Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The Toyota Camry feels quintessentially American, despite its Japanese roots. It's the ultimate driveway staple—an affordable, midsize sedan that earned its massive popularity through bulletproof reliability, efficiency, and zero-pretension functionality. Even for people who don't give a rip about cars, the Camry is universally understood. It's the default choice for anyone who wants a low-maintenance, easy-going vehicle that seamlessly meets their daily needs without ever throwing a check engine light. Frankly, it's as close to the perfect everyday car as it gets; the list of people who wouldn't benefit from Camry ownership is very, very short. The power, space, mileage, and style are all balanced. Kristen BrownI've never owned a Camry. In fact, I've actively gone out of my way not to own one, preferring cars with a bit more... personality. To me, buying a Camry always felt like shopping for a washing machine or a dishwasher: you don't care about soul; you just want the most effective appliance to get the job done. But when I got behind the wheel of the 2026 Toyota Camry Nightshade, that perspective completely shifted. The Camry still checks every single boring box its traditional buyers require—but now, it does it with genuine style and a surprisingly sharp driving character. Somewhere between the tight handling and the styling, I fell in love with it. Here's what made me switch camps from skeptic to superfan.AdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: Road Ethos Launches: The New Automotive Lifestyle Site You Should ReadThe Nightshade boosts curb appeal by about a million points—for a more than fair priceI am the ultimate sucker for a blackout package—so much so that I DIY'd one on my Subaru Forester. To me, every car looks better with black wheels, door handles, mirrors, badges, and a blacked-out grille. It injects character into an otherwise standard design. Take the 2025 Toyota Camry redesign: it already successfully moved the needle from "seriously uncool" to genuinely sleek (if you know, you know). But adding those blacked-out accents makes it attractive to a whole new crowd. While I've spotted plenty of the new generation around the Bay Area—especially in that distinct Ocean Gem—I wasn't truly sold on the company's new "hammerhead" design language on it until one was sitting in my driveway.Kristen BrownThe Nightshade is a mid-level trim, which I was surprised to learn. It's above the LE and SE, but below the XLE and XSE, hence the MSRP of $32,800. Mine had a few options and add-ons, like the premium Supersonic Red paint ($475), the Multimedia Upgrade Package for the larger 12.3-inch screen ($735), and a $600 Convenience Package that added an auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink that brought the total to $35,878. Incredibly, that included the destination fee and California's emissions fee. Before I took a peek at the Monroney, I assumed it was about $43,000, since the interior looked a lot nicer than you'd assume would be in a $35,000 car. The XLE's MSRP is $35,700, so it might be wiser to upgrade by two trims instead, but I fell so hard for the Nightshade's aesthetic—both for the interior and exterior.Every family member was comfortable and well-accommodated It didn't shock me at all that the interior was incredibly family-friendly. The driver's seat was the most comfortable, but the rear seats were plenty cozy for my husband and me, with 40 inches of legroom. The outboard passengers got their own A/C vents (though they can't control the temperature), their own USB-C charging port, and a large window. The Nightshade didn't have a sunroof, but it didn't need one, because the interior was wide open—something that's not usually a mantra for sedans. Toyota's website says the trunk capacity is 15.1 cubic inches of space, and while that doesn't read like a big trunk, I promise you—there's plenty of space for a family's daily needs.Kristen BrownView the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementThe only real flaw—and it's one both my husband and I noticed immediately—is the front passenger seat. There is a bulky piece of black trim connecting the glovebox to the center console that takes up a frustrating amount of space for your left leg. It creates an optical illusion that makes you feel like you're too close to the dashboard, and if you're on the taller side, you can forget about sitting comfortably. My husband kept slamming his knee into it the entire time we had the car, and he was thoroughly peeved by the end of the week. He said that if he bought this car, he'd find a way to get rid of it.Related: Toyota Camry And Honda Accord Battle For The Highest-Rated Sedan Of 2026I normally hate Toyota interiors, but the Camry's was a noticeable step upI take interior design, layout, and