There are problems, but overall it’s good – Toyota Camry XV50/XV55

Technical characteristics Reviews
Toyota Camry XV50, released in 2011, created a great sensation among Russian buyers. Of course, after the XV40, officials and business representatives wanted to drive something new, and ordinary drivers understood the advantages of its predecessor and also wanted to “Drive the Dream.”

Total sales of the model presented in the USA increased and exceeded its predecessor. Three years later, the Moscow Motor Show showed a restyled car, which became even more popular and received the index XV55. In 2021, the second restyling was released, which was produced for a year, since in the same year the new generation XV70 appeared, which has many complaints.

Well, let's understand the car and study the cases that the owners encountered. Is it that reliable now?

Severe aggression

The car looks strictly with its pointed headlights, a simple chrome radiator grille and a convex bumper that deepens at the bottom to the fog lights. In the restyling, the shape of the head optics was changed, equipping it with diode DRLs. The lower grille and chrome edging lines leading to PTF were changed. On the side there are now recessed shapes, supposedly air intakes.

The side part is always the same, but the rear part with large lights and a large chrome insert in the middle is different in the restyling. Restayl received similar shaped lanterns, which are connected and separated by a thin line of chrome. The large, massive bumper is equipped only with reflectors.

Quality of external elements

The surprisingly young body of the seventh Camry has already encountered problems. This mainly applies to pre-restyling models. The paintwork is weak, the paint quickly becomes scratched and even comes off the hood and bumpers. The places of contact with the seals are wiped. The reason is the thin layer - 110 microns.

Chrome parts traditionally peel due to reagents. The head optics sweat, and after 15,000 km the plastic becomes cloudy, which can only be saved by polishing. Many people criticize the build quality, as the discrepancy between the gaps is visible.

Active corrosion is rare, but light elements of rust are present in areas of chipped paint on the hood and windshield frame. In general, looking for a sedan completely in its original paint without any modifications to the exterior is useless or unrealistic. Especially if you are hoping to get the perfect look.

In general, there are complaints about the body and somehow they do not fit in with the legendary reliability. In fact, this is a classic disease of Toyota and the entire Japanese auto industry.

Impression

Now I own a new Toyota Camry V50 in the “Exclusive” configuration. It has its advantages over "Prestige", but overall it is inferior in terms of content.

I drove about 8,000 km on the previous one and sold it. I was not satisfied with the lack of navigation and the constantly popping up check at -15 and below “Check the headlight system.” The diagnostics from the officials showed nothing, although I provided them with a video, the error does not even remain in my memory.

The new car has exactly the same problem; the same check has already popped up a couple of times in cold weather. It can be treated with the usual switch off. auto and immediately turn it on as if nothing had happened, or after 15-20 minutes, depending on the temperature, the BC itself stops showing the warning message and goes into normal mode.

Apparently, some sensor intercepts in the cold, it warms up and works as expected. At this moment, “High beam” does not work.

The second “jamb” is a cricket in the front panel on the passenger side, as if a ball is rolling, disappears in extreme cold, and apparently freezes.

What I don't like is the steering wheel. It is unreasonably large in diameter and thin in cross-section, although it is surprisingly comfortable to hold in your hands. I was sitting in a Lexus EU, the steering wheel was a thick donut, optimal for tactile perception.

The lack of a heated steering wheel is not critical, but even the KIA Sid comes with it from the factory. At Toyota this option costs 29,000 rubles. For that kind of money you can buy 15 pairs of warm leather gloves and use them without worrying until you retire.

Retreat. Before the first Camry, I drove Volkswagen group cars: Passat B6, Superb Combi 2.0 DSG 6 st 200 hp, Octavia 1.4 l 140 hp. 7st DSG.

German cars are more ergonomically designed for the driver, more dynamic, economical, but less reliable and marketable aftermarket. Although any cars are for sale. You can’t fault their on-board computer; it’s made the way it should be.

In Toyota Camry BC is a complete nightmare, there is a lot of information, but compared to the Germans it is terrible, I had to come to terms with it. Well, now there is Yandex.Navigator and Navitel, it reads videos from USB. My son watches cartoons all the time.

