With commodious cabins, premium touches and the latest technologies, the modern midsize sedan is one for the captains of industry. Here we have two prime examples from the East and from the West: The Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat.
This week's head to head pits two plush midsize sedans from Japan and Germany. From the East we have the Toyota Camry, the segment's best-seller. Over to the West, there's the Volkswagen Passat, bridging the gap between mainstream manufacturers and high-end luxury brands. Let's take a look at these executive suites on wheels.
Let's first take a look under the hood of each car. In the Camry, it gets a 2.5 liter, inline four engine with Dual VVT-i in the G to V models. For those variants, it puts out 178 PS and 231 Nm of torque. The most powerful engine available in the Camry is a 3.5 liter, V6 engine that pumps out 277 PS and 346 Nm of torque. Moving to the Volkswagen Passat, there's only one engine option but it's quite a potent one. At your disposal is a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine with 220 PS and 350 Nm of torque.
These sedans have different transmissions. Toyota takes the traditional route by using a six-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. Over to the Volkswagen, the Passat utilizes a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, also with manual mode.
The two also differ in how they ride. The Volkswagen Passat rides on Struts and 3-point wishbone with Stabilizers at the front, which is then complimented by a 4-link suspension with stabilizers at the rear. It also benefits from Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC) with Driving Profile Selection. In the Camry, it gets MacPherson Struts in front comes with a dual-link strut system for the rear.
After looking at what makes these cars ride and drive, let's take a look inside. In the Passat, you are greeted by a design that is smooth and uncluttered with slim air-conditioning vents with a brushed aluminum trim that runs below it. Soft-touch materials an leather dominate the cabin with power seats for both driver and front passenger. Keeping rear passengers cool are air-conditioning vents mounted on the B-Pillar and both front and rear occupants benefit from 12 volt sockets. As for its instrument cluster, it gets a digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer and trip meter while in the middle, the Multi Function display (MFD) with Active Info Display.
Toyota Camry is also slanted towards luxury with wood trim, leather and padded surfaces throughout the interior. While the entry-level Camry gets fabric seats, the rest of the lineup gets leather as standard. It too gets air conditioning for the rear passengers and, in the 2.5 V and V6 models, power reclining rear seats. Also adding the upmarket feel of the Camry is a power rear windshield sunshade rear window sunshades and triple zone automatic climate control for 2.5 V and V6 models. Flipping down the arm rest in higher trim lines reveals controls for the sunshade, audio, air conditioning and rear seats. Moving back to the driver's side, the instrument cluster has two large dials and a multi-information display on the center.
In this segment, one expects high-end infotainment systems and both do not disappoint. Volkswagen calls their unit Discover Pro and features an 8-inch Color Touchscreen. It shows vehicle status, as well as functions for Radio, CD, MP3, USB, AUX-in, SD slot, Bluetooth, Voice Control, G-force meter even a Lap timer. It also has a Mobile Phone Interface with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility. Also standard is a navigation system. Sound is then channeled through eight speakers.
