We drove a $39,000 Toyota Camry that's loaded with cool features — here are the best ones

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Our 2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 test car. Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

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  • The Toyota Camry, now in its eighth generation, is all-new for 2018.
  • Recently, we were able to spend a week with a Toyota Camry XSE V6.
  • We were impressed by the Camry's fine collection of luxury, tech, and safety features.
  • The 2018 Toyota Camry starts at $23,495 while our top-of-the-line test car costs $38,730.
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The Toyota Camry is the best selling car in America. Last year, Toyota sold more than 387,000 Camrys in the US last. In other words, the Camry will outsell anything without a truck bed. 

And it has been this way for a couple of decades. Recently, we were able to spend a week with a 2018 Toyota Camry in top-of-the-line XSE V6 trim

Overall we were impressed by the all-new eighth generation Camry's modern styling, high-quality materials, and powerful V6 engine. It was even, dare I say it, fun to drive. With 301 horsepower under the hood, our test car didn't hesitate to chirp the tires under hard acceleration. With the ability to hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.8 seconds, the Camry V6 certainly boasts enough performance to surprise some people. 

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In terms of styling, Toyota has worked hard over the years to ditch its reputation for being a bland family transportation car. The Camry's fresh sheet metal feels fun and edgy while maintaining inoffensive nature. 

The 2018 Toyota Camry starts at $23,495 while the XSE V6 starts at $34,950. With options, our test car carried an as-tested price $38,730. One of the many benefits of having the top spec model in the range is all of the extra tech and luxury goodies that comes with the car. 

The Camry is available with an impressive mix of luxury, tech, and safety features. Here's a look at the Toyota Camry's coolest features:

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1. Amazing V6 engine: Even though the Camry comes standard with a 203 horsepower, naturally aspirated, inline-four-cylinder, our test car came with a beefy 301 hp, 3.5 liter V6. The V6 proved to be silky smooth with a broad power band.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

2. Hybrid tech: The Camry is also available with a 208 horsepower hybrid drive unit that can deliver as much as 52 mpg in combined fuel economy.

Toyota Camry Hybrid
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3. Interior design: The Camry's interior has always been impeccably put together. Now it has the aesthetics to go along with the quality. The waterfall dash is stylish with great ergonomics.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

4. Head-up display: In front of the driver is a 10-inch color heads-up display that shows speed and turn-by-turn navigation instructions.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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5. Bird's Eye View: Our test car came with a four-camera Bird's Eye View Monitor system. The system stitches together images from its camera to create not only an overhead view but also a...

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

...A view of the car from the side.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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The camera system can also do a sweep of the area around the car.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

6. Wireless charging: The Camry is equipped with a QI wireless charger that located on the center console in front of the shifter.

Toyota Camry XSE V6
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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7. JBL sound system: Our test car came with a nine-speaker JBL sound system with a large subwoofer located behind the rear seats.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

8. Safety features: The Camry comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense with bundles together a host of safety features including pre-collision sensing with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control, and lane departure warning with steering assist.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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9. Glass roof: The panoramic glass roof floods the cabin with light.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

10. Hot wheels: The 19-inch black machined finish wheels look terrific.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
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11. Quad tips: The Camry XSE V6 comes equipped with a quad tip, dual-exhaust system that emits a surprisingly aggressive growl.

Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

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