2026 Toyota Camry Reviews, Pricing & Specs

For the 2026 model year, the Camry comes in LE, SE, Nightshade Edition, XLE, and XSE trim levels. Prices range from $30,595 to $36,995, including the $1,295 destination charge.

Our test vehicle arrived in the new Nightshade Edition trim level wearing extra-cost Supersonic Red paint. It also included the Convenience Package (passive entry system, auto-dimming rear-view mirror with Homelink), the Multimedia Upgrade Package (12.3-inch touchscreen), the Preferred Package 2 (all-weather floor liners, all-weather trunk mat, cargo net, first-aid kit), wheel locks, and a rear bumper protection strip. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) came to $36,478 with destination.

For 2025, the Camry received significant updates to its styling, powertrain, and technology, but Toyota didn't do a ground-up redesign. That means the 2026 Camry can trace its lineage to the 2018 model, which is evident in the overall proportions, the door skins, and the windows. That’s why, despite well-executed front and rear styling, a new Camry looks a little old.

This year’s Nightshade Edition should prove popular thanks to its trendy satin black 19-inch wheels and gloss-black exterior detailing. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Ice Cap (white), Midnight Black, or the extra-cost Supersonic Red.

Inside, the Nightshade Edition mirrors the Camry SE with one exception: it comes only with a black interior. It looks smart, though, with Toyota’s SofTex artificial leather upholstery and matching fabric accents on the dashboard, the door panels, and the seats. Toyota adds light gray contrast stitching and seat stripes, metallic pedal covers, and piano-black dashboard trim that reminded us of a headless electric guitar.

Though it’s easy to find the typical inexpensive Toyota plastic in this car, it’s now less obvious. That makes the 2026 Camry a more pleasing place to spend time.

The Camry ditched its 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 engines as part of the 2025-model-year update, leaving a tried-and-true hybrid system as the only powertrain.

It combines a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors (one for propulsion, one a generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery pack) to produce 225 horsepower in front-wheel-drive (FWD) models. All-wheel drive (AWD) versions add a third electric motor to power the rear wheels when extra traction is required, bumping total output to 232 hp.

Fuel economy ranges from 43 mpg to 51 mpg in combined city and highway driving, depending on the trim level and drivetrain configuration. Our FWD Nightshade test car’s official EPA rating was 46 mpg, and it averaged 44.5 mpg on our new 30-mile fuel-economy test loop, which evenly splits city and highway driving. On our usual mountainous testing loop, it returned 37 mpg.

The SE, the Nightshade Edition, and the XSE have a sport-tuned suspension. Driving modes are the same across the lineup, though, and drivers can choose from Eco, Normal, Sport, and EV. The EV mode works at low speeds as long as the battery has enough charge, allowing the car to creep in traffic or look for parking at a shopping center without running the gasoline engine.

The Camry is still based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) vehicle platform introduced in 2018. Championed by the company’s then president and CEO Akio Toyoda—an avowed driving enthusiast—the TNGA platform aimed to make Toyota (and Lexus) models more pleasurable to drive, and it shows.

We’re not saying the Camry is fun, but it demonstrates a remarkable balance of ride and handling, soaking up unpleasant surface irregularities while remaining poised and predictable when hustled. In our opinion, it doesn’t offer quite the same level of communication and sophistication as its chief rival, the Honda Accord Hybrid, but it’s close enough that most people won’t notice—or care.

Not only that, but thanks to its robust electric motor, that 225–232 hp feels like more. This car is quick enough that many owners won’t wish it were quicker.

They might wish Toyota had used a traditional automatic transmission. The Japanese automaker’s hybrid system relies on a planetary gearset and the two front motors in place of a traditional transmission, an arrangement marketed as an “electronic continuously variable transmission” or “eCVT”. But the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid gets up to 51 mpg with a conventional automatic, so the efficiency payoff doesn’t seem worth the Camry’s drone under hard acceleration.

During our test drive, we switched from Normal to Sport mode for a portion of the mountain road testing. It makes the steering heavier and adds slightly quicker throttle response, but not enough to make a big difference. Paddle shifters are available, but not terribly satisfying to use.

While it’s not powerful, doesn’t ride firmly, or come equipped with performance tires, the Camry Nightshade Edition nevertheless proved deceptively fast on California’s Mulholland Highway. That TNGA platform, engineered to lower the Camry’s center of gravity, coupled with the added weight of the battery and electric-assist motor, undoubtedly contributed to how quickly the car covered ground. Not only that, but it did so effortlessly, as if the achievement were no big deal.

We still prefer the fine-tuned communication from the similarly capable Accord Sport and Touring, but the Camry isn’t far behind.

We also prefer the Honda Accord's size. It seems larger from the driver’s seat, with more passenger space in the back seat and a larger trunk. What the Accord lacks, though, are the Camry Nightshade Edition’s comfortable front seats with power height adjustment for both the driver and the passenger. In the Honda, the front passenger may feel like they’re sitting on the floor.

Not only are the Camry’s front seats more comfortable, but they’re wrapped in SofTex artificial leather with stylish fabric inserts that match those on the dashboard and the door panels. There’s also enough seat-track travel that taller people won’t feel squished behind the steering wheel as they do in the Accord. Heated front seats are available for the Nightshade Edition, but not a heated steering wheel.

The Camry’s back seat may not feel as roomy and as supportive as the Accord's, but adults will be happy enough thanks to adequate leg and foot room, decent thigh support, and a supportive backrest angle. Our Nightshade Edition also offered rear air-conditioning vents, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a center armrest with cupholders. Storage space was in short supply, though.

