Currently have this 2025 Camry as a rental, I normally wouldn't bother with a post about a Camry but this is a heavily updated version of the previous generation new for 2025 and now has an all hybrid powertrain offering. I like the looks of it, and it probably has one of the best looking front ends to come out of Toyota in a long time. I liked the color and the look of the black wheels.
The good - Being a hybrid, fuel economy is exceptional. I didn't do any official calculations, but it hasn't seemed to use much gas. Power is adequate for a mundane sedan, it rides well and I liked the steering feel. The seats were also firm and comfortable. Wireless Android Auto and Car Play were onboard and worked just fine. The car is also easy to drive, I felt confident plowing it through tight openings in city traffic feeling like I had a good idea of where all four corners of the car were. Also liked the climate control setup.
The bad - I couldn't find a comfortable seating position. If I raised the seat up, the tilt steering wheel didn't have enough up and down travel (it only moved 2") to get the steering wheel out of my lap so I felt like I was sitting on the floor with my legs extended straight out. For a midsize, it felt a bit cramped inside and for the front passenger, the dash has an odd protrusion that really cuts into knee room. The powertrain makes a ton of odd noises and vibrations as it switches from EV to gas and regen. There are two red lights in the instrument cluster LCD that indicate when the brake lights are on, and they were constantly switching on anytime the car went into regen, so if you see someone in a new Camry they probably aren't riding the brake, it's the car doing it. All the engine did was shutdown and restart your entire drive. The infotainment screen has nice resolution but is way too small for a newly redesigned car. There was also no handsfree way to unlock the car, so you had to fish the fob out of your pocket - it also had terrible range you had to be within 10' of the car for it to work.
Bottom line - It's not a car for anyone that enjoys driving and I can't wait to give it back, it's a soulless appliance. I find it funny they offer this sporty SE trim which is anything but sporty.
The good - Being a hybrid, fuel economy is exceptional. I didn't do any official calculations, but it hasn't seemed to use much gas. Power is adequate for a mundane sedan, it rides well and I liked the steering feel. The seats were also firm and comfortable. Wireless Android Auto and Car Play were onboard and worked just fine. The car is also easy to drive, I felt confident plowing it through tight openings in city traffic feeling like I had a good idea of where all four corners of the car were. Also liked the climate control setup.
The bad - I couldn't find a comfortable seating position. If I raised the seat up, the tilt steering wheel didn't have enough up and down travel (it only moved 2") to get the steering wheel out of my lap so I felt like I was sitting on the floor with my legs extended straight out. For a midsize, it felt a bit cramped inside and for the front passenger, the dash has an odd protrusion that really cuts into knee room. The powertrain makes a ton of odd noises and vibrations as it switches from EV to gas and regen. There are two red lights in the instrument cluster LCD that indicate when the brake lights are on, and they were constantly switching on anytime the car went into regen, so if you see someone in a new Camry they probably aren't riding the brake, it's the car doing it. All the engine did was shutdown and restart your entire drive. The infotainment screen has nice resolution but is way too small for a newly redesigned car. There was also no handsfree way to unlock the car, so you had to fish the fob out of your pocket - it also had terrible range you had to be within 10' of the car for it to work.
Bottom line - It's not a car for anyone that enjoys driving and I can't wait to give it back, it's a soulless appliance. I find it funny they offer this sporty SE trim which is anything but sporty.
