- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.0i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
141kW, 279Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 8.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2001 Toyota Camry Touring Wagon review: Born to be mild, not wild
Toyota's Touring sports model six-cylinder wagon offers no better performance than a V6 Camry.
For: Smooth and fuss-free performance, stable handling, build quality.
Against: No performance advantage over standard Camry, and little visual flair either.
How it rates: 3.5 stars (out of 5).
Toyota claims the Touring version of its Camry station wagon is unique in being Australia's only sports model six-cylinder wagon, and in some ways it's a true enough proposition.
None of the other local manufacturers - Ford, Holden or Mitsubishi - have positioned their wagons with a leaning towards the performance-orientated buyer.
The only problem is, in the Camry Touring's case, the tweaks seem to be so mild the "sport" component barely equals synchronised swimming's claim on being included as an Olympic activity. Or maybe the fat guy at McDonald's wearing trainers and tracksuit pants.
The Touring wagon is one of two new models introduced late last year as part of a general upgrade to the Camry range. The other is called the Azura, introduced as a relatively upmarket model to plug a gap created by the introduction of the bigger Avalon, and the deletion of Vienta models caused by the Avalon's arrival.
Both cars rely on variously massaged equipment levels as their raison d'etre rather than any vast (or even palpable) mechanical changes, but then Toyota has always proved itself adept at this kind of semantics-driven marketing.
The Camry upgrade provided subtle styling changes to the front-end with new grille inserts and more powerful head lamps, and the sedan version received slightly different tail lights and bumpers. Other than that, changes centred on tightening the suspension in a quest for flatter, more stable handling. Then there were changes to the mirrors for less wind noise and things such as seat and wheel trims have also come in for a redesign.
The Touring wagon's claim on being a sporty model rests largely with suspension settings tuned even further towards providing better handling. It also has 16-inch (rather than the normal Camry's 15-inch) alloy wheels with lower-profile tyres. Inside, there is a velour seat fabric, leather wrap for the steering wheel, gearshift knob and even for the park brake lever, but that's about the extent of the changes over non-sporty Camry variants.
Speaking of which, the Touring weighs in at $38,120, or about $3000 more than the similarly-equipped Conquest V6 wagon. The Touring is available with automatic transmission only, and has a reasonably high list of standard equipment that includes anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning, four-way power windows, a single-disc CD player and cruise control. Notable exclusions are any form of trip computer, or fore-aft adjustment of the steering column.
Motive force comes from the Camry's familiar 3.0-litre V6, an engine that hasn't been changed in the model upgrade and really didn't need to be. It should be noted, though, that the Touring offers no better performance than any other V6 Camry of similar vintage.
Get a great deal today
Interested in this car? Provide your details and we'll connect you to a member of the Drive team.
With 141 kilowatts of power and 279 Newton-metres of torque, its outright figures seem a little puny compared with its bigger rivals, but in reality this is more than enough to provide plenty of easy, flexible performance in a reasonably lightweight family car.
The Camry's powertrain has always been about smoothness and refinement as well as having a decent amount of punch, and now is no different. The four-speed auto works with admirable smoothness and seems able to pick a lower gear when needed. The engine hasn't the low-down pulling power of some of its bigger rivals, but it is happy to rev smoothly and cleanly to make up for the performance disadvantage.
The suspension shows none of the solid, almost jarring qualities that might characterise a local muscle car, further emphasising the Camry Touring is well away from that genre.
There's a little more directness to the steering, thanks to the lower-profile tyres and stiffer spring rates, and less body roll than before. Then again, the Camry has always been a stable, safe-handling vehicle and the minor upgrade manages to build on this without eradicating weak points such as pronounced kick-back through the steering as the front wheels hit a bump mid-corner.
Little has been done to beautify the Camry Touring's exterior - although in truth, the wagon has always looked a bit better than the even blander sedan - apart from the 16-inch wheels filling the wheel arches to a greater degree.
The same goes for inside the cabin, where there's plenty of black and grey plastic taken from Toyota's little red book of family car interior design. That's not to say the interior looks cheap, because it is all well assembled, just unadorned by any outright styling flair.
As a station wagon, it is an interesting proposition because, although the sloping tailgate doesn't provide the ultimate in roomy interiors, there's more useable luggage space than the sedan and a few good features such as a cargo blind and plenty of tie-down hooks to conceal and stow a load.
The back seat has a centre armrest containing a couple of cup holders, and has proper three-point harnesses for securing three passengers. Leg- and headroom are ample in the rear, but because of its compact exterior size, width limits seating capacity to two adults or three smaller children.
When you get right down to it, this is what the Camry Touring wagon is all about: a family car with better than bog-standard equipment levels, and maybe enough extra attitude to sway those with the extra cash to afford the performance overtones.
It is no rip-snorting sports wagon, but the Camry base from which it is built is capable and refined enough to make it a better-than-average drive in the first place.
All the details
Price: $38,120 (auto).
Engine: 3.0-litre, 24-valve, DOHC, V6, 141kW at 5,200rpm and 279Nm at 4,400rpm.
Transmission: Four-speed auto. Front-wheel-drive.
Steering: Rack and pinion, 3.0 turns lock to lock. Turning circle 11.2m.
Brakes: Ventilated discs front, discs rear. ABS standard.
Suspension: Front - Independent by MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar. Rear - Independent by MacPherson struts with stabiliser bar.
Wheels/tyres: 16 x 6.0-inch alloy wheels, tyres 205/60.
How big? Length 4,775mm, width 1,780mm, height 1,475mm, wheelbase 2,670mm.
How heavy? 1,530kg (auto).
How thirsty? 11.5L/100km. Fuel tank 70 litres.
Rivals:
Mitsubishi Magna Advance wagon (auto) - $35,980
Subaru Liberty RX wagon (auto) - $39,560
Prices correct at date of publication.