brace, thicker body side brackets, and a V brace behind the rear seatback.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe result is a Camry that feels as buttoned down as a naval uniform, conveying levels of feedback and response more akin to a 3 Series than an Avalon. The SE is finally a Camry that truly delivers on its sporty promise. And with the burly V-6 underhood, which Toyota estimates will still deliver a lean 31 mpg on the highway, the SE should be capable of reaching 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds, a feat that'll make many moms and dads after-school superheroes.On sale about the time you read this, the new Camry raises the bar in a class in which Toyota was already the perennial sales leader. Now with an available 268-horse V-6/six-speed automatic powertrain and a tree-hugging gas/electric hybrid in the fray, the Camry sets lofty performance benchmarks. Add to the mix a legitimate sport model, and Toyota has covered all its bases—a home run in America.MotorTrend ArchivesCamry Hybrid, Now in GreenLess than two years after the Honda Accord Hybrid began emitting ultralow emissions into the American atmosphere, the new Camry Hybrid—powered by a 147-horsepower Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and a 45-horsepower electric motor—joins the Green Party, delivering an estimated combined-fuel-economy rating of 40 mpg. The Accord, which ruffles leaves with a combined 253 horsepower courtesy of a 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor, has a combined-fuel-economy rating in the low 30s. Take that, Honda!Whereas the Accord Hybrid is the most powerful, most expensive, and most fuel efficient of the Accord line, the Camry Hybrid is simply the most fuel efficient, outgunned and overpriced by its more upscale V-6 siblings. So if it's miles and not horses that are of the utmost importance to your hybrid conscience—and Toyota is certainly hoping this is the case—the Camry Hybrid holds the edge.AdvertisementAdvertisementNot that the Camry is slow or underpowered. On a brief drive around Ojai, California, the Camry Hybrid's combined 192 horsepower—more output than from the 2006 Camry's outgoing 3.0-liter V-6—felt smooth and refined (save for a hushed, appliance-like whirring resonance from the electric motor, no doubt muffled by the sound-dampening windshield unique to the Hybrid), not to mention perky and plenty adequate for devouring the steepest, mountainous blacktop. Toyota estimates the Camry Hybrid, which dents the dirt with nearly 3600 pounds, will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds; the more potent Accord Hybrid, also at around 3600 pounds, needs just 6.6 ticks.MotorTrend ArchivesIt may not be as quick as the Accord, but the Camry will be less expensive. Prices weren't available as this issue went to bed, but Toyota hinted that the Camry Hybrid—differentiated by a unique grille, blue-tinted headlamp reflectors, LED taillamps, "Hybrid Synergy Drive" badges, and standard Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, a safety net that controls ABS, traction control, and stability control—would start at around $26,000. The Accord opens at over $30,000. The only options available on the Camry Hybrid are a moonroof, a JBL audio system with navigation, a leather interior, and heated seats. Otherwise, all the necessary amenities—CD changer, power driver's seat, automatic climate control, to name a few—are baked in.With the Camry Hybrid, Toyota is once again cooking with electricity. Out of the oven and ready for (miserly) consumption—better get 'em while they're hot.Photo credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesPhoto credit: MotorTrend ArchivesAdvertisementAdvertisement
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