2026 Toyota Camry Trim Matchup: Base LE Vs. Flagship XSE originally appeared on Autoblog.
Base Camry offers unbeatable value, while top model threatens some premium models
Although still early in its life, it’s safe to say that the all-new Toyota Camry has been a success. Not only is this hybrid-only sedan highly efficient and good to drive, but it has been performing well on the sales charts, too. If you’re considering a new Camry, you may wonder which of the four trims is best. We’ve already compared the lower two trims, but how different is the entry-level LE to the top-spec XSE, and is the latter worth its $6,200 price premium? Let’s find out.
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Camry LE Vs. XSE Pricing
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We’ll start by looking at the pricing of the 2026 Toyota Camry. It starts at $29,000 for the base LE and goes all the way up to $36,725 for the XSE AWD. Between these trims, there is the SE ($31,300), Nightshade Edition ($32,300), XLE ($34,000), and XSE ($35,200). All these trims are available with AWD.
Even after its 2026 price increase, the base Camry LE is tremendous value, but the range-topping XSE adds a number of desirable amenities, aesthetic upgrades, and tech features. Surprisingly, the driving experience is also markedly improved.
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Design: Rental Car Vibes Vs. Near-Premium Appeal
Sitting on rather small 16-inch wheels and with white paint (other colors are available), the base Camry LE does look a little plain. The XSE immediately makes a better first impression with its 19-inch wheels, a color-keyed sport mesh front grille, gloss-black air curtains, a black rear spoiler, and a color-keyed rear sport lower diffuser.
Bi-LED projector headlights are standard on the LE, while the range-topping XSE gets dual LED headlights, premium LED taillights, and a sportier exhaust with dual chrome tips. Although not visible to the naked eye, acoustic noise-reducing front side glass helps to keep noise levels lower in the XSE.
The LE is available with a few more interesting colors than the white pictured above, but only the XSE gets access to a color palette with a black contrast roof.
These changes don’t necessarily make the XSE a better car, but it looks a lot better than the basic LE.
Interior: It’s Easy To See Where The Extra Cash Goes
All new Camrys get a smartly designed and practical cabin, but there are substantial differences between the base LE and the range-topping XSE.
The LE is the only Camry trim with fabric-trimmed seats and manual adjustment for the driver’s seat, whereas the XSE gets genuine leather upholstery, eight-way powered front seats, and standard heated seats. Touchpoints like the steering wheel and shift knob have a leather covering in the XSE. In the XSE, you also get the option of a Cockpit Red interior, a much more expressive look than the LE’s black or grey interior colors.
Other features you get as standard on the XSE but which are not available for the LE include the following:
Aluminum sport pedals
Paddle shifters
White LED ambient interior lighting
12.3-inch touchscreen
12.3-inch digital gauge cluster
The LE has a smaller eight-inch touchscreen and seven-inch digital gauge cluster. On the options list, the LE can’t be equipped with features like ventilated front seats, a head-up display, a panoramic glass roof, or the upgraded nine-speaker JBL sound system, all of which are available on the XSE.
It’s inside where one can most tell the difference between the base Camry and the top-of-the-range model.
Safety Equipment
The LE matches the XSE in terms of the standard specification. Both trims come standard with eight airbags, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian detection, radar-based cruise control, lane departure alert, road sign assist, and more.
The main difference exists on the options list. Here, you can upgrade the XSE with advanced features such as traffic jam assist, a surround-view monitor, lane change assist, front/rear parking assistance, and front cross-traffic alert. None of these are available on the XSE.
Performance: Same Performance, But LE Is More Efficient Than XSE
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Both the Camry LE and Camry XSE are equipped with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid engine. It produces 225 horsepower with front-wheel drive or 232 hp with all-wheel drive, so straight-line performance is comparable regardless of whether you go for the base model or the top one. All models have an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.
In our review, we found the Camry to be an excellent drive. The powertrain is quiet and the gas engine kicks in more smoothly than before. There is more of a difference between the LE and XSE when the road begins to twist, though, as only the latter gets sport-tuned shocks and springs.
Whereas the LE prioritizes comfort, the XSE remains tolerable on rough roads but exhibits much tauter steering. Turn-in is more responsive and its body stays flatter through corners, so the XSE is the easy pick for more enthusiastic drivers.
Due to its lower weight and smaller wheels, the LE is more efficient, though. With FWD, the base trim gets 53/50/51 mpg city/highway/combined, a superb effort for a spacious sedan. AWD drops that to 51/49/50 mpg. In the sportier XSE, expect 48/47/47 mpg with FWD and 44/43/44 mpg with AWD. When both are equipped with FWD, the LE will get an extra 52 miles per tank, which isn’t insignificant.
Final Thoughts
You can easily make a case for the base Camry or its fully loaded sibling. The LE is incredibly efficient, yet has the same outputs as the pricier XSE. Toyota has also done a good job of equipping the LE with all the essential tech features, whereas the nice-to-haves are reserved for the XSE.
The range-topping Camry looks and feels like a much more premium product, and even though it has the same power, we were surprised at how much more engaging it was to drive than the LE.
Many top-spec trims come across as superfluous, but that’s not the case with the Camry XSE. If you can afford the price bump, it’s still a bargain when compared to base midsize sedans from luxury brands.
2026 Toyota Camry Trim Matchup: Base LE Vs. Flagship XSE first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 16, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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