2011 Toyota Camry SE (photos)

The Camry has been a huge success for Toyota, a reliable midsize sedan with no pretensions. Little has changed with the car over the last decade: the engine has increased in power, the transmission got an extra gear, and the car got bigger. But will its average demeanor be competitive against upstarts such as Hyundai?

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In a mid-decade update, the Camry got the Toyota bump on its nose, a convenient place to tack on the badge. The SE trim model signals its sport intentions with a black-painted grille.

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The Camry can be had with one of two engines, either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V-6. In SE trim, the four-cylinder puts out 179 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque, a little bit more than other trim levels.

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From the side, the Camry is nondescript, a modern-looking sedan with bulky sides and a wide D pillar. It is a practical design, with easy access to front and rear seats.

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The SE trim comes with what Toyota calls a sport suspension, but it falls short of track day worthiness. In fact, it feels soft and allows a lot of travel.

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Trunk space, at 14.5 cubic feet, is about average for a midsize sedan.

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Simplicity is the watchword for the Camry's interior. The cloth-lined seats are very cushy, and we like that all the windows are auto up/down.

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The Camry's steering feels nicely responsive. Toyota is still using a conventional hydraulic power-steering unit in the Camry, which draws on engine power, reducing fuel efficiency.

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Convenient buttons on the steering wheel allow control over the audio system.

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The instrument cluster uses analog gauges for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, and temperature, in keeping with the car's traditional design.

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This six-speed automatic is similar to what Toyota uses in its Lexus models, providing sport and manual modes.

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Satellite radio is a nice addition to the audio choices, but this interface does not provide a means to select categories of music.

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Toyota manages to fit a reasonable amount of iPod song data in the radio display.

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Browsing an MP3 CD requires the usual process of skipping through folders sequentially.

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Bluetooth streaming audio is the most modern feature in the Camry.

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The stock audio system in the Camry sounds surprisingly good, with nice detail in music reproduction. Bass is, however, a little underpowered.

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