car review – Gripshiftslide

Reviewed :: 2018 All New Camry SX

Grant — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 12:09:02 +0000

You cannot go anywhere within Australia without seeing a Toyota Camry on the road. The humble Toyota Camry is a car that for generations has embodied sensibility, stability, and reliability.

This is the first fully imported Camry in 30 years! Built in Japan the Mk8 Camry is longer, sportier and packed with heaps of extra goodies. Based off Toyota’s new global vehicle platform, this new Camry will be seen all over the world.

Toyota gave us the chance to experience the all new Camry SX V6 3.5L with the panoramic full glass roof! In go fast red with big 19 inch alloys; these are the biggest wheels ever fitted to a Camry.

The Camry has been one of the most popular fleet vehicles for Australian’s over many decades. The closure of the Altona plant does not mean you will not be seeing thousands of white Camrys on the road.

With the imported model being slightly more expensive than the Australian built Camrys the new safety features well outweigh the price increase and I’m certain you will see plenty of the all new Camry on the road in the future.

Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform is at the very heart of the all new 2018 Camry. This platform has also been used in the new C-HR which also handles well and is a joy to drive.

So what has changed since the previous model? Nearly everything! It’s 30 per cent stiffer, it’s 25mm lower, and with completely new suspension all round which helps deliver a fun car to drive.

The Camry is treading on the luxury saloon market with this very capable sporty revamp of the Camry! The 2GR-FKS engine is a 3.5L V6 that has been used in other luxury cars like the Lexus GS350 and shares lots of similarities to the engine seen in previous models of the Crown Athlete and the Mark X.

For the last three generations of the Toyota Camry you can see that Toyota has been making a concerted effort to improve and develop the Camry into what we see today. Safety features, looks, and interior have all been upgraded.

What caught my eye initially was the new aggressive front face of the Camry with styling cues taken from the Japanese Toyota Mark X GRMN.

With the longer body, the double moon roof, and the crazy new dash I was hooked! I’m normally not a fan of the Camry but this has opened my mind.

Gone is the boring Camry of yesteryear! Today Toyota has brought new life to a car that has been seen for many years as the quintessential accountants car.

The Camry SX is no slouch as its factory claimed 0-100 figure is 6.5 seconds and several car magazines have street tested this and have got the very close figure of 6.79 seconds.

I’m not saying this is a street weapon but it will definitely give a Commodore a run for its money! That said if Toyota did some weight stripping off this car it could be much quicker. Or if they wanted to take the market all they would need to do is make this car rear wheel drive and strap a turbo on the engine. Then they would own the gap in the market left by the exit of the SS Commodore.

The eight-speed automatic does a good job of getting off the line quickly although it does get a little lost if you accelerate hard, then lift your foot, and apply it again. However this can be overcome by the paddleshifters on the steering wheel.

It’s almost embarrassing to say but for the first time I actually enjoyed driving a Camry! I’m all for the changes! Their entertainment system is 90% there, its exterior looks phenomenal, and its performance level has been raised. If they added Apple Car Play and Android Auto plus some better UI design in the GPS area they would have the best package available on the market.

Take for instance Ford; the exterior design of their entertainment system is terrible but the features and ability of their units are class leading. People will buy a car just for its abilities to better interact with their phone.

The car market is changing rapidly and before we know it driverless cars will rule the world! Although we are not there yet the future is coming whether we like it or not. Car manufactures are scrambling to get cars to market quickly and the rapid amount of new in between models are starting to flood the market. I’m glad that the classic Camry remains in a form that is not too different from its original inception in the 1980’s.

The Camry now feels a lot larger with plenty of leg room in the back and more space up front. The SX Camry comes standard with high-grade LED front and rear lights, auto emergency braking (AEB), and lane departure warning.

The boot is massive and it could easily fit a pram or golf clubs if needed. Plus as a bonus you can fold down the back seats and fit extra long items in the boot.

The automatic high beam is another great feature that is the best when your on a long drive. As soon as you reach for the stick to turn your lights back to normal the system beats you and is ready to switch the high beams on as soon as the cars pass.

Toyota has done a great job tuning the suspension for Australian conditions. The car corners nice and flat with little to no body roll. It does not feel floaty or disconnected but rather it feels tight and tuned. The suspension can uncharacteristically feel rough over any deep pothole and this may be one of very few flaws that the Camry exhibits.

