2023 Camry Hybrid brings smoothness, power, comfort to the HEV game

2023 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited vs. 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XSE: Hybrid sedan battle.

This week: Toyota Camry Hybrid

Price: $38,254. Cold-weather package heated the steering wheel for $150, and carpets and mats added $299. More noted below.

Conventional wisdom: Motor Trend likes the “good fuel economy, abundant safety features, sharp Nightshade Edition” but not that “rivals have better handling, so-so interior design not particularly quick.”

Marketer’s pitch: “More power to you.”

Reality: As smooth as a Camry, and XSE trim adds some fun.

Catching up: In our last episode, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid appeared to have fallen a few notches from earlier versions and is now rough on acceleration and shifting and no fun to handle. But it was spacious for passengers.

Competition: In addition to the Sonata, there’s the Honda Insight, Honda Accord Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Kia Niro, and Hyundai Ioniq.

What’s new: The XSE Hybrid was new for the 2021 model year. It’s a sporty-looking and sportier-tuned trim level available across much of the corporate lineup. The hybrid adds in a regenerative motor to boost fuel economy, but without a plug-in option. It’s previously worked wonders on the Corolla in Mr. Driver’s Seat tests.

Up to speed: The Camry Hybrid features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine combined with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system that creates a combined 208 horsepower. It gets to 60 mph in a fairly slow 7.4 seconds, according to Motor Trend, but that’s more than half a second faster than the dogged Sonata Hybrid of last week.

Shiftless: The continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the Camry Hybrid provides the smoothness that Toyota is known for, which means is has it all over the shaky Sonata in this department, as well. Paddle shifters allow for “gear” changing.

On the road: We had the opportunity to put the Camry Hybrid through its paces: We brought it home upon landing at Newark Airport, then visited Sturgis Grandma 1.0 up north, and also had a 40-mile trip to Center City. The sedan is a delight on the highway, smooth and powerful, easily passing other cars in a hurry and rushing to very un-hybrid-like speeds when needed. This is not Grandpa’s Prius.

But the Camry Hybrid continues proving what the XSE package offers on country roads, as well. It isn’t exactly fun on the tight curves, but it is smooth and sure, with not a bit of lean even when you let yourself get a little out of hand.

Driver’s Seat: The leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats looked and felt very firm and Mazda-like upon first sit. (The cooling feature comes as part of the $1,430 Driver Assist package.) But even after all those miles, Mr. Driver’s Seat’s seat never felt sore or tired. The Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat backed this up, as well, because she was along for most of those rides.

The Toyota experience is becoming more pleasant because of a clear dashboard loaded with information that’s easy to find and control.

Friends and stuff: The rear seat is not what I’d call spacious. It’s not bad, with tolerable foot room, legroom and headroom, but there’s not a lot of extra space. Sturgis Kid 4.0 spent a lot of time there and found it unremarkable. Advantage, Sonata.

Cargo space is 15.1 cubic feet. The rear seat does not fold down, something that happens occasionally in hybrid sedans, as the batteries get in the way. Additional advantage, Sonata.

Play some tunes: The 9-inch touchscreen stands like an iPad in the center of the dashboard. It’s easy to navigate and operate. Dials also provide added control for volume and tuning, and buttons outside the touchscreen make getting around the features even easier. This is a really winning system.

Sound from the premium audio with nine JBL speakers ($1,760) was pretty good, about a B+ or A-. It plays some songs just right, but it doesn’t have the extra touch you might find in the Mazda CX-50 or Honda Odyssey.

Keeping warm and cool: Dials control the temperature, and buttons control fan speed and air source. The display is also clear and easy to follow.

Fuel economy: The Camry XSE Hybrid averaged 40 mpg in a high-speed, hard-acceleration test. Most drivers will be able to get at least 10% better in either hybrid, I imagine.

Where it’s built: Georgetown, Ky.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Camry Hybrid reliability to be a 4 out of 5.

In the end: Unless you absolutely need superior rear passenger room and a rear seat that folds down, there just aren’t a lot of reasons to pick the Sonata Hybrid.