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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  Great Applicance - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Red - February 20 - 7:33 pm

  This car is a great appliance, the lease price was so cheap I could not believe it, 218 per month with nothing down, literally the first time I paid anything was 30 days after I bought it and the price is unbelievable.

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  LOVE THE CAR!!!!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By c.a.meyer - February 20 - 7:26 am

  I love this car. My hubby is a salesman and was always talking about how great it is and he is sooo right. It is still sporty like my mustang (yet better) and I can fit the kids in it without any problems. I love the car and everyone should at least drive it. I also have the option of driving it like a standard. SO, I have a lot of fun. You should try it.

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  2nd of 3 Camrys - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By likesthecar - February 20 - 2:00 am

  This has been an excellent car- not perfect, but certainly close to it. Very low maintenance. Do change the timing belt at 60,000 miles, but other than that almost nothing since we bought it.

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  Hard Roads of NYC - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By NYC Commuter - February 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Camry new and have been driving it for 4 years now. I have over 60,000 miles of New York City roads and have had no problems. Regular maintenance and regular gas is all this car needs. I wish it was little bit more exciting looking but the Camry definetly does the job.

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  Meet Virginia - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Neneefor2 - February 19 - 6:03 pm

  Hands down, this car is worth every cent. They have a great resale and if taken care of, will out last any car on the market. The V6 is a must. I will never own any other car. "Virginia" is trustworthy and comfortable. Being a single female, I have comfort that she wont let me down

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  Best car I have ever had! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By leyvagrl - February 16 - 12:20 pm

  This is the funnest family sedan that I think anyone could own! I have so much fun in this car, it picks up quick, its cute and its very roomy & comfortable inside. I am a mother of 3 & the car is practical and something that dosent "scream mommy!" I put a dark tint on the windows, put new rims on it & made it more "me".

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  Cool and Classy - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jrl - February 16 - 11:46 am

  Wonderful car, rides smoothly, has enough pick up with a 4cyl. No problems ever. Want to keep this car 4 a very long time. Good gas mileage, comfortable seating, lots of leg room. Easy to drive/park. Nothing flimsy. Lumbar support is great. Lots of comfort for the price.

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  I think the 07 CAMRY V6 ROCKS! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By delraybob - February 15 - 11:16 am

  I have found the paint does stone chip rather easily :( and on the US models, the gap between the console and dash is slightly off (very minor issue for all the complaints I read). If you purchase a 4 cylinder vehicle and then complain about power, you just dont get it. The power of the V6 is UNBELIEVABLE for this type of car. My transmission works perfectly fine, is fun to shift but does better on its own. The stereo with Bluetooth is a dream. The ergonomics are some of the best in the business. I sold a Vette for this and have not regretted it a bit. My Dodge Ram went from daily use to 2 or 3 X a month. I LOVE this car.

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  Best car I have owned - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By msbsdad - February 15 - 10:00 am

  This is the 9th car that I have owned, both foreign and domestic, and this is the best, most comfortable car I have owned. All of my cars have been manual, and this is the slickest tranny that I have driven.

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  $17,288=mini-lexus&32 mpg. - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By abchanf - February 15 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned three Toyotas, one of which was a Camry bought new in 1991. All three were driven well over 130,000 miles.All three provided unbelievable comfort, reliability and fuel mileage.The 91 Camry was sold at 201,000 miles with the ONLY repairs to original parts being both front struts after 170,000!! Our 2004 Camry LE 4cyl. has just 5,000 miles on it, but it has no rattles, appears to be even better made, is averaging over 30 mpg. in mixed driving and rides as well or better than previous Lexus, Infinity and Cadillac luxury cars Ive driven. And the build quality, quietness, interior space and cargo area either match or exceed them as well.