Despite having just four trim levels up for offer, the 2011 Toyota Camry is one of those cars with too many minor upgrades on the list, with the LE and XLE offering little for the price bump.
Key Points
- The 2011 Toyota Camry starts at the “base” level, which locks you into the 169 horsepower 2.5L engine, and feels pretty bare-bones, even for an entry-level 2011 sedan.
- A 3.5L V6 is offered as an option in the LE, but for the best value, you’ll want an SE with sport-tuned suspension.
- Despite being the luxury model, the XLE will have you paying extra to add leather seats and voice activation.
The Base Trim Level is Truly, Truly Basic
Starting at around $9,000 in the Kelley Blue Book, base 2011 Camry is your standard “original flavor” trim level. The mid-size comes standard with front-wheel drive, a 2.5L inline-four engine cranking out 169 horsepower, and six-speed automatic transmission.
We’re not kiddin’ when we say there are no frills on this thing. The radio is AM/FM with CD and MP3 player, an auxiliary audio jack, and six speakers, the interior trim is mostly cloth and plastic, and all the seats are manual adjust. You get cruise control, remote trunk release, and a spare tire, but that’s about as generous as Toyota gets with this trim level.
Which is to be expected, of course. When they don’t even bother naming the trim level, you should know exactly what to expect for your nine thousand bucks. The real fun starts another thousand dollars up at the LE trim level.
LE Offers a Capable 3.5L V6 Engine Option Among Minor Upgrades
The LE starts at just under $10,000 in the Kelley Blue Book and adds a handful of features and improvements like remote keyless entry and a power driver’s seat.
Are the standard upgrades alone worth the extra thousand bucks? Not really. But by upgrading to the LE you get a whole bunch of extra options. Like you can ditch the inline-four for a 3.5L V6, cranking out 268 horsepower for a legitimately sporty feel. And if you like, you can add USB, auto sound leveling, and Bluetooth to the stereo system.
But here’s the catch: the main reason to go with an LE over a base Camry is the V6. And if you want to upgrade your Camry’s engine specs, you’re better off skipping right ahead to the SE, which actually runs around five hundred bucks cheaper than the LE.
Sporty SE Pairs Style Upgrades with Performance-based Suspension
With its three-spoke leather steering wheel, sport pedals, and chrome-tipped exhaust, the SE advertises what it’s all about right up front. This is the sporty trim level.
Upgrades to interior features and cosmetics are pretty modest for the most part. You’ll know an SE when you see it, but the real draw here is found in the little mechanical touches, namely, the sport-tuned gas shocks. With the SE, the overall feel of the Camry has been tuned towards sporty performance.
With an inline-four, you can expect the SE Camry to start at just under $9,500, but there’s not much point in driving an SE if you’re not going with a V6, which should start you off somewhere in the $10,000 range.
XLE Aims for Luxury, but Leaves the Best Upgrades for the Optional Packages
Where the SE leans toward sporty, the XLE leans toward luxurious. The big upgrades include the four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors, chrome and wood grain trim all over the interior, and dual-zone climate control with dust and pollen filter.
If the XLE can be criticized for anything, it may be that all the biggest upgrades are hidden away in optional packages. Voice-activated touchscreen is only available if you want to spend a thousand dollars extra on the entertainment package. If you want leather seats, that’s another grand.
Considering that the XLE starts at just over $10,500, you expect more of these features to come standard. Simply put, it makes a lot more sense to buy an SE with the packages you like than it does to upgrade to an XLE and still have to pay extra for the leather seats.
SE Offers Best Overall Value by a Longshot
No matter what you’re after in a 2011 Toyota Camry, you want the SE.
If you want a simple daily driver with no frills, get the SE and skip all the optional packages.
If you want a luxury ride, look for an SE with the sport leather and the extra value package thrown in.
The base Camry and the LE don’t save you enough money to bother with, and the XLE doesn’t add really enough new features to be worth the extra money. But an SE is priced fairly, and can be upgraded with heated leather seats and voice activation for cheaper than it would cost you to buy an XLE with the same upgrades.
Of course, it all depends on what you can find in great condition and at a fair price. If you can find an XLE that already has all the options for a thousand bucks over a bare-bones SE, get the XLE. But on average, Camry shoppers should expect to get the best overall value out of an SE.
Photos: Toyota
