2025 Toyota Camry hybrid blends into the background

Toyota simply doubled down on hybrids, once more.

Because the automaker marches in the direction of electrifying its total lineup, the up to date 2025 Camry mannequin line going hybrid tells the story of Toyota’s present technique: potent (sufficient), sensible, environment friendly, and cost-conscious.

After spending a quick period of time behind the wheel of a base LE mannequin and sportier XSE trim, it’s clear the Camry most likely isn’t in peril of shedding its place as the perfect promoting automobile within the U.S. anytime quickly. That is regardless of the actual fact the Koreans, each Hyundai and Kia, have simply refreshed their midsize choices, the Sonata and K5. 

Right here’s what I famous, and what we sit up for additional testing in the true world with extra time behind the wheel.

2025 Toyota Camry delivers clean strikes 

The V-6 is lifeless. The Camry was the holdout, and it’s not standing on that hill.

Each 2025 Camry has a 2.5-liter inline-4 rated at 184 hp. The gasoline engine pairs with Toyota’s fifth-gen model of the planetary-gear-configured hybrid system dubbed THS 5. It employs two electrical motors and nets 225 hp despatched to the entrance wheels. Toyota provides a 3rd motor mounted on the rear axle for all-wheel drive and it may be optioned on each single trim for $1,525. All-wheel-drive fashions enhance internet system output to 232 hp. 

Each the extra comfort-oriented LE mannequin and sportier XSE mannequin pushed delivered related energy, with among the greatest electrical energy handoffs within the enterprise. Toyota nailed the mixing of the 2 energy sources. The Camry by no means induced judders, jerkiness, and even disturbances of any type to occupants. Whereas down on energy in comparison with the outgoing V-6 mannequin, the hybrid’s electrical motor makes its torque instantly off the road giving the Camry sufficient to scoot away from a cease signal.

On the freeway the hybrid powertrain doesn’t appear to expire of concepts when it comes time to move one other automobile going 70 mph, however that is no Lucid Air Sapphire both. Don’t plan on racing something apart from a Corolla for pink slips.

The steering is properly weighted and the Camry tracked easily down the California freeway. I used to be shocked, and delighted, because the expectation of overboosted gentle steering merely wasn’t met. Suggestions from the steering is a stretch—this can be a Camry in spite of everything, not a Supra—but it surely didn’t really feel fully indifferent from the street.

 The bottom LE’s softer suspension and 16-inch alloy wheels supplied a snug, bordering on plush trip that was managed. The XSE with its sportier tuning and 19-inch wheels rode noticeably firmer with extra street seams and bumps transmitted into the cabin, however even the sportier trims are compliant and comfy at velocity. I’ll need to see how the sportier XSEs trip on damaged Midwest pavement.

2025 Toyota Camry theoretically sips gasoline

Toyota mentioned in its most effective type, which is a front-wheel-drive LE trim, the Camry is anticipated to have gasoline financial system rankings of 53 mpg metropolis, 50 freeway, 51 mixed.  

The least environment friendly Camry trim would be the XSE mannequin with all-wheel drive carrying gasoline financial system rankings of 44/43/44 mpg. Nonetheless environment friendly.

 In our pre-production automobile that had a mere few hundred miles on it (that means the engine and seals weren’t even damaged in but) the journey pc indicated a mean of 35.3 mpg. The drive route included blended driving that wasn’t steady-state speeds with a lot of elevation change over the course of practically 50 miles. I sit up for testing a manufacturing automobile that’s been damaged in to see what sort of gasoline financial system it achieves in actuality.

2025 Toyota Camry appears the identical, however completely different

It’ll take an actual Camry fanatic, if such a factor exists, to identify the up to date 2025 mannequin. Toyota says it’s new, but it surely’s not. This automobile rides on the identical chassis with the identical 111.2-inch wheelbase as earlier than. The hardpoints for the physique didn’t transfer both. The general size has elevated by about 1.4 inches, however that’s because of the new bumper designs. The busy X-wing fighter entrance finish is gone. It’s given strategy to an easier, calmer look with a large decrease grille with completely different inserts for varied trims. Out again the wraparound LED taillights may very well be on any automobile and the roofline wouldn’t be misplaced on a Honda Accords or Hyundai Sonata. 

Contained in the story continues with a calmer inside. The dashboard nonetheless options an asymmetrical design, and there are actual buttons and knobs for the local weather management and audio system. Thanks, Toyota.

Base vehicles include a 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster and eight.0-inch touchscreen, however higher trim fashions function twin 12.3-inch screens. The touchscreens function the identical interface whatever the dimension, and it poses minor points for each. The smaller 8.0-inch display screen doesn’t truly really feel like an 8.0-inch display screen as a result of Toyota’s interface makes use of the left aspect to lock tender buttons on the left rail, which in flip shrinks usable display screen actual property. The 12.3-inch touchscreen is an excessive amount of of 1 factor as a result of it doesn’t function split-screen functionality. Hope you want a number of Apple CarPlay or a large map. Sure, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are commonplace.

Base vehicles function comfy fabric seats, which could be the perfect within the lineup. However the passenger aspect doesn’t have adjustable lumbar help till you step into larger LE and XLE trims. The rear seat has loads of knee, foot, and legroom, however headroom’s tight. These checking in at 6 ft and taller are going to seek out out what the headliner looks like. The door cutouts aren’t Uber-worthy. The rear seat could be extra comfy than the Accord’s on account of unbiased headrests that aren’t built-in into the seat again, however there’s much less legroom, the door opening’s smaller, and it’s more durable to get out and in of. Although, I felt like I wasn’t sitting as low within the rear seat of the Camry as I do within the Accord.

Each LE and XLE Camry options some form of fabric trim on the dashboard and door panels, decrease trim vehicles function one thing extra akin to linen whereas higher trim fashions function one thing that looks like suede trimming the dashboard and doorways. The sportier XSE mannequin I drove ditched the fabric trim on the doorways and dashboard in favor of pink artificial leather-based trim. It was brilliant. Higher trim fashions function tender door uppers, however exhausting plastic on the rear doorways. Base vehicles keep on with the exhausting plastic throughout. Each Camry, sadly, options shiny piano black trim on the dashboard surrounding the touchscreen that then bleeds in the direction of the passenger door. The plastic is wavy and appears low cost, particularly within the solar. A minimum of it’s not on the middle console the place it will get scratched.

2025 Toyota Camry checks the worth field 

The bottom 2025 Camry LE with front-wheel drive prices $29,495 together with a $1,095 vacation spot cost. That flies about $16,000 lower than the typical new automobile transaction worth. It’s an outright deal. Including all-wheel drive solely tacks on one other $1,525 for sure-footed driving in foul climate circumstances. A full-tilt sporty XSE with all-wheel drive will value $37,220.  

Apples to apples, the Camry undercuts the newest Hyundai Sonata by $2,455 whereas having extra horsepower and higher gasoline financial system underneath some assessments.  

It’s not thrilling; it’s not enjoyable to drive; however the 2025 Camry lineup, which is all hybrid, now presents comfy, inoffensive transportation that sips gasoline. And you will get it with all-wheel drive in addition. It appears at first blush that if purchasing for worth and effectivity the Camry simply leapfrogged to the entrance of the phase.

 

Toyota paid for journey prices in order that we may carry you this take a look at drive evaluate.