The perky Honda Accord, the comfy Chevrolet Malibu, and the roomy Nissan Altima are just a few of the competitors you should check out if you want a midsize sedan that can compete with the Toyota Camry.
Toyota brings to mind thoughts of safety, good gas mileage, and an overall sense of reliability that comes with a car like the 2022 Toyota Camry
. It checks all of the boxes. But when it comes to quickness and refinement, it lags behind some of its competitors. Depending on what you want in a midsize sedan, you might find what you’re looking for with one of the Camry’s competitors. Jerry
, the top-rated car insurance
app for savings, has pulled the data of eight top midsize sedans to consider as an alternative to the Camry. 1. Honda Accord
Selling points: Svelte, easy-to-understand infotainment, perky engine
Weak spots: Low on storage, significant blind spots
The Honda Accord
was built to challenge the Camry for the world's best midsize sedan. It can do most things a crossover SUV can do and comes standard with a 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that encourages drivers to open up the throttle and watch how it takes corners. When you get behind the wheel, you can barely feel the car beneath your feet—which might be fun for some drivers. For others, more feedback might be preferable. If you want something dependable that will give you fuel economy in the range of 34 mpg, this is your car.
2. Chevrolet Malibu
Selling points: Comfortable interior, pleasant driving ability
Weak spots: Subpar design, cheap interior
The Chevrolet Malibu
isn’t wow-ing anyone with its design, but it’s a reliable, if unattractive, rival to the Toyota Camry. The Malibu offers several powertrains to choose from with the Malibu—including the standard 163-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder—but none of them blow you away with their 0-60 time. They’re wholly average, actually. If you’re looking at the Chevrolet Malibu as a rival to the Toyota Camry, you’ll have to look really hard to find something where it outperforms.
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars 4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers 3. Kia K5
Selling points: Snazzy interior, affordable
Weak spot: Tall wheels lead to clunky drive, tall driving position
While the Kia K5
is designed to be a family car, the way it looks might lead some to believe it’s actually a snazzier choice for someone who wants to drive in style. Each model comes complete with standard safety features and infotainment galore, so you know you’re going to keep up with the Joneses. Most of the models are powered by a 180-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed transmission that will give you decent acceleration as you make your way to 60 mph. As for fuel economy, you’re going to get about 34 mpg if you are not driving on all-wheel drive. If you do, you’ll take a hit—but that’s to be expected. Overall, this is a nice option that is comparable in price to the Camry.
4. Subaru Legacy
Selling points: Spacious cabin, lots of driver assistance features
Weak spot: Uninspired design, best engine only available on top models
The Subaru Legacy is very much a feature-less entry into the mid-size sedan category. If you want something that will turn heads, look elsewhere. This model is for those who want to buy something that is expected and reliable. That’s the legacy of the Legacy.
It comes with a lot of room in the cabin and safety features on par with every other car in this category. There are a few engines to choose from—the 2.5-liter four-cylinder comes standard—and all the trim levels have all-wheel drive. With 30 mpg combined, it’s pretty close to what you would get out of an Accord, albeit at a slightly lower price.
5. Nissan Altima
Selling points: Great handling, engines sip fuel
Weak spot: Loud engine, safety features are intrusive
When you think of Nissan, you think of competent—and that’s what you get with the Nissan Altima
. But it might also surprise you with its speediness and the way it moves. You get all-wheel-drive and a turbo engine option, which separates it from the pack. With a sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels also at the ready, there are quite a few desirable improvements you can tack on to the car if you decide to make the purchase. The base four-cylinder engine will see 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway, which is pretty dang good.
6. Chrysler 300
Selling points: Roomy cabin, optional V-8
Weak spot: Low on tech, age is catching up to it
The Chrysler 300
might not be a direct competitor to the Camry, but it’s not too much of a stretch. As with a lot of cars that have been retired—2022 was its last model year—the options that are available aren’t as appealing as they once were. The standard powertrain is a V-6 with an optional V-8 that is going to gulp gas. As far as fuel economy goes, you’ll get around 30 mpg, which is pretty good. While it doesn’t have the reputation of the Camry or Accord, if you want a bigger car that you won’t have to pay a lot of money for, the 300 is a decent option.
7. Toyota Avalon
Selling points: Roomy, large trunk
Weak spot: Unattractive infotainment system, no all-wheel drive
We know, we know… the Avalon
is also a Toyota. But if you’re looking for a Camry competitor, why not go in-house? The Avalon is a comfortable step up from the Camry. It has lots of driver assistance tools and an infotainment system that doesn’t distract. One of the dings against this model year option—which is the Avalon’s last—is the disappearance of the all-wheel-drive option, which was a popular feature among Avalon buyers. But the two powertrain options are both fuel efficient, with the 3.5-liter V-6 delivering 301 horsepower and the hybrid engine providing a net output of 215 horsepower. The gas option will give you 34 mpg, while the hybrid bumps that number up to 43/44mpg.
8. Mazda 6
Selling points: Classy with a quiet cabin
Weak spot: No eco-friendly model, top options are for pricey model
The Mazda 6
is more fun to drive than its competitors and gives off the vibe of a more expensive car, even though its price tag belies that idea. It doesn’t offer a hybrid option, which is a glaring omission in this day and age of car buying. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder standard engine delivers 187 horsepower. The turbo engine ups the horsepower output to 250 and offers 320-pound feet of torque—but you have to buy premium fuel if you want the turbo version. If you’re driving the car properly, you should see about 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway with the base engine. Since the turbocharged version has increased torque, know that it’s going to change the fuel economy, offering less when you have a more powerful engine.
Toyota Camry vs. the competition
Want to see it all laid out? Below is our side-by-side comparison of the 2022 Toyota Camry with the cars that give it a run for its money.
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