- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.4i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
112kW, 218Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 9.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2002 Toyota Camry review: The ultimate set-and-forget machine
Toyota is billing the Camry as a "driver's car" but, Bill McKinnon says, its strength is still in its duller virtues.
Good: Quality, reliability and durability that Ford and Holden haven't even dreamed of yet. A full-sized family sedan for less than $30,000 must be a good thing. Improved dynamics. Honest performance with frugal city economy. Spacious, comfortable back seat. Big boot. Strong brakes.
Bad: Some ride comfort has been sacrificed for better handling. No steering wheel reach adjustment. Flat, unsupportive driver's seat. Side airbags unavailable. Rear head restraints. Air-con switches.
Verdict: White. Good.
Stars: 3 (out of 5).
The high-profile Falcon v Commodore contest has tended to overshadow the arrival of the new Toyota Camry. That has always been the Camry's problem, of course -- getting noticed.
Toyota is spinning, as hard as it can, the line that the new Camry is now a "driver's car". Holden and Ford are doing exactly the same thing, so what hope has it got?
Camry's fate in local showrooms, though, is arguably of less importance to Toyota than its manufacturing rivals.
Toyota sells the car in 33 export markets, predominantly the Middle East.
Export dollars are more significant in the Camry business plan than domestic ones and, in the next 12 months, 50,000-60,000 Camrys will set sail for foreign ports.
In Australia, the four-cylinder model still owns the medium segment, with more than 55 percent of the action.
The six has a difficult time against the Falcon, Commodore, Magna and, in its own paddock, the Avalon.
The 2002 Camry range, with 2.4-litre four-cylinder or 3.0 V6 engines, has been supplemented by a Sportivo line, a pretty serious attempt to give the badge some much-needed sizzle.
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However the cooking-model Camry's virtues are, basically, the same as its predecessors. It is the ultimate set-and-forget machine -- engineered, built and finished to very high standards, with outstanding durability and reliability.
As far as large front-drive sedans are concerned, the Camry is also more competent and coherent on the road than some high-priced Euros.
Toyota's testosterone tack with the Camry's launch advertising ignores the most attractive aspect of the new model: its improved value-for-money quotient. Equipment levels are up, and in some cases prices are down.
The Camry range kicks off at $26,990 for the four-cylinder manual Altise; the four-speed auto is $28,490.
At long last, Toyota has made air-conditioning standard in the base model, which also gets dual airbags, force limiting seatbelt pre-tensioners, a CD player, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors.
Anti-lock brakes, standard on Camry's rivals, are still optional.
In a truly breathtaking display of cynicism, side airbags -- standard or optional on the Ateva, Azura and Sportivo variants -- are not available on the Altise.
If you get T-boned and injured, well, it's your own fault. You should have spent more money on the next model up the range.
The new Camry is built on the platform that underpins the Avalon and Lexus ES300. It's bigger in all directions than its predecessor -- a fair dinkum five-seater.
Toyota's local engineers strengthened the body and developed firmer suspension calibrations to suit our roads and driving styles.
We go around corners much faster than drivers in some other countries, according to Toyota's research. This surely has more to do with attitude than skill.
Locally manufactured disc brakes are also fitted, part of Toyota's push to reduce Camry build costs by engaging up to 100 domestic component suppliers.
The 2.4-litre four, a locally-produced version of the Tarago's, is similar in character to the previous model's 2.2, but more responsive and refined. It's about torque rather than power, and delivers honest rather than inspirational performance.
Weighing slightly more than 1.4 tonnes, the Altise auto is a fair lump of metal for a 112kW four-cylinder engine to shift. The 0-to-100kmh sprint takes a leisurely 11.6 seconds.
The Camry dawdles off the line, but from 2500rpm it's quite strong, flexible and, by four-cylinder standards, very smooth and quiet when cruising.
On the highway, the 2.4 can use more fuel than Commodore's 3.8-litre V6, because at 2400rpm at 100kmh it's working a lot harder. Around town, though, the four-cylinder advantage comes into play and you get reasonable economy.
The four-speed automatic is starting to date a bit, with only basic adaptive electronics and no sequential feature. Still, a simple push-button fourth gear lockout is arguably more effective than tricky programming that attempts, and often fails, to anticipate your requirements.
Toyota's efforts to make the Camry "talk back" to the driver have lifted the car's handling ability, and for a large front-drive family sedan it is not bad at all.
The four-cylinder versions feel light and responsive when turning into corners, are well-balanced and have accurate, well-weighted steering. Roadholding on all surfaces is fine.
In context, though, the Mazda6 is a far more sporty, athletic, communicative device, while Subaru's ageing but still A-grade Liberty has all-wheel-drive on its side. In this company, the Camry is transport.
The rear suspension no longer sags when the back seat is fully occupied, but the firmer tuning at both ends has come at some cost to ride comfort.
The driver's Camry is a bit tough on passengers, particularly around Sydney's shabby streets and on rough country roads. It lacks initial compliance and is quite lumpy at the front. The suspension and tyres (205/65 Dunlops on 15-inch steel wheels) also make some noise.
The brakes are excellent in all respects, though ABS is still optional.
Camry interiors have always been functional rather than flash. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the more you appreciate the layout's efficiency, user friendliness and smart design.
The slim, convex dash, high seating positions, large glass area and light grey tones give the cabin a pleasant sense of space and light.
Air and audio units are mounted high on the dash, within easy reach; there's plenty of oddment storage underneath and in the large covered centre bin and glovebox.
The air-conditioning switches work with a low-rent feel, though. They could be from a Hyundai, circa 1990.
To cater for tall drivers, the Camry needs reach adjustment for the steering wheel (it has height adjustment). The driver's seat, though comfortable, is still rather flat and unsupportive, with a short, height-adjustable cushion.
Lumbar support is also adjustable, but it's insufficient to properly look after your back on a long drive. Vision is clear around the car.
In the back seat, the new Camry's larger dimensions are most noticeable -- it has better access, greater headroom and more stretch-out space than a Falcon. It's a very comfortable place to travel; three lap-sash belts and two useless bumps in the seat back (supposedly head restraints) are provided.
The large, deep boot -- also a Falcon/Commodore beater -- has two shopping bag hooks, 60-40 split-folding rear seat, extendability through a large porthole and a full-sized spare underneath.
I promise that this Camry story is true. I stopped at the post office to pick up the mail, returned to the white (its natural colour) test Camry and opened the passenger door to toss in the bills and writs.
A nice lady in the driver's seat asked "Can I help you?"
She was driving the old model. I'd parked behind it and, well, just headed for the nearest white one.
That's the great thing about the Camry. It's unique in its ordinariness. You'll never mistake it for anything else.
Vital signs
Engine: 2.4-litre 16-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder.
Power: 112kW at 5600rpm (average).
Performance: 0-100kmh in 11.6 seconds (average).
Brakes: Discs (good).
Economy: 9.8 litres/100km highway (a bit thirsty); 11.1 litres/100km city (good).
Prices: Recommended retail -- $26,990; auto $28,490. Street price -- $1500 off.
Main options: Cruise control/ABS $1250; cruise control/satnav $4300; cruise control $500; metallic paint $215.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km (average).
Residual value: 50 percent after three years (average against Falcon and Commodore; below average against Mazda 626 and Subaru Liberty).
Safety rating: Not yet tested.
Alternatives (automatics):
Holden Vectra GL 2.2 -- $27,190
Hyundai Sonata GL 2.4 -- $27,980
Mazda6 Limited 2.3 -- $30,350
Subaru Liberty 2.0 GX -- $31,980
Prices correct at publication date.