2001 Toyota Camry LE V6

Although it falls well short of best-in-class output, the Camry's 3.0-liter DOHC is still a pretty effective motivator when matched with the standard 4-speed automatic transmission.

Knowing full well that the vast majority of Camry customers are going to favor ride comfort over razor-sharp responsiveness, Toyota suspension engineers biased the car's underpinnings to optimize compliance and isolation. The basic hardware formula includes MacPherson struts in front and twin transverse links in the rear. Both are carried on subframes and use gas-pressure shocks and anti-roll bars for fine tuning. Remainder of the chassis recipe includes power rack-and-pinion steering and P205/60HR15 all-season radials. Despite a fairly deadish on-center feel, the Camry's steering does rise to the occasion when the roads become less straight and more narrow. Pushing hard into corners brings on a fair amount of body roll and understeer coupled with the occasional tail twitch under trailing throttle/brake inputs. But, properly flogged, we found that the Camry could negotiate even fairly challenging twisties with some measure of enthusiasm.


If vying with Corvettes and Ferraris for front-line honors on the valet lot really matters to you, don't give the Camry a second thought. On the other hand, if you'd much rather forget about having to pay lurid insurance premiums and outlandish maintenance fees, this well-sorted Toyota is worth a long, hard second look. Purely and simply, the Camry is a vehicle for those more inclined to follow their heads than their hearts. It's a not-so-basic transportation module that, treated with a modicum of respect, will likely return years of faithful low-grief service. (www.toyota.com)