Toyota Camry (2019 – 2021) Review

In the US, the Toyota Camry is a runaway success, but this model only lasted a short time in the UK despite having hybrid power. Why so? As a saloon, it’s not as practical as its hatchback rivals, plus it’s bland to drive and the infotainment isn’t great. It all makes a Ford Mondeo or the ever popular BMW 3 Series a cannier choice. Read on for our full Toyota Camry review.

A successor to the Toyota Avensis, the Toyota Camry was a hybrid rival to the Ford Mondeo and Skoda Superb, as well as attempting to compete with premium models like the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. 

On the face of it, the Toyota Camry was expensive compared with mainstream family car alternatives, but you got a lot of equipment for the money. And it feels very nearly as premium as the closely-related Lexus ES, which makes it a better used car than a new one.

The line-up is rather limited, with just one engine and a choice of two trim levels.

The hybrid pairs a 2.5-litre petrol unit with an electric motor. It’s capable of setting off under electric power alone and officially returns more than 50mpg, while emitting less than 100g/km. 

It offers a very refined drive, both around town and on the motorway. Indeed, it’s in its element at low speeds, where the comfort-focused suspension soaks up lumps and bumps without fuss, and the light steering makes negotiating city traffic a piece of cake.

While the CVT gearbox isn’t any less frustrating than our experience in other cars, trying to hustle the Toyota Camry along still feels unnatural.

Once up to speed, though, it’s a perfectly refined cruiser, with little in the way of wind noise or road noise on the motorway.

Despite only being offered as a saloon, the Toyota Camry is a fairly practical car. Its 524-litre boot is almost as big as a Ford Mondeo’s, while the interior feels rather roomy. Adults sat in the back are unlikely to find themselves wishing for more space.

Up front, the seats are very comfortable and the materials used all feel of reasonable quality. The one big letdown is in the form of the seven-inch touchscreen media system, which offers old-fashioned graphics, clunky operation and no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

It simply isn’t good enough in a car that’s intended to rival models from premium manufacturers.

Still, many Toyota buyers rank reliability as more important than technology and we have no reason to believe the car won’t be every bit as dependable as we’re used to from the brand. Combine that with a  comfortable, relaxing drive and it makes a strong case for itself.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar's Toyota Camry review here.

While the Toyota Camry will pick up pace comfortably enough, it’s a car that rewards a more laid-back driving style.

At a steady 70mph, little in the way of wind or road noise makes its way into the cabin, and the ride quality is very good.

On twistier roads, it remains composed, but it’s not a car that’s eager to be driven enthusiastically.

It provides a reasonable amount of grip and doesn’t lean too much, but the steering feels pretty distant from the front wheels and you’re not going to have a great deal of fun throwing it around.

Fundamentally, it’s a nicely judged mix for its intended audience, with the focus on comfort rather than commitment, and it’s all the better for it.

Unlike plug-in alternatives such as the Skoda Superb iV, the Toyota Camry is a conventional hybrid – or ‘self-charging’ in the company’s terminology.

While its electric range is limited to a couple of miles at most, the hybrid system means it can offer diesel-like economy – between 50.4mpg and 53.3mpg according to official figures. Our experience suggests this is quite realistic in the real world.

An obvious perk of the self-charging system is that you don’t have to faff around with cables and plugs. Instead, it takes power from the 2.5-litre petrol engine and recuperating energy under braking.

The Toyota Camry is a relaxing car to drive, particularly around town. The ability to set off under electric power means you don’t have to deal with the rumble of a combustion engine stopping, starting or idling in stop-start traffic.

The combined output of the petrol engine and electric motor is 218PS, but don’t go thinking this is a high-performance saloon. It features a CVT automatic gearbox which, while reliable, is usually unpleasant to use compared to a conventional or dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

CVT gearboxes normally create a whining noise during hard acceleration, but the Toyota Camry’s system mimics a six-speed automatic gearbox. As a result, it’s a decent enough gearbox to use, and power is always on hand as soon as you press the accelerator.

All Toyota Camrys come with Toyota Safety Sense with a pre-collision system and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure alert with sway warning, automatic high beam assist for the headlights and road sign assist. 

There’s a tyre pressure monitoring system, ABS, stability and traction control systems, with the airbag count including driver and front passenger ones, front and side, curtain shield ones and a driver’s knee bag.

Two Isofix child seat mounts are fitted on the outer seats in the rear. There’s also an E-Call emergency system which alerts the emergency services in the event of an accident. 

Toyota Camry Excel trim adds a Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic with brake assist, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and LED front fog lights, indicators and brake lights.

This generation of Toyota Camry was not rated for towing in the UK.

The market was limited for the Toyota Camry by the fact it was only offered as a saloon rather than a hatchback or an estate. It’s fairly practical, though, with loads of room inside and a competitive 524-litre boot.

Indeed, it’s particularly impressive in the back seats, where two adults will be perfectly comfortable for long journeys.

A sloping roofline means tall adults might have to adopt a slightly hunched-over seating position, but anyone else will enjoy the large, comfortable seats and decent view out of the side windows.

Up front, the seats are equally supportive, and there’s plenty of electric adjustment (including lumbar support) as standard on both Toyota Camry Design and Toyota Camry Excel models.

Even at its lowest, the driver’s seat is slightly higher than you may expect, but this helps visibility.

There are plenty of premium materials used in the Toyota Camry’s cabin, which creates an upmarket air.

But the small touchscreen media system in the centre of the dash, surrounded by plastic buttons, brings you back down to earth.

The system is one of the worst on the market, with dated graphics and complicated functionality. There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The seven-inch touchscreen looks a bit meagre in a world where larger screens are now the norm, and the graphics aren’t the last word in slick, smooth detailed modernity.

It’s not the most sophisticated of systems, either, proving a bit slow to react, meaning you need to be patient with it. 

A five-year-old Toyota Camry with 35,000 miles under its wheels will cost you from £17,500, while a newer model will come in at around £21,000 with similar mileage.

The main issue you’ll face when seeking to buy one as a used car is finding one nearby, as few were sold new. Accordingly, they are pretty thin on the ground.

The big appeal of the Toyota Camry for used buyers is its hybrid power, which offers a claimed combined economy of up to 53.3mpg.

If you are a light-footed driver, you should see 50mpg in normal driving without any great effort, but that will drop noticeably if you try to stir the car into any sort of decent performance.

Low emissions also appeal: the Toyota Camry can emit as little as 98g/km of carbon dioxide, although some versions tip over to 101g/km.

This was good news when the model was new for company drivers, but as a used car it means you pay the standard rate of £190 for road tax just the same as most other drivers.

Insuring a Toyota Camry is not any cheaper than for the likes of an equivalent Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series, with it sitting in groups 31 to 32 depending on the trim.

At least servicing costs should undercut most of its rivals thanks to the brand’s traditional excellent reliability. Using a Toyota dealer for this work can also extend the warranty up to 10 years and 100,000 miles.

Entry point to the range is the Toyota Camry Design, which features 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, power-retractable door mirrors, smart entry and push-button start, LED front and rear lights, automatic headlights and automatic wipers.

It also has automatic high beam, adaptive cruise control, black leather, Toyota Touch 2 with Go navigation, Bluetooth, plus electric and heated power-adjustable front seats.

The Toyota Camry Excel adds 18-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, LED indicators, LED rear brake lights, power-adjustable steering wheel, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rear cross traffic alert with brake assist, blind spot monitor and a wireless phone charger.