The Best Midsize Car of 2023 isn’t the Toyota Camry
While the Toyota Camry is a perennial favorite, the midsize Toyota is starting to show its age. Now in its eighth year of production, the eighth-generation Camry may not be the best midsize car in 2023. With updates to models like the Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord, it seems Toyota’s longtime favorite has lost its edge.
The 2023 Honda Accord is now the best midsize car of 2023
For years, the Accord has been nipping at the heels of the vaunted Toyota Camry. While the Toyota has typically kept its edge over the Honda, the Accord is now best midsize car of 2023
The 2023 Honda Accord is completely new, and now offers both more interior space and cargo capacity than the Camry. That makes it a more practical choice, something that midsize sedan buyers flock toward.
It’s not just space that puts the Accord in the lead, either. The interior design and materials are miles ahead of what the Camry has to offer in 2023. This is where the Toyota starts to show its age, as a lack of standard features and few upscale options put it behind its Honda competitor.
In-car tech is largely the same across both models, though the Honda midsize car adds a standard digital instrument cluster for 2023. That’s something the Camry doesn’t offer, even in its highest trim.
Safety is a virtual tie, but that’s mostly thanks to Toyota’s advanced safety systems from years prior. It’s one area where the Accord needed to catch up, and in 2023 it’s done just that.
The Toyota Camry slips behind the Hyundai Sonata
The Toyota Camry has the third spot on the TrueCar list of best midsize cars of 2023. Taking second place is the updated Hyundai Sonata, which offers a luxurious ride and lower price than the Toyota.
Like the Accord, the second-best midsize car of 2023 is available with heated and ventilated seats, a power-sliding panoramic moonroof, and digital instrument cluster. The new Camry only has the glass roof, as it continues to fall behind in luxury and tech.
Furthermore, the 2023 Sonata is available with Hyundai Digital Key, which allows the use of a phone to unlock and drive the vehicle. It’s a novelty, sure, but it shows the tech side of the Hyundai, an area the Toyota can’t match.
The Camry still has its advantages
While the competition has caught up with the Camry in many areas, the midsize Toyota car offers all-wheel drive while most of its competition does not. Furthermore, the Camry ranks highly in safety testing and offers a great range of advanced driver assistance features.
The Camry also offers more base power than the competition, with 203 horsepower from a 2.5-liter engine. Despite this, base fuel economy in the Toyota is near the top of the table, though the Accord Hybrid does best Toyota’s sedan.
Unfortunately, none of these advantages are enough for the Camry to remain the best midsize car in 2023.
Will the new generation Camry become the next best midsize car?
Toyota being behind the curve today doesn’t mean the Camry won’t be the best midsize car in a few years. Toyota has the chance to react and overtake its closest rivals, so the decision to hold out for an extra model year is a good strategy for long-term success.
