1 year ago

Overview
The Camry is a mainstay of the midsize sedan segment, which has been losing both entries and sales in recent years as the world has embraced SUVs. Nevertheless, while the market has changed the Camry has continued to top the sales charts as the number-one selling passenger cars, a spot it’s held for the past twenty years. It has a well-earned reputation reliability, and it offers a hybridized version that returns exceptional fuel economy. The current generation of the Camry borders on stylish, especially when optioned with the Nightshade package—which adds bronze wheels for 2023—or the sporty-looking TRD trim. And while many of the Camry’s rivals, such as the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata, have moved to four-cylinder lineups, Toyota’s midsize sedan can still be had with an optional 301-hp V-6. While it’s far from an exciting car to drive, its safety features, economical engines, and spacious interior make it a competent and easy-to-live with daily driver.

What's New for 2023?
For 2023, the SE trim’s optional Nightshade package adds black headlight and taillight trim to match the black front grille, rear spoiler, mirror caps, and badges. The Nightshade also gains matte bronze 19-inch wheels that, surprisingly, don’t look out of place on it. You can add the package to Midnight Black, White, or Reservoir Blue—a new color. The rest of the Camry lineup gets more driver-assistance technology, including automatic high beams and a forward-facing camera that can read certain road signs and show them on the digital display.

Pricing and Which One to Buy
LE $27,040
SE $28,580
LE Hybrid $29,175
SE Nightshade $29,580
SE Hybrid $30,710
Hybrid SE Nightshade $31,710
XLE $31,790
XSE $32,340
XLE Hybrid $34,065
TRD $34,105
XSE Hybrid $34,615
XLE V6 $36,915
XSE V6 $37,465
We'd select the XLE Hybrid, because we think it is the trim that best reflects what the Camry is best at: being an easy-going family sedan with almost-Lexus accommodations. Driven gently, it delivers excellent fuel economy. It rides well, steers accurately, and its standard leather interior is handsome, roomy, and well-equipped.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The standard four-cylinder engine pairs with a silky eight-speed automatic, but its acceleration numbers are disappointing. A less powerful version of that engine works with a battery and two electric motors to power the Camry hybrid, which is no more exciting to drive than the base powertrain. The real gem of this lineup is the velvety 301-hp V-6 that's available on the XLE and XSE models as well as the TRD variant. We're also happy to say that we no longer hate driving the Camry. It has a controlled ride and surprisingly responsive handling. The steering is pleasantly weighted and feels substantial when cornering and light when maneuvering in parking lots. We found the Camry's brake pedal responsive and not too soft, even in the hybrid, in which it must meld friction with regenerative braking (where the energy from braking is used to recharge the hybrid's battery pack).

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The whole Camry lineup performed extremely well in the EPA's tests, and a four-cylinder model did brilliantly in our real-world highway testing. The most efficient nonhybrid Camry models are the LE and SE with the four-cylinder engine, which earned EPA estimates of 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway; the base LE hybrid earned ratings of 51 mpg city and 53 mpg highway. The hybrid's upper trims sacrifice some efficiency at the altar of luxury, however, and models powered by the V-6 earned ratings of 22 mpg city and up to 33 mpg highway. A four-cylinder Camry SE returned 45 mpg in our highway test, beating its own EPA rating by 6 mpg—and making it the most economical nonhybrid car we've ever tested. It even beat the Camry XLE hybrid we tested by 1 mpg. For more information about the Camry's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

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