Camry Gracia

Toyota is a fairly common car brand in Russia. These cars are popular both in the eastern and western parts of our country. The Camry is especially in demand on the market. This car has established itself as a reliable and unpretentious car with a durable engine and gearbox. In today's article we will look at the Toyota Camry Grace. What kind of car is this and what features does it have?

On-site inspection

The car seemed somewhat “faceless”. We have to admit that in terms of design, Toyota still lags behind, for example, Mitsubishi. Not to mention the “Italians”.

The salon is very modest. Light gray upholstery on seats and doors and wood-look plastic inserts wherever possible. At the same time, pleasant things. For example, I really liked the long instrument panel visor. A liquid crystal clock is located under its left wing, and a ventilation system deflector is located under the right wing. Quite stylish.

The microclimate control is well organized: buttons around the liquid crystal display, and a round handle controls the temperature of the supplied air. However, the display itself is small, and the buttons are not the best sizes and are not very conveniently located.

The instrument panel is very nice. When the ignition is turned off, we see a black hole in which we can only guess the scales. When you turn the key, the dashboard comes to life. Previously, this solution was found only on expensive cars like the Lexus LS400. The internal illumination of the scale ensures excellent readability in any lighting conditions.

I really liked the front seats, which provide excellent body support. Rear passengers can also be accommodated in sufficient comfort.

What if you steer?

In terms of driving performance, Gracia can serve, if not as a standard in its class, then certainly as a role model. The car holds a straight line confidently at any speed. The soft suspension “swallows” almost any unevenness. You can’t complain about the smoothness of the ride either. The long-travel suspension easily copes with both gentle waves and hard joints. And Toyota goes through more serious potholes and bumps painlessly.

The Gracia also handles well in corners. In a fast turn, the car manages to stick to the road and follow the intended path as long as the traction properties of the tires allow. Having passed this edge, Gracia begins to slide with all its wheels, smoothly moving to the outside of the turn. On cars with “mechanics” this phenomenon can be “nipped in the bud” by simply releasing the gas. But with an automatic transmission this doesn’t help much – you have to press the brake pedal.

When driving too actively, there are delays in responses to steering wheel turns. However, if you take into account the purpose of the car, then a smooth ride is much more important than sensitive and quick reactions.

The effectiveness of the brakes is not satisfactory. Is that the ABS starts working a little earlier than we would like.

The acceleration dynamics did not inspire me. Still, 2.2 liters is not for street racing.

Gear shifting occurs smoothly, almost imperceptibly, and the modern “brain” of the transmission has made it possible to abandon additional modes of its operation. If you press the accelerator pedal just barely, upshifts will occur at 2,000 rpm. And if you “step on from the heart,” the engine will spin up to 6,200 rpm.

Sound insulation is good. The “voice” of the engine appears in the cabin only during sharp acceleration after the revolutions have crept over 3-4 thousand per minute.

Specifications

Comparison with “classmates”

The Toyota Camry Gracia ($10,000) has many competitors, but if we take European analogues such as the Mercedes 220 W210 (no data), Audi A6 ($17,800), BMW 523 (no data), then they cost twice as much. Japanese cars with left-hand drive, such as the Nissan Maxima ($10,500) and Toyota Camry ($13,900), will also be noticeably more expensive. But they have the advantage of having the steering wheel on the “right” side.

If the location of the steering wheel does not play a big role for you, then the Camry Gracia is the best choice. You get an almost new car with low mileage, excellent reliability and a wide range of equipment.

* The average offer price is indicated according to the block of free private advertisements of the newspaper “Wheels” at the time of publication of the article

Evgeniy KARIMOV. Photo by Anatoly GORNOSTALEV

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Options

Toyota Camry Grace was produced in sedan and station wagon body styles. The car was equipped with two types of gasoline engines. The first type of power unit - 2.2-liter had a power of 140 hp. It was an inline four. The second type of power plant is a V-shaped six with an output of 200 hp.

Both engines worked in tandem with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2.5-liter engine was more popular among buyers. The main reason is the significant difference in power. At the same time, the 2.2-liter engine was a little easier to operate.

Cars for the Japanese market have always had richer equipment. Toyota Camry Grace received disc brakes on each axle. Even as standard, the car had an ABS system. Since 1999, all cars have received an auxiliary braking system.

Everything is orderly, noble

The two-tone metallic color of our “Grace” suits our appearance. Decorously, nobly, as in the best houses. On such a car, the emblems of the elite Lexus series would be quite appropriate. But on the Japanese market, Lexuses are practically unknown, and the Toyota Camry Gracia is a “purebred Japanese”.

Not only the noble coloring hints at a close relationship with Lexus. This is also evidenced by the white inserts in the rear lights, and the curve of the rear roof of the Camry Gracia is very similar to the Lexus RX300, which is still a role model.

An almost incurable “disease” of all station wagons is severe contamination of the rear window. The creators of the Camry Gracia countered this problem with a familiar set: a windshield wiper blade and an aerodynamic deflector similar to a spoiler.

