Almost since its debut in the early '80s, the Toyota Camry has dominated the midsize sedan segment, and set a standard for value and reliability—and an overall bland driving experience. Due to the car's success, Toyota has followed a familiar pattern of making only incremental changes to the Camry when each new generation is introduced every five years or so, followed by mild refreshes in the interim.
That the 2015 Toyota Camry received a major overhaul only three years after its last complete redesign in 2012 marks a significant departure from this decades-old pattern for the automaker's most popular model. Maybe Toyota is feeling pressure from sportier and sexier competitors like the new Mazda 6 or the Ford Fusion. Whatever the reason, this speedier revamping of the Camry represents a win for midsize family sedan shoppers, since the 2015 model gets improved exterior styling, better handling, and an upgraded interior. The new 2015 Camry also adds new active safety features, and we think the car has some of the best tech in its class.
Pricing and Design
The 2015 Toyota Camry is offered in five trim levels (and three hybrid models not covered in this review), beginning with the base LE that starts at $22,970 and comes with 2.5-liter 178-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission (the only one offered on the front-wheel-drive 2015 Camry). Standard features include 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a rearview camera, cruise control, eight-way power driver seat, Bluetooth for phone and audio streaming, a 6.1-inch Entune touch-screen interface, and a 6-speaker sound system with a CD player, aux-in jack, and USB port.
Next up the trim line is the SE that starts at $23,840 and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, unique exterior styling and interior trim, a sport-tuned suspension, fabric and simulated leather upholstery, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and upgraded gauges. Satellite radio and HD radio and a color instrument panel display can be added to the LE and SE as part of the Entune Plus package and a sunroof is also optional.
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Stepping up to the XSE that starts at $26,150 for the four-cylinder version gets the buyer 18-inch alloy wheels, LED running lights, leather and simulated suede upholstery, heated front seats with added side bolstering, a four-way power passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, and satellite and HD radio. A Convenience package option for the 4-cylinder SE and XSE trims includes keyless entry and ignition and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The XSE can also be outfitted with a 3.5-liter 268-horsepower V6 starting at $31,370.
2015 Toyota Camry XLE Interior
The XLE with the four-cylinder engine that we tested starts at $26,150 (but had a final sticker of $30,779 after all the options were added) or $31,370 when equipped with the V6. The XLE comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a noise-reducing windshield, sunroof, and leather upholstery. The XLE has the LE's more comfort-oriented suspension instead of the SE/XSE's sportier tuning.
The Convenience option package, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 7-inch touch screen with the Entune App Suite are optional on the four-cylinder XSE and XLE (and were added to our test car), but are standard on the V6-powered version. Other options for the XSE and the XLE include a 10-speaker JBL audio system, blind-spot monitoring/rear cross-traffic alert, and the new Advanced Technology package with lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision warning and braking system, and automatic high beam headlight control. The XLE can be also be equipped with Toyota's Safety Connect telematics system.
For the 2015 model year, the Camry has a larger grille that's closer in style to the costlier Toyota Avalon and the car's Lexus cousins, and from the side the formerly chunky Camry is more chiseled and the rear styling is smoother. While the interior is largely unchanged and the liberal passenger space remains intact, the quality of the plastic surfaces has been improved and our test car had comfortable leather-trimmed front seats.
Connectivity, Navigation, and Interface
Our 4-cylinder XLE was equipped with the $685 Entune Premium Audio with Navigation App Suite option with the larger 7-inch touch screen and an extensive array of apps. (See our separate review of the interface.) The navigation graphics look a bit dated, but the system is enhanced with the addition of Bing and Yelp apps for connected local search, although they're housed in the Apps menu instead of the main navigation menu. The nav system also benefits from free HD Predictive Traffic (and Doppler weather), and has a My Traffic Routes feature that allows saving frequent roads as a shortcut to check for congestion.
Media and Phone Support
The 2015 Toyota Camry XLE comes with an AM/FM/satellite radio/CD head unit, a USB port, aux-in jack, and Bluetooth for phone and music streaming, while the Entune App Suite adds Pandora and iHeartRadio Internet radio. The radio has a cache feature that stores up to 20 minutes of a broadcast if a call comes in or the source is switched, and there's HD Radio for AM and FM. Bluetooth pairing was straightforward and the wireless connection is used to sync a device—and its data—for the Entune apps.
The Bluetooth system can also handle hands-free text message with a compatible phone, and it also has a unique Quick Message feature that can be set up to send an automate reply to a caller or even an ETA if a destination is programmed into the navigation system. The optional wireless smartphone charging system will work natively with some Android phones, but not iPhones unless you buy a Qi-compatible case.
Performance and Conclusions
Our test car's four-cylinder engine isn't as powerful as similar-sized engines in competitors like the Ford Fusion and Mazda 6. But it accelerates relatively smoothly and does a decent job of keeping up with highway traffic, while the six-speed automatic transmission shifts efficiently enough. Overall the driving experience is unremarkable and Camry-consistent. Fuel economy is rated at 25mpg city/35 highway. With its comfort-tuned suspension, the Camry XLE is the smoothest riding of the bunch and one of the best in its class, and the interior is quieter than in the previous model.
Even though Toyota bucked a long tradition with the 2015 Toyota Camry by overhauling it only three years after the last total redesign, the latest new model still has plenty of the perennially popular sedan's DNA. And while the newest Camry keeps many of the attributes of its predecessors and may never be the top performer in its class, its added exterior flair, interior enhancements, and tech upgrades should assure that the car continues to dominate the midsize sedan segment.
The fully redesigned 2015 Toyota Camry XLE keeps the best of the old while adding new exterior styling, improved handling, and an upgraded interior.
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