We talk about the Mona Lisa but hang velvet Elvis paintings in our homes. We get excited about Broadway but prefer to see Oklahoma at the local dinner theatre. We would never dream of gifting the spouse a crock pot, but just watch how fast we run home when the pot’s been tenderizing a roast. We prattle on about that night at the fancy steak house, but wind up going to the all-you-can-eat buffet every Wednesday night.

We Americans are such poseurs
Or maybe we’re just dreamers, always searching for something that adds fleeting excitement to our lives. Indeed, this desire even spreads into the cars we drive: that guy fantasizing about parking a Porsche at a beach house will go outside and climb into his Camry, drive to his suburban tract home and sit down to a nice tuna casserole dinner. Later, he’ll watch Hoosiers for the fifteenth time, waddle upstairs and do it all over again the next day.

And really, he wouldn’t change a thing. The fact is that we like plain food in large portions, obvious plot lines, and comfortable cars that run forever and make us feel smarter for purchasing them, which is why the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America for most of the past decade. And because we don’t really change, neither will the Camry: it will always be the epitome of efficient transportation, a useful car that’s big enough, powerful enough, priced right, and as dependable as heartburn after our weekly buffet frenzy. As they have with the 2007 Camry, Toyota updates the vehicle to reflect our evolving tastes, because evolution is exactly where we’re at: we don’t change so much as evolve, and Toyota does the same with its Camry, and the result is a better car built for an American public that dreams about retro pony cars but keeps going back to the Toyota dealership for a nice, reliable ride.

There’s even a hybrid Camry now, and in typical fashion, Toyota has built it with the practical American commuter in mind, emphasizing fuel economy and efficiency in what promises to be a model we will pay more than sticker for, wait in line for, and be glad of it when delivery is made. The hybrid averages about 38 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, and boasts a fine-tuned Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain that’s totally transparent, save for the in-dash readout and its noticeably quiet performance.

It’s not as if Toyota needs a hybrid version of the Camry to sell more copies, however. The more traditional internal combustion models significantly improve on the outgoing Camry, with more room, a sexy style inside and out, better performance, and a bevy of choices. Of course, there are some weak spots, areas that present competitors with an opportunity to make up sales ground. Shoppers may be able to find a more powerful four-cylinder sedan, for example, and some may not like the new front grille, with its pointed nose and enlarged Toyota badge. The reality is that competition for sedan sales is growing fiercer all the time, with more choice from all corners. Kia has a new Optima with more four-cylinder power, and Ford’s Fusion aims to offer people more style with a competitive price and a refined interior. Hyundai has a new Sonata already burning up the sales charts, and the ever-present Honda Accord and Nissan Altima will surely take their fair share of buyers.

Somehow, Toyota stays on top with its Camry, and the 2007 version promises to keep the thousands of families in the market for a sedan coming back for more. Yes, there are sedans out there with more flair, some with a more appealing proposed value, others with more power or performance. But few cars match the Camry as a total package; a well-made, satisfying sedan to drive every day. The 2007 Toyota Camry improves that proposition, giving Toyota the car people want and need, even if it’s not the car they dream about.