Camry XV50/XV55 interior

Inside there is a triumph of leather, wide wooden inserts and plastic. This is a comfortable, spacious car, the comfort of which has shifted more towards the rear passengers. From the rear sofa, you can control multimedia and your own climate using the buttons on the folding armrest. The front seats are often called a sofa because of the soft foam rubber, and the sofa can be heated and electrically adjusted.

The leather upholstery of the seats wears out, losing its presentation after 80 thousand kilometers. The skin shrinks, and the design itself is rather weak for heavy passengers, so it sags quickly. This factor can be successfully used to check the fairness of the mileage. The same applies to the leather of the steering wheel and gearshift lever.

Dorestayl received a 4-spoke multi-steering wheel with a stylish analog instrument panel, in which three monitors were mounted. Restayl gave the car a different 3-spoke steering wheel, and the instrument panel received two large integrated sensors and an information display in the middle. By the way, the steering wheel is optionally electrically adjustable.

The center console is an indicator of rigor with its conservative design and wooden inserts. By the way, wood is easily scratched, and in winter it risks losing its varnish coating. At the top, the basic configuration is equipped with a 6.1-inch Toyota Touch 2 multimedia display, in the following trim levels of the fiftieth Camry XV50 the diagonal increases to 7 inches, and the “Exclusive” top gets a 10-inch screen. Below is an intuitive separate climate control unit. By the way, there are problems with interior ventilation due to condensation accumulating between the ceiling and roof.

On the tunnel, the driver is provided with everything he needs: hidden cup holders, an area for small items and an armrest. When examining the interior of pre-restyling cars, you often come across worn-out buttons, of course, dead seats and even torn mats. On the one hand, this indicates the weakness of the plastic; on the other hand, the actual mileage of such models is unknown.

The sedan has a trunk capacity of 506 liters; the rear sofa folds down if desired, and for something thin there is a so-called ski hatch.

By the way, there are a lot of complaints about sound insulation, supposedly competitors are quieter. In reality, this is not the case unless you consider the German trio as competitors.

Configurations and prices of Camry 55

Black Camry - a classic
The 7th generation Camry was introduced in 2011, and in 2014 the model was restyled, which received the index XV55. The appearance was modified, it was made more aggressive. Some interior details have been changed: a new steering wheel, an instrument panel with a large on-board computer screen, and a climate control unit have appeared.

The technical part has also improved; a differential with preload has appeared on all engines. Of the three petrol engines, two remained unchanged, 2.5 2AR and 3.5 V6 2GR. And the initial engine for the Camry 55 trim levels was replaced. The engine volume remains the same - 2 liters, but the power plant is completely different, the previous 1AZ has given way to the modern 6AR. Paired with the new power plant is a 6-automatic transmission instead of the previous 4-automatic transmission.

Camry 55 configurations with base engine

The first three configurations of the Camry 55 are equipped with a 2.0 6AR engine 150 horsepower, 199 N*m, 7.2 fuel consumption in the combined cycle.

White Camry 55

The Standard option offers the owner:

• light alloy wheels R16,
• light sensor,
• LED running lights,
• multi steering wheel,
• starting the engine with a button,
• heated windshield in the wiper rest zone,
• on-board computer with color display,
• parking sensors all around,
• dual-zone climate control,
• immobilizer,
• alarm

XV55s were sold with driver, front passenger, side and curtain airbags; ISOFIX child seat mountings are available in all cars.

The basic safety systems for the Camry 55 are: ABS, brake force distribution (EBD), brake assist system (BAS), electronic stability control (ESP), traction control system (TCS). The cost of the Standard option is approximately 1 million 400 thousand rubles.

