Son of a gun…I never heard THAT before!
Yes…I’ve been in quite a few Toyota Camrys, but I’ve never punched “start” and heard a sweet little exhaust burble like this.
Welcome to the TRD.
TRD?
Toyota Racing Division.
And while the TRD is not quite ready for NASCAR, it does have some legit muscle….and some custom trim….and something more that just might surprise you!
Let’s start with a beefier suspension with active cornering assist and brakes which include bigger two-piston discs. And let’s add the sticky summer tire option riding on matte black 19” alloys. And then you get the rear spoiler, front and side aero kits, and the over half-inch lower ride for more control.
And that exhaust burble? It’s thanks to two big chrome pipes in the rear that you won’t find on any other Camry.
Power? OK…the TRD has the same 3.5 liter, 301 HP V6 and 8-speed automatic that some other Camrys have.
Why not more power?
The TRD doesn’t need it.
Punch “Sport” and floor it and most drivers will pucker up and back right off. Power is just not an issue with the TRD. 0-60 in less than 6 seconds and it’ll do almost 100 in the Quarter Mile.
As for the inside, you’ll get a two-tone fabric that just looks like it belongs in a performance-oriented vehicle.
So what’s the surprise that I mentioned earlier?
Well, actually there’s two.
First the mileage. While rated at 22 city and 31 highway, I usually got around 28 around town and an easy 33 - 34 on the road. Pretty solid numbers for a 301 HP six.
And the other surprise?
Price.
Without leather and a sunroof, Toyota’s TRD Camry is actually a few thousand less than it’s more luxury-focused brothers and sisters.
At a hair over $32,000, Toyota’s TRD Camry is a solid value for a good handling performance-focused five passenger sedan.
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