Review: 2025 Toyota Camry XSE

not long ago Toyota is seen as a company that builds well-made, reliable but boring transportation equipment, many of which are fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. In a way, that’s fine because vehicles like this are necessary, but car enthusiasts know Toyota has more to offer because they’ve done it before – and Toyota used to be fun. In the 1990s, the company produced a 320-horsepower rear-wheel-drive Supra with a twin-turbocharged engine and a six-speed manual transmission. If that’s out of reach for some customers, there’s also the wedge-shaped mid-engine MR2. Over the past few years, Toyota has been working to break down its stingy image. It tasked the performance experts at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) with making the Camry and Avalon sedans even sportier and more exciting. It also (finally!) brings back the Supra (albeit with a BMW engine). Even the Corolla received the hot hatch treatment and became a 300-hp all-wheel-drive GR (Gazoo Racing) Corolla.

But the renewed focus on performance cars hasn’t distracted Toyota from two things it’s always done well: It still makes sedans and hybrids. In fact, the new 2025 Camry is now only a hybrid model. The lineup includes LE, SE, XLE and XSE trim levels, all of which are available with front-wheel or on-demand all-wheel drive. Both FWD and AWD models feature the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS 5), which combines a 2.5-liter I4 engine with a 100 kW electric motor (the AWD Camry also has a 30 kW electric motor in the rear), a lithium-ion battery pack , plus eCVT (electronically controlled continuously variable transmission). The redesigned and updated ninth-generation Camry has a base price of $28,400 for the front-wheel-drive LE, topping out at $36,125 for the XSE AWD.

Our XSE test car sent hybrid power through the front wheels only, so pricing starts at $36,400. Adds a midnight black metallic roof, 19-inch dark gray metallic wheels, and the Premium Plus package, which includes additional safety and driver-assist features, a nine-speaker JBL sound system, a 10-inch head-up display, ventilated front seats, and panoramic glass With a sunroof and front sunroof, the as-tested price tops $41,770.

new found cool

I’ve always respected the Camry’s practicality and reliability, but I never wanted one. Before buying a Hyundai Sonata late last year, I considered buying a Camry. It’s not that I don’t like the 2023 model’s design, but it’s just too familiar. I’ve been seeing that generation of Camry everywhere for years. It is a victim of its own success.

A few months ago, a coworker of mine parked her 2025 Camry SE in our office parking lot, and for the first time in my life, I wanted a Camry. After a few glances at its Ocean Gem paint, I regretted buying a white car just to be safe in the Arizona heat. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my press loaner arrived in the same exotic color, with the optional midnight black metal roof making everything even more eye-catching.

Considering the previous generation Camry has been on the market for a long time, it’s time for a redesign. The 2025 model’s “hammerhead” front end paired with swept-back LED headlights not only makes it look fresh and futuristic, but it also gives the Camry a more upmarket look thanks to a large mesh grille reminiscent of the Lexus RX . At the rear, the wide C-shaped taillights visually broaden the Camry’s field of view and inspire the imagination of science fiction weapons, with a purple-red plasma arc between its two tips.

CUL8R TRD

When I first learned that the Camry would go full hybrid in 2025, I was a little disappointed because I knew the change didn’t leave room for a new TRD model. Toyota finally made the Camry that everyone thought it would never be released, and then, just a few years later, it disappeared. However, when it arrived, the TRD wasn’t enough and it was too much at the same time. Yes, the TRD lowers its height, installs larger front brakes, and comes with tweaked springs and dampers and a cat-back exhaust, but the sum of these parts is disappointing. The paddle shifters have no sense of urgency, and the brakes and steering don’t feel great. The TRD also comes with a body kit and a two-stage rear spoiler that makes the sportiest Camry look like a sports car meant for boy racers.

Although not an all-out performance model like the TRD, the 2025 XSE has some sporty hardware. It comes standard with new dampers and sporty MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear setup. Our testers felt tight, restrained, and responsive. Like the discontinued TRD, the XSE’s brakes leave something to be desired. Its brake actuator’s new pump motor is supposed to provide “better controllability and braking feel,” but the pedal is stiff and difficult to communicate, as if there’s a thick block of wood on it.

With 225 net horsepower, the Camry XSE is surprisingly powerful and allowed me to achieve another first: the joy of stepping on a Camry. Even more shocking is the eCVT: It doesn’t groan or feel like a rubber band like many CVTs. Despite my addiction, the XSE delivered on its potential fuel economy. According to the window sticker, it gets 48 mpg in the city, 47 mpg on the highway, and 47 mpg combined. After Luke and I had driven 277.5 miles, the onboard gauge showed we were averaging 48.6 mpg.

trivial matter

Aside from moving boxes and clothes to my new home, I spend most of my time commuting in my Camry between my home and office in Scottsdale. For one thing, this usually takes 45 minutes to an hour—plenty of time to see how comfortable the Camry can be. Every time I hit the road, I engage the brake hold function so that I don’t have to press the left pedal during countless stops in rush hour traffic. Even though it’s October, the summer heat hasn’t subsided at all, so I’m grateful for the ventilation in the front seats. Wireless Apple CarPlay and the huge 12.3-inch infotainment display are a useful and convenient combination.

My tedious commute also exposed some of the Camry’s shortcomings, albeit minor ones. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is a visually impressive piece of modern technology, but I found it to be unnecessarily complicated. It took some guesswork and trial and error to figure out how to bring up the trip computer and fuel economy readings. I can’t for the life of me find a way to adjust the HUD position. Yes, these are small things, but there’s no reason to make them so difficult.

It didn’t take me long to discover that the driver’s seat bottom cushion was too short and didn’t provide adequate leg support. It was a similar story with the sunroof: I was driving home one night and a few seconds after I opened the sunroof, I heard an intermittent squeaking sound from the sunroof. Thinking this might be an isolated incident, I turned it on again on another trip and the sound came back.

continued success

Toyota has changed dramatically over the past few years. As a result, it also reconfigured the Camry to achieve a balance of practicality and sportiness. The 2025 model is the most visually stimulating yet, combining eye-catching design with satisfying power, enjoyable hybridization, affordable fuel economy and an enjoyable, if not perfect, ) is integrated into the interior. I was surprised how much I liked it. Test drive a new Camry at your local Toyota dealer. You may be as shocked as I am.