If you meander to Toyota’s official website, you will find that the 2025 Toyota Camry starts at an MSRP of $28,700. The new ninth-generation Camry (2025-present), now exclusively a hybrid model, sets a new standard in efficiency with its amazing 51 MPG Combined. Yet, what if we said you could get one of the best full-size luxury sedans of all time for less than the price of a new Camry in 2025? Hear us out.
The 2025 Toyota Camry may be nice and very fuel-frugal, but does it offer more value than the fourth-generation of the flagship Lexus LS 460 sedan (2007-2017)? Although the Camry may be more efficient now than ever before, the Camry offers less versatility than before because the performance-focused V-6 model and economical non-hybrid have been axed. Toyota has elected for a “one-size fits all” approach, but the one size they left on the table is an expensive one. Let’s compare if it’s worth considering a slightly older Lexus LS sedan instead of a new Camry when the price of the Lexus is cheaper than the Toyota.
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Engine |
Horsepower |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4.6-liter V-8 |
385 hp |
369 lb-ft |
5.7 seconds |
2013 Lexus LS 460 Performance Specifications
There are so many high-quality used Lexus models you could buy for less than $28,700, it is almost amazing that this price point makes our selection so vast. We suggest doing what any other sane value-seeker would do, and that is to start with the best options first. There is no finer Lexus sedan than the Lexus LS, the Japanese brand’s flagship sedan. While it may be insane to recommend a used Mercedes S-Class as an alternative to a new Camry, a slightly aged Lexus LS could be a much better fit. Yet, there are five distinct generations of the Lexus LS, but which is the best? Let’s break that down.
The Value Of A Used Fourth-Gen Lexus LS
The fourth-generation Lexus LS (2007-2017) is the top pick when considering this price point of about $30,000 or less. This generation of Lexus LS saw two facelifts, one smaller one for the 2010 model year and the last and bigger one for the 2013 model year. While the mechanical foundation of the fourth-generation Lexus LS didn’t change throughout its lifespan, these facelifts did provide a major styling makeover to the flagship sedan.
The 2013+ model years are the most desirable as they were the first integration of the talismanic Lexus “spindle” grill. Despite this, you can still find these 2013+ models for a steal as their current KBB Fair Purchase Price is $16,465, a fraction of the cost of a new Camry. The cost of a 2013 Lexus LS 460 Sedan when new was $72,900, so you are getting a true top-class luxury vehicle for next to pennies.
The Biggest Issue With A Used Lexus LS
So we know that a used Lexus flagship sedan can provide serious value, but what is the biggest issue with a used Lexus LS, in general, not just the fourth generation? Availability. If we look at the sales history of the Lexus LS, the 2013 spindle grill facelift year was the last time the Lexus LS sold over 10,000 units in a year. Since then, numbers have dwindled year after year to their current absolute all-time low in 2024 of only 2,163 units sold.
This is also considering that 2024 was the best year in Lexus’ entire history. The only Lexus cars that sell fewer units are the sexy LC and RC coupes, but no surprise there. The used market reflects these low overall sales, so there simply aren’t as many options available as you might hope. For every ten GS or IS sedans, you will find one LS sedan. This is something to keep in mind when perusing the used market.
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How The Toyota Camry Got So Darn Expensive
So, as we have emphasized time and time again, new cars are expensive. Also, MSRP is a lie. Yet, that alone doesn’t explain how the Toyota Camry got so expensive. What was once considered the people’s definitive champion is now a premium model rivaling the price of luxury vehicles. Well, this drastic change didn’t happen overnight. So, let’s take a quick look back at the past to see just exactly how the price of Toyota’s staple sedan has skyrocketed in the last couple of decades.
If we go back just a decade, a base-model 2015 Toyota Camry LE started at an MSRP of $22,970, a hybrid LE model started at $26,790, and the top-class V-6 model started at $31,370. Going back one more decade, the cheapest 2005 Camry model was a manual transmission-equipped STD trim, starting at $18,195; no hybrid model was available in that era. The cream of the crop model was the XLE V-6 trim, which was available for $25,555.
The Humble Camry Is Now A Luxury Vehicle Like A Lexus LS
As you can see, the entry-level Camry was once a sub-$20,000 vehicle back in 2005, but its base price has increased by about $5,000 every decade since, while wages, outside the top one percent of earners, have not increased in any meaningful way for decades. The conclusive result of this unfair and unfortunate situation is that now we have very expensive Camrys, but no money to buy them. Toyota, along with other major automakers, hasn’t just been keeping up with inflation; they have been actively stimulating it.
This is because once upon a time, the $30,000 mark was once considered the entry point of a premium or a luxury vehicle. Even a decade ago, finding new affordable cars under a $20,000 MSRP was not difficult, but rather, the expectation. However, the average price of a new car in March 2025 is $48,641, an utterly absurd amount of money for any vehicle, let alone “the average one”.
This is why you have to be crazy, desperate, or a mix of both to buy any new car, because in 99 percent of cases, it is a depreciating asset. Yet, somehow, people are still finding themselves closing new loans at dealerships daily, like it’s all good. It seems that nowadays, the only American dream left is one filled with terminal debt and looming bankruptcy on the horizon.
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Financing, The Used Market, And Finding Deals In 2025
The prohibitive cost of the new Toyota Camry and new cars in general means that the savvy and value-focused consumer will have to consider alternative options. Thank goodness that the used market offers a near-unlimited selection at heavily discounted price points. While “crackhead” pricing has run rampant in the used marketplace since 2020, you still have a much higher chance of securing an amazing deal on a used vehicle than a new one. At least in the used market, cash is still king, and if you have about $30,000 to spend on a vehicle, your options are vast.
2017 is the final model year of the fourth-generation Lexus LS 460 sedan, so these prices tend to be the highest within the generation. The KBB Fair Purchase Price is $23,821, but our search for current pricing and availability on the used market told us a different story.
An option that immediately caught our eye was a mint 2016 Lexus 460 with 71,238 miles for $15,900. Does a 2025 Camry come with a gorgeous analog clock squared in the center of the dash? No, it does not. An even nicer 2016 Lexus LS with only 42,211 miles for $41,950 also got our attention, both because of its higher price and surprisingly low miles. The $25,000 range is a definite sweet spot, where we found multiple clean examples with about 70,000 to 90,000 miles.
If you go under the $20,000 price point, most options tend to average over 100,000 miles, but there are still great deals out there. So you could spend about $30,000+ on a new Camry, but when you can get a top-class luxury sedan like the Lexus LS for under $25,000, it’s hard not to see the value.