All of the cars mentioned offer at least two engine choices, the first being a 4-cyliner for those wanting to spend less when

The Camry offers three engines, the 3.3-liter V6, entry-level 4-cylinder, and 3.0-liter V6. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

purchasing and save on fuel, and the other being a 6-cylinder. The Camry actually offers three engines, the aforementioned top-line V6 and the expected entry-level 4-cylinder, plus another V6, a 3.0-liter unit that makes a respectable 210 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 220 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The 3.0-liter comes in the Camry LE V6 and XLE V6. My guess is that average drivers wouldn't be able to tell much of a difference between the two engines. Both are made of aluminum, offer dual overhead cam technology and 4-valves per cylinder, plus feature Toyota's Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i). While being a newer engine design with some improvements in refinement over the 3.0-liter, the 3.3 simply offers more displacement and the resulting increase in output. Personally I really like the 2.4-liter base engine. I'm a big fan of 4-cylinder engines, and the 2.4 is one smooth operator. Like the sixes it offers the same high-tech Variable Valve Timing-intelligent (VVT-i) system, as well as dual overhead cams and 4-valves per cylinder. Output, of course, is down substantially over both 6-cylinder models, but at 160 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 163 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, it moves the Camry along at a fair clip, reaching 100 km/h from standstill in about nine and a half seconds in 5-speed manual mode, only available in 4-cylinder SE trim, or ten and half when equipped with the 5-speed automatic.

The 5-speed automatic is the standard transmission for all other Camry models, a change from last year where the 4-cylinder cars only offered a 4-speed auto gearbox. It's

The 5-speed automatic transmission is wonderfully smooth as expected, no matter which engine is chosen. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

wonderfully smooth as expected, no matter which engine is chosen, downshifting quickly and upshifting without commotion. Again, unlike the Accord, and other more sport-oriented sedans such as the Mazda6, Mitsubishi Galant and Nissan Altima, the Camry's transmission doesn't offer a do-it-yourself manual shift mode. While there's nothing particularly wrong with this fact, those who want a little more driver interaction will be let down. Such manual-mode transmissions offer more control through the curves, holding a specified gear through the corner and then only shifting down when told to do so - although some automakers prompt such transmissions to shift down at redline.