2023 Toyota Camry – toyota.com | Shop 2023 Toyota Camry on Carsforsale.com
Toyota has glammed up the Camry for 2023 with new bronze wheels on its Nightshade package and new black accents on the headlights and tail lights compared to the 2022 year model. In addition, the entire Camry lineup now features automatic high beam headlights and road sign recognition.
Toyota SafetySense 2.5+
Spacious interior
Fuel efficient four-cylinder
No AWD on V6
Loud cabin
Outdated infotainment
We’d love the GR-Four AWD system
Toyota offers three very distinct powertrain options in the Camry. The base engine is a four-cylinder with 203 horsepower. It drives either the front or all four wheels through a very smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. Among its rivals, this powertrain is slightly above average in terms of fuel efficiency and power but falls flat on refinement as it’s somewhat loud in the cabin.
Above that is a hybrid powertrain consisting of a less powerful version of the same four-cylinder engine working in harmony with two electric motors for a total of just 176 horsepower. If the gas-only four-banger is somewhat drab, this powertrain is defiantly unengaging. Importantly, the Camry has always been heavily focused on reliable, efficient, comfortable transportation and this motor delivers on that standard.
Thankfully, there’s also a 301 horsepower V6 at the top end of the range for those that want to maintain some ability to enjoy the most engaging aspects of driving. Sadly, unlike the two four-cylinder powertrains, it cannot be paired with AWD. Nevertheless, it’s punchy and charismatic in the way that it delivers power.
All Camrys feature solid handling for a car of this size. Braking performance is good too with firm but linear pedal engagement. The steering feel is slightly numb on center but communicative beyond the first few degrees into a turn.
The Toyota Camry TRD trim level is downright sharp and while it’s still no match for real sports sedans, we’re grateful that Toyota built it. There’s no question that this is the best Camry to drive in history despite its lackluster four-cylinder engines.
The Camry is a car somewhat obsessed with fuel economy and it shows. The EPA estimates that the V6 will get 22 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway. That’s about average for most sedans of this size. The gas-only four-cylinder sees those figures rise to 28 and 39 respectively. That’s impressive but the hybrid Camry can get up to 51 mpg in the city and 53 on the highway.
Toyota has created one of the more spacious cabins in the midsized sedan segment with the Camry. In fact, comfort is probably its biggest asset aside from fuel economy. Not only is it spacious but the seats are supportive and provide great cushioning. On top of that, the ride itself is very smooth so long trips are a breeze. The only downside is that, as mentioned above, the cabin doesn’t really insulate passengers from road noise very well.
Throughout the cabin, Toyota has used the same middling build materials across the board. There are some examples on each side of the quality spectrum from very cheap feeling plastics and cloth in the LE base model to supple leather in the XSE V6 but for the most part the interior of the Camry is well built but nothing to write home about. We’re also thankful for the numerous storage solutions throughout this sedan. The trunk has just over 15 cubic feet of cargo space too.
Toyota offers customers either a 7-inch or a 9-inch infotainment system in the 2023 Camry. Both come standard with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa. In addition, they both have physical volume knobs and buttons to aid in use.
The main user interface is Toyota’s Entune 3.0 which, while nowhere near the worst in the business, isn’t as sharp or polished as many competitors at this point. We’re hopeful that Toyota will give it a major overhaul for 2024.
Integrated into every Camry is a bevy of advanced driver assistance systems called Toyota SafetySense 2.5+. It includes dynamic cruise control, forward collision mitigation, road sign recognition, lane-keep assist, and more. In our experience with the sedan, it did a great job of easing the stress of longer commutes through these features.
As of this writing, the NHTSA nor the IIHS have released any safety data on the 2023 Toyota Camry. Despite that, we can tell you that the IIHS awarded the almost identical 2022 Camry with a Top Safety Pick+ award. Add to that accolade the excellent safety tech mentioned above and we’re big fans of the Camry with regard to safety in general.
The base Camry comes with LED headlights, LED tail lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth seats, and 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a 4.2-inch driver information display, keyless entry, a 7-inch infotainment system, and three USB ports.
The LE Hybrid has 16-inch wheels and adds three drive modes including Normal, Eco, EV, and Sport.
The SE adds 18-inch wheels, a color-keyed rear spoiler and rocker panels, a black front grille, chrome exhaust tips, SofTex front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, and automatic headlights.
This appearance package adds black-painted exterior trim and 19-inch bronze-painted wheels.
The SE Hybrid gets black 18-inch wheels and heated outside mirrors.
This trim combines the Nightshade appearance package with the features of the SE Hybrid. For example, it also has heated mirrors but it also has black trim and 19-inch bronze-colored wheels.
Consider the XLE as the first really luxurious Camry with its 18-inch wheels, leather-trimmed heated front seats, 7-inch driver information display, wireless charging pad, ambient interior lighting, wood trim, 9-inch infotainment system, and keyless entry and ignition system.
The XLE Hybrid just uses the hybrid powertrain in an otherwise identical XLE package.
This is the least expensive trim with the V6 and it also adds desirable features like dual exhaust, a 10-inch heads-up display, a premium JBL sound system with nine speakers, and dual sun visors.
The XSE adds LED DRLs, 19-inch gloss black wheels, patterned metal interior trim, and access to features like a panoramic glass roof and a heated steering wheel.
This XSE uses the hybrid powertrain but is otherwise unchanged from the normal XSE.
The V6 version of the XSE automatically adds the panoramic glass roof along with the JBL nine-speaker sound system.
The fast Camry gets a TRD track-tuned suspension, 12.9-inch front disc brakes with red-painted calipers, 19-inch wheels, a full TRD body kit, aluminum sport pedals, and TRD accents in the cabin.
Every Camry comes with a three-year or 36,000-mile limited warranty and a 5-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. That’s about the least you’ll get in this segment. Thankfully, Toyota sweetens the deal with two years or 25,000 miles worth of complimentary maintenance coverage.
2023 Toyota Camry – toyota.com | Shop 2023 Toyota Camry on Carsforsale.com
The Toyota Camry is popular for the same reason that many large chain stores are: one knows what they’re getting. The 2023 Camry doesn’t break from that tradition and continues to offer an excellent value for money aimed at those who prioritize economy, reliability, comfort, and solid quality above all other facets of a car. Should it be just a tad out of your price range, a used Camry could be a better bet.