White beauty

The Standard Plus equipment adds a leather steering wheel, cruise control, a 6.1-inch LCD monitor, a rear view camera, an auto-dimming mirror and a rain sensor. (1 million 450 thousand rubles)

The additions of the Classic version concern only the interior: leather upholstery, electric drive of the driver and passenger seats in 8 and 4 directions, respectively, lumbar support in the front seats. (1 million 530 thousand rubles)

Monitor with a diagonal of 6.1 on top and 7 inches on the bottom

Configurations of Camry 55 with 2.5 2AR engine

By purchasing the most affordable version of the Camry 55 with a 2.5 engine, compared to the Classic, the car enthusiast received headlight washers, wood trim and wireless charging. But it lost many attractive options: leather trim, electric front seats, lumbar support and cruise control. (1 million 550 thousand rubles)

The person who chose the Elegance, compared to the Classic, paid extra for a leather interior, electrically adjustable front seats in 8 directions for the driver and 4 directions for the passenger, lumbar support, and a Nanoe air ionizer. (1 million 640 thousand rubles)

Nameplate on the trunk lid in the Exclusive package

The Elegance Plus package provided the following “buns”: larger R17 wheels, chrome door handles, xenon headlights, keyless access to the car and a heated rear sofa. (1 million 680 thousand rubles)

The Exclusive set of options was introduced later than the first restyling of the Camry 50, namely in August 2021. It is distinguished by the design of the wheels, a nameplate on the trunk lid, brown leather in the interior, a 10-inch diagonal monitor, multimedia on Android, navigation and a heated windshield. (1 million 710 thousand rubles)

Black and brown interior Camry 55

The Toyota Camry in the Prestige configuration was deprived of some Exclusive attributes: the original design of the rims, the Exclusive nameplate, the brick-colored interior trim, and a large multimedia screen. But the diagonal of the monitor was larger than in other versions - 7 inches, not 6. The advantages of Prestige are electric adjustment of the rear sofa, three-zone climate control, JBL audio with 10 speakers, not 6, the ability to control audio from the second row . (1 million 780 thousand rubles)

Configurations of Camry 55 with 3.5 V6 2GR engine

The Elegance Drive version lacks many options compared to the Prestige: pockets on the backs of the seats, electric drive and heated rear seats, the ability to adjust audio from the rear sofa, heated entire surface of the windshield, three-zone climate, JBL audio. The trunk decreased by 20 liters to 485. But the Camry in this version acquired a powerful engine developing 249 horsepower, dynamics, and a “V6” nameplate on the trunk lid. Adaptive Headlights (AFS) is available on Elegance Drive. (1 million 865 thousand rubles)

Lux is the maximum configuration of the Camry 55, it contains all the options for both the first and second row. Compared to the Elegance Drive option, the Luxury has the following interior advantages: wood-look trim, pockets on the backs of the front seats, electric drive and heated rear sofa, seat memory, heated entire windshield, three-zone climate, JBL audio system, which can be controlled from rear sofa, navigation, curtains on the windows of the rear doors and an electric curtain for the rear window. From a safety point of view, a blind spot monitoring system and a driver's knee airbag have been added. (2 million rubles)

Specifications

Read more
Finally, the Toyota Camry line has been supplemented with a third engine for the Russian market. At first, we decided to simply talk about the filling and discuss the malfunctions separately. So, the motors:

1. 6AR-FSE is a new 2-liter naturally aspirated engine, complemented by the Dual-VVT-iW system. Power at 6000 rpm is 150 horsepower, and two thousand earlier a peak torque of 199 H*m is reached. Power is not enough for a 1.5-ton sedan.
2. The base engine of the pre-restyle is a 2-liter 1AZ-FE, producing 148 horsepower and 190 units of torque.
3. 2AR-FE is a 2.5-liter new internal combustion engine, the power of which has increased to 181 horsepower and 231 H*m of torque. This is the best-selling engine, since with it the car accelerates to hundreds in 9 seconds, and the consumption is acceptable - 11 liters in the city.
4. 2GR-FE is the old 3.5-liter V6 of the previous Camry, whose power was programmatically reduced to 249 horsepower and 346 H*m of torque. This was done so that buyers do not pay more taxes, and the old 277 forces can be returned by firmware. 7.1 seconds of acceleration is cool, and consumption only jumps by a couple of liters.

