k
K A M AW KUf
TH E 1997
FORD TAURUS
The Redesigned 1997 Toyota Camry:
Short On Looks; Great Personality
It's who you are. What you're about. And how
By Blair S. Walker
The redesigned 1997
Toyota Camry LE V6 is the
proverbial girl (or boy) you
bring home to mom: Not too
flashy, solid and predictable as
sunrise.
T h e head tu rn e r o f the
Toyota clan, the road-scorch­
ing Supra coupe, is for styling
and profiling. I he dependable
Camry, on the other hand, is a
people hauler for the masses.
Hardly a glamorous role, but a
crucial one tor Tovota. The
C am ry is one o f the m ost
popular cars in the U nited
States, along with the Ford Taurus and the Honda Accord. More
than 3 million Camry’s have been sold since 1983.
So, the redesign ot the fourth-generation Camrv, unveiled
in September, wasn't undertaken lightly. The weak-selling coupe
and station wagon versions have been unceremoniously dis­
patched to the great dealership in the sky.
Rather than go the radical redesign route of the Ford Taurus
and risk a similar sales dip, Toyota played it safe. The result: A
vehicle appreciably sleeker than the old Camrv, even somewhat
handsome. It 11 never set hearts aflutter, though.
The paint job on our mid-level LE long-term test vehicle
you get there. It's what makes you attracted to an
was an unappealing violet,
which Toyota calls Frosted Iris.
The bland gray cloth interior
displayed typically high levels of
Toyota fit and finish.
Fortunately for the Camry,
which is listed for 525,200,
beauty is more than skin deep.
I he cars allure grew with each
turn of the ignition. The LE’s
194-horsepower 3-liter six-cyl­
inder engine is quiet as a mouse
and does the 0 to 60 mph rou­
tine in a respectable 8.3 sec­
onds. All of this while deliver­
ing an estimated 19 miles per
gallon in the city and an excellent 26 mpg on the highway.
1 houghtful interior touches abound, such as a power outlet
for portable phones and radar detectors, a built-in rear child re­
straint seat and generous rear leg room in a car just 0.7 inches
longer than its predecessor.
I he LE didn't care for potholes or big bumps, which sent an
unpleasant booming through its chassis. And the incessant slap-
slap slapping of highway expansion joints bv the Dunlop 205/
65H R 15 tires got old fast.
But on the whole, mom would probably applaud vour deci­
sion-making abilities if you brought a Camrv LE V6 home.
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impressive style. Flawless design. Sleek details.
It's what makes you appreciate a spacious,
luxurious interior. With more room and comfort
than you'd ever expect.
It's the confidence you feel as you hug the road,
how you get around.
handle the curves. It's the smooth performance
you can expect when
you
have such
a
sophisticated suspension system. It's the wisdom
you have in knowing a sensational value when
you see one. It's what the Ford Taurus is all about.
And that's par for the course.
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