Toyota Camry 2.4 A/T (Old)

The Camry is the car you want to be in at the end of a long day — as soothing and effortless as a champagne jacuzzi

Published on Sep 14, 2009 07:00:00 AM

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The 2362cc, VVT-i engine is a gem, with surprising punch and great response. Power has risen from 141 to 143.8bhp, delivered in an impressively refined, linear manner. It's generally unstressed, perky anywhere in the rev-band, and the four-cylinder thrum only evident if you really push.
The new four-speed automatic works quietly and unobtrusively, kicking down happily when you need it. It shifts quickly, and the ‘shift lock’ in manual mode works well, giving you 500rpm more to explore when you’re changing gears manually.

The Camry is incredibly responsive and lunges forward with a mere tap of the throttle pedal. This makes it effortless in traffic and you really don't miss the responsiveness of a manual. On the highway, the Camry is a superb cruiser and on the expressway it was possible to use the standard cruise control. The auto is pretty responsive too but you can feel the gaps in the gear ratios and there is a hint of transmission shunt on the upshift. An extra ratio would have helped too.
The Camry, with its relatively small engine and the excellent VVT-i system, gives a reasonable 6.6kpl in the urban run, and a decent 8.9kpl on the highway