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The Toyota Camry is a stalwart in midsize family sedans. Ever since it hit the U.S. market in 1983, the Camry has been one of the most trusted names in its class. It earned this reputation with a proven track record for reliability, safety, and overall practicality that almost no other car can match.

As for the reliability factor, the Camry upholds its sterling reputation.

The Toyota Camry is the most reliable car in its class

The Toyota Camry gets the highest score in “Quality & Reliability” in its class from J.D. Power. In this critical category, the Toyota scores an 88 out of 100. J.D. Power says this score “measures the level of defects, malfunctions, and design flaws experienced by vehicle owners” and that it “covers the entire vehicle from engine to infotainment system.”

The following highest scores in this category for midsize sedans are the Kia K5 and Chevrolet Malibu. They both scored 85 out of 100. Surprisingly, the Camry’s closest rival, the Honda Accord, has one of the lower scores in this segment. It gets an excellent overall score of 81 out of 100 but only an 80 in the “Quality & Reliability” ranking. That’s a tie with the Subaru Legacy and Nissan Altima.

The Camry isn’t best-in-class, according to some experts

Although the Toyota Camry gets the top score regarding reliability, its overall rating puts it in second place in J.D. Power’s midsize sedan rankings. The Camry has an excellent overall score of 83 out of 100, but the Kia K5 beats it by one point with a class-leading score of 84.

If you look at J.D. Power’s scores, the Toyota Camry and Kia K5 excel differently. Obviously, the Camry has the better “Quality & Reliability” rating. Where the Kia K5 dominates the Toyota Camry is the “Driving Experience” category. Kia focused on making the K5 a sportier alternative to more mainstream sedans like the Camry. The result is an outstanding 91 out of 100 score in the “Driving Experience” category. The Camry only gets an 81 despite having a pretty sporty TRD variant.

These two sedans are pretty close in the other two categories, but the Camry has a slight edge in both. The Camry beats the K5 in “Resale” by one point and in “Dealership Experience” by two points.

The practical choice is the 2023 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry remains one of the best sedans in its class for drivers who don’t care as much about the driving experience as they do about the practical stuff. The Toyota Camry is a home run in important categories like reliability, safety, efficiency, and resale value. This is especially true of the updated 2025 model, which comes exclusively with an efficient hybrid powertrain.

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That said, if you like the idea of a practical sedan that’s also fun to drive, the Kia K5 is an excellent alternative to the popular Camry. The K5 has a choice of two turbo engines, an exciting GT model, and a class-leading warranty. So, you can’t go wrong with either sedan. The right one for you depends on your priorities.

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