2026 Toyota Camry Trim Guide: Which Is Best?MotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)You've done your due diligence in the search for a new family sedan: carefully studying MotorTrend's Ultimate Car Rankings. Discovering the 2026 Toyota Camry in the No. 1 spot on our lists of family sedans, midsize sedans, midsize hybrid sedans, and sedans with the most gas mileage (and having noted its fifth-place ranking among safest sedans), you're ready to pull the trigger on a new Camry. Which trim to choose?Toyota has greatly simplified your decision-making process by narrowing the field to five trim levels, giving each a 225-hp hybrid drivetrain as standard and allowing buyers to add electric-powered all-wheel drive (good for 232 hp) to any trim for just $1,525. Let's dig into the various trims and help you peg each one's place on the sliding scale from penury to prosperity.toyota (toyota)2026 Toyota Camry LEStarting at $30,595, the LE is Toyota's advertising car. The loss leader. The headline grabber. "Starts under $30K*" (*before destination charges, taxes, etc.) "50-plus mpg!" The LE wears the smallest and skinniest wheels (6.5x16-inch), wrapped in the lowest-rolling-resistance tires in the lineup.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt also has the slickest aerodynamics and features a more conservative powertrain programming than you'll get in any of the other trim levels. As a result, the front-drive variant earns a 52/49/51 mpg EPA city/highway/combined rating, while the all-wheel-drive version still manages 50/49/50.Sure, the seats are cloth, the steering wheel is plastic, and the 8.0-inch infotainment screen looks kinda puny, but all the Safety Sense gear is here—adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane keep assist with lane tracing, automatic high-beams, road sign assist, and rear-seat reminder are all standard.Option a front-drive LE up to $33,600 with a moonroof ($870), a Convenience package (smart keyless entry, power driver seat, auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink for $1,050), the Cold Weather package (heated seats and a heated leather steering wheel for $610), and $475 worth of snazzy red paint, and you won't feel like you've denied yourself much.MotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)2026 Toyota Camry SEYes, the Camry SE trim designation implies "sport edition," which is signaled by its blacked-out 8x18-inch wheels (with 235/45-size tires), badging, sport-mesh grille, and front aero canards, plus body-color rocker-panel extensions and rear deck spoiler. Inside, the SofTex faux-leather seats get white contrast stripes and fabric inserts, while leather covers the wheel and shifter. The SE starts out at $33,095, but the bigger tires and sportier tune drop EPA ratings to 47/45/46 mpg with front drive or 46/46/46 with AWD.AdvertisementAdvertisementThere are eight paint options that include four legit colors (three of which will nick you for $475). The Convenience and Cold Weather packages are cheaper here ($600 and $500), and a $735 Multimedia Upgrade package swaps the dinky 8.0-inch touchscreen for a 12.3-inch unit. Buyers looking to lean into the sport motif might consider adding all-wheel drive, which we've found can shave three-tenths of a second off the 0–60-mph and quarter-mile times.MotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)2026 Toyota Camry NightshadeOccupying the middle rung of the Camry price ladder is the more limited-option Camry Nightshade edition. Nightshade builds on the sporty aspects of the SE, adding more exterior blackout bits while limiting color and trim choices. The SE's body-color rocker-panel extension and rear spoiler get blacked out, as do the door handles and side mirror caps.It also shares 9.0x19-inch wheels with the range-topping XSE model, wrapped in 235/40 series tires for improved grip. Despite the fatter and presumably stickier tires, the Nightshade model shares its EPA ratings with the SE.Nightshade color choices are restricted to Midnight Black Metallic, Ice Cap (white), and Supersonic Red ($475). The sporty contrasting SofTex and fabric trim from the SE carries over, but only in black (SE buyers can also opt for gray). The Nightshade model opens at $34,095, meaning a Nightshade AWD model nets you every potential performance enhancement for $375 less than the base price of the front-drive Camry XSE.MotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)2026 Toyota Camry XLEThe first letter of the top two trims signals eXtra feature content and sybaritic pleasures, with XLE trending luxurious and XSE leaning sportier. As such, you'll see chrome and body-color touches on the Camry XLE and more blacked out features on the XSE. Both upgrade the lighting to LED projectors in front, full LED signaling in the rear, and white LED ambient lighting inside.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe front side glass gets an acoustic noise-reducing layer, the digital gauge cluster size grows from 7.0 inches on lesser models to 12.3 inches, and the 12.3-inch infotainment screen becomes standard, along with most of the package contents of the Convenience and Cold Weather packages noted above. Leather seats with perforated Dinamica microfiber inserts available in light gray or black dress up the interior, while eight paint options are offered with four costing $475.Those truly looking to Lexus up their Camry can opt for either the Premium package (pano roof, nine-speaker JBL audio, 10.0-inch head-up display, digital phone-as-key capability, rain-sensing wipers, driver-seat and mirror memory for $3,810) or the Premium Plus package (Premium content plus traffic jam assist, front cross-traffic alert, lane change assist, panoramic view monitor, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking, rear cross-traffic braking, and driver monitor camera for $4,760). The XLE starts at $35,795 and can be optioned as high as $42,555 before selecting from among the various dealer accessories.2026 Toyota Camry XSEWhen you absolutely, positively need to signal to the other parents in the school pickup and drop-off line that your portfolio's bangin', the Camry XSE is your clear choice. It's the only one that matches a body-color front grille, door handles, and rocker sill extensions with the black mirror caps, rear spoiler, and window moldings, then sets it all off on 19-inch wheels with a sporty smoked gray and black finish.It's also the only model that allows four two-tone paint schemes: Ocean Gem, Heavy Metal, Wind Chill Pearl, or Supersonic Red under a Black Metallic roof. Choose wisely, and you can also get the biggest eye-popper of the lineup: a Cockpit Red leather interior (it's available with any color except the two blue choices).AdvertisementAdvertisementThe same two option packages offered on the XLE are available here, too, and the standalone panoramic roof is offered on both for $1,330. Pricing for the Camry XSE starts at $36,995, and ticking all the factory option boxes maxes it out at $44,255. That's pricey for a Camry but still almost $6,000 under the average transaction price for a new vehicle today, if you want to feel like you've made a smart buy.toyota (toyota)The MotorTrend build? We're sporty-minded but frugal, so give us an SE AWD with the $1,500 19-inch accessory wheel upgrade, in Ocean Gem with a gray-and-white Boulder interior for $36,120. This is the workaround to get Nightshade performance with more interior and exterior color options.
