You’ve known her for years and you’ve seen her everywhere. But the truth is you don’t know her anymore. She’s had a 2018 makeover and now you wouldn’t even recognise her if she passed you on the street. She’s changed, in a good way.
The only thing that is vaguely familiar about the Camry is her badge. Other than that, she’s unrecognisable. Her sporty, bold lines don’t scream ‘Camry’ anymore. Instead, she’s simple and spacious, making you realise Toyota has made a car that anyone could enjoy.
Maybe it’s made for executives or it could be for politicians who want to be inconspicuous but still experience the delights of an absolutely epic car. With all its amazing safety features, it’s also an ideal car for a family.
The driver’s seat is so comfortable that for one crazy moment you want to rip it out and use it as your couch. That’s how good it feels. You can even adjust the seat, tweaking it for your upmost comfort. You also have the option to run cool or warm air through little vents on the seats.
Inside, everything is where you naturally expect it to be, but again this is not the Camry you’ve known. This is a new and improved version. Now hang on a second – you turn on the ignition but she’s whisper-quiet. Is she even on?
Hesitantly, you tap the accelerator and you hear a purr in response. Yep, she’s definitely working. You connect your phone, enter your destination and soon you’re on your way.
This was my first experience with the new Camry. And it’s only got better since. From my first drive I fell in love with the car. I noticed how much bigger she was compared to previous Camrys but also how she hugged the road. The petrol gauge didn’t move, even though I was sitting in traffic for almost an hour and a half. Electricity powered most of my drives but I sure had gas when I felt like it!
This hybrid version is so economical. I believe most people would only need to fill up the car 10 times a YEAR because it’s so great on fuel. I drove it here, there and everywhere and it barely even touched the gauge.
It’s 8 speed automatic for seamless gear changes with a tiptronic option if you’re so inclined. So smooth on the road, so good on fuel. Really, why wouldn’t you want this car? The car is so well proportioned on the road. Her beautiful wide tyres have a lovely grip and handling. When day turned to night the adaptive headlights were well and truly bright enough for me without being obnoxious to other drivers.
Obsessed with these headlights
There’s some pioneering safety features I believe should come with every new car by law from now on and apparently so does Toyota because they are adding them into all their new cars in an effort to reduce accidents. This includes the new hybrid Camry.
The Camry’s pre-collision system uses an in-car camera and laser to keep track of the vehicles ahead. Basically, you have another eye on the road. The system will warn you of imminent danger and brake assist may kick in, which will help you apply enough brake force to prevent an accident. I tested it at night, at night in the rain, during the day, raining during the day, and driving on country and city roads. Every time it performed impeccably.
I feel super safe driving this car and I believe the technology could easily save my life and help me avoid an accident! You can turn off the pre-collision system if you want to, but you’ll need to reset it again each time you start the engine.
The blind spot monitoring is by far my favourite safety feature on the car. This one will be a real lifesaver. It’s so intuitive it truly makes driving safer.
It’s so spacious so of course it’s practical for grocery shopping or fitting two weeks’ worth of a friend’s luggage in the boot to drop her at the airport or even doing a drop off to a thrift store. Lack of boot space was never an issue. I can comfortably load up enough stuff to go camping or go on a solid road trip in this car and still have plenty of space in the main cabin.
