I don't think it's surprising. The Camry is now the incumbent and it's the Hyundai Sonata (and others) that is what the Camry used to be: The less expensive challenger

10 - 12 years ago, it was the Camry that was trying to overcome and displace the Ford Taurus. Now Camry is king and history is repeating itself. Older people buy what they perceive to be proven quality and younger people go for they think the best car at a price point is. I have no data whatsoever, but know several people that have moved to the Sonata Limited because it is the best car they can get loaded for under $25,000.

By the time you ad the 100,000 mile warranty to make it even, the Camry XLE is nearly $5,000 more. Personally, I would still get the Camry, but Hyundai, Honda and Nissan are getting better each year.