2025 Toyota Camry is not your Grandpa’s ride — at last!
What’s new with the Toyota Camry for 2025?
- All 2025 Toyota Camrys are now hybrid, available with electric all-wheel-drive (eAWD)
The pundits that predicted sedans were dead, thanks to the love affair with crossovers, obviously forgot to tell Toyota. The 2025 Camry is barely recognizable as, well, a Camry. Out goes the boring-as-white-rice ride in favour of something with an attractively aggressive style and some real curb appeal — the XSE tester was more expressive with two-tone paint and there’s an available red-on-black interior that actually looks better than it reads. However, the rework does not stop with the looks. What resides beneath the sheet metal readies the Camry for the electrified era. All models are now powered by Toyota’s fifth-generation hybrid system. It’s also available with an electric all-wheel-drive (eAWD) option. Finally, the cabin has been transformed from ho-hum to functionally attractive.
What competes with the 2025 Toyota Camry?
What powers the 2025 Toyota Camry?
- FWD models offer 2.5L four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and generator making 225 hp
- AWD models add third motor to power the rear wheels, ups net system output to 232 hp
Toyota’s fifth-gen hybrid system gives the mid-size Camry surprising pop while returning excellent fuel economy. The use of lighter, more compact electric motor/generators make it more powerful than the previous system. It starts with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that twists out 184 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. It works with an electric motor and generator in the front-wheel-drive models. The electric side produces 134 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. This gives it a net system output of 225 hp. Sadly, Toyota does not give a net torque number.
Adding all-wheel-drive sees a third motor power the rear wheels. It adds 40 hp and 62 lb-ft, which ups the net system output to 232 hp. The added power adds some welcome pop off the line. Again, while there’s no official torque output, the way the Camry jumps off the line and runs on through the mid-range says it makes a significant contribution.
Both the front and eAWD models work with an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT). It does make the engine shout loudly under hard acceleration, but the speedy response means it yells for a shorter time than most CVTs. In every day driving, Normal mode is best as it’s smooth and responsive — forget Eco as it puts way too much emphasis on conserving fuel.
Shift into Sport mode and the Camry XSE romps to 100 km/h in seven seconds, which surprised me. You see, it managed to complete this rewardingly fast run while returning a test average fuel economy of 5.9 L/100 km. That’s just 0.6 L/100 km more than the official combined fuel economy number from NRCan. The upshot means the Camry hybrid one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road without turning to a PHEV or EV. It also means the XSE tested will get very close to NRCan’s $1,643 annual fuel cost. By way of reference, the 2024 V6-powered Camry XSE guzzled an average of 9.2 L/100 km and cost $2,852 per annum to run!
The electric side gets its juice from a 0.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery — it replaces the previous nickel-metal-hydride unit. In spite of its small size, it still manages to deliver an EV-only drive, albeit for a very short distance.
How does the 2025 Toyota Camry Drive?
The Camry arrives with a responsive steering feel and surprisingly sorted handling. The XSE has sport-tuned springs and shocks along with thicker anti-roll bars front and rear, so it hunkers down more authority than the plusher-riding XLE. The sportier setup also means the XSE can be pushed with a degree of enthusiasm not possible in previous Camrys — it tended to feel floaty and disconnected when driven with purpose. As such, the XSE did a good job of dialing out body roll during a fast charge down a twisty backroad. The flip side is, in spite of the tauter suspension, the Camry XSE rides and drives very well in an urban setting. It soaks up bumps in stride and remains compliant in the process.
The take-away after the test is simple — the driving experience represents a marked improvement, especially when working with the eAWD setup. While the rear electric motor’s power contribution looks small on paper, the thrust it adds makes the Camry a fun and, dare I say, an athletic drive. As they say, the times are changing!
The fly in the Camry’s road manners proved to be brake pedal feel. While the brakes themselves are strong and fade free, the pedal feels a little mushy, which makes it awkward to modulate. It’s far from being a deal-breaker, but it just doesn’t feel as composed as the rest of the drive. I get the hybrid system has to make the most of regen braking because it’s one of the key ways to keep the battery topped up, but I learned to dislike the sometimes jerky stops.
