5 AWD Sedans With Better Ratings Than The Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is a fine sedan that has all-wheel drive available as an option. The all-wheel drive version is powered by a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle inline four-cylinder engine that adds two electric motors on the front axle and one on the rear for a combined output of 232 horsepower. A continuously variable automatic transmission and direct drive send the hybrid powerplant's thrust to all four of its wheels. Testing of an AWD Camry by Car and Driver generated a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.1 seconds at 94 mph, with cornering on the skidpad rated at 0.84g.

The Toyota Camry offers cargo-carrying capacity in its trunk amounting to 15 cu. ft., with passenger volume of 53 cu. ft. in the front seat and 46 cu. ft. in the rear. Pricing for the Camry with all-wheel drive starts at $32,420 including delivery for the base LE trim. Every one of the Camry's five trim levels can be equipped with AWD for an upcharge of $1,525, making it available across the board. 

The 2026 Mazda3 is powered by a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) and offers all-wheel drive in its upscale 2.5 S Carbon Edition and 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus trims, which are available in either a sedan or a hatchback body design. The Mazda3 scored above the Toyota Camry on the CarBuzz list of Best AWD Sedans, with the Mazda3 taking fifth place to the Camry's sixth. Please note that the four cars finishing above these two were much the more expensive BMW 8-Series (1st), Lucid Air (2nd), Porsche Panamera and Taycan (3rd), and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (4th). 

The Mazda3 Carbon Edition is powered by a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine producing 186 horsepower, channeled through a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to each of its wheels. The Turbo Premium Plus version turbocharges the engine to produce 250 horses. Testing of its performance by Car and Driver produced a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds for the Carbon and 5.6 seconds for the Turbo. The Carbon got through the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds at 90 mph, with roadholding on the skidpad measuring 0.88g.

The Mazda3 sedan has 13 cu. ft. of trunk space, while the hatch provides 20 cu. ft. behind the rear seat, expanding to 47 cu. ft. when it's folded down. Passenger room comes to 51 cu. ft. in front and 40 cu. ft. in the rear. Pricing for the Mazda3 Carbon Edition sedan starts at $31,130 including destination, while the hatchback lands at $32,280. 

The BMW 3 Series scored a fourth-place finish in the Car and Driver Best AWD Sedans list. It came in behind the more expensive Mercedes-Benz E-Class (1st), the Tesla Model 3 (2nd), and the discontinued Hyundai Ioniq 6 (3rd). Meanwhile, the Toyota Camry, came in sixth. The BMW 3 Series has been a staple of the BMW lineup since it was first introduced in 1975. Since then, there have been seven generations of this seminal BMW, producing a point of reference for the brand that stretches back more than 50 years. 

The 2026 330i xDrive Sedan is the entry-level 3 Series model that comes with AWD. It is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that is turbocharged and puts out 255 horsepower. The engine's power makes its way through an eight-speed automatic transmission before it is sent to all four of the car's wheels. Testing performed by Car and Driver produced a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter mile run that took 13.9 seconds at 100 mph. Lateral acceleration on the skidpad measured 0.89g.

The BMW 330i xDrive Sedan gives you 17 cu. ft. of trunk space, while the passenger space in the BMW totals out at 95 cu. ft. for the front and rear combined. Pricing for the BMW 330i xDrive Sedan starts at $51,350, including destination charges.

The Tesla Model 3, an electric vehicle, was rated higher than the Toyota Camry in two AWD sedan comparisons. The Tesla tied for second place with the Subaru Impreza, Nissan Altima, and Mini Cooper Countryman in the JD Power rankings, with the Camry sitting in fourth place overall. The Tesla Model 3 also placed second in the Car and Driver ratings, above the Toyota Camry's sixth-place finish. Our review of the refreshed Highland model of the Tesla Model 3 revealed more range, more tech, and new style.

