2019 Toyota Camry Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byTravis LangnessReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　

What's new

New Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibilityPart of the eighth Camry generation introduced for 2018

　　Crossover SUVs might be all the rage, but there is still something to be said for the tried-and-true midsize sedan. Exhibit A: the 2019 Toyota Camry. Coming off a redesign just last year, the Camry is a spacious, fuel-efficient sedan with lots of standard safety equipment and plenty of options to choose from.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Toyota Camry L 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$110/mo  for Camry L

　　Camry L

　　L 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) - $24,095 MSRPLE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) - $24,600 MSRPSE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) (Most Popular) - $25,800 MSRPXLE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) - $29,175 MSRPXLE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A) - $34,300 MSRPXSE 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 8A) - $29,725 MSRPXSE 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A) - $34,850 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　As has been the case for a while, you can get the Camry with a four-cylinder engine or a more powerful V6, or you can get the miserly Camry Hybrid. On the highway, the Camry is comfortable and compliant. Toyota also offers two sporty versions that infuse the Camry with a bit of extra personality. Inside, the Camry offers a simple yet feature-packed cabin, especially if you go with one of the upper trim levels. There are plenty of options to choose from along the way.

　　The 2019 Toyota Camry is as competent as they come. It's well-priced on the whole, and modern feature content makes it supremely easy to drive. If you're looking for something with a bit more class and space than a small sedan, the Toyota Camry might just be the sedan for you.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 Camry as one of zzdcar' Camry Hybrid for this year.

　　

What's it like to live with?

Because of its thoroughly overhauled cabin and redesigned exterior, the eighth-generation Toyota Camry was an interesting addition to our long-term vehicle testing program. We bought a 2018 Camry in the sporty SE trim and tested it for more than a year. To learn what it was like to live with, read our Camry Hybrid, where we covered everything from seat comfort to fuel economy. Note that the 2019 Camry differs slightly from last year's model, which did not have Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, but our coverage is otherwise applicable.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

7.6 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Toyota Camry XLE (2.5L 4-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD).

　　NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2018, the current Camry has received some revisions, including the addition of Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Our findings remain applicable to this year's Camry, however.

　　

Scorecard

Overall	7.6 / 10
Driving	7.5
Comfort	7.5
Interior	8.0
Utility	8.5
Technology	6.5

　　

Driving

7.5

　　This generation Camry has more spirit than its predecessor, which is most apparent in its more refined steering and handling. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder provides adequate power for most situations, and its eight-speed automatic transmission is well-mannered.

　　

Acceleration

7.0

　　Rev up the four-cylinder engine and it accelerates adequately. At our test track, our test car went 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds. It's a willing engine, but it can sometimes feel lackluster at low rpm or around town. The pricey V6 option is a luxury, not a necessity.

　　

Braking

7.5

　　It's easy to modulate the brakes, and the pedal effort is appropriate for this class of car. It's not too firm or mushy. In our testing, the Camry stopped from 60 mph in 122 feet, an average result.

　　

Steering

7.5

　　The steering is suitably direct and well-weighted, with good on-center feel. It's not exactly sporty in terms of feeling the grip at the front tires, but it's certainly keener than previous Camrys. Sport mode makes the steering unnecessarily heavy.

　　

Handling

7.5

　　Handling is well-mannered within modest limits. It feels tidy for a car of its size in this class. Body roll isn't excessive, though it bobs vertically on bumpy, twisting roads more than we'd like. At modest cornering speeds, there's quite a bit of tire howl. The Camry SE versions provide sportier handling with a minimal loss of ride comfort.

　　

Drivability

8.5

　　The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and quickly. Press on the gas at a stoplight and the Camry moves off with no lurchiness or pregnant pauses, making for a pleasant, innocuous driving experience.

　　

Comfort

7.5

　　The Camry's big, comfortable seats, smooth ride and powerful climate control mean a pleasant experience for passengers of most sizes. But the Camry's a bit on the noisy side, with a prominent engine buzz when accelerating and noticeable wind and road noise at freeway speeds.

　　

Seat comfort

7.5

　　At first sit, the front seats feel flat, wide and overly cushioned. However, this initial impression dissolves quickly because long-trip comfort proves excellent. The back seat is upright with a flat bottom and modestly contoured seatback.

　　

Ride comfort

7.5

　　The Camry is buttoned-down for the most part. Typical pavement bumps, whether large or small, are soaked up nicely. The ride is never what we'd call wallowy or floaty, but it can exhibit some excessive vertical ride motions on bumpy roads.

　　

Noise & vibration

6.0

　　The Camry is not a serenely quiet car. The engine can be buzzy and coarse during acceleration, but it does fade into the background when cruising. There's a whiff of wind noise and some tire-related road noise, too.

　　

Climate control

7.5

　　With two knobs for temperature and buttons for other controls, the Camry has a simple and straightforward layout for its climate controls. The system cools down the cabin effectively, even in triple-digit heat. That it operates very quietly makes it even better. The back seat gets two vents as part of an option package.

　　

Interior

8.0

　　The Camry's cabin won't wow you with its opulence, but it does get the fundamentals right. The driver's seat will satisfy a truly broad range of sizes and shapes, and the cabin is spacious. And with easy-to-decipher controls, the Camry is a cinch to live with on a daily basis.

　　

Ease of use

8.0

　　The Camry doesn't make anything a mystery. The clear, large gauges and simple, well-labeled buttons make it intuitive for anyone to operate. The radio volume and tuning knobs are easy for the driver to reach, but they are a bit of a stretch for the passenger.

