Our Opinion - 2024 Toyota Camry Review It’s been around for a long time and is very stable, so the Toyota Camry is more than just a sedan. Even though SUVs and pickup trucks are selling more, the Camry has been the best-selling car in the US for almost 20 years. The Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata, which are the Camry’s main rivals, have switched to only inline-four engines, but the Camry has kept its six-cylinder engines. In this case, Toyota offers a hybrid four-cylinder grade that gets great gas mileage and a 301-hp V-6 grade on the other end of the range. Also, the newest version of the roomy five-seater has added to its well-deserved reputation for sturdiness while also making it look more stylish, especially when paired with the Nightshade package’s sleek bronze wheels. This is also true: even though the TRD model is the sportiest Camry ever, the car’s core nature has not changed because of the changes made by Toyota Racing Development. On the other hand, it stays a Camry. What's New? For 2024, the only thing that has changed is that Amazon’s Alexa interface is no longer used in Toyota’s entertainment system. From 2023 to now, everything else about the Camry has stayed the same. Pros and Cons Pros Great technology and safety scores. Strong V-6 engine. Bright fashion. Cons The back seat is too tight. It’s clear what the TRD model is. The newer and better Honda Accord is the one to get. Engine, Transmission, and Performance The standard four-cylinder engine has an eight-speed automatic gearbox that works smoothly, but it only accelerates slowly. In hybrid trims, an even weaker version of the engine is paired with a battery and two electric motors. This makes the car just as fun to drive as one with a regular engine. We’re happy to say that we no longer dislike driving the Camry. This is mostly because of the smooth 301-hp V-6 engine in the XLE, XSE, and TRD models. The weight of the steering wheel is just right for what the car is supposed to do; it’s light enough for parking lots but heavy enough for turning corners. The dynamics have been fine-tuned so that the ride is smooth and the driving is surprisingly quick. This is true even for the hybrid Camry, which needs to use both brakes and regenerative stopping to charge the battery pack. We liked how fast and smooth the brake pedal was. Safety We still agree with Toyota’s choice to standardize driver-assistance systems in every Camry. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) webpages to learn more about the Camry’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are: Emergency brakes that work on their own and regular forward crash warnings. Regular help staying in your lane and a warning when you leave your lane. It comes with adaptive speed control. Internal and External Cargo Capacity The Toyota Camry’s center console and instrument panel have the same basic setup, no matter what trim level you choose. This is great if you like the many buttons and slightly curved lines. However, the quality of the materials inside the SE and the top-of-the-line XSE Hybrid is very different, even though the difference in price between the nine trims is only $8,000. It’s easy to see that the lower trim levels are ugly for a $35,000 car. The XLE and XSE are the most luxurious. There are no more questions about the large and comfy rooms. Because the Camry is so big, it has a lot of storage space inside, enough room for people, and a big trunk for storing things. You can pull down the back seats to make room for really big things. Toyota moved the hybrid car’s main battery from the trunk to under the back seats so that owners wouldn’t have to give up space for things in order to get an extra mile per gallon. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG The EPA tests showed that the whole Camry line did very well, but the four-cylinder type did especially well on the highway. The LE and SE models, which have four-cylinder engines, get the best gas mileage of any Camry. The EPA rates them at 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. The base LE hybrid got 51 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway. Higher hybrid trim levels, on the other hand, give up some fuel economy for comfort; V-6-powered cars were scored at up to 33 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in the city. An SE with four cylinders got 45 mpg on the highway, which was six mpg more than its EPA figure and made it the most fuel-efficient nonhybrid car we’ve ever tested. It got one more mile per gallon than the Camry XLE hybrid in our tests. Infotainment and Connectivity Toyota’s Entune 3.0 touchscreen entertainment system comes standard on all Camry models. You can also get a better version of it as an extra. Entune did well in our tests and can do a lot of different things. It also works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto out of the box. Price and How to Choose The LE is the base trim level, while the XLE and XSE are higher-end cars with more options. We think the XLE Hybrid trim level best shows what the Camry is great at being a well-behaved, family-friendly car with a beautiful interior. While it’s not thrilling, the 208-hp four-cylinder hybrid XLE Hybrid gets great reviews for its smooth ride and low gas mileage. The leather inside that comes with it is beautiful, roomy, and fully equipped. As long as you drive it correctly, the hybrid gets great gas mileage.
