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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2015)
Automotive News Car Review: 2015 Toyota Camry By Frank S. Washington AboutThatCar.com PONTE VEDRA, Fla., – The Toyota Camry has been the bestselling car in the United States for 12 years. Yes, 10.2 million have been sold and more than half – 6.6 mil- lion – are still on the road. So why change it? We never got a definitive answer. Only explanations such as we made it more premium, more fun to drive or more emo- tional were tossed around but that doesn’t really answer the question. That tells what was done, not why it was done. A reasonable guess is that the competition is getting better and in an effort to stay in front of the pack it was decided to improve the Toyota Camry now rather than later when it might be too late. The oomph remained the same. There was four cylinder-engine that made 178 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. It got 25 mpg in city driving, 35 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg com- bined. The V6 made 268 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. It got 21 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg combined. Both engines were mated to six speed automatic transmissions. The Hybrid still put out a combined 200 horsepower generated by its electric motor and 2.5-liter four cylinder engine. That is about all that went unchanged on the 2015 Toy- ota Camry. The automaker made about 2,000 adjustments on the latest model. All of the changes were designed to smooth, elevation was nonexistent and surfaces were pretty homogenous. Toyota also wanted a Camry that was more expressive. So they gave the 2015 edition a new bumper and an atten- tion grabbing grille. The character line was more prominent and it extended from the front fender flares through the doors and through the rear quar- ter panels. The car did look good and the design was expressive; that was something really new for any Toyota. It would be foolish to make these sorts of changes to the substructure and to the exterior of the Camry without improving the interior. Designers restyled the center stack, they installed a 4.2-inch TFT screen between the gauges and they installed some soft touch surfaces on the dash. A quick tactile test revealed that they could have been softer but it was a step in the right direction. And as with any competent mid-size sedan, the back seat was spacious The competition is getting better and in an effort to stay in front of the pack it was decided to improve the Toyota Camry now rather than later improve the car’s riding characteristics, styling and its interaction with drivers and passengers. To improve the 2015 Camry’s ride, Toyota reinforced the body structure with more spot wells to better rigidity. They stiffened the suspension and widened the track to get more responsive handling. On short test routes here the car did handle better, turn-ins were crisper and the suspension seemed sturdier. It was hard to tell whether resistance to noise, vibration and harshness had been improved; in this part of the country the roads were and capable of carrying average size adults in comfort. Toyota upped the ante in equipment, too. The 2015 Camry can be outfitted with a wireless charging system for cell phones. It also tightened the seals on windows and doors and increased insulation to make an already quiet Camry quieter. It worked; we never heard the engine or the transmission during normal surface street driving; no matter what trim line we tested, all that was heard was the sound of the car cutting through the wind. There are five versions of the 2015 Toyota Camry, including the hybrid. The LE with a four-cylinder engine starts at $22,970, the SE starts at $23,840 with a four cylinder engine, the XLE with a four cylinder starts at $26,150 and the XSE with a four cylinder engine starts at $26,150. Only the XLE and XSE can be equipped with the six cylinder engine and they both start at $31,370. The Hybrid comes in three trim lines the LE, the SE and the XLE. Starting prices are $26,790, $27,995 and $29,980, respectively. Prices do not include the $825 freight charge. With the new Camry, Toyota has served notice that it is becoming more aggressive in its styling, engineering and equipment. That could be bad news for its competitors. 2014 continued from page 3 Barriers to Housing and Jobs Portland activists from the Urban League, Oregon Action and the AFL-CIO are building a ballot meas- ure campaign to eliminate job and housing discrimina- tion against people with arrest and conviction histo- ries by “banning the box.” AUGUST Three Shootings Sun- day Leave a Young Mom Dead and Four Men Injured Three shootings over the weekend left a young moth- er dead and four people injured. The Medical exam- iner says the homicide victim Ervaeua Herring, 21, was in the early stages of pregnancy when she was killed by gunfire. City Inks Alberta Stree t Grocery Deal With Na tural Grocers Mayor Charlie Hales announced this morning that the streetcorner lot that tore communities apart over a proposed Trader Joe’s store will be the home of Golden, Colo.-based Natu- ral Grocers, an affordably- priced national chain known for “free nutrition education and healthy food.” SEPTEMBER Dr Steven Fritz Hus- band to Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz Dies in Car Crash “I remember Dr. Fritz for his compassion, intelligence and his deep care for all the people he worked with,” Silvis said. “Everyone here at The Skanner feels very sad for Commissioner Fritz’s loss.” Videos Show Portland Officers Arresting and Tasing Boy Police tased a 16-year-old boy in North Portland early Sunday and charged him with two counts of assault, disorderly conduct, harass- ment, resisting arrest and interfering with a police officer. OCTOBER Development Wraps Black History and Career Education into Preservation Project A corner lot on Northeast Martin Luther King Boule- vard at Shaver St. is on track to become a soul food cart court and an education cen- ter where youth can learn about Black History. Portland’s Gang Task Force Renamed Com- munity Peace Collaborative Portland’s gang task force has changed its name. About 100 people in atten- dance Sept. 26, voted to rename the task force Com- munity Peace Collaborative, with the tag line: A Coali- tion for Violence Prevention and Achievement. NOVEMBER Almost-Forgotten Law Revived by Nonprofit Watchdog Group While SB 111 mandated local law enforcement juris- dictions send their data on use of force incidents to the Department of Justice, all the data has been instead forwarded to the Oregon Department of Human Resources and combined into the state’s overall Ore- gon Violent Death Reporting System – defeat- ing the purpose of creating an information set allowing public scrutiny on trends in police use of force against citizens. Oregon’s ‘Forever Crimes’ Law Hurts Black Families Oregon Statute 342.143 lists 69 crimes that disquali- fy you from working in an Oregon school. Anyone who has committed one of these “Forever Crimes” is barred from working with students forever. No matter how long ago the crime was committed, or how much good the person has done since, “Forever Crimes” never go away. DECEMBER Geneva Knauls, 1935- 2014 One of the most beloved women in Northeast Port- land, Geneva Knauls of Geneva’s Shear Perfection, has died. A businesswoman for decades and a supporter of many, many grassroots projects and organizations, Mrs. Knauls died Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014 at 9:22 p.m., just days before her birthday on Christmas Eve. Moms Host Party for Portland Police Along with Youth Servic- es Division Captain Chris Uehara, Officer Julia Rico and about a dozen others, Sheldon found himself in a tiny, steaming-hot apart- ment last Thursday afternoon watching incom- ing Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea repair a broken down old dining room table. Ella’s Kitchen formerly Soup & Soap SOUL FOOD ...one taste will bring you back. BREAKFAST • LUNCH SPECIALS DINNER • SEAFOOD • DESSERT “Finally!! I found a great cozy soul food spot in Portland” “Something about Ella’s catfish is magical” “The mac and cheese was real mac and cheese like momma used to (or should’ve made)” OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9 AM - 6 PM 3505 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 503-927-6708 add 25¢ for each to go meal January 7, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 13
