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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  I Just Love It - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By georgie - May 5 - 10:00 am

  This car is wonderful, fun to drive and the only problem is that it is too easy to drive over the speed limit without ever knowing it....it is so smooth.

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  Going for Best All-Around Value - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By BZ - May 5 - 10:00 am

  In researching cars over the years, I always start looking at the Honda Accord and Civic, but the local dealer simply wont deal. Too expensive and way too low on trade-ins. Found a car I like better anyway and the dealer deals: the Toyota Camry LE sedan with automatic and 4-cylinder engine. No wonder Camry is the best-selling car in America. Excellent value with best combination of standard features and price. Elegant classic look inside and out. Good performance and excellent economy. Thoughtful ergonomics and comfort. LE is so completely equipped that only optional equipment needed is driver and front passenger side and curtain airbags.

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  Still a great car after 11 years - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By jw3YJ6 - May 3 - 9:48 am

  We bought this new and its been a great car for us. Still running great after 11 years! Repairs and maintenance beyond the usual scheduled work include: 2 batteries, 3 sets of front brakes, 1 set of rear brakes, tires, exhaust, struts, water pump (replaced under warranty), glitch in the steering, leaking power steering fluid. The brakes have always been soft on this vehicle and with aging and pot-holed streets the suspension is looser than it used to be. Highway fuel economy is about 29 mpg in winter (with winter tires) and 34 mpg in summer (with all season tires).

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  LOVE MY TOYOTA - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By DORENE - May 2 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE THIS CAR THIS IS MY FIRST TOYOTA AND I LOVE THE LOOK AND THE HANDLING

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  Hesitation from start - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By ist. toyota - April 30 - 11:03 pm

  I purchased my first Toyota on reputation of build quality. I have had six trips to dealer for transmission leaks power steering leaks parts coming loose on front under carriage and hesitation on take off. The service rep. Said this was normal for this model and there was nothing they could do about the hesitation. Makes for a jerky take off. Not safe. I have 5 months and 10,000 miles left on warranty. Time to get something different

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  It has never failed me. - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By P. Fox - April 26 - 2:00 am

  In the almost 8 years Ive owned this Camry it has never failed to start even in the most undesirable weather here in New England. For anyone that wants dependable transportation at a very reasonable cost, Toyota Camry is the answer.

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  O what a feeling... - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By BTF - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I want to thank Edmunds.com for making me an informed buyer and helping me get TMV on my new car. I researched six different cars and finally settled on the Camry...what a wonderful car. Gas mileage is OUTSTANDING and the ride and performance is second to none! Test drive and you will buy one...O what a feeling!

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  2012 Camry LE - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By cbranam1 - April 25 - 8:04 pm

  This is my third and last new Camry! I loved my 2005 and 2009, but the 2012 is not the same car! The drive nor the ride is not the same. The car "walks back and forth" going down the interstate. Toyota redesigned it and put more plastic on the car. I regret purchasing it!! Wished I had my 2009 back. I plan on trading as soon as possible and it only has 2500 miles on it! My husband drove it this weekend 500 miles and he hates the new redesigned steering. I used to be a big Toyota fan, but they lost me on this one!!!

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  Disappointed Owner - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Disappointed Owner - April 25 - 4:53 am

  I bought my Camry because I liked the styling and I had owned 2 others. The first thing that I noticed was the awful paint job after just 3 months. The paint was flaking off of the front bumper. To top things off, the car gets terrible mileage. My 2002 got better. Even the interior has not held up along with the awful wind noise at highway speeds. This will probably be my last Toyota.

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  Pretty Good Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By N Myrmel - April 21 - 11:06 pm

  I love the external appearence, but the cost to fix is very pricey. I put lots of miles on in a year and after hitting 90k a coil went bad causing a O^2 sensor and catalytic converter went bad. The camry has two O^2 sensors, one costs $160-180 but the other costs $360!!! In all it cost me $1200 to get it back on the road. The steering has always squeaked for me at low speeds (generally during parking) but other than that it has been a great car. I now have 135k on it and the above issue is the only one I have had. I replaced my brake pads at 115k and they were very easy to do. Oil filter is a little hard to get to, but all in all things are easily accessable.