Compare the2025 Toyota CamryVS 2025 Lexus IS

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota Camry achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lexus IS has not been tested.

The Camry’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The IS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Camry and the IS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Toyota Camry has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The IS has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Camry for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the IS (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Camry’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Camry’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the IS’ camshafts. If the IS’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The battery on the Camry is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Camry’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The IS’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

On the EPA test cycle the Camry gets better mileage than the IS:

Regenerative brakes improve the Camry’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The IS doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Camry’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The IS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Camry uses regular unleaded gasoline. The IS requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Camry has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The IS doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Camry stops shorter than the IS:

The Toyota Camry may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Lexus IS.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Camry a Mid-size car, while the IS is rated a Compact.

The Camry has 9.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the IS (99.9 vs. 90.2).

The Camry has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 5.8 inches more rear legroom, .6 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

The Camry has a much larger trunk than the IS (15.1 vs. 10.8 cubic feet).

The Camry XLE/XSE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The IS doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Camry and the IS have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Camry is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The IS prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Camry’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The IS’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Camry has standard extendable sun visors. The IS doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Camry has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The IS doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Camry as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lexus IS isn't recommended.

The Toyota Camry outsold the Lexus IS by over 15 to one during 2024.