2007 Toyota Camry Exterior Review [ 2009 , 2008 ]
Toyota Camry Exterior Review
Exterior - 7.7 (Good)
Outside, the Camry undergoes a noticeable change for 2007 that most reviewers judge is for the better. The Washington Post asserts, "It makes you feel something where, with the old Camry, you once felt nothing. People will love or hate it. It is deliciously polarizing. Joy!"
Forbes writes, "The first time you see the redesigned Camry, you might think you've seen it before. The new Camry's styling is more distinctive and upscale, but still very derivative. There's no denying that it borrowed its swoopy roofline and some design cues from the larger Avalon sedan and various Lexus sedan models." Most reviewers agree that the 2007 Camry looks decidedly more upscale than prior model years. The Chicago Tribune finds the redesigned exterior has a "much more fashionable and richer appearance. At first look, the perception is that this is a luxury Lexus, not a more economy oriented Camry." CNET asserts, "A fuller rear end and more parabolic lines will likely have passersby mistaking this car for something off the Mercedes-Benz drawing board."
Outlining some of the changes, Cars.com reports, "The car's nose is blunter and sportier, and it trades the 2006 model's organic shapes for more sculpted, angular forms." Car and Driver calls it an "intriguing shape," and says, "It crouches with its nose low, ready to pounce as you approach from the front. The side glass arcs inward as it rises, suggesting a canopy." Some reviewers, however, see only modest improvement to the Camry's staid image. "There's nothing rakish or aggressive about the car's new styling, no trick graphics or plunging hood lines," writes the Los Angeles Times. "What the Camry is on the inside -- safe, reliable, sturdy, bourgeois -- it is on the outside."
Other reviewers like the design, but aren't overly enthusiastic about it. Automobile Magazine, for instance, writes, "We'd say it's still vanilla, but now with tasty specks of vanilla bean sprinkled throughout." USA TODAY reports that the 2007 Camry "looks appealingly sleeker than its predecessor, but that still leaves a lot of room before you arrive at 'sexy' on the style continuum."
A few reviewers don't like the design at all. Edmunds argues, "To our eyes the front end is a bit heavy looking with its bulbous nose, while the somewhat drooping head- and taillights are simply odd."
Exterior Trims
The Camry's different trim levels are largely indistinguishable. Of the four, the SE's is the only one that reviewers find remarkable. Car and Driver notes, "Cosmetically, the SE models can be recognized by their unique grille and headlamps, front and rear fascias, rocker panels, and 17-inch alloy wheels with 55-series summer tires." Kelley Blue Book says that the "sporty SE with its lower ride height on bigger wheels and tires, black honeycomb grille, smoked headlamps and aero appendages looks much more athletic than the other models."