Initially, the base engine had a 4-speed automatic transmission Aisin U240. The remaining engines and all engines of the restyled car received a 6-speed Aisin U660E automatic transmission. The manual transmission was abandoned.

The engineers moved away from the same suspension. MacPherson struts are also installed at the front, and a 2-link independent design is installed at the rear. The handling of the previously poor sedan has been greatly improved due to reconfiguration and installation of reinforced front stabilizers. Disc brakes, ventilated at the front + all the necessary electronic assistants.

Toyota Camry configurations

Standard

Camry 2021 has a new body configuration and prices are low, but it cannot be called poor: there are many systems that make life easier for the owner.

Technical part

Toyota 2021 in the new Standard version is equipped with a 2-liter unit producing 150 horsepower. The engine is simple and reliable, despite the fact that it has an innovation: combined injection, which allows for 13 percent more fuel economy and increases acceleration by 2 seconds compared to the previous generation. According to customer reviews, this is now a completely different engine in behavior.

While all manufacturers achieve modern environmental standards with low-resource turbocharged units, Toyota has taken a different path. There is a naturally aspirated engine, the environmental friendliness of which is achieved by recirculating exhaust gases and adding additional injectors to the intake manifold. According to statistics, the best-selling Camrys come with these engines.

The timing drive is equipped with a chain with a service life of 200 thousand kilometers.

Main engine characteristics

Safety and comfort

The model is equipped with a stabilization system for safe driving and an emergency brake booster, and in extreme cases there are 8 Airbags.

The front seats are designed with technology that reduces the risk of neck injury. To call for help in emergency situations, Camry is equipped with the ERA GLONASS system. For safe parking, the car is equipped with two parking sensors: front and rear.

Driver comfort is provided by heated seats with mirrors, electric windows on all sides, dual-zone climate control, engine start with the Start button, as well as an AUX input for listening to music from your phone on six speakers. The optics are halogen headlights with fog lights, which are controlled by a built-in light sensor.

Price tag for this equipment: 1,406,000 rubles.

Standard Plus

The Standard Plus package includes several additional options for driver comfort and costs only 53,000 more than Standard.

Technical part

In Standard Plus, the car is equipped with the same six-speed automatic transmission and two-liter engine as the previous configuration.

Safety and comfort

In terms of safety, the equipment is the same as the Standard, but pleasant advantages have been added for comfort. This is a rear camera, the image from which is shown on a 6.1-inch multifunction touch display. The rain sensor will allow you to instantly respond to bad weather, making life easier for the driver. A cruise control option has been added, and the rear mirror can now automatically dim. The leather upholstery of the steering wheel made it more pleasant to the touch, but the seats remained velor. All this is in addition to the Standard equipment options.

Price: 1,458,000 rubles.

Classic

The main differences between the Classic package and the previous two will be noticeable in the cabin, both externally and functionally.

Technical part

Still the same two-liter unit and six-speed automatic transmission. In technical terms, changes will be found in the next configuration.

Comfort

Leather seats will not make the car safer, but the interior will be much more luxurious. In the Classic, the seats can be controlled using electric drives, providing eight adjustments to suit your needs. According to customer reviews, the leather is thick and of high quality.

Price Classic: 1,535,000 rubles.

Comfort

The cheapest equipment allows this car to drive much more dynamically. In addition to the engine, there are some nice additions to the interior.

Technical part

This unit is much more powerful than in previous versions. Produces a power of 181 horsepower not only due to the larger volume, but also to the gas distribution system with two camshafts.

The engine has become 25 percent more economical than its previous version.

The timing drive is carried out by a reliable chain. The engine works with a six-speed automatic transmission installed on all trim levels.

Comfort

In this configuration, the 2021 looks even richer than the previous one, thanks to wood-effect inserts. They also added a wireless charger and headlight washers.

Price: 1,556,000 rubles.

Elegance

Judging by the reviews, this configuration is rarely purchased, so there are no significant differences from Comfort.

Technical part

2.5-liter engine with 6-speed automatic transmission. Technically, the car is the same as in the Comfort package.

Comfort level

Price: 1,641,000 rubles.

