My Priorities In A Car Have Changed
I believe the popular saying goes something like "two things that are guaranteed in life are death and taxes". I suppose you can't really argue with that statement and I must admit that when I am feeling a little despondent about the world such a phrase inevitably comes to mind. Then I think to myself hang on, there are a lot of positive things happening as well so like the title of one of my favourite Elvis Costello albums we should all "Get Happy" once in a while. I am always amazed at my young daughter's ability to change her moods in an instant. One minute she will be screaming her head off over a seemingly minor problem mainly not being able to open the food cupboard and grab a handful of rice cakes. When she occasionally manages to do this she triumphantly waves them like a trophy and shares her spoils with Ozzy our nutty sheepdog.
If she doesn't manage it she likes to throw herself on the floor dramatically but then a few minutes later all is forgotten and she is off to pursue some other activity which usually involves hiding my car keys. I wish I was as easy to please as her. I enjoy having some kind of project to work at and my latest one has been to research buying a new car. It's amazing how your priorities change as you get older. There was a time when all I was interested in was how fast it would go and how big are the alloy wheels and most importantly did it have a stereo capable of making your ears bleed. Then when I reached the insurance milestone of 25 I was able to afford a very nice Volkswagen Golf GTi. I would spend every waking hour polishing it and would park in the remotest part of a car park to avoid parking dents only to return to find someone trying to steal parts of it (you can't win). Now look at me in my later years researching a Volkswagen Touran and trying to work out if we can fit numerous pushchairs and baby seats and god knows what into it.
Both forms of propulsion drive the front wheels through a CVT automatic box. The engine produces 176bhp, while the electric motor tops this up to a total of 215bhp, so the Toyota is the most powerful car here. However, it鈥檚 also the heaviest, due to the old-school nickel-metal hydride battery; the Camry weighs in at 1,595kg, which is around 200kg heavier than the Skoda, for example. Still, the Toyota New Global Architecture platform can cope with the weight and uses MacPherson-strut front and double-wishbone rear suspension, which is quite a sophisticated layout. Overall, the Japanese model is well equipped for the cash, offering loads of standard features, but it just doesn鈥檛 feel as upmarket and the quality isn鈥檛 on par with even its mainstream rivals here. With every iteration of its hybrid powertrains, Toyota is improving performance, feel and refinement, and the Camry shows how good integration of engine, motor and chassis can make a hybrid aimed at fleet customers and business users an enticing prospect. That鈥檚 because the torque fill from the electric motor means you don鈥檛 have to rev the Camry too hard,but this is only if you鈥檙e not bothered about getting anywhere quickly.
Otherwise, you have to stretch the petrol engine more. Do so and, while refinement takes a dip, the performance is more acceptable. The Camry accelerated from 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds, which was only 0.2 seconds behind the lighter and similarly powerful Vauxhall. We couldn鈥檛 record in-gear figures due to the CVT, but there鈥檚 enough mid-speed performance here. Plus the gearbox has less of the typical surging feel CVTs used to be known for. You have a more direct connection with the powertrain than before, which is a positive, but like the steering, it never really excites when you鈥檙e behind the wheel. It鈥檚 acceptable but not as dynamic as the two cars it鈥檚 up against. That new platform does mean it鈥檚 comfortable, though, riding bumps well and with a softer edge to the body control. It鈥檚 only towards the Camry鈥檚 limits that it starts to float and wallow, but the car鈥檚 character encourages a more easy-going, eco-focused style. Roll back the revs and it鈥檚 a relaxing way to get around. You sit quite high, so visibility is good, but despite the car鈥檚 size, the front of the cabin feels like there鈥檚 lots of plastic and seems a little short on storage.
