Over two weeks and 820 miles, we tested the 2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid’s driver-assistance suite—adaptive cruise, lane centering, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking—across city streets, multilane freeways, night rain, and construction zones.
Test car: 2025 Camry Hybrid XLE AWD (E‑Four), 232 hp combined from a 2.5‑liter Atkinson-cycle engine and dual motors, on 18-inch all-season tires. Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 pairs a monocular forward camera with a millimeter-wave radar; blind-spot monitoring uses rear corner radars. Features include Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) lane centering, Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Pre-Collision System with pedestrian/cyclist detection. Routes included Los Angeles freeways, coastal two-lanes with faded paint, and downtown stop‑and‑go.
We ran DRCC from 0–75 mph, day and night, and in light rain. Lane centering was evaluated on well-marked interstates and patchy suburban lanes. For AEB we used an empty lot with foam targets at 15–30 mph; we also noted spontaneous alerts in everyday traffic. Motorcycles and delivery vans were included in our BSM checks.
Adaptive cruise: DRCC is smooth and decisive, with four gap settings and quick throttle when lanes open. It handled cut‑ins cleanly, typically opening space within ~0.7 s, and its curve‑speed management trimmed 5–8 mph on tighter ramps without lurching. In stop‑and‑go it can hold a stop indefinitely and restarts with a tap. False positives were limited to two mild, brief decels under a sharply crested overpass and once for a car exiting ahead but still in our lane—no hard braking.
A potential false negative scenario appeared with stationary traffic beyond a blind crest; the system recognized it late, then braked firmly and stopped in time, but I kept my foot hovering. Lane centering: LTA tracks confidently on clean markings, holding the center with light, natural torque and minimal ping‑ponging. It negotiates gentle bends at 70 mph without drama and tolerates shallow tapers. It disengaged predictably in heavy rain or when both lines faded, flagging clear visual and audible prompts.
We saw occasional hesitation through complex merges where it briefly favored an offset lane line before re-centering; hands‑on supervision is essential. No “phantom” steering inputs occurred, but LTA will tug away from large trucks if you hug the line—more protective than intrusive. Blind‑spot and rear cross‑traffic: BSM is well‑calibrated with bright mirror icons and a pulsing tone when signaling into an occupied lane. It reliably picked up motorcycles and compact cars in spray.
We recorded one late alert on a rapidly closing sport bike (estimated 20–25 mph speed differential) that chimed just as we tipped the indicator—technically not a miss but borderline timing. False positives were rare; one alert came from a car straddling two lanes behind us. Rear Cross‑Traffic Alert fired early in crowded lots and occasionally warned about vehicles a lane over—conservative rather than wrong. Automatic emergency braking: The Pre‑Collision System warned early and braked to a stop from 20 mph on an adult‑sized foam target.
From 30 mph it reduced speed by about 12–14 mph before I finished the stop—impact avoided with driver assist. A perpendicular cyclist dummy at 15 mph triggered strong braking and a smooth stop in daylight; at dusk, it still alerted and slowed decisively but felt more abrupt. In daily use we had two forward‑collision warnings without automatic braking: once under harsh sun–shadow transitions at an overpass seam, and once for a slow car turning across our lane—both plausible, if conservative. Bottom line: Toyota’s TSS 3.0 is a confidence booster, not a substitute for vigilance.
DRCC and LTA are among the more natural-feeling in the class, with few false positives and honest disengagements in poor conditions. BSM is trustworthy, though very fast-closing traffic can compress alert timing. AEB performance is strong for urban speeds and realistic in its limits at 30+ mph. For heavy commuters, this is a well-sorted suite—just keep hands on, eyes up, and expect the occasional conservative alert.
