2020 Toyota Camry TRD new car reviews

I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.

 That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)

The production engineers know what's what. OLOA Camry

Every time I see TRD on a car or truck my brain automatically shouts TURD.

(no offense to Toyota fans, it's just something I can't unsee)

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.

 That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)

You really think any "young performance driver" is going to drop $30k+ on a TRD Camry? 

I suspect the few buyers this does get are going to be the "I have a wife and kids and can't afford a BMW" types. 

these are the same camry's that dont run if you try to pull the abs fuses to disable the traction control.

z31maniac said:

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.

 That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)

You really think any "young performance driver" is going to drop $30k+ on a TRD Camry? 

I suspect the few buyers this does get are going to be the "I have a wife and kids and can't afford a BMW" types. 

Or the "I don't want to buy a car that will depreciate to nothing and be riddled with dealership trips in the first four years of its life" crowd. 

Not a NASCAR fan at all, so I'm curious how much Toyota's participation has driven sales for them. Having watched a few races over the years there was never a point where I looked at one of the Ford or Chevy cars and thought its performance related in any way to a car I might be able to buy from that manufacturer.

So all the heavy breathing in the Toyota press release seems a bit misplaced. I'm impressed that Toyota is continuing to offer sportier options but the Camry isn't the one I'd go for. Release a TRD Supra or Corolla and then I'll pay attention.

My question is does it suck to drive or not? I have a thing about companies tarting up cars to make them look race but doing nothing about the way they drive. 

In reply to Tom1200 :

Short lived Nissan Sentra Nismo was one.  

z31maniac said:

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.

 That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)

You really think any "young performance driver" is going to drop $30k+ on a TRD Camry? 

I suspect the few buyers this does get are going to be the "I have a wife and kids and can't afford a BMW" types. 

I mean, is there another $30k sedan out there with 300hp and an LSD? (and...Toyota reliability)?....

When I was in my 20s, I drove a Maxima, as did a ton of people my age. Why? Because it had the power, it had the LSD, it had the style that the Camry/Accord didn't have then. No reason Toyota couldn't flip the script on that, since the Maxima is an old-people's car with CVT now and the Accord is very nice and a favorite of 60-something suburbanites, but totally unremarkable style-wise.  

BMW buyers are predominently about the image, because there is absolutely nothing special about the driving dynamics, reliability, or interiors of most of the "affordable" BMWs...IMO. And let's be real. Most of the people buying in that category woud'nt know FWD from RWD if it bit them in the ass, and don't care. None of them will buy a Camry. They'll buy a used BMW if they can't afford a new one, because they want to say they have a BMW. They don't actually care about the car itself that much.  I actually race BMWs, and woudn't even give a passing thought to actually buying a new one. But I certainly WOULD give a passing thought to buying a 6MT, LSD-equipped 300hp Camry. And yeah, I'm in my low 40s, which is the demographic car-makers car about (by "young" i meant "younger demographic, not old people" - though maybe that's wishful thinking on my part lol.  And I actually buy brand-new cars, which is the demographic that matters most to manufacturers . 

So yes, I'd consider a $30k Camry 100 times more than I'd consider whatever garbage BMW is putting out in the gutter of their price range. 

I see all Camrys in beige no matter the year or trim level. 

octavious said:

I see all Camrys in beige no matter the year or trim level. 

Obviously the key would be to get JDM badging so you can tell your friends you have a "Toyota (er...Daihatsu) Altus"

Who wants a 300 hp, lsd, fwd automatic?

In reply to Justjim75 :

The answer to that is "lots of people" which is why Toyota sold 337k Camrys last year. Granted not all of those are 300hp but that's a hell of a lot of Camrys which makes me think that buyers think they suck a lot less than forum members do. 

I often joke how my 22 year old performance car is slower than a new Camry. Now it's considerably slower!

Its been 5 hours and no "grounded to the ground" comments?  I'm ashamed of you guys.

Edit: 4hrs.  GRM time is 1 hr behind for me.

In reply to ProDarwin :

I was still giggling about the fact that Toyota is literally calling their cars TuRDs :)

Justjim75 said:

Who wants a 300 hp, lsd, fwd automatic?

I'll take a well-sorted modern auto with manual shifter buttons over an old stick.  Anyday.

if I didn't have kids, I'd probably have an NC with an automatic.  Would make for a great weekend car and commuter.  The 6-speed auto is very responsive and blips the throttle downshifts.  You can use the buttons to shift up or down faster than you can with a manual.  So you have more cycles to devote to actually driving.

I saw one in the showroom when I was buying my truck, and I was absolutely shocked at how bad the transition is between the black paint on the roof and the main color of the body. There is absolutely zero smooth transition. It's as if Toyota shot the whole car in the lower color and then just laid down some blue masking tape and newspaper, then followed with a dozen coats of black on the roof and then a couple of coats of clear.

