Overview & Reviews

The Toyota Camry quietly debuted late in the 1983 model year, when Toyota replaced its old rear-wheel-drive Corona with the front-wheel-drive Camry, a car aimed specifically at the U.S. market. From these humble beginnings, the Camry would go on to dominate the midsize family sedan segment for virtually all of the next quarter-century, as consumers immediately embraced it for its high build quality, comfortable ride and impressive durability.

New or used, the Camry comes pretty highly recommended. As the Camry sells in such high numbers, finding one that matches your criteria should be pretty easy. It is worth noting that the family segment has improved greatly in more recent years. Many competing sedans have matched or outpaced the Camry in terms of quality and desirability, particularly in comparison to the sixth-generation model. The latest version of the Camry, however, has largely shored up the car's reputation as a go-to choice.

Current Toyota Camry
The five-passenger Toyota Camry is offered in L, LE, SE, SE Sport and XLE trim levels with a choice of two engines. The base 2.5-liter four-cylinder produces 178 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, while the available (depending on trim) 3.5-liter V6 makes 268 hp and 248 lb-ft. A six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered, and sends power to the front wheels.

The Camry L's feature highlights include air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, a touchscreen display and a six-speaker sound system with a USB interface. Stepping up to the LE gets you a few more features, while the SE spices things up with a sport-tuned suspension and sporty styling treatments. The SE Sport features bigger wheels, a sunroof and a power driver seat. The luxurious XLE reverts to a softer suspension and adds a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, power front seats and leather upholstery (V6). A premium audio system with a larger touchscreen and upgraded navigation system can be added to XLE models.

It should be noted that halfway into the 2014 model year, the Camry's standard equipment was revised. As such, the rearview camera became standard across the board, the upper trims picked up some enhanced audio features and the Entune name was expanded to cover all of the car's infotainment systems (not just the one with smartphone integration).

In reviews, we've praised this Toyota Camry's interior, which provides roomy seating, admirable outward visibility and well-placed controls. What the cabin design lacks in cohesiveness, it makes up for with generally good materials quality, especially the handsome stitching on the dash and door panels of upper trims. Toyota's Entune system is also praiseworthy in the way it easily adds enhanced audio, information and navigation features, although the touchscreen's virtual buttons can be a little frustrating to use at times.

Overall, this Camry provides the comfort and the quiet and smooth ride that should please a wide swath of midsize sedan shoppers. Power and fuel economy are excellent with either engine as well. The only major downside is the car's handling, which isn't as lively or engaging as that of other top family sedans, such as the Honda Accord or Nissan Altima.

Used Toyota Camry Models
The latest (seventh) generation Toyota Camry debuted for 2012 and has a number of significant improvements over the previous one. The interior is significantly nicer than before, and the four-cylinder engine is more powerful. Yet the car is still unmistakably a Camry, with a focus on pragmatic appeal and convenience. Changes since have been minimal. For 2014, the SE Sport trim level joined the lineup, while halfway through that model year saw some minor equipment shuffling that included the rearview camera becoming standard across the board.

The previous sixth-generation Camry was produced for the 2007-'11 model years. In reviews, we commented favorably about the Camry's spacious cabin, powerful and fuel-efficient optional V6, plush ride quality and top crash test scores. Unlike older Camrys, though, this one was let down by disappointing interior plastics, inconsistent fit and finish and uninspiring driving dynamics for non-SE models. It's a respectable choice for a used family sedan, but we thought more highly of competing models, such as the Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima.

For most of its production run, the Camry was offered in LE, SE and XLE trim levels. The entry-level model was labeled as the CE trim, but only for the first year. Base and LE models came fairly well equipped, while the SE brought with it a sport-tuned suspension. The softer-sprung XLE included items such as a premium sound system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power passenger seat, reclining rear seats and leather upholstery (V6). Most of the features on the higher-trimmed models were offered on supporting trims as options. Other major options included a sunroof and a navigation system.

This Camry was offered with either a four- or six-cylinder engine, with improvements made over the years. The initial base engine was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produced 158 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque (slightly lower in California and other states). A five-speed manual or five-speed automatic was available, though four-cylinder XLEs were automatic only. The 3.5-liter V6 produced 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque and was paired to a six-speed automatic only.

In 2010, the base engine was increased to 2.5 liters and power output was boosted to 169 hp. The SE was further pushed to 179 hp. Both manual and automatic transmissions were also upgraded to six speeds. Other 2010 changes included a restyled grille and taillights, and standard stability control, satellite radio and Bluetooth for all models.

Previous to this was the fifth-generation car that was produced from 2002-'06. As expected, it was a comfortable sedan that offered a roomy cabin, a choice of inline-4 or V6 power and, depending on trim level and optional equipment, most of the latest safety features such as stability control and side curtain airbags. However, prior to 2005, the base Camry did not come standard with antilock brakes. As with other Camrys, we generally found this generation to be very good in terms of room, comfort and feature content.

