I’m NOT even exaggerating! No matter where I went, I received compliments on the 2018 Toyota Camry XSE. I posted pictures online and got positive feedback from my online community. The consensus is that Toyota has really stepped their game up with the NEW Camry’s. It was love at first sight and I’m not even a huge fan of red. However, the red leather-trim interior is so chic. It grabs your attention immediately, you gravitate towards the dashboard, sliding moonroof and then you’re lost in the XSE.
So, I may have jumped ahead and started talking about the interior of the 2018 Toyota Camry XSE. The NEW exterior has such a stylish shape, the perfect front grille with sport mesh insert, dual exhaust with quad chrome tips, 19-in. black machine-finish alloy wheels, LED headlights with LED DRL and LED taillights. It’s a fashionable platinum color with a midnight black metallic roof and rear spoiler. You have the luxury of two tone on the exterior and interior. It’s sporty and you’ll have heads turning.
My FAVORITE feature that trumped everything else was the 10-in. color head up display. I didn’t have to take my eyes off the road for any reason because my speed and directions among other things were projected onto the lower portion of my windshield. It was like something from out of a movie. I really felt like it was some next level futuristic technology that I was privy to. I was so excited, that made the interior even more SEXY to me! It’s a very SMART car!
I got an alert that the roads may be icy and to be mindful of that and also can appreciate the Toyota safety sense feature and the lane departure alert with steering assist. When I was driving in a construction zone and had to switch lanes and go around the cones intentionally, the steering assist kicked in to keep my vehicle in its original lane. I was caught off guard but, knew about the feature. It’s a smooth ride and has three driving modes, eco, normal and sport. You also have a direct shift 8-speed automatic transmission.
I spent a lot of time playing with the 8-in. multimedia touch-screen. It has pinch-and-zoom navigation controls which I really enjoyed. The new Entune 3.0 App Suite with available Toyota Connected Services is also one of my favorite pass times. The Scout GPS Link App will make long road trips bearable. The Premium Audio with JBL w/ Clari-Fi was AWESOME! I was rocking out to my favorite tunes and it sounded so good! I turned the speaker up to the max just so I could hear how loud they were.
The technology in the 2018 Toyota Camry is advanced and I love it. You can easily park using your rear camera which gives you a bird’s eye view with perimeter scan. You have front, side and read cameras to display a panoramic overhead view. That will make parking in the Bronx a breeze! Lol! I loathe parallel parking in the Bronx and New York City. Those spots are tighter than tight but, when you live you in New York, you make it work and learn the art of parallel parking in a busy city with a gazillion cars.
That’s one thing I don’t miss! Okay, what else can I tell you about this gem. You can connect to Wi-Fi powered by Verizon. It will support up to five devices and has Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging. You can monitor guest drivers or locate your car in a crowded parking lot with Remote Connect. This is a bonus for parents that allow their children to drive their cars or anyone else for that matter. I like the blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and there are ten airbags standard.
Specs: 3.55-Liter V6 DOHC 24-Valve D-4S Dual Injection with Dual VVT-I; 301 hp @ 6600 rpm; 267 lb.- ft. @ 4700 rpm. Ultra-low emission vehicle. It’s front-wheel drive. You get an EPA-estimated 41 highway mpg. I honestly didn’t fill up and I went all over the place. Starting MSRP for the 2018 Toyota Camry is $34,950. Visit the Toyota website for additional information. Visit a Toyota Dealership in your area to see it up close and test drive a 2018 Toyota Camry XSE.