It's all I can think of whenever I see one of these things.

In reply to tremm :

berkeley you too.  

Why dont YOU fetch the number of forum members that dont own a RWD, Manual Trans or both?  

I made light hearted statement to be humorous and you want to be a complete douchebag?

About a month ago, when I was picking up a replacement for a 17 year old piece of rubber window trim for my 4Runner, I saw a TRD Avalon. I posted it in the TIL thread, since I learned that Toyota was making a TRD Avalon that day.

It seems like at leastof the TRD trim items (wheels, 12.9 brakes, maybe dampers?) are shared between the Camry and Avalon.

I'm wondering who is going to buy a TRD Avalon more than I'm wondering who is going to buy a TRD Camry.

I suspect the black cars are going to be more in demand than the others.



And yes, I knew the car wasn't centered in the fame when I took the picture. It was a quick snap walking out of the dealer.

I think the market for these is people who were going to buy a Camry anyway, and get upsold to the sportier version. Same as all the other TRD stuff. I don't think people are seriously cross shopping TRD 4Runners against Rubicons very often.

This TRD Camry may not have much potential for serious motorsports, but it sure looks like a nice package for a fun, practical car. Then again, I was on the track this week with a guy who was driving a Jetta with Hoosiers, and was slaying it. I would buy one of these way before I bought a late model 5 series. Kudos to Toyota. 

buzzboy said:

I often joke how my 22 year old performance car is slower than a new Camry. Now it's considerably slower!

I constantly joke that my red Porsche can literally get beaten by a new Corolla off the line. Or by my tow rig. 

I'm just going to say that I like the current Toyota trend that seems to be shared by the Camry and Corolla of larger glass/greenhouse.  The TRD styling is a bit over the top, but I can't really say I hate it.  Without the rear spoiler I think I'd kinda dig it.  If Toyota can take a ho-hum family car that is still super quiet and safe and add a bit of style and make on/off ramps more fun why is that a bad thing?  And I'm no Toyota fan boy.  Savagegeese on YooToob has a really good review on this car.

I mean, if you need a 4door car and don't want it to suck your soul out, you could do a lot worse than this. My S197 GT is only rated for the same power which I'm going to believe is justification for a supercharger. 
 

20 years ago when we moved here the neighbor had a stripped down car in his garage. I asked what it was and he said "it's a Camry. But it's a RACING Camry. " And now you can buy them from the factory instead of building them. What a brave new world. 

I still can’t get past the cowcatcher front end that Toyota Motor has embraced across their product line. I mean, just how many wandering cattle does anyone encounter in Suburbia these days?

nderwater said:

Every time I see TRD on a car or truck my brain automatically shouts TURD.

(no offense to Toyota fans, it's just something I can't unsee)

I would rur TuRD stickers on The Sh!tbarge for sure.

What interesting times we live in.  I really like the styling of the 300 horsepower Camry, honestly more than the styling of the new Corvette.  And how about that turbocharged and all wheel drive Kia!  

I see Camrys all the time around here, I think they look great.

I think I like the styling of the Accord more, but the Toyota V-6 is very good.

Two of my children currently lust after new Camrys.  They are 21 and 23, respectively.  Both have cool cars -- a FiST and a supercharged Miata.

I'd say Toyota knows what they are doing.

I like it!  But I'd like it more with a body-color roof and wing delete as no-cost options.

300hp is getting near normal for sedans these days.  It's a different way of thinking when you see a sedan that can pull on an old Mustang or Camaro. 

300hp + LSD = good.  Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity.  Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).

Looks like Toyota took feedback and is reacting to the market..  

Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:

300hp + LSD = good.  Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity.  Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).

The last time I walked into a Kia dealership I had to burn the clothes I wore because I couldn't wash the stink off. Kia makes attractive cars these days, but their dealership network hasn't quite caught up.

ZOO (Forum Supporter) said:

I'd say Toyota knows what they are doing.

 

I had four work cars x 2 years each for sales.  Two Impalas and two Venture vans.   Once I rented a Camry for a 4-hour banzai run to Muncie and back the same day. 

My first thought was - did the engineers at GM ever drive a Camry?  I'd rock it.  
 

MrFancypants said:

Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:

300hp + LSD = good.  Of course, the Kia Stinger starts just a couple of grand more, will get cash on the hood, is RWD and, most importantly, is not atrociously ugly like this monstrosity.  Toyota's designers are high as heck (and are apparently passing their stuff to BMW designers given the new BMW grilles).

The last time I walked into a Kia dealership I had to burn the clothes I wore because I couldn't wash the stink off. Kia makes attractive cars these days, but their dealership network hasn't quite caught up.

