Driven: 2025 Toyota Camry Is A Good Car That Keeps Getting Better

The 2025 Toyota Camry marks the ninth generation of this family sedan. Larger than the Corolla and Prius, there are big changes to this midsize sedan this year. These include the disappearance of the V6 engine. It’s replaced by a choice of two four-cylinder hybrid powertrains with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, making this a good option for those who live where winter weather includes snow and ice.

This new generation of the Camry includes an updated exterior that keeps it looking fresh and modern. Particularly in the XSE, it has a sporty, aggressive design that gives it plenty of curb appeal. Inside, there are upgraded materials and colors that help shed the notion that the Camry is a ho-hum option for people who don’t really care about the car they drive.

Tech gets attention with a digital instrument cluster, available head-up display, and an infotainment touchscreen as large as 12.3-inches depending on the trim. This is a thorough redesign that, while not a dramatic departure from the prior generation, gives the Camry updates that are sure to help this reliable sedan maintain its title of best-selling sedan in the country.

Exterior: Sports Sedan Vibes

The Camry is not a sports sedan, but it does look like one. The new front fascia with slim LED headlights makes it look sleek and aggressive; it’s attractive and eye-catching without being overdone and busy. The SE and XSE grades are the sportiest of the lot with aerodynamic ducts, front-side canards, and a rear diffuser. There’s even a dual-tip exhaust and rear lip spoiler.

New colors include Ocean Gem and Heavy Metal alongside brighter options such as Supersonic Red and Reservoir Blue. If you want your Camry to attract attention, then you can surely pick a trim and color combination that will have your friends asking about your new ride.

While it looks sporty, we appreciate that Toyota’s designers didn’t get carried away. This is not a performance car, so an excess of features that promise that would be disingenuous. The Camry looks like what it is, setting the right expectations for what drivers will experience behind the wheel.

Interior: Open, Airy, And Eye-Catching

To make everything look straight from the future, interior designers often go with a minimalist design aesthetic. While this can look good, it can also look a little boring: Muted colors and fabrics might be relaxing, but they don’t really make an impression when you open the door.

The Camry goes in another direction with modern features combined with plenty of color and a variety of materials that look fantastic. This isn’t a car that’s known for having an especially fabulous interior, but the XSE we drove looked great. Especially adorned in the Cockpit Red of our test car, it’s a striking interior that has a more premium feel. The front seats are supportive with plenty of adjustability to get comfortable. They’re also more heavily bolstered, which might make them snug for those with a larger frame. The upside is how well they hold you in place, providing plenty of support for longer drives to make them less tiring.

* 37.5 inches with moonroof

The rear seats have room for three with good headroom and legroom. Tall adults won’t have a problem getting comfortable. Despite being roomy, the rear seats are best for two, but this is pretty much the case for all sedans. It’s fine to pack in your friends for short trips, but on a longer drive, find the guy with an SUV and take his ride instead.

As for cargo, this is a sedan, so large cargo needs are better met by a larger vehicle. Still, there’s 15.1 cubic feet of room in the trunk with a wide opening that allows for bulkier items. The rear seats also split-fold 60/40 to allow for longer items if you don’t need the room for passengers.

Technology: Bigger Is Better

Small screens, whether for the instrument cluster or infotainment, are terribly dated. They increasingly make cars feel cheap, too, so Toyota has upped its game to ensure the Camry doesn’t have that problem. An eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with six-speaker audio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, five USB ports, and Qi wireless charging along with a seven-inch digital instrument cluster are standard features. Top trims get a12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Options include a 10-inch color head-up display and 9-speaker JBL audio. It’s a fully featured system in every trim with available options to make it more premium.

The system is easy to use with a responsive touchscreen and a voice-activated system that activates simply by saying, “Hey, Toyota.” Voice control can be iffy in a lot of vehicles, but it’s quite good in the Camry. It easily hears both the driver and front passenger and generally gets it right on the first try.

Performance: A Tale Of Two Hybrids

There is no pure gas engine option on the Camry this year as the V6 was removed from the lineup. Instead, there are two hybrid powertrains. Front-wheel drive trims get a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors for 225 horsepower while all-wheel drive trims get a boost to 232 hp thanks to an additional electric motor on the rear axle. Both are paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

The Camry has plenty of get up and go, but it’s not as responsive as the old V6. While that’s a bit sad for those who like the added performance, you’ll get your smile back when you take a look at the Camry’s impressive fuel economy.

Fuel Efficiency: A Wide Swing Between Trims

There’s no trim of the Camry that gets bad fuel economy. This is a hybrid after all, and saving money on gas is a large part of its appeal. Still, the combination of various trims and multiple powertrains gives a wide range from the best to the worst.

The base LE with front-wheel drive is the fuel economy winner with 53/50/51 mpg city/highway/combined. That’s a fabulous figure that makes it the trim to pick if fuel economy is your priority. On the flip side, the XSE with all-wheel drive drops to 44/43/44 mpg city/highway/combined. Choose your trim carefully.

Drive Impressions: A Hybrid You’ll Want To Drive

We will admit that the first car on the list for most driving enthusiasts is not a hybrid. It’s probably some sporty, high-horsepower vehicle that comes with a price tag that may or may not require selling a kidney. Good news! The Camry will let you keep your internal organs, and it’s wonderful to drive.

Sure, the V6 was fun, and it’s gone, but the hybrid four-cylinder that’s now standard is more than up to the task of getting the Camry up to speed. It has no problem responding under hard acceleration with power sitting in reserve for passing the annoying slow guy on the highway.

It’s not, however, just about the engine. Handling is great with a minimal amount of roll. Even quick highway lane changes and twisting back roads are easy and fun in the Camry. It also has excellent braking that keeps you confidently in control. The ride itself is smooth with a minimal amount of road and wind noise. The plush seats make it easy to relax without being so soft that longer rides prove uncomfortable. Whether you’re driving the Camry or simply along for the ride, it’s a fantastic sedan.

Pricing and Verdict: The Camry Is Better Than Ever

This year’s Camry makes lots of incremental improvements that collectively make it a much better sedan. The exterior design offers a nice combination of style and sportiness with a range of colors that lets you choose just how much attention you want to attract.

The interior has been upgraded to make it more comfortable and, like the exterior, more eye-catching. The quality of the materials, the colors, and the open layout all make this a more appealing sedan. It also delivers a smooth, quiet ride with room for the whole family.

It has improved driving dynamics, especially in the SE and XSE with their sports-tuned shocks and suspension. This is not a sports sedan, but it’s also not dull. It’s a fun sedan to drive, especially on winding country roads. It rounds out that drive with great fuel economy that makes it more affordable over the long term.

*excluding $1,135 destination

Pricing ranges from $28,400 for the base LE with front-wheel drive up to $36,125 for the XSE with all-wheel drive. Even at its most well-equipped, the Camry keeps pricing under $40K. The 2025 Toyota Camry proves that it’s the best-selling sedan in the country for good reason.