The Prince George Citizen - Thursday, January 25, 1996/29 * WW'sW &*• ■ ■■ ' ■■■-' - ■ - • )■* l(»l> Qiianlv Car ■ w SKir3ras r|. r* 1996 Toyota Camry DX “Plus" Price As Tested: s25,907.00 |/ Vehicle Type: 4-Door Sedan |/ Transmission: 4-Spd. Elec. Power. Econ. Settings. |/ Engine Type: DOHC 4-cyl., 16-V2.2L Performance: (1 to 10) 7 ^ Horsepower: 125 at 5,400 rpm l/ Real-world Handling: 9 ^ Torque: 145 lb. ft. at 4,400 rpm \/ Driveability: 9 through to the more-affordable Toyota products. 1996 Toyota Camry DX Plus DRIVING by Bruce Strachan When Toyota Canada President. Yashio Nakatani visited Prince George last fall, he said his goal was to raise total Canadian sales of Toyota products from 70,000 to 100,000 units a year. That’s a tall order, but Nakatani said Toyota’s high-quality product and its strong dealer network combined with aggressive marketing would bring about the increase. Two of those marketing strategies are at work now. First, -Toyota has introduced a competitive 4.9 per cent financing program for its 4- cylinder Camry LE line and second, there’s the Camry DX “Plus” on the market which adds a factory-picked line of options to the base-line DX Camry. It’s a good package. Order a Camry DX “Plus” and the standard equipment list includes air, cruise, power locks, remote power mirrors, power windows, power antenna, a woodgrain-trimmed dash, AM/FM cassette, a keyless entry system, a trunk cargo net, floor mats and an attractive “Plus” badge on the trunk lid. In case you’ve lost count, this is the third generation Camry. The first models were introduced in 1983, there was a distinctive change in 1988 and the current Lexus-like Camry came to Toyota Showrooms a few years ago. All Camrys have been good, but the current models are exceptional. Indeed, Toyota brochures modestly point out that their products have won the Canadian Automobile Association’s owner satisfaction award eight times in the last thirteen years and that since 1990, Toyotas have been rated by the CAA as the least expensive automobile to maintain and repair. That’s an amazing record, but cars run on the road, not on their maintenance record, so this week I took a Camry DX “Plus” off the Northern Toyota lot to see how the car handled in our winter conditions. Walking around the Jewel Green Pearl Camry it’s easy to see that this is a quality car. Fit and finish is exquisite and it’s clear the high manufacturing standards of the mega-buck Lexus line are carried Inside, the Camry “Plus” with its woodgrained dash trim belies the fact that this is an entry-level Camry. As expected, every control and instrument in the Camry is logically placed. Indicator lights on the dash tell the driver when cruise control is on and when the “power” setting for the automatic transmission is selected. The 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engine with Toyota’s electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic is the picture of refinement and Toyota uses two balance shafts to hush engine noise and vibration. I should add that this power train is more than adequate for all driving situations. Although it gives away about 60 horses to its big-brother V-6, the super-smooth DOHC 4-cylinder engine is no slouch and this is a quick car both in the city and out on the highway. On the road the Camry is a delight. Toyota has obviously spent a ton of dough perfecting the ride and handling of the Camry lineup. No matter what the road conditions are the Camry chassis is absolutely tight and flex free. These cars are as solid as bank vault and just as quiet. The Camry “Plus” is a smart concept. It combines the legendary Toyota reputation with a long option list, and all this in an eminently affordable package. 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