materials more seriously than most people probably do, and Toyota is usually at the very top of my list of cars with the most monotonous, boring interiors. The 4Runner, Tacoma, and Land Cruiser were the exceptions. But now, the 2026 Camry has been added to that list. Even though the Nightshade is a mid-level trim, it has leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a leather-wrapped shifter knob, contrast stitching on the steering wheel and seats, a variety of textures and materials to bring more sporty-chic notes into the dashboard, doors, and center console, and piano black trimming over the dashboard to make the larger touchscreen blend better into the dash. I was very, very smitten. It's an interior that everyone can appreciate. Gone are the days of a purely utilitarian interior in a Camry. Finally, I can hear some jazz playing in the background when I go into a Camry.Kristen BrownOne thing I noticed, too, and immediately appreciated was a higher seating position as a driver. My father-in-law's 2014 feels like I'm sitting in a bathtub, as the seat is incredibly low while the window frame, dashboard, and hood are high. I had to raise the seat considerably to get a good view of the hood's corners, but the 2026 model did away with that design and layout. And good riddance. Now, the new Camry's driver can feel confident in their driving, and the fact that their car looks damn good (for once).Installing car seats was easy, but the ride height can be an issue…For some. The Camry hybrid's entry point was large and wide, but because it's a sedan, it was not tall. You had to bend over quite a bit to get the seats in. My daughters' car seats are a slimmer, lighter seat, so it wasn't a problem for me, but I couldn't imagine installing a heavier, bulkier seat into one. The headrests aren't removable, and that's normally a pet peeve of mine. But it worked in the Camry because the top tether points were high up and directly behind the headrest. And since there's plenty of legroom, the seating position is high, and the windows are large and tall, they loved being in the Camry.Kristen BrownNow for the ride height. At 5'8", I didn't have an issue getting into the Camry. The Camry's entry point is low, and my mother-in-law struggled to get in and out of it because it was so low to the ground, so those with mobility issues, knee, or back issues may find that to be a major pain point. However, my children loved how easy it was to climb into and out of the Camry. AdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: The Most Reliable Toyota Models In 2026, And Why RAV4 Is MissingI loved the available power and mileage, tooThe Toyota Camry was never known to be a fast car. But the 2026 Camry, because it utilizes the company's newest hybrid system paired with a more powerful gas engine, produces 225 horsepower when configured with front-wheel drive and 232 horsepower with all-wheel drive. That makes the current generation of Camry hybrid the most powerful generation to date. And that was certainly noticeable, no matter the drive mode. It was peppy, there was plenty of power for passing, and highway confidence. The balance of power, finally, feels just right. Kristen BrownThen there's the stellar mileage—the most cited reason Camry owners buy one. My all-wheel drive tester is rated at 47 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway, though sticking with front-wheel drive can bump those numbers up to a staggering 52 city/49 highway. In my week of mixed driving, I regularly averaged 47 mpg. Thanks to the 13.6-gallon tank, the total range pushes right past the 500-mile mark. To put that into perspective: when the fleet company arrived to pick the car up, I had driven over 200 miles and still had more than half a tank left. With regular unleaded averaging $6.20 a gallon here in California, efficiency like that hits like beautiful music. Especially for families.Final thoughtsEven though the Nightshade is a mid-level trim, it didn't feel like one at all. It felt very on par with the XLE, just with black interior and exterior trimming, especially with the optionally larger multimedia screen. The front seats with the white leather strip adding a pop of color and personality I didn't think the Camry was capable of, the piano black trimming, and the fun faux carbon fiber on the door panels and passenger's footwell made it feel like a completely different car. My husband and I loved the Camry, and after finding out it wasn't nearly as expensive as we both thought it would be, loved it even more. Both of us agreed that if either of us got a job that required commuting, the Camry would easily be on the list of top 5 cars we'd look seriously into buying.AdvertisementAdvertisementThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Jul 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.