|
The steering wheel is adjustable for tilt, but only at pre-set increments, released by a small lever on the left side of the column. If your favored position happens to be somewhere in between two of the detents, then tough luck for you. The front passenger has an automatic climate control system to play with, as well as a sliding-panel 2-din stereo system. The stereo head unit contains everything: a cassette player, single-CD player, controls for the 6-disc changer in the trunk, and a digital signal processor—you know the drill: church, disco, stadium, etc etc. With its bright LED display, it can double as a disco light when the sun goes down. In contrast, the rear passengers are in for a treat. Leg- and headroom are generous, even if you're 183 cm (6 feet) tall. Each of the three seating positions has its own headrest, with even the middle one adjustable for height, and its own three-point seatbelt. One area where the Camry shows its age is the design and execution of the dashboard, looking dated even when it first came out. The center controls, like stereo and climate control, reside in a rectangular plastic surround utterly devoid of any aesthetic sense. The blockiness of the center dash also hampers leg room for the front occupants. Everything comes covered in a ghastly gray plastic, clashing with the good-looking wood surrounding the door and dashboard switches. The center-console cupholders seem to have been inherited from the defunct Corona. One bright spot comes from the "Optitron" instruments, similar to those found in the Lexus LS430 and yes, the Toyota Corolla G variants. These gauges are bright and easy to read and lend a semblance of luxury to the cabin. Leather seats and steering wheel also increase the luxury quotient, but overall, it's just not convincing. Fire up the 16-valve inline-4 and you might think that it didn't start—there's almost no audible engine noise. It's silent at idle, and throughout the rev range as well. Even when it pumps out its full 198 Nm of torque, it's still stealth-fighter silent. Step outside the car, or open the door, and it's a different story. The engine is grumbling and cranky. Evidently the silence is due to the noise insulation, not to an inherently well-sorted out powerplant. Since you won't be driving with the door open, that shouldn't be a problem. The automatic transmission is as smooth as an Englishman in New York, an excellent partner to the engine. Upshifts are quick and imperceptible, and downshifts are also executed promptly. The gearbox prefers to upshift early, and even with the throttle almost floored, it doesn't want to stray above 5000 rpm. As the 2.2-liter spins past 5000 rpm, don't expect any spine-tingling race-car noises, as with the Accord's VTEC or the Cefiro's V6. This engine turns gruff and rowdy. Peak power seems tepid at 129 bhp at 5200 rpm, but in practice the engine isn’t lacking. Expect similar resistance when you ask the sedan to change direction. It does quite well in a straight line, or even if you change lanes gradually. But dial in any rapid change in steering angle, and the Camry hesitates for a split-second, as if asking "Are you sure you want to do this?" The steering is as numbing as a shot of Novocain, but at least it’s precise and well-weighted. The high dash and low seating position mean that forward visibility is compromised; the nose is all but lost from view. The rear is also long, and unfortunately there are no backup sensors. (Why are sensors standard only on cars that don't really need it?!) The side mirrors are too small and the field of vision too narrow. Imagine trying to change lanes while looking in a makeup mirror, and you'll have a pretty good idea. The brakes do an adequate job of stopping the 1420-kg sedan. The brake pedal is firm, much more so than the Accord's, with the Cefiro's middle pedal still slightly better in feel and response. There’s standard ABS but no EBD or Brake Assist. |
|
|||||||||
