Have you forgotten about this high specifications executive sedan.
Despite stiff opposition, the Toyota Camry is still hard to beat for the ultimate executive daily driver.
With the rise of SUVs and the increasing number of more affordable options from premium Continental marques these days, it is perhaps easy for prospective buyers shopping for an executive car to simply overlook the Toyota Camry. Once the go-to set of wheels for the people who wish to signal to the world that they have made it in life, this large Japanese sedan has in recent time become the niche choice.
This is hardly the fault of Toyota though, as the latest and greatest Camry is a rather fantastic car. In fact, there could be an argument that it still makes one of the best executive daily drivers out there.
To bolster this rather bold claim up top, let us first start with the exterior aesthetics of this large Japanese sedan. Gone is the boring looks of its predecessors, and in its place instead this time round is a rather dynamic design that would certainly catch the eye of any passer-by.
Featuring a massive grille flanked by LED headlights on either side up front, 18-inch alloy wheels down the side and cheeky twin tailpipes round the rear, Toyota is perhaps right to be calling this latest Camry a ‘Beautiful Monster’ in its marketing material – large dimensions, that gives the Camry its ability to gently persuade other road users –
On the topic of large exterior dimensions, this naturally also translates to an equally cavernous interior. And while there might be some who say that it is perhaps not the most stylish cabin out there, there is however no denying that the Camry is packed full of kit within.
Just cherry-picking a few tech highlights from the long list of standard equipment, the Camry comes with a 10-inch heads up display, an 8-inch central infotainment touchscreen and a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster. Befitting of all large luxury sedans, Toyota has also thrown in various luxury accoutrements like dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless go and a power rear sunshade to name a few.
Rather embarrassingly to its (significantly more expensive) Continental counterparts too, this latest and greatest Camry is also comparatively much better equipped in terms of safety tech. Coming as standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, this 5-star ASEAN NCAP rated sedan brings with it Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Pre-collision System (PCS), 7 airbags and a whole lot more beside.
All this safety tech does come in rather handy when wanting to fully savor what is perhaps the trump card of the Camry, which is its comfort. While the majority cars these days have ruined their rides with large wheels and stiff suspension in the pursuit of a spirited driving experience, the Camry has resolutely maintained its signature cushy ride that is capable of floating over even the most rutted of roads.
Add to that its equally cushy (electrically-adjustable) leather seats and stress magically melts away when in a Camry, which is exactly what everyone desires when just wanting to get home after a long day’s work. To add to that, the comfortable characteristic of this large Toyota incidentally makes it an excellent highway cruiser too, of which its 2.5 liter naturally aspirated four cylinder that drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission is more than capable in wafting it along at those speeds.
In rounding up the reasons as to why the Camry is one of the best executive daily drivers out there, there is the not insignificant matter of money to be discussed. Though this is less a discussion of the Camry’s slightly-steeper-than-expected starting price of RM188,763, but more instead on how buying this Toyota is actually a wise financial decision in the long run.
Being a Toyota, the resale value for the Camry is already to expectedly be strong. Comparing it against SUVs and continental cars whose values all drop like stones however, this large Japanese sedan has just become a no brainer for anyone who doesn’t wish to lose tens of thousands in depreciation.
In summary then, while the market may have decided that the Camry is a has-been, a closer look reveals that this large Toyota still has all the right ingredients that has once made it the de-facto executive choice in the past. Or to put it in another sense, what you want is an SUV or something with a nicer badge, but what you really need is nothing more than a Toyota Camry.
