TRD stands for Toyota Racing Development and is the in-house tuning arm for Toyota and Lexus vehicles. TRD is often applied to specialty trims of Toyota vehicles, but what makes them different? TRD trims for trucks and SUVs are designed with more off-road ability. TRD trims as applied to cars like the Camry, are sportier.
How the Toyota Camry Got Sporty
If you don’t generally think of the Camry as sporty, we can’t blame you. The last attempt Toyota made at a sporty Camry was when it was offered with a dealer-installed supercharger for the V6 model. This was indeed designed by TRD, but it’s not the same as a bonafide TRD trim. The Camry TRD’s performance mods are less about power and more about, well, performance. Specifically, how the Camry handles is a lot different with the TRD trim.
It has a lower ride height, stiffer stabilizer bars, larger front brakes, lighter wheels, and performance tires meant for warm weather or warm climate driving. The power is still there with a 3.5-liter V6 making 301 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers will get it from zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds.
Driver-Focused
The goal of the Toyota Camry TRD is a driver-focused car that makes driving fun and smooth. Stiffer springs and larger anti-roll bars increase body-roll resistance to 44 percent in front and 67 percent in the rear. This makes cornering smooth and easy. Adding to that is the previously-mentioned lighter wheels. But these wheels aren’t just lighter, they’re also half an inch wider.
Does all this extra stability and balance make the Toyota Camry sportier? Absolutely. It’s not just power that lends a sporty feel to a vehicle, but a feeling of sharp control and balance that makes it feel like you can ask it to do anything and it will. The summer tires also help with this–biting into corners with aplomb vs. the regular model’s all-season tires that feel a bit mushy on the curves. The TRD Camry’s throaty cat-back exhaust also lends to its sporty feel and sound.
Should You Buy a Camry TRD?
The answer to this question depends a lot on the type of driving you do. If you’re stuck in traffic a lot driving in the city under 40 MPH, the answer is probably no. The Camry TRD’s ability will be wasted in this type of driving. However, if your commute involves long stretches of road where the speed limit is over 40 MPH, or you’re looking for a fun and smooth road tripper, then the Camry TRD may fit the bill quite nicely.
The good news about the Camry TRD vs. a sports car is that you’re still getting that family sedan room and pretty good gas mileage at 31 MPG on the highway. If you need fun, sporty, and practical, then the Camry TRD might be the answer.
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