2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE: Premium Fuel Savings for a Changing World
Cameron Aubernon
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An excellent partner during a journey of a thousand steps.
And that journey began with moving out of the garage apartment I lived in for nearly five years into my mom’s house. I was helping to take over the mortgage payments my grandmother had made on the house she shared with my mom before dementia sent her to a nursing home (and her funds into the home’s bank account). Many of us are making lots of changes to our lives these days, and I am no exception. Automakers are also taking these kinds of journeys, most notably from traditional gas-powered cars to electric cars.
Anyway, to make the move happen, I needed a truck. One was arranged, but first, I had a job to do: pick up a Camry Hybrid and head to a drive event for a couple of days. One Uber, a one-way flight out of Roanoke, Virginia and a parking lot bus ride later, I walked over to the Supersonic Red 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE, and drove out of the Beltway to Chesapeake Beach, Maryland for the Washington Automotive Press Association Rally, set for the next day.
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The front end of the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
Fuel Savings from the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid are Needed Now More than Ever
Though fuel prices are reasonable in my Old Dominion home (for now), there are other places where a gallon of regular is nearly the same price as a venti Starbucks Frappuccino. Thus, more and more consumers are turning to hybrids to mitigate damage to their bank accounts. One such example is the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid, whose lineage traces back to the sixth-generation Camry introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2006 for the 2007 model year, sales beginning in March of 2006.
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The front seat of the Camry Hybrid. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
Three generations later, the Camry Hybrid is among a growing family of Toyota hybrids like the Prius, Venza, Crown, and even the Tundra, ready to ease everyone’s pain at the pump. For families interested in the Camry Hybrid, starting MSRP is $28,080 for the LE trim level, $33,520 for the top-tier XSE trim level. The XLE I had for a week retails for a total sticker of $39,604, thanks in large part to a pair of upgrades: A premium multimedia setup and a driver assistance package.
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Toyota Camry Hybrid wheels. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
One Tank Goes a Long way in the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE
And that’s true no matter which of the five trim levels of the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid you choose. Because there is just one drivetrain choice available: a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine paired with an electric motor and a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, which delivers 208 horsepower to the front pair of 18-inch machine-finished alloy wheels. The LE Hybrid is the most fuel efficient of the 2023 Camry Hybrid lineup, with an EPA-estimated 51 MPG in-town and 53 MPG on the highway for a combined 52 MPG average.
Rear seats in the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
The rest of the family, including my XLE Hybrid, nets 44 MPG city and 47 MPG on the open road for a combined average of about 46 MPG. At one point during the week I spent with the XLE Hybrid, I topped out at 52.6 mpg while averaging 43.1 mpg. I also only had to fill the tank to full one time, and that was after coming home from Maryland via the interstate, a five-hour, 303-mile trip (on a good day).
Ample trunk space. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
Speaking of road trips…
The back of the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE has quite a bit of space for groceries, luggage and souvenirs, coming in at 15.1 cubic feet. The rear seats can be folded via a 60/40 split rear to open up even more space for longer items, though I left such items for the truck.
My long trip necessitated a bit of rest between drives; the reclining front seats helped. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
As for the seats, the front buckets can fold all the way back into the rear passenger section for brief naps. During what felt like my millionth step in my move, I used these reclining seats twice: once in the parking garage of the Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort at Chesapeake Beach while waiting to check in to my hotel, and one more time at a rest stop around 90 minutes away from my former home. These seats were fine for what I needed, but a bed will always be better. But what is a journey without a little nap in the car?
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Apple CarPlay. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
Tech Packages Beef up an Already Fine Hybrid Package
The 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE can be ordered with a pair of packages that turn up the tech to 11: the $1,430 Driver Assist Package and the $1,760 Navigation Package. What do you get for just over $3,000? An upgrade from the Audio Plus package’s six-speaker system to a nine-speaker JBL system with subwoofer and amplifier, for starters. You also get a 10-inch color heads-up display (HUD) to keep your eyes up along any road, a panoramic view monitor, front and rear parking assist, and multi-stage ventilated front buckets.
Steering wheel and dash with that 10 inch screen. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
All of this is on top of a tech suite featuring Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ – including pre-collision with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams – plus a 7-inch TFT gauge cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa plus a three-month trial of SiriusXM Platinum. Said system also has Toyota’s Entune multimedia system, which is very long in the tooth and not pleasant at all to look at when compared to Android Automotive OS, found in all of Polestar’s models, the GMC Hummer EV and, starting in late 2023, Ford and Lincoln models.
Instrument cluster showing fuel economy. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
What this car Costs
- Toyota Camry Hybrid LE base model with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, Smart Key system with push button start, and 7-inch touchscreen with six speakers, $28,080
- Toyota Camry Hybrid SE with 18-inch black machined-finish alloy wheels, sport-tuned suspension and Sport SofTex-trimmed front buckets with 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, $29,615
- Toyota Camry Hybrid Nightshade Edition SE with 19-inch bronze alloy wheels, blacked-out trim and choice of three night-themed colors, $30,615
- Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE with Audio Plus package – featuring 9-inch touchscreen and six-speaker system – leather-trimmed front seats with heating and cooling, wireless phone charging and optional Premium Audio with Navigation and JBL 9-speaker system, $32,970
- Toyota Camry Hybrid XSE with 19-inch gloss black wheels, sport-tuned suspension, leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, and two-tone Midnight Black Metallic roof and rear spoiler, $33,520
- Power tilt/slide moonroof, $860
- Supersonic Red paint color, $425
- Driver Assist Package, $1,430
- Adaptive headlights with level control and auto on/off, $615
- Premium Audio with Navigation and JBL, $1,760
- Carpet/trunk mat set, $299
- Total sticker of test model, including delivery, processing and handling fee, $39,604
Checking out the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
What we Loved
- Hybrid’s excellent fuel economy means fewer stops for fuel at the convenience store
- Front seat backs folding all the way back into the rear passenger area good for a nap (or two)
- HUD and adaptive cruise control must-haves no matter how long or short the trip
Rear seats folded for increased trunk space. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
What you Need to Know
- If you want the most fuel economy out of the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid, the LE trim is the best option
- Bring your iPhone or Pixel and USB cable to access key phone apps via the multimedia screen
- The Camry’s multimedia system features Toyota’s older Entune system on the 7- or 9-inch touchscreen, rather than the updated multimedia system
The Camry Hybrid is just one of many hybrids on the market today that’ll make trips to the gas station less painful and less frequent in the long run. Until electrification’s challenges are resolved, the hybrid can be the way to go for this leg of the electrification journey.
Disclosure: Toyota provided the 2023 Camry Hybrid for me to test. All opinions are my own.
2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid rear 3/4 angle. Photo: Cameron Aubernon
