Toyota Camry: Top Alternatives for 2023

Rich Taber

Rich Taber has nearly three decades of professional writing experience including eight years as an automotive columnist for The Standard-Times newspaper, seven years on staff at WheelsTV as a scriptwriter, production manager, and editorial vice-president, and five years as CEO of RPM News Weekly. He has written extensively for numerous regional and local publications and developed public relations products for many non-profit organizations. Having studied both engineering and liberal arts at the University of Notre Dame and worked in audio/visual services, electronic sales, graphic design, and event and entertainment production, he brings a well-balanced skill set to his automotive writing.

With good reason, the Toyota Camry has long set the benchmark by which other midsize sedans are measured. It’s reliable, comfortable, fuel-efficient, and, perhaps most importantly, affordable.

Yet, in a marketplace where sedans in general no longer occupy the top spot in sales volume, has the Camry maintained its appeal? Are other automakers keeping up with the leader?

Let’s compare four alternatives to the Camry and see.

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Toyota Camry Weaknesses

The Takeaway: Offering five trims that can be configured with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, plus three V6-powered editions, and five hybrid trim variants, the Camry shows no signs of cutting back, nor would it need to.

Toyota Camry vs. Competitors

1. Hyundai Sonata

The interior of the Sonata is generally comparable to the Camry’s, even though the driver and front passenger enjoy a bit more room for their legs, head, and shoulders in the Sonata. Consequently, this comes with a small expense to rear seat leg comfort. Nevertheless, its larger passenger volume gives the Hyundai offering a more spacious feel.

Features-wise, as you move up through the trims, you’ll find matchups for amenities such as leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, and a head-up display. However, a power-adjustable driver’s seat and dual-zone automatic climate control are not standard as it is in the Camry. To its credit, the Sonata excels in its presentation of driver information, providing a 12.3-inch gauge cluster display and a brilliant 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen in the upper trims.

Performance is on par for this class, though we’re not convinced that the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine even needs to be in the lineup. Sure, it gives a little more pickup than the naturally aspirated base 2.5-liter engine, but there’s no advantage in horsepower or fuel economy. For raw power, the turbo 2.5-liter engine in the N Line editions is the star and competes well against the Camry’s V6 engine. Neither are nearly as fuel-efficient as their respective hybrid entries which are close to equal in tailpipe emissions.

The Takeaway: The Sonata easily has all the tools to compete with the Camry, and in some ways has gone the extra mile to outdistance it with better information and communication interfaces.

Current Hyundai Sonata Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Hyundai deals and average prices paid.

2. Subaru Legacy

Subaru has led the way for all-wheel drive equipped family cars, so it should be no surprise that of all the vehicles in this comparison, the Subaru Legacy is the only one that comes standard with all-wheel drive. Still, this is noteworthy and earns bonus points for safety despite the small fuel economy deduction the system incurs.

Offered with a 2.5-liter boxer engine that is rated to get 35 mpg on the highway, or a turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer engine that manages 32 mpg, the Legacy stays in the thick of competition for fuel economy with all rival models listed here except the hybrids. Even so, there are distinct advantages to its unique use of horizontally opposed four-cylinder engines, notably the contribution to the vehicle’s low center of gravity which improves vehicle stability and handling.

Clearly, the Legacy is focused on safety. It is one of three vehicles on our list to earn the coveted IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus designation for 2022. All trims benefit from the brand’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology which includes pre-collision braking to automatically apply the brakes in emergencies. The system also features advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering. In addition, all trims except the base get an 11.6-inch touchscreen, making it easier and safer to use navigation and select infotainment services.

The Takeaway: It may not be one of the popular kids on the block, but the Legacy deserves more attention. It competes well in so many important categories – safety, fuel economy, technology. Plus, it’s pricing isn’t inflated by having standard all-wheel drive.

Current Subaru Legacy Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Subaru deals and average prices paid.

3. Honda Accord

Of all the Camry rivals in this comparison, the Accord competes most closely in sales. This is not surprising given that its reputation for reliability is legendary. Plus, the two vehicles are a close matchup going feature to feature. Even so, two important areas of differentiation are interior space and performance configurations.

The Accord logs 105.6 cubic feet of passenger volume (a bit less in models with a sunroof) and 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space, both parameters exceed that of the Camry. For passengers, the differences are most notable in front headroom and rear leg and shoulder room. Although, what may be more of a convenience than having an extra inch of headroom is the ability to wirelessly connect mobile phones to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – something that the current generation Camry lacks. You’ll have to go up a few notches from the base Accord trim to get this feature, but you’ll be getting other luxuries like heated seats and wireless phone charging as well.

As for powertrain configurations, the Accord does not have an all-wheel drive option. This might not be a deal breaker for many drivers, but for those who live in northern climates that experience frequent snowfall, it’s a real safety advantage. In fact, all-wheel drive is a safety advantage anywhere that gets precipitation.

The Takeaway: The Accord presents the most direct challenge to the Camry’s dominance in this class. It has few shortcomings, in general, and makes good use of advanced communication and safety technologies starting at the entry level and even more so in the higher trims.

Current Honda Accord Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Honda deals and average prices paid.

4. Chevrolet Malibu

The biggest obstacle the Malibu faces in this competitive set is that it offers so few choices. Otherwise, its four trim lineup presents a worthy challenge to the leaders in the midsize sedan arena. It’s roomy, priced economically, and offers strong performance at the high end of its lineup.

On the low-end, however, the Malibu’s turbo four-cylinder engine, while as fuel-efficient as other small gasoline engines in this category, doesn’t keep pace on the horsepower side of the competition. Nevertheless, Chevrolet makes up ground for this shortcoming with a robust interior feature set that includes wireless connection to mobile phone apps even in the entry level LS.

In addition, conveniences such as capless fuel fill, push-button start, Wi-Fi hotspot capability and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen are included on every trim. On the safety front, it does earn good marks for crashworthiness, and crash avoidance and mitigation, but the automated advanced systems are relegated to the optional Driver Confidence Packages. For parents with teenage drivers, the Malibu comes with a configurable feature that can limit certain vehicle systems to help encourage better driving behavior.

The Takeaway: The Malibu is the outlier in this comparison of midsize vehicles, but if one digs deep into the modest lineup and springs for a few options one could be rewarded with a safe, comfortable, well-equipped vehicle that doesn’t cost a bundle to own.

Current Chevrolet Malibu Deals & Incentives

You may qualify for additional deals and incentives, check out this month's Chevy deals and average prices paid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vehicle is the best alternative to the Toyota Camry?

There is no single answer. The place to start is to ask yourself why you are seeking an alternative to the Camry. Our comparison of four alternatives to the Camry will give you a way to assess some of the differences between the competitive rivals and then determine the most appealing attributes as you narrow down your choices.

Which advanced safety technologies should I look for in a midsize vehicle?

A few technologies that have made driving much safer include forward collision mitigation/automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic detection, and rear parking assist. Some of these features may be included depending on the trim or are available as options.

Does the Camry get better mileage on the highway than its competitors?

Here, you’ll have to compare apples to apples. Not every vehicle in our comparison of Camry alternatives offers a hybrid model. For a long-distance commuter (45-miles or more each way), a hybrid vehicle will offer you the best mileage. Of the hybrid vehicles compared, the Hyundai Sonata Blue, at 54 miles-per-gallon, has the highest highway fuel economy rating.

Has the styling changed on the latest Camry model?

No. The current generation of the Camry was introduced for the 2018 model year. This year’s model has added standard dual-zone climate control, heated side mirrors for the LE and SE, and an SE Nightshade Edition.