Nissan Won't Like The Toyota Camry's Performance And Efficiency

Nissan Won't Like The Toyota Camry's Performance And Efficiency originally appeared on Autoblog.

Shrinking midsize sedan segment gets heated

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade, you’ve probably noticed that the midsize family sedan is becoming a rarity on dealer lots. With just seven models hitting showroom floors for the 2025 model year, pickings are getting pretty slim. As the competition grows narrower, however, rivalries get even fiercer, especially since the Toyota Camry’s latest updates put it ahead of adversaries like the Nissan Altima.

The Toyota Camry combines performance and efficiency

When it comes to efficiency and performance, the 2025 Toyota Camry dominates all other models. Available from $28,700, the redesigned midsize sedan boasts a hybrid powertrain that consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, eCVT, and front-wheel drive. That combination produces 225 horsepower and earns up to an EPA-estimated 53 mpg in the city and 55 mpg on the highway.

With the Camry’s redesign came the availability of an all-wheel drivetrain, which adds a third electric motor to the setup. Opting for AWD bumps performance up to 232 horsepower. When equipped with AWD, the Camry is rated for 51 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway and sees an additional $1,525 added to the price tag.

Priced from $27,430, the Nissan Altima comes equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and CVT, producing 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. When paired with FWD, the Altima earns up to 27 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway, which isn’t bad efficiency on its own. That’s comparable to the gas-powered Honda Accord’s 29 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

Notably, the Nissan Altima features optional AWD on all trims but the base Altima S. Unlike in the Camry, however, upgrading to AWD reduces performance to 182 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. Efficiency drops as well, with an Altima SV AWD earning up to 25 mpg and 34 mpg in the city and on the highway, respectively. Adding AWD to the midsize sedan increases the price by $1,500. Notably, the Nissan Altima also isn’t available with a hybrid powertrain of any sort, a major disadvantage when compared to rivals like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord Hybrid.

Five midsize sedans are available with AWD

We’re fairly used to AWD in crossovers and SUVs, and that upgrade has trickled down to a majority of midsize family sedans. Of the seven midsize sedans available for the 2025 model year, five of them are available with AWD. The Chevrolet Malibu and Honda Accord are the notable outliers, with front-wheel drive standing out as the sole drivetrain.

Discounting the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, the remaining sedans available with AWD are the Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata, and Subaru Legacy. Of those, only the Subaru Legacy comes with AWD as the sole drivetrain. Perhaps on a rather disappointing note for some, Subaru’s midsize offering is one of the two models taking its final bow before setting off into the sunset. The other is, albeit rather unsurprisingly, the Chevrolet Malibu.

While there are five midsize sedans available with AWD, none of them come with a hybrid powertrain. The Kia K5, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, and Subaru Legacy all come stocked with a standard internal combustion engine (ICE). The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid both come with FWD as the sole drivetrain. The Toyota Camry is the only midsize sedan to offer both a hybrid powertrain and optional AWD.

Final thoughts

With two more midsize sedans set to say their farewells in the coming months, things are looking better and better for the remaining models. With its redesign for the 2025 model year, the Toyota Camry has raised the bar for what consumers should expect of a midsize sedan. Its practical, yet attractive design, competitive pricing, and impressive combination of performance and efficiency make the Camry a tough contender to beat. Tacking on the availability of AWD is the cherry on top that truly puts the Camry in a league of its own.

Nissan Won't Like The Toyota Camry's Performance And Efficiency first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 5, 2025

This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.