Elegance Pluse

In Elegance Plus, the car received both external and internal changes. A large number of functions have been added for the convenience of the driver. The car is equipped with stylish chrome handles and 17-inch aluminum wheels.

Technical part

The same as in the Elegance package: 2.5-liter 2 AR-FE engine with automatic transmission.

Comfort

The optics in the Camry 2021 have now become xenon, and for the safety of other drivers, the car has a special system for switching the light from high to low if oncoming cars are detected.

Price: 1,675,000 rubles.

Exclusive

This is the equipment that can be boasted in the traffic thanks to the chrome Exclusive logo on the trunk and alloy wheels with a new corporate design, the photo of which is given below.

Technical part

In technical terms, the 2021 Exclusive Toyota Camry is no different from the Elegance Plus: it has a 2.5-liter 2 AR-FE engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Comfort

The red leather seat upholstery made the interior very stylish. This leather color goes well with the wood-look inserts, as you can see in the photo below.

The car's multimedia system has an Android operating system, and the navigation system is built on the well-known Yandex Navigator application.

Price: 1,709,000 rubles.

Prestige

The most richly equipped version with a 2.5-liter engine. The name "Prestige" speaks for itself.

Technical part

The same 2.5-liter engine with the same transmission as in the previous Exclusive configuration.

Safety and comfort

For rear passengers, the Prestige has added climate control and electronic seat adjustments. A premium audio system and 10 speakers provide high-quality surround sound. The new “Heated windshield” function will be very useful in winter.

Price: 1,780,000 rubles.

Luxe

The most powerful, richly equipped and safe Camry package. It differs from all others with the most powerful engine and many intelligent functions.

Technical part

Aluminum V-shaped unit with a volume of 3.5 liters, accelerating the car to hundreds in just 7.1 seconds. This engine is not for those who want to save fuel, but for lovers of dynamic driving. Has a high-life timing chain drive.

Safety and comfort

Since this car is very fast, its level of safety has also increased due to 12 Airbags and a system that allows monitoring of blind spots.

When reversing, the Rear Blind Spot Monitor feature is very helpful.

For comfort, the Lux has added electric sunblinds, memory for the position of the steering column, seats and mirrors, as well as a system that allows adaptive illumination of the road. All options are additional to the Prestige package.

Price: 2,006,000 rubles.

Which motor to choose

1AZ-FE

The basic slow 2-liter design of the pre-restyling Toyota Camry 50 loses its cylinder head mounting threads due to frequent overheating. The geometry is lost and the block can be thrown away. The throttle valve with the EGR valve gets clogged from time to time, causing vibrations and unstable idle. The intake manifold also periodically becomes clogged, causing the engine to become jerky. After 200 thousand, it is necessary to replace the injectors due to high consumption, and stuck rings increase oil consumption. The rest of the engine is durable.

6AR-FSE

The 2-liter 6AR-FSE facelift engine has a plastic intake manifold. More complaints about the chain, which will last a maximum of 100,000 kilometers. The pump lasts very little, but the main problem is the 250 thousand kilometers of engine life, after which replacement is needed.

2AR-FE

The 2.5-liter Toyota Camry engine is also impossible to repair and has to be replaced. The chain runs twice as long, and problems with the pump arise only after 100 thousand kilometers. It is advisable to change the oil more often so that the cylinders do not lose compression. The internal combustion engine will last more than 300,000 km, then you will have to install a new engine. This is the best option for durability among all, since 70% of cars are equipped with it.

2GR-FE

The 3.5-liter V6 can last longer, but has more problems. This is the old engine of its predecessor, most of the problems of which were solved by engineers. There are still problems with throttle clogging, low pump life, and VVT-i system clutch leaks. The chain here is durable, runs 300 thousand kilometers, and the total engine resource is close to half a million kilometers. Its sports component also plays against it due to a weak cooling system, and overheating will not bring anything good.

We recommend choosing the 2.5-liter 2AR-FE.

Production Toyota Camry 2021 Exclusive

It is important to note that the production of the updated sedan was established at the plant of a division of the Japanese company located in St. Petersburg.

