Want a family sedan that gets close to 50 mpg? The 2020 Toyota Camry can and also delivers peppy performance, a comfortable ride, lots of space for passengers and cargo, and a host of standard and available features and tech.
Base Price: $32,550
As Tested: $39,766
Horsepower: 208
Mileage: 44 mpg city/47 mpg highway/46 mpg combined
Like the gas-powered Camry, the Hybrid was redesigned in 2018 and got some updates in the last couple years. For 2019, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa and a Wi-Fi hotspot became standard. Android Auto became standard for 2020.
The five-passenger Camry comes in three trims: LE, SE, and XLE. Starting prices range from $28,430 to $32,730 which are about average for a hybrid or electric vehicle. All models come with front-wheel-drive.
The Camry is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. Combined output is 208 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission is standard.
The Camry Hybrid performs fine in everyday driving scenarios and is comfortable as a daily commuter and highway cruiser. It’s not the sportiest hybrid sedan and the steering feels numb. But acceleration is pretty quick and there’s plenty of power for passing and merging at freeway speeds. Braking feels more normal than many other regenerative braking systems with less of that squishy feel. The ride is smooth and comfortable, taking rough roads and potholes in stride.
EPA ratings for my XLE tester and the SE trim are 44 mpg city and 47 mpg highway with a combined rating of 46. I got 45 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving. The LE gets better mileage, rated at 51 city/53 highway/52 combined.
The cabin is roomy, attractive and functional but not as upscale as some rivals. There are some hard plastics as well as soft-touch materials. Seats are comfortable and adults in both rows enjoy decent leg- and headroom.
The Camry has lots of standard features including proximity keyless entry, rearview camera, cloth upholstery, heated front seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, six-way manually adjustable passenger seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, 4.2-inch digital multi-information display, seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system, six-speaker audio system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, three USB ports, voice recognition, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.
The infotainment is user-friendly and easy to reach although the graphics look dated. Menus are logically arranged. Redundant physical buttons can be used for common functions such as volume, tuning and changing the audio source.
Available features include synthetic leather upholstery, genuine leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, eight-inch touch screen, navigation, nine-speaker JBL premium audio system, HD Radio, two additional USB ports, universal garage door opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic high-beam headlights, and a moonroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection.
Available driver assistance tech includes blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, reverse automatic emergency braking, surround-view parking camera system, adaptive headlights, and a head-up display.
The Camry has 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space, same as its gas-powered sibling. The wide trunk opening and low liftover height makes it easy to load large and/or bulky items. A hands-free trunk opening is standard. The rear seats split-fold 60/40.
The good:
Impressive fuel efficiency
Smooth, cushy ride
Spacious interior
Adults are comfortable in both rows
Comes well-equipped
User-friendly infotainment system
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard
The not-so-good:
Not the sportiest hybrid
Cabin not as upscale as some rivals
Infotainment system graphics could use updating
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $32,550. The Driver Assist Package is $2,375 and adds 10-inch color head-up display, bird’s eye view camera, intelligent clearance sonar with rear cross traffic braking, and multi-stage ventilated front seats. Adaptive headlights are $415. Navigation Package is $1,810 and adds dynamic navigation, JBL premium audio system, speakers, subwoofer and amplifier. Power tilt/sliding moonroof is $860. Carpet and trunk mat set are $259. Protection Package is $268. Rear spoiler is $199. Wheel locks are $75. Delivery fee is $955 bringing the grand total to $39,766.
Bottom line:
The 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid is a good, all around midsize sedan that’s roomy, comfortable, reliable, gets great gas mileage and comes with lots of standard and available features and tech.
