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Crash Course: 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Overview

• This model boasts exceptional fuel economy in a sensibly sized sedan.
• Reliable, comfortable, and spacious are all terms that come to mind when driving this vehicle.
• The 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid is reasonably priced, with a low-key demeanor.

If any sedan could be termed a “solid citizen,” it’s the 2024 Toyota Camry. Dependable, fuel efficient, spacious, comfortable, and reasonably priced, the Camry remains the one to beat. Now, if it only had more personality.

2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Look and Feel

Our team took a discerning look at the materials, compartments, and dimensions of the 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid to get a sense of how the vehicle presents visually, and how the components and materials come together to create an overall impression.

Exterior

The Toyota Camry continues to satisfy the midsize sedan needs of more than a quarter of a million Americans annually, and it remains Toyota’s best selling sedan after more than two decades. Redesigned for 2018 and modestly updated in 2021, a new model is due to arrive for the 2025 model year. So, the 2024 model sees no changes.

Whereas the Toyota Camry’s design once seemed radical, that’s no longer the case. Ian Cartabiano, the car’s designer at Toyota’s CALTY Design Research facility, said his vision for the current Camry was inspired by the form of a ballerina on a balance beam. No, I can’t see it either. Nevertheless, the Camry’s multiple caffeinated creases endow it with an energetic appearance the car has always lacked.

Our test vehicle came with the Nightshade package, which gives the sedan a bit more attitude. That’s largely thanks to its matte bronze 19-inch wheels, black front grille, rear spoiler, mirror caps, and emblems, in addition to black headlamp and taillight trim. It’s quite fetching.

Interior

There was a time when Camry interiors belied their price, but that was more than two decades ago. While that’s no longer true, material quality remains solid, although there’s more than a little charmless hard plastic, most regrettably on the side of the center console where the driver’s leg rests. Still, the instrument panel’s inventive shape endows the interior with a sensation of motion, and remains its most noticeable feature. Stitching adds effective visual interest.

Given the Camry’s lower overall height, it’s no surprise that the seating position is fairly low. Seats are fairly firm, providing good support yet proving comfortable. The driving position seems perfect, with a well-placed dead pedal to rest your left foot on. Overall, the cabin seems spacious, as does the trunk, which seems roomier than its 15.1 cubic-foot rating might suggest.

Road noise is moderate.

2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Performance

After assessing the feel and appearance of this model, our team got behind the wheel and put in some drive time in the 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid. We also utilized the tech offerings and other features to get an understanding of whether these elements are convenient and intuitive.

Powertrain

Camry LE and SE models come with a 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the Camry XLE, XSE, and TRD are equipped with a more powerful 301-horsepower V-6. Front-wheel drive is standard on all models, with all-wheel drive available on the less-powerful four-cylinder engine.

The gas-electric Hybrid is offered in entry-level LE and sporty SE variants. Buyers can step up to posher trims: the XLE offers added comfort and the XSE, enhanced sportiness. It pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Camry won’t need to be plugged in, but it doesn’t have pure electric driving range, either – although there are times when the vehicle runs solely on electric power.

If fuel economy matters more than anything else, the base LE Hybrid is your best bet, returning a remarkable 52 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Other Camry Hybrids return 46 mpg in mixed driving, which is still outstanding for the class. But be aware that the LE is shod with low rolling resistance tires. This is how it returns such high fuel economy, but the trade-off is reduced grip in inclement weather. Additionally, unlike other Toyota hybrids, lithium-ion batteries power the Camry Hybrid’s electric motor.

The light but precise steering and snappy braking add a touch of sportiness to a car that has typically been uninterested in what it means to have fun. Toyota Hybrid drivelines typically have an inherent alertness that makes up for the loss of pure speed. Then again, sportiness is a relative description for a Camry, especially with only 208 horsepower.

Features and Technology

All Camrys come equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which includes driver-assistance tech features such as a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, rear back-up camera, vehicle stability control, traction control, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, anti-lock brakes, automatic high beams, and road sign assist.

Yet considering the number of driver assistance systems that come standard, it’s unexpected that two particularly valuable driving aids – a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert – are a $600 option on the LE and SE, but standard on the XLE and XSE. While these options are well worth paying for, they should be standard on all trim levels.

When it comes to tech, you’ll know how old the Camry’s design is when you look at its center-mounted touch screen. It measures 7 inches on the LE and 9 inches elsewhere. But it’s augmented by a number of physical buttons that serve as shortcuts to the most commonly used items. Particularly helpful are the knobs for tuning and volume. Old fashioned? Perhaps, but easy to use. A six-speaker audio system is standard; a nine-speaker JBL system is offered on upper trim levels.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility are standard. You’ll need to use the USB ports if you don’t opt for the Qi wireless phone charging pad.

2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Specifications

In the table below, you’ll find manufacturer specs for the 2024 Camry SE Hybrid:

2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid: The Wrap-Up

In a world overrun by oversized, overpriced SUVs, the 2024 Toyota Camry remains what it’s always been: a reliable, roomy midsize sedan and a bargain by comparison. For buyers who view a car merely as a means of getting from “point A to point B” – also known as a transportation appliance – the Camry remains a compelling choice.

Even at its sportiest, though, a Camry is a Camry. Its excitement comes from reliability, comfort, roominess, and outstanding fuel economy. It’s not fun to drive like a Honda Accord Hybrid, although it remains a strong competitor among the shrinking number of midsize sedans.

2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid: FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about the 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid:

*Data accurate at time of publication.

Original article: 2024 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid Review