There was a note of disharmony in the overall appearance of the Toyota Camry Gracia: the large and beautiful taillights stylistically do not at all match the niche for the license plate.

Plush-homey atmosphere

It is impossible to surprise with an ashtray in a car. The Toyota Camry Gracia surprised us with a special garbage container. It is located next to the front passenger's right foot, looks quite decent in appearance and is easy to use. However, the “trash” is, of course, a useful thing, but it is far from the most important thing in the cabin.

The interior of the Toyota Camry Gracia implied spaciousness and at the same time turned out to be somehow especially cozy. Noble plastic in dark gray and sand colors is calming. Fabric seats and door inserts in the same sand and gray colors create a plush, homey ambience. All finishing details are made with special care and are well fitted. It’s sad that the “wooden” elements stand out from the overall favorable impression. If they are installed correctly on the center console, ventilation deflectors, and power window controls, then the “wooden” door decorations are somehow secured. However, these parts look good and do not rattle when moving.

The luggage compartment of the Toyota Camry Gracia deserves a separate discussion. There are two hatches in its floor, under which quite spacious containers are hidden. The spare wheel and tools are located even lower. To hide the contents of the trunk from prying eyes, a folding curtain is provided.

History of Toyota Camry Gracia

The model called Toyota Camry Gracia is a representative of the distinguished family of Japanese Toyota Camry cars.
For a good dozen years, the Japanese manufacturer has divided this model into two categories - with a narrow and wide body. A version with a narrow body was intended for the domestic Japanese car market. A wide body was produced for export markets. Toyota Camry Gracia is the name of the model for the domestic market. The export analogue has gained popularity in America and Australia. This car was produced in sedan and station wagon body styles. The model first appeared on the Japanese automobile market at the end of 1996. At the first stages, the Toyota Camry Grace was sold in parallel with the purely Japanese version of the Toyota Camry, which had a body index of V40. Soon, in 1999, this model left the Japanese market. The Grace version became the only version of the Toyota Camry that was sold in Japan. After this, the manufacturer decided to remove the Gracia prefix and sold this car simply as a Toyota Camry. For the station wagon version, they decided to keep the Grace prefix.

Traditionally, the model for the domestic market could boast a wide range of various configurations and contents. The buyer of such a car received climate control, full power accessories, central locking with remote control function, disc brakes on the front and rear axles. At the same time, roof rails, a sunroof, leather interior, and electrically heated seats are additional options that you had to pay for.

In 1999, the Japanese automobile manufacturer released a restyled version of the Toyota Camry Grace. The optics, radiator grille, bumpers and some interior elements have undergone qualitative changes.

This car was awarded only two types of power plants: 2.2- and 2.5-liter versions. In the first case, with a smaller engine, the power of the power unit was 140 hp, and in the second the output was more serious - 200 hp. The four-cylinder engine is a little easier to maintain, but both engines had high reliability.

The car belongs to a high class, so even in the station wagon version it could boast of a rich filling and a spacious trunk. It was this feature that became the key factor that determined the popularity of the model. At the same time, the price of the Toyota Camry Grace was quite affordable.

In 2001, the company's management decided to stop production of the Toyota Camry Gracia model.

Don't get carried away by speed

The 2.2-liter petrol engine is a good choice for a large front-wheel drive station wagon. A three-liter six is ​​also offered for the Toyota Camry, but it is more appropriate on a sedan or coupe. However, I would not call the Camry Gracia 2.2 station wagon a slow-moving vehicle.

To be honest, I didn’t even expect such agility from this car. Acceleration, of course, is not hurricane, but very fast. At the same time, the comfortable suspension smoothes out the feeling of high speed. Such a cheerful “temperament” is a merit not so much of the engine power as of the fast operation of the automatic transmission. This “automatic” does not have sports, winter or any other modes. It’s just a box with “intelligence”: it can instantly adapt to the driver’s character and driving conditions.

Of course, every driver is free to choose his own driving style, and the smart Toyota Camry Gracia will quickly adapt to the given pace. But it seemed to me that this car loves speed and fast acceleration. However, you shouldn’t get carried away with dynamic driving: the Camry Gracia is still a solid station wagon with a comfortable and far from sporty suspension.

"Toyota Camry Grace": dimensions, ground clearance

As we said earlier, the Toyota Camry Gracia SXV20 belongs to the D-class, so it has impressive dimensions. What is noteworthy: the dimensions of the sedan are identical to the Grace station wagon. Thus, the total length of the body is 4.82 meters, width – 1.78, height – 1.41 meters.

The wheelbase is 2.67 meters, which is 7 centimeters longer than that of the previous generation Camry. However, with such a huge size, the Japanese Toyota Camry Gracia station wagon does not have high ground clearance. The ground clearance is only 14 centimeters. In addition, the car has a long wheelbase. Therefore, you should be extremely careful on roads that are not paved. The car often catches the bottom and bumpers on bumps and other road elements.