Toyota has been successfully making hybrid cars for longer than anyone else, which is no surprise that the car maker is focusing its efforts on them more than its own EVs. I can’t deny that Toyota’s first EV left me wanting more to be desired, but the Toyota Camry continues to prove that car shoppers should at the very least consider hybrids if EVs are out of reach.
In my week’s worth of driving the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD, it shows how much has changed since the early days of the Prius and how hybrid power is being embraced by more vehicles in its lineup. Also, it’s hard to overlook the Camry LE has a base MSRP of $28,700. That’s a price EVs can only dream about in the current market.
Although the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD drives up the price to $34,900 ($42,459 tested), it does come with some perks that makes it feel like a luxury car more than anything else.
2025 Toyota Camry XSE: Specifications
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | 2025 Toyota Camry XSE |
| Engine | 2.5L 4-Cyl. Gas/Electric Hybrid |
| Fuel Economy | 44 mpg city /43 mpg highway / 44 mpg combined |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 13 gallons |
| Horsepower | 232 hp |
| Wheels | 19-inches |
| MSRP | $34,900 |
2025 Toyota Camry XSE: Testing summary
I drove the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD for a total of 231.9 miles for a week, which consisted of a few long distance drives that amounted to 30 miles one way. In total, I reached a fuel economy of 36.7 mpg with mixed driving. While that’s better than what I got from the 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid, it still falls short of the 50.8 mpg fuel economy of the 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid.
When I first got in, it was showing an estimated range of 442 miles with a fuel tank — which oddly enough calculates to a 34 mpg fuel economy. It’s odd to find a lower estimated range and fuel economy, but I managed to get a fuel economy of 42 mpg driving 34.7 miles during one of my long-distance driving tests. Additionally, I drove a separate 13.5 miles that achieved a 43.3 mpg economy.
The best I managed to get out of the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD was 76.7 mpg driving a short 3.2 miles. I will say that there’s a trick to driving hybrid cars because an EV icon appears on the display cluster to indicate electric power has been engaged, so that’s when you really want to be gentle with the acceleration to get better fuel economy.
| Total miles driven | 231.9 miles |
| Average fuel economy | 36.7 mpg |
| Best long distance fuel economy | 43.3 mpg |
| Best short range fuel economy | 76.7 mpg |
2025 Toyota Camry XSE: What I Like
Striking red-black interior space
I wasn't expecting a sporty interior in a full-sized sedan like the Camry. However, the XSE trim pleasantly surprised me with its aggressive design elements. The red-black trim of the seats and dashboard is striking, which I think matches the aesthetics of a younger driver.
This bold design choice successfully challenges the stereotype that only performance cars receive this kind of treatment — much like how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N makes me feel young again.
High quality cameras
Once you’re used to a backup camera, it’s hard to fall back to my old habit of physically turning around to see what's behind you. The Camry’s high quality cameras all around the car make it much more reliable to check if I’m in between parking lines, as well as backing up so that I don’t hit the car behind me.
It’s clearly a cut above the cameras I’ve seen in other gas-powered cars, like the Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn, just because it looks as though Toyota’s applying some HDR-like effects that casts an even exposure to the shadows and highlights. And it helps that there’s a lot of detail.
Panoramic sunroof
Sunroofs might seem like a common feature in today’s cars, but panoramic ones are usually reserved for much pricier models. That’s why I’m surprised that the Toyota Camry XSE features a sprawling one that makes it feel more like a luxury car.
Even though it’s technically broken up into two panels, this allows the front glass to open completely or vent a little bit if you don’t want too much drag while driving. Either way, it adds to the car’s premium aesthetics — and makes for a distraction for your rear passengers.
Outstanding adaptive cruise mode
As much as I continue to dream about being in a reliable, fully-automated car, the Toyota Camry XSE has a feature right now that supplements my driving. It’s called adaptive cruise mode that offers assistive driving in the form of braking the car when needed, as well as nudging me over if I’m drifting into an adjacent lane.
They’re more like safety features than anything else, but I appreciate how they enhance my driving in the event I’m not as attentive. This is separate from its adaptive cruise control system that will apply braking and acceleration while in cruise control, which is also just as reliable and if not one of the best systems I’ve tested.
Futuristic body design
I’m familiar with the design of the Camry, but this year’s model looks like it’s adopted the same futuristic design cues of the latest Prius models — and I love it! From the side, it clearly isn’t afraid of making itself known as a full-sized design with its elongated looks.
However, I love how the front features a tapered design that’s accentuated by the oblong-shaped honeycomb pattern of the grill. And with its sleek looking headlights, it definitely looks a lot more futuristic looking than most cars on the road.
Head up display
The $42,459 cost of the Camry I tested comes included with the Premium Plus Package that adds on a heads-up display. Not only is it super sharp and bright, but it helps me to keep focus on the road as opposed to constantly looking down to check my speed. That’s because it supports CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, which also displays navigational directions on when and where to turn with their native map apps.
Affordable
Cost has been a prohibitive factor in the growth of EVs, which is why sales have slowed tremendously. Hybrid cars, with their lower price point and excellent fuel efficiency, offer a compelling alternative for buyers.
Despite the hefty $42,459 cost of the specific model I tested, the base trim of the Camry at $28,700 makes it much more obtainable than the cheapest EVs. With its futuristic design and an EPA-estimated 51 mpg combined fuel economy, the Camry offers strong appeal to buyers across a range of budgets.
2025 Toyota Camry XSE: What I Don't Like
Overwhelming cluster display
The reason why I rely a lot on the heads-up display is because the cluster display right above the steering wheel can be overwhelming to look at. There’s a lot of information displayed on it, like the odometer, fuel economy, engine temperature, and all the other icons on there.
It’s very busy and even though there’s the option to customize it, I wish there was a simplified version that only shows the most important details about my driving. However, this isn’t isolated to the Camry because the same overwhelming display is also on the Lexus RX450h+ and Lexus RZ 450e.
No driver seat settings
Despite all of its features, the one thing I find oddly missing is the option to save driver seat settings — so that the position of the driver’s seat can be switched between two people. Unfortunately there are no physical controls on the armrest for this, nor could I find a setting in the software either. It’s just one of those things you expect in any modern car.
Real world fuel economy could be better
Toyota claims that the XSE AWD trim is capable of achieving a combined fuel economy of 44 mpg. I didn’t get close to that in my week’s worth of driving. I’ll admit that the 36.7 mpg fuel economy is still decent for a full-sized sedan, but I would’ve loved to see it exceed the 40 mpg mark to make it a more compelling option. If it’s not close to achieving that, then there’s no way it will after several years of driving it.
2025 Toyota Camry XSE: Bottom Line
Honestly, I could see myself buying the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD because of its smooth driving, excellent assistive cruise mode, and all the premium features it packages to make it feel much like some pricey luxury vehicles I’ve driven — plus it can comfortably seat four adults, making it perfect family car.
Perhaps it could’ve been my driving, or simply that I needed to drive it more, but I was hoping to get better fuel economy out of it. Regardless of that, I think it’s a hybrid worth considering if EVs are still too expensive for your budget. And of course, you get Toyota’s legendary reliability and extra resell value.
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