XSE

Road Test Review – 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE (Sedan) – The World’s Most Underrated Performance Sedan?

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In a world filled with fun entries like the Mazda 3, Honda Civic, and even the Volkswagen Jetta we will understand if the Toyota Corolla appears to not have the chops to enter this esteemed pedigree of compact cars at first glance. The Corolla was an avid follower of the Maytag school of driving. It looked like a dryer, drove like an uninspired pack of socks, and rode through the motions like the novel Irene Iddesleigh. But times are changing at Toyota with the Japanese auto giant embracing newfound levels of fun and style. The Supra might have helped spearhead …

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Road Test Review – 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE 6-Speed Manual – By Carl Malek

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When it comes to the venerable Toyota Corolla, the iconic compact sedan has developed a very loyal following during its several decade production run, and it has managed to even block the challenge to its sales supremacy that has been cast into stone by a growing field of CUV competitors. But while the Corolla has managed to check all the other boxes that car buyers think in their minds when they purchase one, the lone item that has been missing in recent years is excitement. So when Toyota revealed that it planned to release a five-door version of its econobox, …

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2019 Toyota RAV4 XSE Hybrid – Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

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Toyota made many changes to the Rav4 for 2019, including a new chassis, new bold look, and more space. How will Toyota’s top seller in the United States fare with these new changes? Coming in at $37,699, is this loaded crossover worth the coin? Overview The Rav4 has long been a big seller for Toyota. It was an early, if not the first, car-based SUV, now called crossovers. For 2019, the Rav4 is more aggressive with a higher stance and a half inch higher ground clearance. This bodes well for the Rav4 Adventure whose focus is on outdoorsy people who …

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2019 Toyota RAV4 XSE Hybrid – Review By Ben Lewis

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Toyota has found their mojo. The new Camry is awesome. The Hybrid version, is too. The Corolla Hatch? Desirable and fun. Even the Avalon is sexy now. Yes, the Avalon. But it’s the SUVs and Crossovers that are make or break for manufacturers. And since the RAV4 pretty much invented the small car-based SUV 22 years ago, it’s been a big hit. In fact, Toyota says the RAV4 is not only the best-selling vehicle in its class, it’s the best-selling non-pickup in the country. That would make a lot of manufacturers cautious, careful and conservative. Don’t rock that money boat! …

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2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 – Road Test Review w/ Performance Drive Video

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Toyota does not shy away from a challenge. In the face of shrinking interest and sales of four-door sedans, Toyota has gone and made the evergreen Camry seriously better.  This new Camry is easily the best ever, and sets a high bar for its cheapie rivals all the way up to cars like the Audi A4. Nobody might have taken a Camry vs A4 battle very seriously until this generation. This is not just hyperbole: we were firmly expecting a lightly re-heated model with updated tech and style for the 2018 redesign. It is only since driving the top Camry …

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2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

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We like cars that shake things up. That take what you thought you knew, and lead you in a whole new direction. One of the biggest surprises this year is Toyota’s venerable family sedan. From the sharp creased lines, to the sharply-creased performance, it’s got a lot of people asking the same question. That’s a Camry? Yep. But first, some housekeeping. The rumor of the family sedan being dead is a bit overstated. Yes, crossovers are big business, but there are a lot of buyers out there who are just as happy with a solid, sensible, four-door sedan. And they …

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2018 Toyota CAMRY – First Drives of LE, XLE and XSE – By Zeid Nasser

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[Parts of this post originally appeared on TheIntelligentDriver.com] Toyota knows how valuable the Camry is. It’s known as one of the most reliable, efficient and safe vehicles on today’s roadways. But times are changing, and many of today’s vehicles ace those hallmark Camry qualities. Toyota wants to keep their customers happy and maintain their sales lead with emotional design, leading tech and an engaging (gasp) driving experience. Did they accomplish it? Well, first some background info. Back in 2006 when I earned my license, I convinced my mother that the newest generation 2007 Camry was the way to go. I …

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Road Test Review – 2017 Toyota Corolla XSE – By Carl Malek