Three engines were available for this generation. The first was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that made 154 hp (145 with PZEV emissions controls). It was mated to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission (four-speed prior to '05) and should be powerful enough for the majority of buyers. A 3.0-liter V6 that generated 190 hp was also available (18 hp less prior to '04) on the LE and XLE trim levels, while a 210-hp, 3.3-liter V6 (introduced for 2004) was available on the SE model only. These six-cylinder Camrys came with the automatic only. In previous years, these power numbers were higher because of a change in measurement that occurred in 2006, although actual output never changed.

Like the more recent versions, the 1997-2001 Toyota Camry sedan offered a quiet, stress-free driving experience. Many desirable modern features were also available, including side airbags and antilock brakes (which became standard on all trim levels except the base CE). It, too, was offered with four- and six-cylinder powertrains.

Although a Camry older than 1997 is likely to have quite a few miles on it, it is still something to consider for folks on a tight budget. Provided it has been faithfully maintained, a 1992-'96 Camry (which was available in coupe, sedan and wagon body styles) should be able to spin its odometer to nearly 200,000 miles without major problems. It's this final trait, more than any other, that has kept the Toyota Camry popular with buyers over the last two decades.

User Reviews:

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By jitenshajin - November 22 - 8:06 pm

  I bought this car from my mother since she could no longer drive. It had 5000 miles on it. Kept it for 2 years and hated driving it. It was terrible in the snow. ABS did basically nothing. Steering was unstable in the snow, as was acceleration. I usually drive or tow cars to the junkyard, but this one I couldnt wait to trade in, at 4 years old and 24000 miles. The only plus was that it was good on gas.

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  GOOD CAR POOR WORKMANSHIP - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By mds - November 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car new in 1994 and while it was under warranty three power windows broke and oxidation on the side mirrors (paint) were replaced.I also replaced all four GOODYEAR tires before 30000 miles due to cracks in tires that could not be fixed.Also had two handles that broke off on the inside. After the warranty was up two more windows dropped at a cost of 313.00 each.

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  Best Car I ever owned - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Tim Cummings - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Best car Ive ever owned. Perfectly reliable.

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  owner - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By tan - November 21 - 10:00 am

  replaced seat frame rear strut under warranty.body too thin

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  04 Camrys problems - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By NEER - November 20 - 8:26 pm

  Bought the 04 Camry LE for 1.5 year. Got 17k miles on it. Got a few problems too: 1) Tires. The both rear tires blew out within 13,000 miles. Bridgestone tires quality seems questionable. 2) Left rear door could not be openned from inside. Toyota dealer fixed, saying that the cable was broken. 3) One transmitter was broken. replacing battery did not work out. 4) Gas mileage: highway 32, local 17-20. Local gas mileage lower than claimed. 5) My head often gets knocked by the top frame because design of raised drivers seat makes front head room insufficient. 6) Brakes not as good as my old Mazda 626. It takes longer distance to stop the car.

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  Poor Design - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Jim - November 16 - 4:40 pm

  Ive driven many Toyotas and this one is rather dull and disappointing. Pickup and handling is fine. The low end version of the car isnt very comfortable, but maybe the high end version is. The car doors dont close without extra force. They are probably too light and it is easy to think they are closed until you start driving. Finally the back seat has gaps near the seat belt. We actually lost things in these gaps, and you cannot get to them unless you go to the dealer and remove the seats! Not a family car.

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  Big mistake camry 2010 xle - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By abbas memon - November 16 - 9:50 am

  The reason I bought the Camry is because I traded my 02 Camry xle and bought the same car thinking it will be as good as my 02 Camry. When it is windy car is very hard to control I am scared out of my mind that it is going to skid. I think the material they use now days (probably from China) is very cheap and crappy. Big mistake I hate the car and I am thinking about replacing it with a SUV or something els. I wish I had listened to my wife and bought SUV. I will probably loose a lot of money when & if I buy another car. I dont think they will give me fair price when I am trading it. I just had no idea that is is going to be so bad. I dont know what to do. I am afraid to drive it in winter.

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  SE V6 Rocks! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Rob M - November 15 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car, very quiet ride at high speeds, comfortable seating position and seats, smartly laid out interior with a large guages and buttons. Build quality is top notch and the V6 engine is powerful and quiet. This car also soaks up bumps and poor pavemnet very well. Having driven several Lexus vehicles in the past, this car really feels a lot like Lexus in the way the car rides.

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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By john - November 14 - 9:36 pm

  Over 40,000 miles without a single repair. The V6 with 260+ HP really moves. A wolf in sheeps clothing.

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  Love my Cammie the Camry - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Paul - November 14 - 8:53 pm

  A lot of people I know own these so I decided to buy one. My lady friend owns a 2008 Camry XLE V6. Hers is black, and mine is silver. What is not to like about this car? I just love it to death! I plan on keeping it for a good long time. Me and my lady friend are both senior citizens. I definitely recommend this car to anyone looking for a midsize family sedan that is great for anyone of any age. They make great first cars, great second cars, and great family cars.