I’ve had my 2009 Prius for 9 years and 93,000 miles, and as much as I’ve enjoyed it, at 198,000 miles overall and with rust, fading paint spots, and increasing repair bills, it’s time to move on. It will find a good home being driven by a friend’s daughter who is just getting her license. So I just bought my first ever brand new car: a 2026 Toyota Camry LE. It’s still a Toyota hybrid, which means solidly reliable and good fuel economy. But it’s also more comfortable, faster, better tech, lots more safety features, way better headlights, and it looks good too! The Prius was a good car, and I have every hope that the Camry will be just as good or better 16 years from now as the Prius is today.
The Camry LE is really what the early Prius has evolved into with 53 mpg city/50 mpg highway, a 2.5L dual injection engine and a lithium-ion battery that is actually safe to use. All in an entry level model with high end safety tech and carplay.
Enjoy your Camry. Almost a year ago I bought a 2025 Camry XLE after my 2017 Prius was totalled by a 4Runner. IMine is only rated at 48 mpg but the ride comfort over the Prius Two is worth it. I found i did not get really decent economy until after about 1300 miles. Unfortunately, there is not much here for the Camry Hybrid. I hang out (with a different username) on ToyotaNation 9th Gen Camry. https://www.toyotanation.com/forums/camry-9th-gen-hybrid-2025.1126/ Just be cautious. Some people have has issues with noisy front axles & bearings. Mine has been OK but I am not convinced they have narrowed down or remedied the underlying issue.
congrats! we love our '24 camry. only issue for me is the low roof line that i keep hitting my head on, getting in and out. but i'm old, and not as agile as i used to be. all the best!
Yours is a hybrid too, correct? Since 2025 model year, all Camry are hybrid.Some of us short people di not have the roofline issue, but mty short-legged wife has issues with the extended "ground effect" molding under the doors. I would rather that not be there & the sensor laden glass jaw hanging out in front, is far from ieal.
I just joined the Toyota Nation forums for the 9th gen Camry, also under a different username than I use here. It seems to be the most active forum for the current gen Camry. Thanks for the recommendation! I haven’t heard anything unusual happen with the car to date, but I’ve also only had it for a week. If I start to hear anything strange, I’ll get it checked out. I’ve seen others say the same thing about fuel economy. Over the first 150 miles so far, I’m averaging about the same as my Prius: between 44-45 miles per gallon. Presumably, that will increase closer to the advertised fuel economy of around 50 mpg after the break in period.
For my 2025 Camry XLE rated at 48 mpg, I did not really start seeing proper mileage until after about 1300 miles. They say the engine only needs 600 miles for break in so I assume the remainder is the system adjusting to how its particular set of components interoperate. I believe the Camry has a separate noisemaker somewhere under the trunk for reverse driving. It is noticeable inside the cabin. My cat was assembled the first week of November last year so I have slightly more experience. Now almost 7K miles. I avoided the LE because of my poor ride experience with my 2017 Prius 2 and I was able to afford a better ride for my wife's cancer journey.I got a fairly reasonable insurance payout to scrap the Prius after it was hit by a 4Runner. Over there, I am bwosborne.
EPA tests are done with about 4000 miles of wear on the tires. That is where most of the break for fuel economy is.
depends on your driving, and the wheel size. we're getting around 48mpg in our '24, including two trips to florida. only 12,000 miles in 2 years.
I test drove both the SE and the LE, and chose the LE because I could still get the features I wanted (AWD, cold weather package) and the difference in ride quality wasn’t significant to me. The seat in my LE is comfortable enough for me. My username on Toyota Nation is Minnesota Ice
You likely would have seen the XSE and XLE have more differences. Test drives do not always point that out. I did not notice the ride quality issues with my 2017 Prius Two on a test drive, but the subsequent 2 hour drive home made it noticeable. The SE is supposed to have a "sportier" ride qialuty. Glad the Le is working out for you.
Thanks! I looked at the higher trim models, but decided what they added wasn’t worth the added price for me. There’s a $15,000 delta between the least and most expensive versions of the Camry, and I wanted to be closer to the lower end.
Congrats! We looked at the Camry Hybrids last year when my wife wanted to give her 2017 Prius to our daughter. But she's a petite french gal and thought they were a bit too big. (I loved it but really wanted her to pick the Corolla Cross, but she did not.) Anyway, she ended up getting a Corolla Hybrid AWD SE and it's a great car. I did do a break-in oil change at 500 miles after seeing all these Toyota motor issues the past 5-years and change it every 6-months, regardless of mileage. (She, still, has under 5,000 miles.) We did not like that the AWD doesn't have a spare tire so I bought one and put it in the trunk for her.
My mom has a Corolla Hybrid and really likes it. I hope your wife likes hers as well! I’m planning to do a break in oil change at 1000 miles. Currently the Camry is a bit over 200 miles and about halfway through its first tank of gas, according to the estimated miles left.
