I drove the Toyota Camry Hybrid four-door for a week both around town and on a road trip from South Carolina to Maryland! The vehicle was provided for my use by Toyota. All opinions are my own.

Labor Day weekend means the end of summer and for us that meant one last road trip to close out the season! Brynna and I were heading to Hershey, PA from South Carolina to spend the weekend with my bff and her son!

With nearly 1000 miles of freeway in our future, a 2018 Camry SE Hybrid felt like the perfect choice for obvious reasons. Such an adventure tests the limits of any car when it comes to space, comfort, entertainment and efficiency, and the 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid performed flawlessly!

Unlike Camrys of the past, the new 2018 SE Camry is sporty and sleek. It looks the part, with a new unique nose, 18-inch alloys, and vents on the rear. I was pleasantly surprised to see the difference in the look of this car when it pulled into my driveway!

The Toyota Camry has been America’s best-selling sedan for the past 15 years. The 2018 Toyota Camry has just gotten its most comprehensive redesign in its 34-year history.

Safety

Obviously safety is a top priority to me since we had a horrible car accident 5 years ago. I was impressed with all the safety functions this car had! The Camry is packed with so many features to keep you from getting into an accident, including Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Vehicle Stability Control, Anti-lock Brake System, and Brake Assist. If you are in a crash, you’ll be protected by 10 airbags. All Camry’s also come equipped with a standard backup camera.

The Camry is equipped with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) which takes traditional cruise control to the next level. DRCC uses vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, which adjusts your speed to help maintain a preset distance from vehicles ahead of you. Once you input a maximum speed and it locks onto a car in front of you, your speed will adjust as that car speeds up or slows down – all while maintaining a safe distance between the two of you. A handy feature for this long road trip!

Interior

The interior was beautifully crafted and made it so much fun to drive. The large screen was easy to maneuver and at my fingertips throughout the ride. I’m impressed by all of the time that was dedicated to the details of this vehicle.

The Qi-compatible wireless smart phone charger was awesome! You just place your phone on the black area and it charges it without a cable! How cool is that?! Loved it!

The trunk was huge and had so much space which is great if you have a family, you have kids who play sports or if you take lots of road trips! I always pack wayyyy too much so a huge trunk space is a must for me!

Hybrid

Toyota steps up the Camry in every way for 2018. It’s better to drive, better to look at, and better to use. Most importantly for hybrid buyers, it’s more efficient too!

The hybrid essentially comes with all of the great features as non-hybrid, but you of course get better gas mileage – an EPA-estimated 53 highway mpg. We averaged about 45-48 mpg on our trip!

Driving the Toyota Camry made our long road trip much more enjoyable and actually made it fly by! I was really sad to have to return the car! But we did get to enjoy a trip to the beach with it before we returned it!

Overall, the 2018 Camry has taken a new step to being a sportier and sexier (yes I said it) looking car while still maintaining the capabilities that are needed for a family.