Fair enough, although around here, Toyota dealerships are maybe 90% of the gross as well.  But yeah, Kia, Dodge and Nissan stores are the worst.

OK we still haven't answered the question of what's it like to drive. It makes power but does it have dead steering and appliance feedback brakes etc? Is it a joyless soul suck box? So is it beige or not?!!!

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

z31maniac said:

irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:

I'll be honest, even the normal upper-trim Camrys look pretty good compared to most of the bleh stuff in their class these days.

 That tail is horrible though, looks like a pep boys add-on. Otherwise, looks pretty cool. Nice to see they actually add some real performance stuff to justify the badge (though the general thought of a "TRD" Camry still seems kind of funny). Too bad they didn't add an LSD and a manual transmission availability, which would have definitely gotten them some buy-in from the younger "performance driving" crowd.. The thought of a 300hp Camry at the track passing actual sportscars does amuse me somewhat :)

You really think any "young performance driver" is going to drop $30k+ on a TRD Camry? 

I suspect the few buyers this does get are going to be the "I have a wife and kids and can't afford a BMW" types. 

I mean, is there another $30k sedan out there with 300hp and an LSD? (and...Toyota reliability)?....

When I was in my 20s, I drove a Maxima, as did a ton of people my age. Why? Because it had the power, it had the LSD, it had the style that the Camry/Accord didn't have then. No reason Toyota couldn't flip the script on that, since the Maxima is an old-people's car with CVT now and the Accord is very nice and a favorite of 60-something suburbanites, but totally unremarkable style-wise.  

BMW buyers are predominently about the image, because there is absolutely nothing special about the driving dynamics, reliability, or interiors of most of the "affordable" BMWs...IMO. And let's be real. Most of the people buying in that category woud'nt know FWD from RWD if it bit them in the ass, and don't care. None of them will buy a Camry. They'll buy a used BMW if they can't afford a new one, because they want to say they have a BMW. They don't actually care about the car itself that much.  I actually race BMWs, and woudn't even give a passing thought to actually buying a new one. But I certainly WOULD give a passing thought to buying a 6MT, LSD-equipped 300hp Camry. And yeah, I'm in my low 40s, which is the demographic car-makers car about (by "young" i meant "younger demographic, not old people" - though maybe that's wishful thinking on my part lol.  And I actually buy brand-new cars, which is the demographic that matters most to manufacturers . 

So yes, I'd consider a $30k Camry 100 times more than I'd consider whatever garbage BMW is putting out in the gutter of their price range. 

Yeah, I get that. I just found the "young, performance, FWD, Camry" an interesting set of demographics for which I'm curious if there is a strong demand. I guess Toyota will find out!

I also buy new cars, 3 of the last 4 have been "performance cars." '10 Speed3, '13 Mustang GT Track Pack, '15 BRZ. 

We will see what happens next year. I might buy another new car for the first time in a few years, but there isn't really a need. My lady has an '18 Mazda 3, I've got the NC. We don't have kids, so we've really got everything covered.

I'm a RWD, stick shift fiend, and I don't hate that car. Except that black one with the black rims. Further proving black cars with black rims look like ass.

I don’t hate the idea. It looks ugly from the front and with the wing, but a reliable 300hp sedan sounds great, but I haven’t driven one.

Tom1200 said:

Is it a joyless soul suck box? So is it beige or not?!!!

I'd put money on it. It may not be beige on the outside but it will be on the inside. I've often wondered just how Toyota manages to so successfully engineer the fun out of an automobile.

True story, just after reading this thread this morning we had to go into town. Our country roads have become so busy with city people that if you get stuck behind a slow poke you could very well be there for the whole trip because you can't pass.  As we turned on one of the main roads I noticed a newer Camry ahead,  said oh no, and explained to my wife how I thought Toyota drivers are the worst. Sure enough he was flirting with the speed limit the whole time and we were part of a 15 car convoy stuck behind him, but after about 10 minutes I saw my chance and went for it. On the way back out of town, same road, we were at the back of a similar convoy going 10-15 km/hr under the limit. At the front, an older Camry.

I wish they could separate the vents in the back bumper from the taillights by an inch. Visually, having the taillight branch out into a vent like a tributary to a lake doesn't work.

I'm also disappointed that they don't have a manual option. I know they don't sell well, but having such an option would go a long way towards making it seem like they were trying with this car. I've heard claims about some sort of magical modern automatic transmission that is as good to drive as a manual, but I have yet to actually find one of these. (Note - so far I haven't driven anything with a DSG type design, only conventional planetary / torque converter designs.)

And yes, I want to hear about if the suspension tuning actually paid off, or if this is really just another tape package.