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When we last met the Toyota Corolla back in 2016, we loved its compact size, improved styling, as well as its high value for the money ratio. However, we pulled no punches when it came to its lackluster performance hardware, especially its fussy manual gearbox. With the arrival of the 2017 Corolla, Toyota promises new things for its venerable compact offering. But can the Corolla’s suite of updates help it stand up to a growing wave of compact competition? Or will it still get left in the dust once again? The exterior styling of our XSE grade tester certainly makes a …

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Road Test Review – 2016 Toyota Camry XSE

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2016 Toyota Camry XSE Review By Ken “Hawkeye” Glassman For decades now, The Toyota Camry has been one of the best-selling family sedans in America.  It isn’t because it does everything better than the competition, but rather it does everything well, and has built up a reputation for reliability, quality, and value.  For folks who have a hard time making a decision because they’re fearful of making a bad one, the Camry is always going to be a safe choice and one that won’t foster buyer’s remorse. It’s always easy for journalists to forget that the vast majority of the …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Camry XSE 2.5L – Sportier Handling + Surprising Four-Cylinder Pace

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2015 Toyota Camry XSE 2.5L Review America’s sweetheart is heavily redesigned inside and out for 2015, so you are forgiven for missing a few trim-level additions for this year: an XSE four-cylinder and even an SE Hybrid. What’s the rationale behind Toyota’s move to bring flagship style and handling upgrades to all powertrains? — pretty low take rate for the V6 dramatically limited the previous V6 SE’s possible market share. This also cut the number of people who benefited from its crisper steering, handling and design outside — the new XSE upgrades outside, in the suspension/tire setup and cabin are …

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2015 Toyota Camry Retraces NASCAR Roots with a Drive on Daytona Beach

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No NASCAR crash course would be truly immersive at Daytona without a drive on the original NASCAR track – this pristine stretch of flawless Atlantic beach. First off, an intro. Why would driving on sand at speeds topping 140-mph have ever seemed like a good idea? When you put yourself in the driver’s seat 65 years ago, running high-powered and highly dangerous racecars on Daytona Beach actually seems really reasonable. Daytona Beach has three qualities that make it extremely desirable for high-speed runs: it is smooth, flat and nearly endless. Those same criteria are exactly what the  Bugatti Veyron La …

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2015 Toyota Camry Colors and Trims – Visual Buyers Guide

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  For perhaps the first time ever, there is a huge amount of style variety in the best-selling Toyota Camry lineup. After writing up full XSE and XLE reviews, we realize that a trims and colors guide would be really helpful for many prospective owners. To achieve that, we spend a while on Toyota.com getting eerily familiar with the seven trim designs  — screen-shotting it all along the way! (There are nine price levels, but seven distinct flavors thanks to the V6 option for the XLE and XSE)   Below please find the visual trim comparison, XSE color guide and …

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Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Camry LE and XLE V6 Bring Lexus-Infused Style and Comfort

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INTRO “Is that a Lexus?” This question came from two families passing by the new Camry XLE as we snapped photos on a rare stormy afternoon in Florida the other week.  The next thing they both said? “A Camry? Really?” For 2015, the Camry XLE V6 is almost unrecognizably-stylish and premium. The XLE version here with its dark-grey horizontal bars grille is fresh and very distinct from the SE and XSE cars’ gloss-black nose treatment. So does it just look like a Lexus, or is it a fairly convincing upgrade to Lexus levels of comfort, quality and refinement on the road? …

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HD Road Test Review – 2015 Toyota Camry XSE Is FAST and QUIET!

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  Fast and Quiet? Yep. A variation on Fast ‘n’ Loud is what most sedan shoppers actually prefer in their daily drivers, and the Camry XSE nails these benchmarks better than any other mid-size sedan. INTRO Can you imagine how tough the Camry is on competing cars like the Accord and Fusion? As far as we see it, the Camry gets better and better every year — without one slot in the armor of this best-seller to sneak an arrow through? The only area where the previous Camry let its competition get some ideas was with the overall exterior design, …

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