By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

(May 14, 2017) Earlier this year, I was loaned both an all-wheel drive 2016 Toyota Highlander XLE and 2017 Toyota Corolla XLE to test. The Highlander, whose only option was the seven-seat layout with a pair of captain’s chairs in the second row, had absolutely no options, and listed for $39,450 with delivery. It was as I remembered it from my 2014 review of a similar Highlander, though that one was slightly more expensive.

In fact, there was little change between that version and this, and thus little need for me to update what I had written before.

Much the same can be said the 2017 Corolla XLE that followed the Highlander. The last time I drove a Corolla was in 2014 when I went across to the west side of Michigan for a GM battery event. That car was a Corolla S Premium, a model no longer listed on the Corolla Product Information sheet.

The XLE doesn’t have the previous car’s paddle shifters or Sport button, which means you are at the mercy of the powertrain tuning. In other words, the CVT — which is now standard on all trim levels (base models can be ordered with a six-speed manual) — determines the best ratio for the chosen road speed and acceleration, and heads for the highest ratio at the slightest provocation.

If you want an idea of why CVTs are, in large part, unloved, drive this car. One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier review was just how bad the front seats are for trips of more than 15 minutes. Anything over that, and your rear will start to hurt — hard.

Which brings me to the 2017 Camry XSE V6. As I wrote about the seventh generation Camry that was launched in late 2011 as a 2012 model, “[It]was an improvement over its predecessor, but continued to play it safe with a handsome interior, attractive-but-bland exterior, and driving dynamics designed to appeal to folks for whom self-driving cars are an object of near erotic desire. It was good at everything, but did nothing especially well, making it as inoffensive and useful as a napkin.”

All that changed when the 2015 model year came around. Calling this a mid-cycle refresh would be damning the car with faint praise. Toyota’s team in Michigan changed every outer panel, (except the roof), redesigned the interior (except for the upper instrument panel pad), increased torsional rigidity, and improved ride, handling and steering feel. The changes were clear improvements.

Despite the upgrades in style, refinement and capability, the outgoing Camry (it will be replaced by a new model built on Toyota’s modular TNGA platform later this year) lacks a certain je ne sais quois (a pretentiously French way of saying “I don’t know what.”) that subjugates any overt personality.

Everything works reasonably well together, but the car lacks a definable point of view. Of course, with the aggressive blandness of previous Camrys, the current car is something of a revelation despite this oversight. It goes, turns and stops with an unexpected crispness, and is ably assisted by a powertrain that is creamy smooth.

Unfortunately, the sloping windshield and coupe-like roofline make the mid-size Camry feel slightly cramped compared to its competition. However, if you want more room, move up to the larger Camry-based Avalon.

The Virtual Driver