2025 Toyota Camry First Drive Review: The Best ‘Boring’ Car Keeps Getting Better

If someone were to make a video game about boring cars, the Toyota Camry would be the final boss. For over 40 years, the Camry has been a staple among those who just want An Car and the 2025 Toyota Camry isn’t trying to change that. It’s not a sports car, a luxury car, nor a mom or dad car—that honor is reserved for minivans and crossovers. The prefix that best applies to the Camry is “normal” if you prefer to be nice, or “boring” if you want to be, well, less nice.

But the Camry is also one of the best-selling cars in its segment, and it was one of the last sedans to outsell SUVs and pickups before truck fever struck in the U.S. When someone just wants a normal car for normal things, like commuting to work or shuttling a family around, the Camry is a good go-to. That’s still true today, and now that the 2025 Camry is hybrid-only and delivers a more refined driving experience, maybe it’s time to drop the “boring” prefix altogether. The new Camry is simply a good car, maybe even a fun one.

The outgoing Camry was split into different lineups depending on drivetrain. There was the 2024 Toyota Camry and the 2024 Toyota Camry Hybrid. That gas-only model came with either a 301-horsepower V6 or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder while the Hybrid took the latter and added an electric motor.

Starting at $34,495, this new 2025 Camry drops the Hybrid suffix because, well, they’re all hybrids. Now, the only available drivetrain is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor that makes a total of 225 hp on front-wheel-drive models. Output increases to 232 hp for all-wheel-drive cars courtesy of an electric motor in the rear axle, which provides on-demand power when more traction is required. AWD is available on all trims for an extra $1,525, even the base model.

And, yes, speed racers, the V6 is gone and so is the TRD trim. But, again, the Camry is not a sports car and was never meant to be one. What the ninth-gen Toyota Camry is, though, is redesigned. Underneath the new sheet metal, however, the latest Camry rides on the same TNGA-K platform as its predecessor. You can see traces of the old model in this new one, but the front end has changed quite a bit, sporting the “hammerhead” fascia of the new Prius and Crown Signia.

This shared design language has grafted well onto the “boring” Camry, and it now looks slightly more athletic while still resembling the previous generation. It’s a good balance of old and new that sticks to the overall vibe of the car, which is conservative yet forward-thinking. A good old-fashioned sedan with a pioneering streak.

The interior follows this design ethos, looking vaguely similar to the previous model while taking a big leap forward. There’s still a kind of stepped center console that favors the driver, and the dashboard is now segmented in a more dramatic way. The transition looks really cool, though, with matching trim on the door cards and dash that gives the cabin a sense of flow. Upper and lower Camry grades are differentiated by the materials adorning the dash, so an XSE might have leather-like material while another grade will feature a cloth-like covering. Both look and feel great.

Front and center is a big infotainment screen that measures 8 inches diagonally as standard, but there’s an upgraded 12.3-inch screen available. All Camry grades get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as two USB-C ports and at least one USB-A for front passengers. The inductive charging pad looked too smooth to be useful, so I opted not to use it. Last thing I want is an iPhone flying off the console. I’m a hardwired hold-out, so I always plug straight in, but I get why people love wireless… everything.