The results are in, and U.S. News has officially released its list of 2020’s best hybrid cars. Topping the list this year is the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which has managed to beat out incredibly popular candidates such as the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. So just what is it that makes the Camry Hybrid such a knockout?

The specs

The Camry’s powertrain combines an electric motor with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, resulting in a respectable 208 hp. It has an automatic transmission that functions smoothly, and the base trim gets 53 miles per gallon on the highway and 51 miles per gallon in the city.

Although some of its competitors can achieve slightly better numbers here, the Camry’s fuel economy is still incredibly impressive for a hybrid vehicle. It can also seat five people and has 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space.

As far as infotainment goes, a seven-inch touchscreen comes standard on the Camry Hybrid. The 2020 model now also has standard Android Auto for the first time, as well as Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and a WiFi hotspot. The touchscreen is overall responsive and intuitive to use.

Impressive safety ratings

One of the best things about the Camry Hybrid is its perfect crash test scores. It received an overall rating of five out five from the NHTSA. Additionally, the IIHS named the Camry Hybrid a Top Safety Pick+, giving it the highest possible score in all of its crash tests.

This vehicle comes with quite a few standard safety features included as part of the Toyota Safety Sense package. Among the included features are adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, lane departure warning, and forward automatic emergency braking.

In addition to these standard features, the Camry Hybrid offers a range of optional safety technology. Among these are reverse automatic emergency braking, a surround-view parking camera system, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive headlights.

What sets the Camry Hybrid above the rest?

There are a lot of great hybrid options — so what exactly is it that pushes the Camry to the head of the pack? One of its standout qualities is its reliability. J.D. Power ranks the quality and reliability of this hybrid as 88/100, placing it firmly above average.

In fact, according to J.D. Power, there really isn’t anything that the Camry Hybrid lacks — it received an overall score of 85/100 after thousands of owners reported their experiences driving it.

When compared to two of its major competitors — the Honda Accord Hybrid and the Toyota Prius — the Camry manages to edge just slightly ahead. It has a better reliability rating than the Accord, and more cargo space than the Prius. U.S. News also notes that the Camry is slightly more fun to drive than the Prius, and has a sleeker, more stylish interior. 

Additionally, the Camry handles very well. It can easily turn corners and offers a comfortable ride even on long road trips. Its only detriments here are that the steering is slightly over-assisted and the regenerative braking system can be a difficult adjustment for anyone new to driving hybrids.

Overall, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the top-rated hybrids for 2020 — they all offer excellent fuel economy, good safety ratings, and pleasant driving experiences. The Camry Hybrid has made its way to the top of the list based largely on its combination of standard features, cargo space, and price.

Its stellar ratings mean that consumers can feel pretty secure choosing it. Overall, the comfortable ride and stylish interior make it feel well worth the $30,000 price tag.