This fact should significantly speed up the start of sales of the updated version and allow it to reduce its cost.

It is unknown when the Toyota Camry 2021 Exclusive will enter the Russian market, however, according to representatives of the company’s division, the start of sales is scheduled for the near future.

Representatives of the Russian division admit that the start of production of the updated model is a kind of gift for car enthusiasts and a reward for the Russian plant for the opportunity to open new workshops.

Gearbox diseases

The U240 4-speed automatic is nearly impossible to find, even though it's technically the better choice. The gearbox is annoying with its slowness, but only requires the owner to periodically change the oil. In this form, the automatic transmission runs for 300 thousand kilometers, then problems appear. The axes of the front planetary gears will have to be changed. Then it depends on how neglected it is; it may even come down to replacing the drum with clutches.

Unfortunately, the 6-speed automatic transmission of the seventh Camry cannot boast of such reliability. Already at 150 thousand kilometers, along with replacing the clutch, it is necessary to change the burnt clutches. There is a strict operating algorithm here that quickly pollutes the oil, which still likes to flow through the seals.

With a 3.5-liter engine, the 6-speed automatic has a much shorter lifespan. The box, stupidly unable to withstand the power, begins to kick at 80 thousand kilometers. Accordingly, its entire service life is clearly shorter, especially if the driver squeezes the maximum out of the engine.

Suspension and steering Camry XV50/XV55

The suspension showed itself to be excellent; the range of breakdowns, in addition to the stabilizer struts, begins after 150 thousand, although there have been cars that have driven two hundred with original parts. By this mileage you will have to change the front shock absorbers, support bearings, ball joints, and silent blocks. It will all start at 150 thousand km, and then gradually you will have to change it, or pay a large amount at once to replace everything.

The steering rack is now complemented by an electric power steering with weak information content. The design has proven to be excellent, for example, the tips last a couple of hundred, and the traction is even greater. The braking system requires calipers to be lubricated, and the rotors themselves often overheat in aggressive drivers, especially those with a heavy V6 engine.

Difficulties of purchasing

Many cars are purchased for corporate fleets, which is a plus on the one hand, and a minus on the other. The upside is that many companies provide good service to the machines, but the downside is the downside. Some parks use it as a “donkey”, killing it in long runs.

Check the number of secrets and various alarms; if there are many of them disabled, then look at the documents. The Camry sedan is almost the leader in theft rate, and if the alarms are turned off, it is likely that in front of you is a stolen car.

Crime is another purchasing complication.

Due to the huge demand, even telephone scammers are appearing, calls to whose number are paid and expensive. As you understand, they don’t even have a car.

Price

There are a huge number of cars on the market; pre-restyling models are sold for 900-1000 thousand rubles . The restyling price starts from 1.2 million rubles and reaches 1.5 million . Maintenance is expensive, but much cheaper than the maintenance of the big German three.

If you want to buy one of the most reliable cars on the market, which in a few years will not lose much in value, then there is no better choice than the Toyota Camry XV50/XV55. Yes, it has disadvantages, and purchasing is problematic due to fraud on all sides, but it’s worth it. The answer to the question of legendary reliability is obvious - it is falling.

Equipment

The equipment of the Toyota Camry 2021 Exclusive is similar to the equipment of recent modifications of the Toyota Camry, therefore it does not cause surprise among Russian car enthusiasts, but still deserves attention.

The car equipment includes:

• dual-zone climate control system;
• electric heated seats and side mirrors;
• the ability to wirelessly charge a smartphone or other personal electronic device;
• a modern multimedia system with a bright touch display with a diagonal of 10 inches.

The multimedia system works with all known modern file formats, has the ability to play streaming audio recordings, supports a variety of Internet services and has a built-in Bluetooth module.

It is also noteworthy that thanks to the cooperation of the Japanese company and Yandex, the Toyota Camry 2021 Exclusive has several useful services and applications as standard, including a search engine and area maps.

However, here too, the manufacturer has provided for everything down to the smallest detail - those drivers who are not “friendly” with the Yandex navigation system can easily use an alternative - a guidebook from the Navitel company.