It’s easy to understand why crossovers are the new default cars. They offer the space, look, and all-wheel-drive traction of a proper SUV without any of the lumbering, inefficient drawbacks. There’s just one problem: When did they get so expensive? Base models cost what midrange ones did five years ago, and if that rubs you the wrong way, allow me to introduce the Toyota Camry SE Nightshade AWD. Not only does it promise strong value, it’s sort-of a RAV4 in disguise.
Hybrid Powertrain and Driving Impressions
- Powertrain: 2.5-liter hybrid four-cylinder
- Combined Output: 232 horsepower
- Drivetrain: Electronic on-demand AWD (rear electric motor)
- Transmission: Electronically controlled CVT (eCVT)
- 0–60 mph: ~6.8 seconds (estimated)
- Fuel Economy: up to 46 mpg / 5.1 L/100 km combined
Quicker Than You Expect
The first thing you need to know about the Camry SE Nightshade is that it uses basically the same sort of 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain as the new RAV4 and rides on the same TNGA-K architecture. Sure, it might make 232 horsepower compared to 236, but it weighs less than its crossover sibling and cuts a slipperier silhouette. The result: Even better fuel economy than the all-hybrid RAV4 and quicker acceleration. This unassuming, efficient family sedan will easily stick with an eighth-generation Honda Civic Si on a sub-seven-second drag strip run to 60 MPH, or it can kick back and return 46 MPG (5.1 L/100km) all day. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
“For a little bit more than the cheapest RAV4, you can get a Toyota Camry SE Nightshade that’s quicker, more efficient, more satisfying to drive, and vastly better equipped than a base-model crossover.”
Of course, this mid-range midsizer doesn’t just offer efficiency paired with relative swiftness. There’s an electric motor on the rear axle for enhanced low-speed traction, and while this electric all-wheel-drive system doesn’t do much at higher speeds, the chassis tuning doesn’t need it to. When it comes to steering calibration, Toyota’s given the Camry solid accuracy and pleasant weighting, while the ride quality’s as composed as a professional doorman. At the same time, this sedan’s remarkably quiet over tar strips and bumps, with a granite-stiff structure letting the suspension do its job properly and plenty of sound deadening to mute tire noise. All compelling stuff.
Related – 2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid XSE AWD Review
Interior and Technology
A Cabin That Feels Like Real Value
Inside the mid-range Camry, the impression of strong value continues. We’re talking pleather that feels close enough to the real thing, a swoosh of corded textile across the dashboard, loads of space, plenty of soft-touch surfaces, and all the tech you could really want. Heated seats? Dual-zone automatic climate control?
A digital instrument cluster and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto? You bet, and you don’t have to use the screen for everything. There’s a real volume knob, hard buttons for heating functions, and honest steering wheel buttons. Yet despite all the physical controls, you don’t feel penalized for not splashing the cash on a fully loaded model. Even though this is the mid-range trim, I only counted one blank button, and it’s to the left of the steering wheel where nobody can see it anyway.
Subtle Styling With a Hint of Nightshade Attitude
Speaking of virtual invisibility, although Toyota has gone to the effort of really styling this generation of Camry, its ubiquity prevents it from being too bold. Sure, this sporty trim has a honeycomb grille like a baleen whale and quite a few creases, but spec it in a subdued color and it’ll blend right into traffic. Probably because it’s really just a massive reworking of the old Camry. Admittedly, I’m probably not the target market for the Nightshade’s mallgoth melange of blacked-out trim bits, but skipping them saves you over a grand and still gets you a brilliantly equipped car.
Related – First Drive: 2020 Toyota Camry TRD Review
Takeaway
You probably aren’t going to put the family pet in the trunk of a new Camry, nor is it an ideal vehicle for transporting a pedal harp, but it makes a great deal of sense if you don’t need a nearly van-sized cargo space in your family car. For a little bit more than the cheapest RAV4, you can get a Toyota Camry SE Nightshade that’s quicker, more efficient, more satisfying to drive, and vastly better equipped than a base-model crossover. At $37,765 as-tested in U.S. spec or $42,147 in Canada, that’s an awfully tempting proposition. Sure, it might not have the rugged look of a crossover, but to your pocketbook, it looks like a six-to-one win.
