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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  2007 Toyota Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Miss - November 10 - 4:30 am

  Im a relatively new Camry owner and I love it so far. I think the exterior design of the new Camry is beautiful, and I havent had any problems with acceleration as some others have said.

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  Good torque; Sluggish 5-spd auto trans - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By ohluckyou - November 8 - 2:00 am

  Every thing about this car is excellent - good torque, super quiet ride, powerful V6 3.3L engine (very responsive), and the immobilizer (anti- theft). The styling is very nice 100% nicer than the last generation Camry. One major problem is the new sluggish 5-speed auto transmission with super ECT-i. Toyota claims the new 5-speed transmission will provide smooth ride. This is only true when I am driving at above 45 mph. I can feel the transmission is hesitating from 2nd to the 3rd gear - totally unsmooth. To be safe, stick with 4-speed auto transmission.

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  Very quiet car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By bliss - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I have been extremely impressed with how quiet the car is. On rough roads as with all cars that I have driven road noise increases. On smooth roads this car is as quiet as any car on the road- no engine noise even at 80mph. having driven the 2002 Nissan altima and the VW passat the toyota is clearly the most quiet car. The interior trim is much more refined than the Nissan. The new 4 cly. engine is smooth and refined. All in All a great car!

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  2015 CAMRY XLE is the best mid-sized sedan - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Bailey - November 7 - 8:24 am

  This 2015 Camry XLE is gorgeous. The exterior is bold enough but not drastic. The interior is high-end and luxurious. Driving the vehicle is very smooth and quiet. After riding in friends Malibus, Accords, Mazda 6s - the difference is obvious. Toyota makes a quality machine-simply the best over the others.

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  Happy Camry Owner - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By 07CAMRY - November 6 - 8:46 pm

  I currently have 24K miles. I had the hesitation problem, but the dealer reflashed computer and solved the problem. I get 22 mpg in town and have gotten as much as 36mpg on hwy., driving around 65 mph. I use syn. oil and replaced air filter at 15K. Tires are wearing evenly (rotate) and I do not have any wind noise. Very comfortable ride.

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  Beautiful car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By cutedh - November 6 - 6:33 pm

  This is one heck of a nice car. Love the ride and the quality of the inside of the car. Everybody has given it great compliments and it looks way better than the accord. A lot of my friends now want this car and my neighbors are jealous of me. LOVE IT

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  ok ok ok - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By howie123 - November 4 - 10:00 am

  for theprice you can`t beat it--my wife has an accord and that feels like a toy compared to my camry

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  Still Going Strong - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Dave - November 2 - 4:40 am

  Ive had my base 2005 Camry since I purchased it new in August 2004. It now has 75,000 miles and I commute 68 miles roundtrip 5 days a week. Im getting approximately 28 mpg which I consider good. I had a tune up at 60,000 miles which improved its performance. Ive also changed the transmission fluid twice. Other than oil changes every 5,000 miles, I havent had to do much else. Its been a great reliable car so far.

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  Problem with less than 1000 miles! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Commish - November 1 - 2:06 pm

  When doing a rolling stop and then accelerating, the car seems to not know what gear to go into. When the gas is pressed you can hear the engine but the car doesnt go initially. It then catches up but jerks the car. The dealership says this is do to the new electronic wiring. If this is so, then I do not understand why this car could possible be the #1 selling car in America. my 1985 Buick Shyhawk drove smoother! No lie! This was merely a brushoff by the dealership and Im the one who loses. Looking at possibly trading in the car!

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  Rating of vehicle - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Frank - October 29 - 8:30 pm

  I really like the Camry 4 door Sedan xle because its a very reliable car and it is a very well engineered car. I get excellent gas mileage. It is very comfortable and an easy and fun car to drive.