　　

Getting in/getting out

8.0

　　Typical of Toyotas, the Camry is easy to get into and out of. It has very light doors, narrow sills and sizable door openings.

　　

Driving position

8.0

　　Taller drivers will be pleased with the reach of the telescoping wheel. A generously sized driver footwell and an appropriate distance from the steering wheel to the pedals and seat make the Camry very comfortable to pilot.

　　

Roominess

8.5

　　The cabin feels airy with ample headroom and legroom for 6-plus-footers. Although there's plenty of legroom for 6-footers, their heads may brush up on the roof a little.

　　

Visibility

8.5

　　A low-ish beltline and slim roof pillars aid the view forward and out the front side windows. There is decent visibility over your shoulder and out the back window, too. An optional top-view camera system provides a clear and comprehensive depiction of the surroundings.

　　

Quality

8.0

　　Soft-touch surfaces abound, and they look and feel good. Its design and variety of textures won't be mistaken for those of a luxury car, but they're attractive without sacrificing functionality.

　　

Utility

8.5

　　As sedans go, the Camry's stuff-hauling credentials are pretty solid. The cargo area is large and opens wide, plus the back seat is easy to fold down to fit longer items. There are enough cabin storage options to make most people happy. Loading a car seat is straightforward, too.

　　

Small-item storage

7.0

　　Cabin storage is good but not stellar. The forward center console bin is great for concealing items but has a hard, slippery floor, so they slide around noisily. The console bin at your elbow is a decent size, and there are modest door pockets in the front and rear that are good for small water bottles only.

　　

Cargo space

9.0

　　The Camry has a large trunk, and the 60/40-split folding back seat with trunk-mounted release handles make it easy to expand the space. Loading groceries or luggage is helped out by the wide opening and a low liftover height.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

8.5

　　It's very easy to mount a car seat, with obvious and easily accessible lower anchors and package tray-mounted tether point, both under plastic covers. There's enough space so that the front seat need not be scooted all the way forward.

　　

Technology

6.5

　　All Camrys have an impressive suite of standard driver assistance features, but some are too sensitive or cannot be turned off completely. Built-in navigation is largely unavailable. That said, the audio system is quite easy to learn and use.

　　

Audio & navigation

5.0

　　The audio system layout is simple and effective, with chunky, well-labeled buttons and a clear display even in direct sun. However, built-in navigation is hard to get on the Camry. On most models, Toyota instead forces you to pair a phone via the Entune app and then use the approved Scout GPS Link app to get navigation.

　　

Smartphone integration

6.0

　　Bluetooth audio is straightforward, but Toyota's Entune system requires that the user pairs Bluetooth and connect a cord to use all its features. It feels clunky at first but reconnects quickly on subsequent visits. Apple CarPlay is standard this year, but Android Auto is not available.

　　

Driver aids

7.0

　　Its many standard driver aids are impressive: adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. But the lane departure warnings are overly sensitive and cannot be turned off. Pre-collision system proved too sensitive during routine parking maneuvers and certain acceleration events.

　　

Voice control

7.5

　　Voice commands work well if you go through the setup process that teaches the car your speech patterns. Or you can use Siri Eyes Free on your paired smartphone by pressing and holding the voice button. It's a good alternative, and you don't have to run the Entune app to make it work.

　　

Which Camry does zzdcar recommend?

　　Get the midlevel SE trim. The SE has a sport-tuned suspension for better handling. Don't worry about a stiff ride, though — the SE is still relatively comfortable on the road. The SE is also a good bargain considering all the safety and tech equipment you get for the money. Finally, the SE is available with a wide range of options, so you can pick and choose which ones are right for your budget.

　　

2019 Toyota Camry models

　　The 2019 Camry is available in five different trim levels: L, LE, SE, XSE and XLE. The differences among them chiefly boil down to features, with the exception of the SE and the XSE that also include a sportier suspension. All trims come standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 203 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque (add 3 hp and 2 lb-ft for XSE models). Optional on the XLE and the XSE is a 3.5-liter V6 (301 hp, 267 lb-ft). Every Camry comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

　　

Toyota Camry L

The Camry L is the base trim. It comes with a relatively light load of features that includes 16-inch steel wheels, automatic LED headlights, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver's seat, a rearview camera, keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen interface, navigation (GPS Scout Link), Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa connectivity, one USB port, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a six-speaker sound system.

　　Standard on every Camry is Toyota Safety Sense, which is a suite of driver assistance features including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert with steering assistance, and automatic high beams.

　　

Toyota Camry LE and SE

On the next rung up the ladder is the LE. It adds a power-adjustable driver's seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 60/40-split folding back seat and a car alarm. For a sporty dynamic, look at the SE. It adds a sport-tuned suspension, revised steering calibration, 18-inch wheels, simulated-leather upholstery (SofTex) seats and paddle shifters.

　　

Toyota Camry XLE and the XSE

You can think of the XLE and the XSE trim levels as versions of the LE and the SE, respectively, with a variety of additional comfort and convenience items. Highlights include larger wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, a head-up display, blind-spot monitoring, keyless ignition, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, extra USB ports, a bigger 8-inch touchscreen, and wireless smartphone charging.

　　Many of the features found on the upper trim levels can be added to the lower trim levels as options. Other notable options include a sunroof, a JBL sound system combined with a built-in navigation system, a head-up display, and a top-down parking camera system.

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2019 Camry Highlights

Trim: LLESEXLEXSEL

　　

Base MSRP	$24,095
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	34 MPG
Cost to Drive	$110/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	14.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles