When Toyota redesigned the Camry sedan for 2025, the automaker took on a challenge that has vexed companies from Coca-Cola to Facebook: How do you update a broadly beloved product? If you don’t keep up with the times, you’ll get eclipsed by more innovative competitors. But if you change too much, you’ll alienate existing customers.
One of the changes Toyota made to the Camry is a pretty big deal. Like some other recently-redesigned Toyotas, the Camry is now available only as a four-cylinder hybrid. In most ways, though, that’s a really good thing. The SE model we tested achieved an impressive 48 mpg overall. The new car still possesses the same qualities that have made the Camry the best-selling sedan in the U.S. for over two decades, with a pleasing balance of ride comfort and capable handling, practical interior space, and user-friendly controls.
Plus, this latest powertrain is so seamless in its operation that we doubt most owners will notice they’re driving a hybrid—unless they track how much they spend on gas. We’re also happy that blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning are finally standard on the Camry. All-wheel drive is now available on all trims, too.
“This new-gen Camry is going to continue to rule them all,” said one of our testers. “It’s a comfortable, economical, and even pretty fun-to-drive sedan. I’m happy to see Toyota putting their greatest efforts into one of the best-selling cars of all time.”
If you’re in the market for a fuel-efficient midsized sedan that does just about everything well—and is likely to last for years down the road—it’s hard to find a better choice than the Toyota Camry.
We bought a Toyota Camry SE with front-wheel drive for $33,678—anonymously from an area dealer, as we do with every vehicle we test—for the purpose of this road test review.
Toyota’s latest hybrid generation relies on a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and an electric drive that together provides decent performance and achieved an excellent 48 mpg overall in our testing. Oomph is aided by an increase in total system output from 208 to 225 horsepower, and handoffs between gasoline and electric drivetrains have been further refined.
The initial shove from the electric motor makes takeoffs smooth, and if you’re gentle enough with the accelerator pedal the Camry can get to about 25 mph without waking up the gas engine. However, hard acceleration, such as merging onto a highway or climbing a steep hill, will cause the engine to rev unpleasantly high, where it gets quite loud and a bit unruly, and also send minor vibrations through the steering wheel. This is in part due to the Camry’s electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT), which doesn’t perform any simulated upshifts in an effort to help keep engine revs under control. Instead, it allows the revs to rise and fall in a “rubberbanding” sensation that is endemic of many CVTs.
Even though the Camry now comes only as a hybrid, that doesn’t mean it’s slow. It posted a 7.7-second run from 0 to 60 mph, which is competitive among midsized sedans. All-wheel drive is optional; expect it to slightly compromise both acceleration and fuel economy.
We were impressed with the second-tier SE trim’s sharp, tied-down handling. The steering delivers decent feedback to the driver about front-tire grip, instilling a sense of confidence and precision. Body lean is nicely controlled through turns, thanks to the taut suspension. When pushed to its limits on our track, it proved secure and forgiving thanks to commendable grip.
The SE’s suspension (and the XSE model as well) errs more on the firm than plush side, and as such some harder hits punch through on bumpy roads. Most of the time, though, the Camry feels smooth, comfortable, and controlled. LE and XLE versions have softer suspension settings that result in a slightly more absorbent ride.
We found that the Camry’s brakes have a confidence-inspiring feel, without the regenerative-braking oddities or low-speed touchiness that plague some hybrids. Instead, they have a linear action that makes it easy to come to a smooth stop without having to adjust your pedal pressure. Panic-brake stopping distances proved competitive on our dry surface, but stops in the wet were on the long side.
The cabin is fairly quiet overall, beyond the excessive noise from the gas engine during harder acceleration. The top XLE and XSE trims benefit from acoustic glass for the front side windows, and we noticed improved noise isolation with an XLE model that we rented from Toyota for evaluation purposes.
The Camry’s interior design isn’t flashy or overly impressive in terms of material and build quality, but it seems sturdy and in most ways it feels up to the car’s price level. We appreciate the rather unique soft fabric material on the front doors and the dashboard ahead of the front passenger. The seats also benefit from contrasting stitching and two-tone colors that give them a slightly sporty look.
In terms of comfort, the front seats worked well for most of our drivers during short stints, and the ample side bolsters help hold you in place through corners. But the bottom cushion feels thin and support wanes on longer drives. The driver benefits from good headroom and well-placed armrests, but those with longer legs noted that their knees rubbed against both the center console and the door.
The rear seat is pretty comfortable. It benefits from some contouring that lends support, there’s good foot space under the front seats, and the seatback isn’t overly upright. Although it’s competitive space-wise among midsized sedans, headroom is tighter than in the Honda Accord. Trunk space also isn’t as generous as in the voluminous Accord. As with most sedans, the Camry’s low stance makes it a bit difficult to get in and out compared to an SUV.
We like most aspects of the Camry’s controls: There’s a knob for audio volume, physical climate control switches that the driver can use while wearing gloves, and a conventional gear selector. The climate controls aren’t quite as clear overall as the Honda Accord’s superb setup, but they’re darn close.
The infotainment touchscreen is mostly easy to use, although it can be tedious to jump between menus because there isn’t a “home” screen like with many systems. We also found it confusing to wade through the menus within the driver’s instrument screen, made worse because the driver assistance menu is full of puzzling acronyms. On the bright side, all Camrys come standard with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with wireless phone charging.
Active safety & driver assistance
Standard active safety and driver assistance features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcycle detection, along with automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, lane centering assistance, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Rear occupant alert and rear belt-minder systems also come standard.
The Camry also comes with “Proactive driving assist,” a system found on several other Toyota and Lexus vehicles that provides light steering to help react to other vehicles and pedestrians, and will slow the vehicle down if it detects that you’re getting too close to the car ahead of you.