In Wheel Time

By Don Armstrong

The American sedan has been around for more than 100 years and although we’re still buying them, sales of the venerable people-hauler continue to decline thanks to the SUV. In fact, some mainstay manufacturers have dropped them all together, except for Toyota and sister company Lexus.

After 38 years, the Toyota Camry remains a viable mode of transportation for millions of Americans. You probably know someone who has or had one; maybe it’s you. Today, with 17 variations, the top-of-the-line Camry TRD stands out from the rest.

Here is a Camry that every girl and boy racer will aspire to getting behind the wheel. You’ll quickly 32

forget that there is another set of doors behind the driver. The cockpit reminds one of something you’ll find in a jet fighter with an intense, red instrument cluster, an easy-to-use infotainment system, and a gear selector on the center console.

However, the exterior gets all the attention. Blacked-out grill, aero chin spoiler, faux carbon winglets, a rear spoiler perched above the trunk – it’s a different, attractive look for the Camry.

The TRD model is powered by Toyota’s 301-horsepower V-6. Coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission and numerous suspension tweaks, this Camry offers plenty enthusiast thrills for the masses. Pricing for the Camry TRD starts at $32,360.

And now for something completely different, the Lexus ES 300h, a luxury hybrid with an emphasis on fuel mileage.

The car has the bones of the Toyota Avalon. With a longer wheelbase and larger cabin, the ES offers more leg and elbow room than the Camry.

Its interior is subtly luxurious and not overdone. Once only manipulated by an irritating touchpad on the center console, the infotainment controls have been upgraded to now include a touch screen. Friends and family will think highly of your modern, yet conservative, taste in sedan’s. Hybrid power is only 215 horses, but when coupled to its continuously variable transmission, it delivers 44 MPG combined. It’s not a rocket, but we love its miserly ways around the fueling station.

The face of this ES is a polarizing spindle grille. You either love it or hate it, but there is no denying the limo-like experience that this Lexus offers. This is one of the most comfortable cars we’ve experienced. The 300h hybrid starts at $42,975.