Tune into any NASCAR victory lane celebration, and you might hear something like, “My Toyota Camry was as fast as Xfinity Wifi and slicker than a tub of Bojangles’ chicken.”
Save for NASCAR, the words “Camry” and “fast” are seldom used in the same sentence. Of course, those stock cars are just wearing sedan-shaped composite bodies with headlight stickers. Production Camrys don’t typically earn that kind of praise for their speed.
So you’d imagine our surprise when we road-tested the 2025 Camry and found a little more zip than we expected in the four-door appliance. This was a conundrum because Toyota just axed the relatively sporty V-6 from the lineup. The little four didn’t provide outright, blazing speed, mind you; it’s as if Toyota flicked a couple extra drops of hot sauce on the typically bland four-cylinder powertrain you find in rental and fleet Camrys.
To be specific, we were behind the wheel of a hybrid 2025 Camry XLE AWD wearing a coat of Ocean Gem turquoise. My colleague Eric Weiner and I road tripped in the sedan from Ann Arbor to Hagerty’s corporate headquarters in Traverse City—a 500-mile journey there and back.
The ninth-generation Camry was unveiled in 2023, with 2025 as its first model year. In addition to the new exterior design, Toyota broomed away the V-6 engine option in favor of a hybrid-only lineup with only two powertrain options: front- or all-wheel drive.
Its internal combustion heart is an Atkinson cycle (i.e., shortened intake stroke combined with a full-length expansion stroke) 2.5-liter four-cylinder. That combines with two electric motors—one traction and one on the electronic variable transmission—to provide a total output of 225 hp in the front-wheel-drive Camry. The first of its kind hybrid all-wheel-drive Camry shoves the total output to 232 horsepower thanks to an additional rear-axle motor.
“It’s nowhere near the muscle of the dearly departed V-6 model, but there is more than enough giddy-up here to keep up with traffic without stressing the powertrain,” says Weiner. “The four-cylinder groans in protest no more, as it still does in the Prius, when your foot demands a burst of acceleration.”
Fuel mileage is a touch lower than that of previous Toyota four-pots, but given the gain in performance, 46 mpg in the city and highway is just fine.
In addition to the revised powertrain, Toyota continues to improve on the vanilla exterior that plagued the model for so long. Body lines on the front are rear facia are sharper, and the entire nose assertively pokes forward compared to the eighth generation’s. The XLE looks rather dashing with 18-inch black and machine-finished wheels, a dark metallic grille, and chrome window trim.
Unlike the Sonata or the K5, this sedan maximizes the use of paint. Outside of the grille, there’s minimal use of black or plastic, which is an especially good thing with this new color. Colleagues, drive-thru window cashiers, and passersby commented on it. Is it blue? Is it green? Yes, and the color changes as you walk around the car. Even from photo to photo, I had a difficult time trying to match the color.
The jewel-like color pairs well with the gray interior. Wraparound argyle dash padding and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen (up from the standard eight-inch) elevate the experience. Weiner adds: “The sweep of the dashboard to the passenger side, the textured fabric on the door cards, the flowing horizontal lines that blend into the HVAC vents—it’s impressive how far the Camry has come.”
The center console could use a little more loving in the XLE trim level, as the tones of black plastic and rubber boot may incite rental car PTSD. But, c’mon, we’re splitting hairs; everything functions just as it should. If this Camry were any more capable, I might try to sew together a couple pairs of JNCO jeans large enough to carry it around instead of my iPhone.
Other good things: Physical HVAC control buttons, three USB ports on the center console alone (including one USB-A!), and a slick 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The nine-speaker JBL system—which is part of the $4760 Premium Plus Package—flat-out cranks throughout the range. Standard sound systems in base-level sedans typically sound worse than a Bluetooth beach speaker, so I’d give the stereo upgrade serious consideration.
Indeed, you can quickly blow the value prospect out of the water with a top-of-the-line Camry like the one we tested, which had an MSRP of $42,232 (including delivery fee). The $28,700 starting price for base models is compelling for a vehicle of its size that averages 46 mpg and looks fresher than most of its direct competitors.
In fact, the carryover of hybrid performance and updated exterior design might be worthy weapons in the battle for sedan supremacy over the Honda Accord. “To me, it’s a superior car to the Accord, even if the steering and handling aren’t quite as sharp. The interior has a level of warmth and consideration that goes beyond the sober competency in the Honda,” shared Weiner.
Regardless of what Weiner and I think, there’s another vehicle drawing what used to be the traditional Camry buyer, and the call is coming from inside the house. The Toyota RAV4 is Toyota’s breadwinner, outselling the Camry in recent years. That makes sense—the RAV4 is basically just an SUV version of the Camry. It’s capable, comes in cool colors (see Army Green), and the newly revealed sixth-generation model is hybrid-only, powered by the same 2.5-liter hybrid system as the Camry. The big difference is that the RAV4 is not racing on Sunday. How long before we hear, “My RAV4 was fast today?”
Highs: Hybrid power injects more zest into four-cylinder lineup; ninth-gen exterior is handsome, especially in Ocean Gem; interior feels upscale
Lows: No V-6 option, higher trim levels might blow the value proposition, doesn’t have the ground clearance or storage space of a RAV4
Takeaway: If you’re sedan shopping, the all-new, hybrid-only Camry should be on your list of test drives.
Zzzzzzzzz
I travel for work and my wife needs a bulletproof vehicle so I don’t have to worry while away.
Also, my car is a 21 year old Boxster, sooooo.
My local dealer took a 2018 V6 XLE in from a little old lady, seriously, and I bought it for my wife.
That 2018 V6 Camry makes 301hp. My old Boxster makes 264hp.
She’s not a sports sedan, but if you hit the “Sport” button on the console and fill her up with 93 octane, at least it’s not a bad interstate car when we have to drive to the airport. She WILL scoot.
Not a Boxster, but a perfect wife daily driver.
