2025 Toyota Camry | First Drive

The Toyota Camry, yeah that car that always seems to be the one that's right in front of you, is all new for its ninth generation. Yes, I said ninth generation. This badge is probably older than a lot of you. In their effort to carbon neutrality and meeting emission standards that are an ever-increasing vice grip on the automotive industry, this Camry is going hybrid. So the big news here is no more V6. Every single Camry is powered by a 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine that's mated to a electric motor. You're gonna get 225 horsepower, 232 pound-foot of torque. You know what? The previous V6 got 301 when it came to horsepower, so that lighter number, that 225, sounds like it could be a little bit sluggish. The big question is, does it feel that way? Honestly, the answer to that is, uh-uh, because they've got that hybrid motor, you're gonna get instant torque, and it actually makes it feel like this is a much more powerful engine than it really is, a powerful powertrain. So am I feeling that lack of power? You know, I'm in some twisty roads right now, I'm going uphill, and the answer to that question is absolutely not. You do get a CVT on here, you can get paddle shifters if you'd like. It is a teeny bit droney, but the sound dampening inside the vehicle is actually pretty, it's very adequate. I guess compared to previous generations, it does feel a whole lot more refined when it comes to your in-cabin experience. Yes, the powertrain is a big story, but with that hybrid, the even bigger story is gas mileage numbers. Wow, those numbers are really impressive. If you are opting for that all-wheel drive, then you're in for a super treat, because you really are gonna be able to do some twisty roads a little bit, you get some really nice handling, some extra grip at all four corners. Guys, this car can do way more than I think a lot of people believe that it can, so take your Camry out and push it a little bit, maybe more than you might be comfortable with, because it sure is. I don't feel a ton of body roll, it's very comfortable, it handles nicely around turns. As you would expect from a Camry, it is a very easy driver. On the SE and the XSE you do get a sport-tuned suspension, but it's not going to be anything that sacrifices comfort for you. It'll just handle and tweak a little bit on the sporty side. Helping you out in the cockpit, you now get a 7-inch digital gauge cluster on lower trims, but a massive 12.3-inch one on the XLE and XSE trims and above. Same goes for the infotainment screen. Lower trims get an 8-inch screen, while upgrading to a higher trim affords you a 12.3-inch monitor. Regardless of the size screen that you get, you are gonna get really nice graphics, the processing speed feels pretty quick, and so I think that you're not necessarily going to be disappointed here. There is one thing though about interacting with this car that I've noticed over the last several hours that I've been driving with it. So there are some buttons here that address some of the ADAS systems, like your lane keeping assist, the thing that keeps you within the lanes. So you have buttons here, but every time I press this button to try and disengage it, it doesn't disengage it permanently. You actually have to go into a more layered setting here using these buttons. You can only do it here, and then you have to kind of click in, you have to click on it, okay. It can all be a little bit intrusive, so I do wish that there was a little less layering of the turning on and off of those systems, but if you're a person who drives with it on all the time, then you're gonna be just fine. You also get CarPlay and Android Auto wireless on the larger screen. Do you remember when Toyota still didn't have either of those, even wired? We've come a long way. You get Wi-Fi connection and USB ports to charge up to five devices. When it comes to visibility, the beltline is actually quite low here, and I can really see out very, very clearly. I love that the greenhouse is nice and big. As far as comfort goes, Toyota has redesigned these seats. They're a little bit broader, I think, and they're very, very comfortable. Also, all of the materials in here are nice and squishy, and they really did try and focus a little bit more on comfort, and I think they nailed it. The Camry comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. You are going to get some really good standard safety features, but if you want to upgrade to things like lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring, you will have to upgrade either to a higher trim level or add on a package. That is in the Premium Plus package, but safety is always an important factor, and Toyota's got you pretty well covered with the standard features. If you've got an older generation Camry and you just want to make some repairs on it, you don't want to necessarily pony up for a new one, click on the link above, and Kelley Blue Book Service Advisor can help you figure out what you should be paying for those repairs. Pricing on the Toyota Camry starts at $29,495 for the LE front-wheel drive, but the top-end XSE all-wheel drive starts at $37,220. Both of those prices include destination charges. The Camry arrives at dealerships shortly. Other trims include the SE, which is considered the volume model, and the XLE, and as you get higher up that trim walk you're gonna get things like leather seats, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, bigger fancier wheels, two-tone paint, wireless charging, a panoramic moonroof, and other fancy additions. No, the Camry is not going anywhere anytime soon, nor is it slowing down, especially with that new powertrain with upgraded tech, better safety features, a completely redesigned interior. Yeah, there's a lot to like about this car, certainly a lot more to talk about. Subscribe to the KBB YouTube channel and stay up with all the latest.