Toyota Camry 2019 review

Toyota claims the Camry has been ‘tuned for Europe’, which could be interpreted to suggest that UK-bound cars benefit from sharper handling than their American counterparts. In reality, though, the Camry feels like a car designed to cruise rather than excite. The steering has a nice heft and responds in a smooth and linear manner, but once the soft suspension and corresponding body roll in corners remind you that this is no BMW 3 Series rival.

But of course, the benefit of soft suspension is increased pliancy, and it’s here where the Camry impresses. The standard suspension deals with undulations very well without ever feeling floaty or uncontrolled. Even our range-topping test car, on 18in wheels, was very agreeable, smoothing out patchy sections of road with little more than a shudder through the base of your seat.

Indeed, the whole car is impressively refined; both wind and road noise are well suppressed and the engine is virtually inaudible at constant motorway speeds. That said, it's paired, as is something of a Toyota tradition, to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which lends a tendency for the engine to rev frantically when you demand full acceleration. And, with less low-down torque to call upon than diesel rivals can summon, such soaring revs are a fairly common occurrence when overtaking on country roads or merging onto fast flowing motorways.

Inside, there’s no doubt that the Camry feels more solid than a Mondeo or Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport, but it simply lacks the sophistication of its closest German competitors. Yes, there are soft-touch materials scattered around the interior, but few of them are located in areas that you’d regularly come into contact with. The small (7.0in) infotainment screen is also disappointing, with slow response times, poor graphics and no availability of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

That said, the Camry does have a party trick up its sleeve: space. Put simply, unless you’re Shaquille O'Neal, you should have plenty of room to spread out in both the front and rear. A clever rear suspension design, along with the positioning of the car’s batteries beneath the rear seats, minimises intrusion into the boot, too, resulting in impressive luggage capacity – more than you’ll find in a Mondeo Hybrid or Passat GTE.