Toyota Camry Le

Toyota Camry Le
A serious contender for the title of best-selling car in America, Toyota's redesigned Camry has plenty to offer mainstream buyers. Our test vehicle was the midlevel LE model, equipped with the $250 optional premium six-speaker, 132-watt AM/FM/cassette receiver and the optional $457 port- or dealer-installed single-disc, in-dash CD player, which mounts directly below the AM/FM/cassette. Both units are universally sized ISO/DIN units (7x2 inches).

The front panels of each deck are very straightforward, but, as with many other two-piece units, the front panel scripts and displays don't match exactly, seemingly coming from two separate suppliers.

It should be noted that the 132-watt power rating specified by Toyota is peak power, not the more stringent RMS rating that is becoming the more popular indicator for factory units, following the lead of the aftermarket. The 132-watt peak rating translates to a more modest 4x15 watts, at a respectable two percent distortion level-comparable to typical aftermarket integrated head units.

These power measurements were reinforced in our listening evaluations. In sampling test tracks from reference CDs, the test vehicle topped out at 102 dB before distortion became objectionable. This is somewhat below the 105-107 dB ratings of some recently tested comparable units; however, the Camry's premium audio option is about half the cost of many other premium-branded systems.

The front speakers-one 6.25-inch speaker in each lower door mated with a separate one-inch tweeter mounted in each sail panel-performed well above 150 Hz. We noticed a dip in response centered around 100 Hz that restricted bass output. With very low test tones, below 60 Hz, there were none of the buzzes or rattles typical of many factory-installed systems. The Camry offers a great platform in which to install a competition-level aftermarket system; some vehicles with hundreds of dollars of extra damping material aren't as solid or buzz-free as was our test Camry.

Two 6x9-inch extended-range, infinite-baffle speakers are mounted in the rear deck. With the front-to-rear fader set to the center position, there was only a slight rear bias. Tweaking the fader forward will solve this.

Overall, the Camry system performed a bit above average. Just a few years ago, it would have been much closer to class-leading levels of performance; its current disadvantage is due more to the emphasis competitors have placed on audio performance than to the shortcomings of this particular system. Considering the source options available (see sidebar), the Camry offers a great starting point for an aftermarket specialist to upgrade amplification and speakers while adding a true subwoofer. With all these sources at your fingertips, such a combination would be darn near invincible.

1-2-3 CD
Toyota offers one of the widest varieties of manufacturer CD player options, rivaling the selection of many aftermarket companies. The single CD player installed in our test car is available as a dealer- or port-installed accessory on all Camry trim levels. In addition, a one-piece AM/FM/ CD/cassette ($1195 MSRP) is available as a factory-installed option on LE and XLE models. According to Toyota, both the one- and two-piece units offer identical power output and audio performance.

Toyota's optional $699 in-dash three-disc CD changer mounts below the AM/FM/cassette receiver and offers the highest level of user convenience.