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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  super car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By gm - June 8 - 10:00 am

  it just goes. smooth quite, never a rattle or squeak. very comfortable. have had absolutely no problems and average apx 28 mpg

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  Fantastic! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Chunster - June 8 - 10:00 am

  I love this car... Simply the smoothest ride for the buck in its class... Would have been nicer if all the models have black leather interior, but gray isnt bad... i love the power, which is plenty for me... great buy

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  Constantcamry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By chris gates - June 8 - 7:22 am

  I think my Camry was an outstanding value, extremely well made and durable.

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  I love it, but... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Misty - June 7 - 10:56 am

  I got this car fairly early in the year. I love the color of the exterior and interior (although Im not fond of having a light interior having kids). Im pretty content with pretty much everything the car offers except the common issue of the transmission that doesnt want to seem to work when you need it. I often find myself stressing when the car wont accelerate when I need to go fast in certain situations. After reading other reviews, I have found out that there is a "fix" for the problem. I called the dealership and have an appointment for an oil change, tire rotaion and they say there is a "fix" which may not show much change. Im hoping it will for my familys safety.

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  97 Toyota Camry = Bored Mechanic - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Michael - June 6 - 8:23 pm

  This car has been in the family since day one in august of 1997 being my Moms, then my Sisters and now its mine. With 173,000 miles on it still running purrrrr-fect, still riding like a new cars this car has with- stood the test of time and still have lots more life in it. Repairs made have been typical maintenance, rear strut assemblies, a few light bulbs, an egr sensor, a battery, a power steering hose, and.... thats all I can think of being done in a 173,000 miles so we have 1 bored starving mechanic. Its a great ride high quality even used pick one up put about a grand in it and enjoy timeless reliability!!!

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  Outlived any American car I ever owned! - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By cooksfallskid - June 6 - 7:11 pm

  I owned several brand new Chevys and NONE of them came close to the reliability of my 08 Camry. ALL of the Chevys I had ever owned were in need of major service before 30k. I regularly commute from Upstate NY and this car never gave me any trouble. I follow the owners manual and service it myself. Synth. oil from day 1. I will not let those butchers at the dealership touch this car. Aside from the normal wear and tear items it is the most reliable car I have ever owned. I never had a car that had factory brakes last 100k! The only major component replaced was the water pump. I drive this car HARD and make regular trips to .FLA and NC 2 to 3 times a year with it. Toyota got it right this time

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  Dependable! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Hmoob_kid1058 - June 6 - 3:33 pm

  Although the height of the interior is fairly short, the car provides an excellent amount of leg room. The dashboard is equipped with the standard settings with the max speed reaching to 110mph. To the right of the dashboard lies the music system, which includes CDs, cassettes, and radio, and beneath the music system is the heating and cooling controls. Being a car with auto transmission, the car is installed with an automatic-stick just to the right of the driver. Along with the automatic stick shift is the hill parking handle, and two cup holders for whatever drinks that the driver may have. Between the backrests of the passenger and driver seat is a small compartment to store misc. items.

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  Review of 2011 Camry XLE - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Bob S. - June 6 - 10:10 am

  Although this is a smaller, lighter weight car than the 07 Lucerne we previously owned, the Camry is extremely quiet, the ride is quite comfortable and it handles very well. The 4 cylinder engine performs flawlessly and we are averaging over 30 mpg. No problems or complaints whatsoever.

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  Great car to own - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By camry - June 5 - 6:03 am

  Very reliable vehicle. Great on gas and is very comfortable on trips. Never gives me a problem.

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  I love my Camery - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Amy B. - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my camery for 4 months and I love it. Im 21 and have a 1 yr. old daughter, so I was looking for something sporty and roomy for the car seat. I had a corolla before and it was safe and reliable so I felt like another Toyota would be the best thing to get. I test drove the Accord because my husband wanted me to and I could not wait to get out of it and back into the Camery. The Accord was so uncomfortable and loud. My Camery is so confortable and roomy....my husband does not have to sit with his knees in the dash when hes in MY Camery.