The Toyota Camry has long reigned as America’s best-selling passenger car, a testament to its reliability and practicality. With sales consistently hitting near the 400,000 mark annually, even amidst strong competition, the Camry’s ubiquity is undeniable. Yet, despite its popularity, the sporty side of the Camry often goes unexplored. The arrival of a 2016 Toyota Camry SE Special Edition presented the perfect opportunity to delve into this less-discussed facet of the Camry lineage and experience firsthand what a “Camry Sport” truly entails.
Styling is subjective, but the current generation Camry carves out a surprisingly attractive silhouette. Personally, its aesthetics edge out its primary competitor, the Honda Accord, which in recent iterations has appeared somewhat bulky. The Camry’s smoother lines, enhanced by subtle black accents, arguably make it the most visually appealing Camry to date. While the Mazda6 undoubtedly sets a high bar in sedan design across segments, the Camry holds its own in the mainstream category.
The Special Edition package amplifies the Camry’s inherent attractiveness with the striking Blue Streak Metallic paint. This package further enhances the sporty appeal with eye-catching black and silver alloy wheels, a rear spoiler that adds a touch of aggression, and a sunroof for an open-air feel. Inside, the blue theme continues with blue seat inserts, blue stitching throughout the cabin, blue dashboard accents, and even blue detailing on the gauge cluster. The cohesive blue accents, while prominent, are tastefully implemented, unifying the interior’s sporty theme. Although the package is available in other exterior colors, the blue truly embodies the sporty spirit. Perhaps a “Blue Sport Package” moniker would have been even more fitting.
Beneath the hood of this Camry Sport variant lies the familiar 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, shared with models like the Toyota RAV4. This engine delivers 178 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission featuring paddle shifters.
While this engine felt somewhat underpowered in the RAV4, in the Camry’s lighter frame, it exhibits a newfound liveliness. It’s not going to challenge high-performance muscle cars, but it provides ample acceleration for everyday driving and even spirited maneuvers. The transmission shifts with commendable speed and precision, responding adeptly to paddle shifter inputs. The leather-wrapped gear lever also allows for manual shifting, although adopting Mazda’s racing-inspired shift pattern (forward for downshifts, back for upshifts) would elevate the sporty driving experience.
The Camry Special Edition inherits the sport-tuned suspension from the standard SE trim, a key component in its “Camry Sport” designation. While the specifics of this tuning remain somewhat opaque, the results are tangible. The steering, while retaining the typical electric power steering numbness, is direct, accurate, and appropriately weighted. The suspension effectively minimizes body roll during cornering, maintaining composure and control. The trade-off in ride comfort is minimal, avoiding excessive harshness. Notably absent is a selectable “sport mode,” as the car inherently operates in a sporty demeanor, a welcome characteristic for enthusiasts seeking a consistently engaging drive.
Despite its sporty inclinations, the Camry Sport doesn’t compromise on fuel efficiency, a crucial aspect for sedan buyers. It achieves EPA ratings of 25 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, with a combined 28 mpg. Remarkably, during a week of testing predominantly consisting of city driving and enthusiastic throttle inputs, the Camry exceeded expectations, averaging slightly over 30 mpg.
The Camry Sport’s road manners were genuinely surprising. It’s a genuinely enjoyable car to drive, bringing to light a missed opportunity. The gear shifter’s size, shape, and placement are ideally suited for a manual transmission. It practically begs for a stick shift, hinting at the untapped sporty potential within this sedan. For enthusiasts seeking an affordable, sporty mid-size sedan with a manual option, the Honda Accord Sport and Mazda6 Touring are among the limited choices. Introducing a manual transmission to the Camry SE could carve out a unique niche, potentially boosting sales and solidifying its sporty sedan credentials. A manual gearbox would truly unleash the car’s dynamic capabilities, transforming it from a great automatic sedan into a potentially fantastic sporty manual sedan.
The interior of the Camry Sport offers generous space for four adults. The front seats are exceptionally comfortable, and the eight-way power driver’s seat facilitates finding an optimal driving position. The steering wheel, while broad, boasts a comfortable thickness and leather wrapping. The dashboard design is clean and appealing, featuring a substantial center console and a Qi-compatible wireless charging cubby for smartphones. While the cubby’s size proved slightly restrictive for larger iPhones, it should comfortably accommodate standard-sized devices.
The infotainment system mirrors Toyota’s familiar interface, consistent with models like the RAV4. Interestingly, despite lacking the optional JBL sound system found in the tested RAV4, the Camry’s audio quality was notably superior. In fact, it stands out as one of the better-sounding factory audio systems encountered, at least subjectively.
The Camry SE Sport is equipped with expected features for its price range, including cruise control, power amenities, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and navigation. However, a notable omission is automatic climate control. While the manual controls are user-friendly and offer precise HVAC management, automatic climate control is typically standard in vehicles in the Camry’s price bracket.
The Camry features a spacious trunk with 60/40 split-folding rear seats. However, the trunk passthrough is somewhat narrow, and the seats don’t fold completely flat. The absence of a ski passthrough is a minor drawback for winter sports enthusiasts. Nevertheless, the trunk’s overall volume is substantial, likely negating the need for folding seats for most owners.
The base price for the Camry SE Special Edition starts at $25,715, reaching $27,075 with upgraded audio and destination charges.
However, when juxtaposed with its sporty midsize sedan rivals, the Camry Sport’s value proposition becomes slightly less compelling. Compared to competitors like the Mazda6 and Accord Sport, the Camry SE Special Edition leans towards the pricier side, especially considering that manual transmission options are available in those competitors at lower price points. In a direct comparison of automatic versions, the Camry aligns in price but potentially offers slightly less content and power than some rivals.
Yet, in a head-to-head automatic transmission comparison, the Camry edges out the Accord (and even the Nissan Altima SR), largely due to its conventional automatic transmission outperforming a CVT. While advanced CVTs have narrowed the gap, a well-executed automatic still holds an advantage. The Mazda6 remains a compelling choice for those prioritizing sporty driving dynamics, while the Ford Fusion SE, at a similar price point, offers access to more potent turbocharged engines.
On the TFLcar scale of automotive recommendations, the 2016 Toyota Camry SE Special Edition earns a Buy It!
With the SE Special Edition, Toyota has crafted a Camry that transcends its reputation for mere reliability. This iteration is genuinely fun to drive, aesthetically pleasing, fuel-efficient, and reasonably priced.
The Special Edition package appears to be the catalyst that elevates this Camry to “special” status. Anticipation builds for future Camry iterations, particularly the upcoming 2018 model built on the TNGA platform, which has already enhanced the driving dynamics of the Prius. Hopefully, this newfound sportiness in the Camry lineage will only continue to evolve and improve.
