Where has the time gone? The Toyota Camry is now in its ninth generation, and the sensible sedan staple has gone fully hybrid for 2025. And given some seat time in the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD, I found the grown-up hybrid Camry to be a drama-free lesson in unexpected comfort and wallet-friendly fuel economy. But nothing is perfect, not even Toyota’s time-honored midsize soldier. 

The 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD brings tech and comfort to the sensible, but not so much for headroom

For 2025, Toyota tweaked the Camry inside and out. At skin-depth, the new Camry wears a rakish squint that suggests it’s up to no good, despite the model name. Around back, the sedan’s rear end is inoffensive if also sedan segment-typical. Still, my tester showed off the design refresh well in its Heavy Metal shade of gray with a Midnight Black Metallic power roof.

On the inside, the Toyota is a harmonious mix of soft-touch materials and handsome piano-black panels. While pleasing to the eye, keep your microfiber handy; the piano-black surfaces are prone to judgey finger smudges. This 2025 Toyota Camry featured red heated and ventilated seats, matching red trim, and aluminum skeletonized pedals to give the XSE AWD a sporty air. In the center, the higher-trim Camry offers a bright, responsive 12.3-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment and make listening to your favorite embarrassing jams a breeze.

However, space is at a bit more of a premium than the Camry’s closest rival, the Honda Accord. Cargo space sits at 15.1 cubic feet, large enough for two large rolling suitcases. That said, my father-in-law, at 6’3”, found the back seat altogether untenable for anything other than a quick trip. Even the power-adjustable passenger seat left him precious little, if just enough, headroom. But for anyone under that height, the 2025 Toyota Camry is a much more accommodating ride.

The all-wheel drive Camry XSE is a smooth, drama-free ride– but it lacks the thrill of the previous V6-powered model

Being a sports car, coupe, and sedan journalist first, I quickly noticed the paddle shifters behind the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD’s steering wheel. I enjoyed watching my fuel economy tick away as I stabbed at the paddles in Sport Mode. However, the feeling was quickly deadened by the knowledge that flicking a paddle doesn’t shift any gears thanks to the Camry’s ECVT.

Shifting back into Eco Mode did help me regain some average fuel economy on Louisville’s city streets. I routinely averaged over 40 mpg on a mix of city streets and highways. That said, the Camry’s adaptive cruise control was helpful for pacing on the highway and left plenty of room without being too intrusive. For those drivers with canyon-carving dreams, the Camry is tight and composed, if also numb in terms of steering feedback. 

It’s midsize magic without the drama. But the hybrid-only lineup is missing the deceptively thrust-happy V6 of the previous-generation XSE, XLE, and TRD models. Gone are the days of the 301-horsepower, six-cylinder Camry. Still, the new model’s comfort and do-it-all demeanor are straight-up commendable. A statement like that typically warrants a qualifier, like “for a Camry.” The comfort of the 2025 Toyota Camry XSE AWD doesn’t require a qualifier, though. It’s comfortable, full stop.