Toyota Camry Overview

There's a lot to like about the sublimely smooth new Toyota Camry. Just 15 minutes behind the wheel and you'll understand why it's a best-seller, and why it actually soared to the top of the national sales charts in June 1994. Clearly one of the best midsize family sedans under $25,000, it shares much of the look and feel of its kissing cousin, the Lexus ES 300, but sells for thousands less.

Compared with its chief competitors, the Ford Taurus and Honda Accord, the Camry is a little more expensive, but many dealers are offering buyer-friendly lease packages to make it easier to get past the relatively high suggested retail prices.

And if you're a member of the "buy American" camp, you might be surprised to learn that Toyota Motor Manufacturing in George-town, Kentucky, is the sole worldwide builder of the new Camry wagon and coupe, and that it manufactures almost three-quarters of all the Camrys sold in the United States.

Like Honda, Toyota is rapidly becoming a major exporter of U.S.-built automobiles.