A Mother's Review of the 2015 Toyota Camry
My family recently went on an emergency trip to California. Since our old van wasn't up to the task, we rented a 2015 Toyota Camry LE from Hertz.
Before you ask, this is not a sponsored review, and I have not been compensated in any way. This is simply my account of my experience as mother of three, using this car for two very long weeks (during which we drove from Utah to California, several hundreds of miles in CA once we got there, then back to Utah.)
Seating
At 6'3" and 5'8", my husband and I aren't exactly little people. For a full size car, this seemed a bit tighter than we'd hoped, but then again, when I think full size, I picture the boat of a Buick we used to have when we first got married. That sucker was huge! But there was quite a bit of foot room in the front.
Our car had black, textured upholstery like this, which ended up being a bit of a problem when my six year old threw up in the back seat. The smooth parts were a cinch to clean up, but I had to take it to a professional detailer to get the textured parts clean (which was most of the seat.)
I think there were actually too many buttons and switches on the steering wheel, it made it distracting to find the one I wanted while driving, so it was actually easier to use the buttons on the central display.
There were was lots of storage space, plenty of little hidden nooks and crannies to put things, not to mention a good sized glove box.
How Does it Drive?
It accelerates and brakes quickly, but the steering was super sensitive. Maybe I'm just not used to it with my old van, but it was bit scary trying to steer in the snow and rain. Yes, we actually drove through both on our trip. We went through the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, and the California Bay Area, so there was a good mix of cold, hot, dry, and inclimate weather, even in late March/early April.
During good weather, which was most of our trip, this car was so so fun to drive! I actually miss it a lot, and my kids keep telling me how much they miss it.
Gas Mileage
Around town, mileage was pretty average, but driving on the highway from Utah to California and back, our gas mileage was so good that we only had to fill our tank up once on the way to CA. For the entire trip, we spent just over $300 in gas, when it normally would have cost us at least $700!
Overall Rating
I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. This was a basic version of the car, so I imagine that the tricked out models are even better. It was comfortable, mostly easy to drive, and was a great family car.
There was plenty of legroom up front, but our three kids were a bit squished in the back. But the part that was absolutely amazing was the adjustable lower back support on the driver's seat. I have severe back problems, so this was wonderful!
Features
There were certainly plenty of bells and whistles, which was fun! I fell in love with the bluetooth and backup camera.
I'd never used a backup camera before, and now I really miss it! Wish my van had one. The bluetooth was great for streaming audio from my phone, we listened to the latest Percy Jackson audiobook, The Blood of Olympus, which made our long drive so much faster.
I think there were actually too many buttons and switches on the steering wheel, it made it distracting to find the one I wanted while driving, so it was actually easier to use the buttons on the central display.
How Does it Drive?
It accelerates and brakes quickly, but the steering was super sensitive. Maybe I'm just not used to it with my old van, but it was bit scary trying to steer in the snow and rain. Yes, we actually drove through both on our trip. We went through the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, and the California Bay Area, so there was a good mix of cold, hot, dry, and inclimate weather, even in late March/early April.
During good weather, which was most of our trip, this car was so so fun to drive! I actually miss it a lot, and my kids keep telling me how much they miss it.
Gas Mileage
Around town, mileage was pretty average, but driving on the highway from Utah to California and back, our gas mileage was so good that we only had to fill our tank up once on the way to CA. For the entire trip, we spent just over $300 in gas, when it normally would have cost us at least $700!
Overall Rating
I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. This was a basic version of the car, so I imagine that the tricked out models are even better. It was comfortable, mostly easy to drive, and was a great family car.
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