How’s the 2025 Toyota Camry’s cabin?
- The sedan features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, nine-speaker JBL sound system
The XSE’s larger infotainment system is matched by another 12.3-inch digital screen for the instrumentation (it’s a seven-inch display in the SE). The cluster is customizable, although to a disappointingly limited degree. It works in conjunction with a clear and concise 10-inch head-up display.
The 2025 Toyota Camry has safety aids galore
- Toyota’s Safety Sense (TSS) 3.0 is standard on all Camrys
The list of standard safety features is impressive. It starts with blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and goes on to include Toyota’s Safety Sense (TSS) 3.0. Both are standard on all 2025 Camrys. TSS 3.0 includes a pre-collision system with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist detection and auto emergency braking, dynamic radar cruise Control, lane departure warning with steering assist, road sign assist, auto high beams and proactive driving assist. The latter uses the forward-facing camera and radar to help maintain the distance between the Camry and the vehicle ahead and it slows the car heading into a corner.
The XSE also counts lane change assist and Traffic Jam Assist. It looks after acceleration and braking as well as providing hands-free steering in stop-and-go driving on controlled access highways. It requires a paid Drive Connect subscription with a 4G network connection. After the XSE’s three-year trial period it becomes a $19.95 option plus tax.
Finally, the bird’s-eye camera automatically consumes the infotainment screen whenever the Camry slows below 10 km/h or so. It proved to be a royal pain, as it blocks access to everything that’s screen related every time it appears, and in stop and go traffic it flashes on and off repeatedly. At first, I had to manually override it every time. Then I found out how to turn it off. Distraction-free driving at last!
How big is the 2025 Camry?
- The Toyota Camry is 4,915-mm long, 1,840-mm wide and it rides on a 2,825-mm wheelbase
There is lots of space up front — the seats are comfortable, if a tad firm, and have plenty of fore/aft movement. Move rearward and the back seat the desired width, but really only offers comfortable seating for two adults. The middle spot is marred by the central tunnel, domed base and armrest-based backrest. The format does not match the bucket-like experience of outboard seats. For the outboard riders there’s 955-mm of headroom and 965-mm of legroom. That leads the Honda Accord in headroom (944-mm), but lags in legroom (1,037-mm) and better than the Hyundai Sonata (950-mm and 885-mm, respectively). However, taller riders will have to watch their head on the way into the Camry because of the swoopy rear roofline. While the Camry’s trunk measures a useful 428L, it’s smaller than the Accord (473L) and the Sonata (441L).
Canadian Pricing for the Toyota Camry
- The 2025 Toyota Camry starts at $34,300 in Canada
The Toyota Camry’s pricing starts at $34,300 for the front-drive SE and $36,300 for the front-drive SE Upgrade. The eAWD models are anchored by the SE Upgrade at $37,950. The XSE tested comes in at $44,250 with the top XLE commanding $44,950. The destination charge is $1,860.
Final thoughts
The 2025 Toyota Camry takes some very welcome steps forward. The power at play is rewarding, the driving dynamics are significantly better than before and the cabin is feature rich, especially the XSE — it blends driving fun with a feature and tech-rich cabin. However, what makes it noteworthy is the fact it takes giant strides forward in terms of efficiency and economy thanks to the now hybrid-only lineup. This makes it the right car for the times.
In the past it was easy to overlook the Camry because it was the sort of car everyone’s favourite Grandpa drove — it almost managed to out-Buick Buick for boring. Today, it is aimed at a much younger demographic.
Pros
✔ Cabin features lots of new technology
✔ Driving dynamics are significantly better than before
✔ Hybrid-only lineup with great fuel efficiency
Cons
✘ Mushy brake pedal feel
✘ Engine shouts loudly under hard acceleration
✘ Limited customization on the infotainment screen
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.