2008 Toyota Camry: What's New

Vehicle Overview
The 2008 Camry — the long-standing best-selling car in the U.S. — was extensively restyled and upgraded for 2007, and it’s unchanged this year but for some cosmetic exterior and interior choices. The archrival Honda Accord is consistently the second-best-seller, but Honda claims it’s No. 1 among individual buyers as opposed to rental and other fleets. Other midsize sedan competitors include the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Saturn Aura and Volkswagen Passat, to name a few.

The Camry trim levels, in ascending value, are CE, LE, sporty SE and premium XLE. The Camry Hybrid, detailed in a separate report in the Cars.com Research section, falls somewhere between the SE and XLE in terms of standard equipment. You have to pony up the cash for the more expensive trim and pay an additional premium for the hybrid aspect. Someday hybrid technology might be a drivetrain option on any trim level, but not until costs come down dramatically.

Exterior
Among the few changes for 2008 is the replacement of the Titanium Metallic exterior color for Classic Silver Metallic. The current-generation Camry’s nose is blunter and sportier than the version it replaced in 2007. The tail recalls the full-size Avalon sedan, and the fenders have shoulders that give the trunklid a hump — a style introduced on recent BMWs but executed better by other manufacturers, including Lexus on the GS sedan.

The grilles distinguish one trim level from another. The CE’s is black, the LE’s is body-colored, the SE’s is black with body-colored surround and the XLE’s is body-colored with chrome accents. The SE also has rocker panel and front fascia extensions and larger wheels. A spoiler is optional on this trim level only. Fog lights appear on the SE and XLE.

The standard wheels are 16-inch steel, and alloy rims come in 16-, 17- and 18-inch diameters as standard or optional equipment.

Interior
For 2008, the top trim level, XLE, has darker wood trim. The backrests recline 8 degrees, but they don’t fold forward to extend cargo space into the cabin. Likewise, the Camry SE’s seats don’t fold due to a V-shaped brace intended to stiffen the car’s structure and improve handling. The Camry Hybrid has a small, off-center pass-thru. The CE and LE trims have split, folding backseats.

The Camry’s steering wheel both tilts and telescopes. New standard upholstery fabric is treated by the Fraichir process, which Toyota describes as “coated with a naturally occurring component called Sericin, which is extracted from silkworm cocoons and refined. This substance is used because it contains a natural moisturizing component.” If there is a way to market this feature without making it seem gross, Toyota clearly hasn’t found it.

The SE trim level gets its own sport-trimmed interior in darker colors, amber gauges and a three-spoke steering wheel.

Another development in the XLE and Camry Hybrid is a ventilation system that uses “Plasmacluster ionizer technology to help reduce airborne mold spores, microbes, fungi, odors, germs and bacteria inside the passenger cabin.” Perhaps it can do something about that Sericin stuff.

Under the Hood
The base, four-cylinder engine pairs with a standard five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is optional. The optional 3.5-liter V-6 comes only with a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission can be shifted manually.

EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings for the cars are 21/31 mpg city/highway for the four-cylinder with manual or automatic, 19/28 for the V-6 and 33/34 for the hybrid.

The SE has firmer springs, shock absorbers, stabilizer bars and bushings to improve handling and limit body roll over the other trim levels.

Safety
Safety features are plentiful. All trim levels have four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. Airbags include dual-stage frontal bags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag, the latter intended to keep the occupant from sliding down and forward (submarining) in a collision. Traction control and an electronic stability system are a single option available on any trim level.