Millennial Mom’s Review: 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid

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Every once in a while, I get in a car and I’m instantly comforted by its simplicity and knowing exactly what to expect. The 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid is comfortable and simple. Not only is it a great commuter car, but it could also work as a second car for a family — although it’s a bit tight for a family of five, which I’ll detail a bit further down. 

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This 2023 Camry, like the 2022 models, uses a 2.5L engine with electric motors that produce a combined 208 horsepower. The hybrid boasts pretty impressive fuel numbers, rated at a combined 5.1 L/100 km, and has an estimated range of over 900 kilometres. Ideally, you should see some awesome savings at the gas station — though with high gas prices, you’d be lucky to see any kind of savings. My observed numbers were higher than the posted average, usually close to 7.0 L/100 km.

Granted, not only was I doing mostly city driving, but I predominantly used the Normal mode, as opposed to Eco or Sport. Hovering in the 6.0-ish L/100 km isn’t a horrible place to be, but the Sienna hybrid minivan — yes, I know it’s not meant to be compared to a sedan — has a combined fuel efficiency of 6.5 L/100 km. Just saying. To be fair, the Sienna also has a $10,000 higher starting price.

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This mid-size hybrid sedan has a starting price of $31,550, which is a bit lower than the base model of the competing Honda Accord Hybrid. This is the mid-level trim, the SE, that starts at $34,830, but the Nightshade upgrade is an additional $2,340 and includes black mirror caps and black badging. It all looks sleek if you choose it with the black paint option, but the white paint on this tester really makes those black accents pop. The bronze alloy wheels are a nice touch, and really grabbed my attention when I first saw it.

In addition to its unique exterior, the Nightshade option provides drivers with a nine-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I don’t necessarily mind plugging in to use CarPlay — despite many other vehicles offering wireless CarPlay — however, the wireless charger becomes sort of pointless, since your phone will be charging through the wire. Unless you have a passenger who needs a quick charge, the wireless charger is unnecessary.

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However, Toyota seems to have an awesome design team who clearly put some thought into the above issue, because you can push the charger out of the way and use a little storage area below it. If your phone is skinny enough (like mine) you can use the wireless charger and still access the storage; it doesn’t interfere with the charge. 

Let’s jump into the obvious shortcomings of Toyota’s infotainment screen. It sucks, we know that already. It’s pixelated and grainy and the quality just isn’t up to the standard of many, many other brands. But how much does that matter to you? 

Sure, it’s a bit weird to see the dated graphics after being in other newer cars, but at the end of the day, Toyota seems to be more focused on improving its EV offerings and continued reliability. Besides, the basic screen is so much less distracting than some of the fancy-shmancy ones. The climate control buttons are intuitive and normal; it’s not trying to be cooler than it needs to be, it’s just doing its job and it’s doing it well. 

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One thing I love about the Camry is that it feels sturdy. Some cars have a really fast pickup, and the slightest touch of the brakes jerks you forward, which could be a good thing depending on the driver and the vehicle. I wouldn’t call the Camry slow to pick up, nor would I say the brakes feel stiff, but it’s got a really good balance of being somewhere in between too quick and too stiff.

The driver’s seat is really comfortable, and the heated front seats warm up quickly to keep you nice and toasty in the winter months; the heated steering wheel is also appreciated. The front passenger’s seat should be able to comfort most passengers, despite having to manually adjust it (#FirstWorldProblems) like I had to do some 10 years ago, when I used to sit in the front passenger seat of a Camry far more often.

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Quick story: When I first met my husband, he was driving a 1998 Toyota Camry. In fact, it was in that car that I told him I was pregnant. I’ve always remembered his Camry to be larger than life, and feeling like it took up far too much space on the road. Despite the Camry gaining a few inches in height and length over the last 25 years, I don’t feel like this 2023 Camry is as big as his older one. Although, three kids will definitely make you feel like you have limited space at all times, and maybe we’ve just outgrown the Camry as a family of five. That said, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be an awesome second car — you know, for those times when I don’t need to lug all three kids around.

If required, it does fit my three car seats just the same as a smaller SUV would. It’s tight, but doable. In fact, it was easier to fit my three young kids into the Camry than it was in many of the smaller SUVs I’ve tried, such as the recently tested Nissan Kicks and Toyota Corolla Cross. Sure, SUVs are popular, but I’d pick this sedan as my second car over any of the small/compact SUVs. 

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Moving to the back, there’s a ton of space in the trunk. I love a cargo net, especially to stop a watermelon from rolling around — or anything that doesn’t need to be sliding around with every turn. The trunk easily fits a three-piece Heys luggage set, meaning a Costco trip shouldn’t be a problem.

The simplicity of this sedan is one of the reasons it’s a great family car, and assuming you already have something bigger (maybe a minivan or three-row SUV), it would make a great second car for any family. Just keep in mind that if you want to see your backup camera in high definition, this isn’t the sedan of choice. 

Now in its eighth generation, one year away from its 40th anniversary in North America, the 2023 Toyota Camry is a great option for anyone looking in this segment. I’d recommend testing it out before running towards the popular, but more expensive SUVs.