This may surprise you, but it’s exceedingly rare that I long for a test car that has been returned. But this week, even I was surprised at my disappointment when, of all things, a 2023 Toyota Camry XLE Hybrid left the Savage abode.
You might suspect that I’d save my tears for a Nissan Z, a Genesis GV60 or a new Corvette. Those too can tug at the tear ducts.
Several people even pitied my fortunes for having to test the “dullest” car in America. But, I quickly corrected them. Maybe they were thinking of the Prius.
There are reasons why Toyota’s Camry has been the top-selling sedan in the U.S. market for roughly 20 years. It’s becoming the Ford F-150 of sedans via its longevity atop the market.
Camry is a champ and rocks on so many fronts; I’ll try to be brief in my summary, but there’s a lot to unpack.
Start with looks: something I bet you’d never suspect I’d say. But a couple years back, Toyota chose wisely and revamped their styling. Ever since then, the once bland Camry has turned edgier with a sleek, beautiful nose that makes its Lexus luxury brand competitor look downright gaudy. The headlights are slim and wonderfully blended with the grille and hood. The profile is slim and elegant, and the tail compliments the rest of the car.
Bathe the handsome, sophisticated Camry in Supersonic Red (just $425 extra) and the sedan becomes even more striking.
Love engine choices? Good! For internal combustion (gas) engine lovers, there are two choices, including a powerful V6. But for families on a budget and with even a smidgen of social consciousness, the Camry Hybrid is a rock star.
Camry’s 2.5-liter I4 combined with Toyota’s proven (20+ years) hybrid system nets a 44 mpg rating city and 47 mpg highway from the EPA, yet still delivers 208 horsepower. And get this: in about 80% highway driving, I got a stellar 48.2 mpg. For more than 450 miles of driving, I spent $25. Your weekly commute gas budget just giggled.
“Parental unit, can we stop for frozen custard on the way home from soccer practice?”
“Yes, my children.”
Camry is a mid-size sedan but rides on a 111.2-inch wheelbase to give it an excellent ride, coupled with good, easy, well-controlled handling. Comfort abounds in the car, just not in the form of grandma’s plastic-covered living room dowdy.
The power from the hybrid system that gets its electric charge from regenerative braking is quickly delivered, but acceleration is smooth, mild and steady. An electronically adjusted CVT (continuously variable transmission) is partially responsible for that and for the excellent miles per gallon.
There’s a Sport mode on the console to kick up the acceleration and is handy for highway entry. Still, this will not resemble a sport sedan’s quickness. Normal and Eco mode also are available. Normal is what you’ll stick with about 90% of the time.
Interior comfort is guaranteed with the XLE being Camry’s luxury-leaning trim level that provides eight-way power leather seats with the front ones being heated. Seats are mildly contoured, so its pleasant on a long drive and there is plenty of room in back for three adults. XLE also upgrades the standard eight-inch info screen to a nine-inch one.
But it’s the design of the touchscreen that impresses beyond its size. Instead of a silly knob on the console or a mix of onscreen and dash buttons, there are eight key buttons around the screen (four to a side) clearly labeled “Home, Menu, Audio, Map, Seek, Track, Phone and Apps." Wisely, there also are volume and tuning knobs.
All this makes the info screen and JBL sound system (standard on XLE) a breeze to engage while driving. Take that you tech-for-tech’s-sake luxury brands.
Another plus — Camry’s interior is sharp looking in addition to being functional.
This bright red car’s leather was a cream color and the seats perforated for better airflow from its heated and cooled seats. Heat is standard while the cooling is part of a $1,430 package that includes a 10-inch color HUD, panoramic view monitor and front/rear parking assist with automatic braking.
The dash and door tops are black to create a two-tone interior — standard these days among the sharper vehicles. Trim is a graphite gray around the air vents and other dash trim accompanies the armrest trim by the power window controls and the console’s top. There is a bit of gloss black trim on the stack, but not enough to create reflection issues.
Overhead is a sunroof ($860 extra) and for a modest $150, the leather-wrapped steering wheel is heated — a Wisconsin necessity.
Standard features include a wireless phone charger under the center stack, smart cruise control and a bevy of other safety equipment, all part of Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.5. That includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, a lane departure system with steering assist, automatic high beams, lane tracing assist and road side assist.
Toyota also allows a driver to override the lane departure system, so if you’re in a congested and construction-heavy city or highway driving situation, you can punch a button and not have the system beeping or trying to keep you centered in your lane. Bravo. Having this choice often is a safety concern these days.
Assuming you have five adults on board, which again is very possible in this car compared to other similar models, there’s plenty of trunk space for luggage. At 15.1 cubic feet, the deep trunk will hold luggage for the entire crew, even several sets of golf clubs.
The only thing I missed, the only negative here, is large map pockets in the doors. These were tiny and difficult to get at.
Pricing is amazing — a bargain throughout the lineup and should push more dollar-conscious buyers toward a sedan and away from mid-size crossovers and gas gulping SUVs.
The base Camry Hybrid, the LE, starts at $29,105 including delivery. There are five trim levels with the XLE being mid-level luxury at $34,065 including delivery. The sportier XSE is just about $500 more. The SE and SE Nightshade (featuring blacks and dark blues) also are available in the hybrid model.
Adding 11 options pushed the test car to $40,232, still an average new car price, so certainly one could be had mid-$30,000 range. No AWD feature is available, same as its main competitor, Honda’s Accord.
Gas-powered Camrys are available in that same price range, topping out with the TRD model featuring the 308-horse V6.
But for families on a budget, yet not wanting to look like it, the Camry Hybrid in any form is a bargain to buy and operate, but with a luxury look, feel and all the digital goodies one actually needs.
Camry remains king of the sedans.
FAST STATS: 2023 Toyota Camry XLE Hybrid
Hits: Sharp styling, great mpg, excellent ride, good handling, decent power in comfy family sedan. Good rear seat and trunk room, sunroof, heated steering wheel, heated/cooled front seats, super info screen and buttons, wireless charger, smart cruise control and on/off lane departure, plus 3 drive modes, JBL sound system, comfy power seats. Bargain pricing!
Misses: Small door map pockets
Made in: Georgetown, Ky.
Engine: 2.5-liter I4 hybrid, 208 hp/163 torque
Transmission: ECVT automatic
Weight: 3,565 lbs.
Wheelbase: 111.2 in.
Length: 192.1 in.
Cargo: 15.1 cu.ft.
MPG: 44/47
MPG: 48.2 (tested)
Base Price: $34,065 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $31,358
Major Options:
Driver assist pkg. (10-inch color HUD, panoramic view monitor, front/rear parking assist w/auto braking, multi-stage cooled front seats), $1,430
Heated steering wheel, $150
Adaptive headlights, $615
Nav pkg. (premium audio, 9-inch touchscreen w/nav, 9 JBL speaker w/subwoofer & amplifier, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay compatible, satellite radio for 3 months), $1,760
Power sunroof, $860
Supersonic Red paint, $425
Trunk LED bulb, $25
Mud guards, $129
Illuminated door sills, $345
Door edge guards, $129
Carpet floor mats/cargo mat, $299
Test vehicle: $40,232
Sources: Toyota, www.kbb.com