The lowest-priced AWD version of the current Tesla Model 3 is the Premium with AWD. It has dual motors that produce a total of 425 horsepower, with direct drive to all four wheels. In Car and Driver performance testing of the higher-powered (and more expensive) Model 3 Performance, the publication recorded a 0-60 mph time of 2.8 seconds, with the quarter mile going by in 11.0 seconds at 125 mph. In skidpad roadholding, the Model 3 Performance pulled 0.92g. The Premium, with less horsepower, will be a bit slower.

The Tesla Model 3's trunk has a capacity of 21 cu. ft., while its interior provides 56 cu.ft. of space in the front seat and 41 cu.ft. in the rear. The Model 3 Premium with AWD has an EPA-estimated range of 346 miles. Pricing for the Tesla starts at $49,130, including the destination and order fees. Tesla cars of this type, ordered as of this writing, will be delivered in September or October.

Two versions of the all-new Lexus ES outrank the Toyota Camry on TrueCar. On the site's list of Best All Wheel Drive Sedans, the Lexus ES EV came in first place, with the Lexus ES hybrid in second place. The Camry trailed the field in seventh place, behind the Dodge Charger (3rd), Audi A5 (4th), Mercedes-Benz CLA EV (5th), and Audi A6 e-tron EV (6th).

The Lexus ES offers all-wheel drive on both versions of this vehicle. The Lexus ES EV has a dual-motor setup with 338 horsepower and direct drive, while the hybrid version has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine plus three electric motors with 244 horsepower, driving its four wheels through a CVT and direct-drive setup. Testing by Car and Driver got a 0-60 mph time for the AWD Lexus ES EV of 4.9 seconds, with a quarter mile time of 13.5 seconds at 104 mph and cornering of 0.81g. The AWD hybrid version, which is similar to Toyota's Crown, was estimated by Car and Driver to do a slower 0-60 time of 7.1 to 7.3 seconds. 

The Lexus ES has 13 cu. ft. of cargo capacity in its trunk, while the interior has 53 cu. ft. of space in the front and 48 cu. ft. in the rear. Pricing of the AWD Lexus ES EV starts at $51,895 including delivery, while the AWD Lexus ES hybrid lands at a slightly higher $52,495.

The Lexus IS claimed the number one spot on the JD Power list of Best AWD Sedans. It beat the Toyota Camry, which came in fourth. The Lexus IS is available strictly as an ICE-powered, non-hybrid car called the Lexus IS 350, which is still being made for 2026. The Lexus IS' other claim to fame is that it's the Lexus model with the best odds of hitting 250,000 miles. 

The V6 engine in the Lexus IS 350 boasts 3.5 liters of displacement and produces 311 horsepower. It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four of its wheels. Performance testing by Car and Driver showed that the Lexus IS 350 with AWD could do the 0-60 mph sprint in 5.6 seconds, with the quarter mile going by in 14.1 seconds at 100 mph. Skidpad roadholding maxed out at 0.87g. 

The Lexus IS is a smaller car than the ES and has a correspondingly smaller trunk with an 11 cu. ft. capacity. While the front seat area is slightly roomier at 55 cu. ft., the rear is definitely smaller with just 37 cu. ft. of space for the rear seat passengers. Pricing for the all-wheel drive version of the Lexus IS 350 starts at $48,895 including delivery. There are two additional trim levels you specify on the Lexus IS 350 with AWD — these can elevate the car's price to $63,095 with delivery.

The ratings for best AWD sedans were a real mixed bag – there was only one car that appeared on more than one list that had other vehicles rated above the Camry, and that was the Tesla Model 3. We chose from the listings of Best AWD Sedans from those publications that scored other vehicles higher than the Toyota Camry. We used the listings provided by JD Power, Car and Driver, TrueCar, and CarBuzz. The vehicles were selected based on their ratings, going from lowest to highest. We also considered the prices of the other cars relative to the Camry, which meant leaving out any high-end luxury sedans that have AWD as part of their equipment.