Have Toyota reinvented the Camry; or just merged the Aurion and Camry together, thereby dropping a badge and increasing the performance whilst improving the image of the well known Camry.

Whatever the case I’m glad they have improved the humble Camry. Much less boring than its predecessors and finally the Camry has a little spark in its step.
Thanks again Toyota for letting us get our hands on the all new Camry.
– Grant

Reviewed :: New-look Toyota 86

Grant — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 06:10:50 +0000

When Toyota invited us to take an extended test drive of the new-look 86 we jumped at the chance! Being a huge fan of the original car and its re-birthed version in 2012 this was a perfect opportunity to see how the car had been improved.

Having driven the previous 86 before we knew what to expect from the car but had things changed? The new-look 86 definitely looks more aggressive. We had 5 days to test and run the car through its paces from taking it to get groceries to spirited driving runs through the hills.

From the outside you can see they have given the front a new treatment; with all round LED lights in the fog lamps, headlights, taillights and an all new indicator position that sits just above the updated front bar.

What you may not notice at first are the small details that have been updated. From the new aluminium spoiler with its flat grey two tone finish to the little logos etched into the side of the headlights. Even the small side vents have been changed in favor of a more sleek look.

The improvements in style and handling are the most evident changes although some interesting features have been added like hill start assist and a built in lap timer.

When you look even closer you will notice the fine detail that has gone into the all new LED taillights that really help the car to stand out. You can see it has taken influences from after market taillights like the very popular Buddy Club LED taillight.

One of the more modern features they have added to the all new look 86 is its new multi information display that is integrated into the existing gauge setup. It’s great to see Toyota putting some effort into bringing more information to the driver. The multi function display lets you see oil and water temp and even battery voltage.

To make things more exciting Toyota has introduced a new button into the cabin. This ‘Track Mode’ button turns half of the stability control system off so you can really enjoy the car in its rawest form as it was intended.

Although everyone is begging for a factory turbo version of the 86 Toyota has instead brought out an even more refined version of the hugely successful 86. It’s widely rumored that Toyota is saving the turbo for a Supra rebirth.

The GTS manual gets a new cast aluminium manifold, polished valve stems, and cam journal plus a slightly revamped air intake which has added a whole lot more low down torque off the line! Enough to throw your shopping around the boot especially if you launch it at the lights.

Unfortunately the automatic version does not get the altered engine and retains the same engine as the previous version of the 86.

Honey I shrunk the kids… I mean steering wheel! Toyota has decided to decrease the size of the steering wheel to an impressive 362mm which make this the smallest production steering wheel in all of Toyota’s vehicles. The only thing that I didn’t like was the entertainment system. Although it was quick to recognize Bluetooth and continue podcasts; it’s cumbersome controls and GPS were old fashioned.

Everything has had a revamp including the wheels! These new-look 17-inch metallic alloys with fancy machine-cut highlights give the car a much needed aggressive look.

The newly added extra welding to the back end of the car helps stiffen the car up and improve response along with the quick steering rack. The car feels super tight and sharp during cornering especially if the car gets a bit tail happy. The quick rack, smaller steering wheel, and stiffer front suspension all combine to give the driver more control when things do go wrong.

Having driven the previous model I’ve noticed that the sound of the all-new 86 is a lot more aggressive and it revs more freely than the previous models! The quick revving nature of engine makes the gear ratios feel shorter which intern makes you feel as though you are going much faster.

So what else have they added? Steering wheel controls have been added on GTS models for that added bit of luxury. Plus a fancy new Grand Luxe’ trim on the instrument panel and door trims that looks and feels like fancy flocking out of a rally car.

After driving this car for a week I really started enjoying the car even more each day. Comfy for the daily commute, yet fun like a gokart, though the suburban sprawl or a thump in the hills.

I really like the newly tuned suspension. It’s soft, yet firm and responsive. It feels almost like coilovers on their soft setting. The new suspension set up really makes the car a joy to drive especially over speed humps.

Overall they have pulled together the best elements of the 86. Toyota further improved the car by making it look more bold but kept an elegant take on balance and performance.
All in all this is one of the best 86s ever produced and the 2017 new-look 86 is a true pleasure to drive. Not only does it put a smile on your face every time you drive it but it makes you realize exactly why the Toyota 86 is such a popular car in Australia. Thanks to Toyota Australia for giving us the opportunity to test and review one of their very special cars.
Thanks for reading,
Grant