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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  1999 Toyotat Camry, Great Car! - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Lilnuke - March 31 - 2:00 pm

  I have owned the car since it was new in 1998. It has been the most dependable car that I have ever owned. It has never broken down and left me stranded, ever. I make sure the car receives its regular maintenance and replace the belts and tires as needed. The ergonomics of the interior are great with all controls easy to reach. With the V6, I can still manage to get 30 MPG on the highway. All around a great car.

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  Second Camry - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By CamryMan3 - March 31 - 4:00 am

  Great car, not as good on gas as my old 90 Camry. Car always starts strong and runs like a dream. Only getting rid of it cause a deal on a 97 Camry came along.

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  Excellent Value - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Trey B - March 30 - 4:40 pm

  Prior to purchasing my Camry, I test drove a number of cars including Lexus IS250/350 and Mercedes. Although impressive, the price for the cars were not commensurate to the perceived value. The XLE V6 fully loaded is a great value for thousands less. It is fun to drive and really has great body features.

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  2010 toyota camry XLE - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Michael - March 30 - 2:50 pm

  Just bought a 2010 Toyota Camry XLE, love the car. Drives as if it is sliding on wet glass, smooth, and quiet you can actually hear yourself breathe in this car. My only problem that I have is the interior door molding where the two separate material meets, the quality work is very poor, there are gaps where the materials are joined, and at present I am told that is the way they are by my dealership. With no fix for them.

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  doubting myself - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By comfy - March 29 - 1:50 pm

  Im 20 years old, bought this in the forest green color have gotten compliment on color. Ride is kinda rough in first couple gears, interior could use a little sprucing up, otherwise it does have a lot of pick up for a 4 cylinder. Im keeping up with 6 and 8 cylinders on the highway and have no trouble passing. If youre around my age, Id say buy it, but youre gonna have to shell out some cash to spruce it up a little bit to make it a little fancier.

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  WOW! What a CAR!!!!! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By jdz - March 29 - 10:00 am

  This car is awesome. Its the first time Ive owned a Toyota and I wont buy anything but one now! The car is beautiful and lots of fun to drive. This has to be the best sedan on the market. No wonder the Camry is Americas best selling and rated sedan.

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ED - March 28 - 8:33 am

  I have driven this car less than a 1000 miles and I like it. My only complaint is not sufficient foot room between the accelerator and the brake pedal. My size 14 s sometimes get caught under the brake pedal. NOT GOOD!!!!!

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  Good Car - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Kyle Cooney - March 27 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchased my Camery in May of 2002. It has had no problems what so ever. It has 150000 and still runs and looks new except for the front 3 or 4 inches of the hood has a great deal of rock chips on it. I have since installed a bra to prevent any more damage. My only complaints about this car are nickel and dime things on the inside. The glides for my trash tray have broken so the tray moves in and out on its own and I had to manipulate the trunk mechanism (this may have been from over filling it).

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  Buyers Remorse - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By CarNut4UinTx - March 27 - 9:03 am

  Having tested the Imapala, the Accord, the Charger and then the Camry, we opted for the latter. Sadly, we are overcome with SERIOUS buyers remorse. MPG is not better than 24mpg w/the 4CYL, the transmission slips, the throttle by wire has been non- responsive on several occasions, the ergonomics are "off", and the dealership is very proud of their product, too proud. Ohhhh Toyota, what happened? We bought the car for the reliabilty, but the car has been in the shop six times now, in 8 weeks!

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  2010 Camry LE - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Dom - March 26 - 6:33 pm

  Cant go wrong with this car. Quiet, ride is great, gas mileage is outstanding (29 mpg first tank), all latest safety features (knee airbag, ESC, Traction Control, ABS). The new 2.5 liter engine and 6 speed transmission is a significant improvement. It behaves like a V6 and the power doesnt poop out at high speeds. I have a Lexus GS series also and this Camry is not much different (ride, quiet) for thousands less.