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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  Reliable under any conditions - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By woodsj - April 10 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Camry when our other car died at 60,000 miles. We were looking for a comfortable car, with some nice bells and whistles, that we could drive happily for 100,000 miles or more. The Camry has the performance we look for on the highway, in the snow, rain, and everywhere.

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  Pause Before Moving - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By SilverSnail - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Although the vehicle has excellent fit and finish and the quality of the build is quite good, Toyota fails to complete the vehicle. First, the vehicle pauses every time you push down on the gas, then it goes. This is maddening. Second, the brakes go down to the floor--no better stopping though. This is disturbing. The tailpipe hangs down under the car and only has about 5" of clearance from the ground. There are far too many blind spots. The mirrors are for decoration. The Tilt Steering column doesnt. Toyota tells us that if any of the warning lights come on, they will get interested--Otherwise-Toyota designed the faults and likes them.

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  Red and Robust - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By WA - April 8 - 12:30 am

  I went looking at an Avalon and ended up with a bright red Camry and about $3000 - $4000 still in my pocket. Minus some trunk space and sprawl room in the back seat I have no regrets. Ive always liked bright red cars and when I saw the new style Camry in red I had to drive it. The drive sold me that unless space was the critical buying point, save some money and go with the Camry. I was surprised by how quiet the cabin was and just how comfortable it was to sit in and drive. No regrets!

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  cant beat it - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By 5speeder - April 7 - 10:00 am

  Bought mine brand new and have put 171k miles on it. Still runs and looks great. Incredibly reliable. Have replaced alternator and clutch (at 151k) and struts (at 155k). Otherwise, no repair expenses. I will drive it til the wheels fall off (which at the rate its going, wont be til 400k miles!)

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  To get better performance--try - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Allen - April 7 - 5:03 am

  I,to,have had with hesitation,especially when starting out in the morning, or general slugishness. I began using 93 octane fuel about 3000 miles ago.The results were a VERY noticeable improvement. I am guessing that the computer chip that regulates ignition "advance, or some other function, was not a good match for the standard 87 octane fuel. My fuel economy has,the best that i can measure, increased enough to mostly compensate for the 20 cents higher price of the fuel. Even my wife comments on the improvement. The "07" Camry (with the 4 cyl engine) is a fine auto -- my dealer did all that he could to help, but with no "factory letter" on the problem, he was some what lost.

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  Love My New Camry!! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Amy - April 7 - 12:13 am

  Ive had my 2010 Camry LE for a week and a half now and I cant say enough about it. The ride is smooth and quiet, the seats are comfortable, my husband loves the lumbar support button, and the kids love the roomy rear seats. Okay, so the interior isnt flashy. So what. I care about safety, reliability and comfort. This has all of that. The trunk is HUGE. I got the Barcelona red and it is a good looking color. I am very happy with my purchase.

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  Surprised - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Shel - April 5 - 4:50 pm

  Ive just had my 2005 Camry LE for three weeks. My previous car was a Lincoln LS-V8. I was very pleasantly surprised at the standard features on the Camry, how comfortable and quiet it is, and how the performance is very acceptable to me with the 4-cylinder automatic. Cost of driving is about 50% of my LS considering the increased mileage and regular vs. premium gasoline.

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  Sky Blue Toy - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By C Felder - April 3 - 11:50 pm

  Great value car . The 4 cylinder lacks torque. The light blue color is too bright for our taste, we ordered it online, our fault.

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  OUSTANDING! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By bw1 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  The best car I have owned!

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  We got a lemon - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By kfran - April 2 - 10:53 am

  Well its bound to happen that when a company makes thousands of a product, there will be a bad egg in there somewhere. Unfortunately, we bought the bad egg. Camry was purchased brand new and at 24,000 miles we started having problems with the car nearly quiting on us as we were driving it. Engine light came on & weve had it at a local Toyota dealership if not every week but every few months since (we now have over 60,000 miles). The car has had the computer reset, a coil replaced, last Friday April 29, a spark plug was replaced after the Toyota engineers reviewed the codes because the mechanics couldnt figure it out. Well, sorry to say, the car is back in the shop today-still not fixed!