That’s not a problem up front, where the Camry offers large, useful places to stash things, and especially true of the huge bin beneath the padded center armrest. Notably, the front door panel pockets are shaped in a way that we suspect will make them difficult to thoroughly clean.

Trunk space is small for a midsize car, measuring only 15.1 cubic feet. Compare that to the compact Honda Civic Hybrid, which holds 14.8 cubic feet, and the Honda Accord Hybrid, which offers 16.7 cubic feet. The luggage-crusher trunk lid hinges are also a hazard when packing. Also, there’s no inside grab handle to swing the lid shut, so drivers' fingertips will get as dirty as the car.

Toyota equips the more affordable Camry models—including our Nightshade Edition test car—with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM with a three-month trial, and four of the five available connected services plans, each with complimentary subscriptions that vary in length. The only audio system for this trim level is an adequate six-speaker setup.

Our test car’s Multimedia Upgrade Package included a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The optional Drive Connect subscription (active in our test car) adds cloud-based navigation, destination assistance, and an Intelligent Assistant conversational voice recognition system. Though it sometimes had trouble hearing the wake phrase, “Hey Toyota,” the Intelligent Assistant passed nearly all of our testing prompts with flying colors.

Toyota includes a volume knob to the left of the touchscreen, but no matching radio tuning knob, even though there is room for one. Drivers can use the touch-sensing virtual buttons on the screen, buttons on the steering wheel, or Intelligent Assistant to select a station, though. That didn’t keep us from wishing for a tuning knob every time we drove the Camry.

In addition to Drive Connect, several other connected services plans are available, most with a free trial. They include Service Connect (five-year trial), Safety Connect (five-year trial), Remote Connect (one-year trial), Wi-Fi Connect (30 days or 3 GB). Drive Connect comes with a one-year trial, but only with XLE and XSE trims.

We think Safety Connect is the most important. It includes automatic collision notification, an emergency assistance button to summon help, access to roadside assistance, and a stolen vehicle locator. Remote Connect offers remote engine starting, remote door locking and unlocking, guest-driver monitoring, and car-finding capability. We like Drive Connect, too, but it doesn’t offer anything buyers can’t get via the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) is standard on every 2026 Camry and includes adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, road-sign assist, and high-beam assist. Blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe-exit warning are also standard.

Predictive Driving Assist (PDA) is also part of TSS 3.0. This technology, which can be turned on or off, actively monitors following distances and can help to avoid obstacles even when the driver is not actively using the adaptive cruise control.

Historically, we’ve found PDA intermittently helpful or irritating, depending on the vehicle and the situation. During a week driving the Camry, it wasn’t too bothersome, so we kept it active, except when hustling it on our favorite mountain roads. In that environment, it was aggravating.

During testing, a stopping assist system engaged on the freeway. Toyota doesn’t list this as a feature anywhere (we only identified it by the warning message that appeared in the instrument cluster), but apparently, when it determines the driver has become unresponsive, it disengages adaptive cruise control and begins slowing the car.

The braking event was momentary. As soon as it happened, we stepped on the accelerator pedal, which canceled the action. As far as we could tell, it happened in the first place because the Camry Nightshade Edition does not have a touch-sensing steering wheel (this is available on XLE and XSE models), so the only way the tech knows drivers are alert and paying attention is for them to make subtle steering inputs, whether they’re needed or not.

Otherwise, we have only two minor complaints about the Camry’s driving assistance tech. First, like many lane-centering systems, it sometimes chooses a line through a curve that the driver would not, so can feel unnatural and argumentative in those situations. Second, in anything more than a gentle bend in the road ahead, the adaptive cruise control scrubs off too much speed, making drivers behind unhappy.

The 2026 Camry has impressive crash-test ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives it a five-star overall rating and five-star scores in every individual assessment.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) agrees, naming the 2026 Camry a Top Safety Pick+ for the calendar year.

The past decade hasn’t been kind to the midsize family car segment. In 2016, any serious car company looking to sell vehicles in the U.S. market had one. Today, survivors include the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, the Kia K5, the Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry. Aside from the Camry, only the Accord and Sonata are available with hybrid powertrains.

Honda charges a premium for its Accord Hybrids, which start at $34,990, including destination, and doesn’t offer AWD. Shoppers can save thousands by choosing the more powerful and more efficient Camry, which also has that AWD option. Toyota doesn’t charge extra for most paint colors as Honda does, either, and the Camry has a complimentary maintenance package that lasts twice as long as the Accord’s. Toyota’s connected service plans are superior to Honda's, too, and the Accord’s IIHS safety rating falls short of the Camry's.

On the other hand, the Accord has better rear-seat room, trunk space, interior quality, and driving dynamics. Its impressive hybrid powertrain is refined and sophisticated, and combined with excellent steering and suspension tuning, it helps to make the Accord more rewarding to drive.

Hyundai offers significant value in the Sonata Hybrid. It costs a little more but is well-equipped out of the box, and Hyundai provides exceptional warranty and roadside assistance coverage for the Sonata Hybrid. It has a larger trunk than the Camry, can match the Toyota’s maximum 51 mpg rating in combined driving, and is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ for 2026.

Hyundai doesn’t charge extra for any paint colors, but does provide free lifetime access to Bluelink+ connected services for the car’s original owner, and offers a more compelling package of available safety tech. Plus, the Sonata Hybrid has a traditional automatic transmission that provides more refined driving dynamics. But the Sonata Hybrid still isn’t as enjoyable to drive as the Honda and Toyota, and isn’t available with AWD.

Any of these hybrid family cars will be a safe, fuel-efficient, and practical addition to a driveway. The Toyota Camry’s sheer ubiquity can make it seem familiar and boring, but when life is constantly throwing curveballs, a simple, frugal, and dependable car is a blessing, not a curse.