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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  Excellent Quality and Reliability! - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By viraxay sopha - January 31 - 2:00 am

  This car is driven daily for the last 9 years and it is still running like new. I have changed the tires twice and a battery once as part of normal wear.

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  Boring but good - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By HuskyMD - January 31 - 2:00 am

  The camry has been a good car--once we got rid of those General tires that slid into corners and replaced them with some Yokohama Aegis touring tires. My main complaint is the low gas mileage (average around 24) and the paint job. The paint is coming off the front grill and the front bumper. It is flaking off all over the place. Not the quality I expected from Toyota. Mechanically I havent had many problems. The wiper motors seem to have gotten messed up by an ice storm though.

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  Good family car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By jagman - January 30 - 7:20 pm

  The car is all the good things people say it is. I prefer the conservative styling to flashier models on the road. My car had two minor defects -- The rubber lining on one door was loose and needed to be pushed back into place by me. The plastic covering on the automatic transmission lever is loose and needs glue. When I drive over a serious pothole there is the slightest hint of the front door flexing. Not quite a rattle, but lets see in a couple years

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  I love my Camry! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Anita - January 30 - 6:16 pm

  I used to buy a new car every 3-4 years & owned 3 Accords before trying the Camry. I have loved this car ever since - over 11 years. It has never broken down (which is really important to a single lady), it just goes and goes and goes; is smooth as silk, has plenty of power, is really comfortable and quiet. After 93,000 miles and just routine maintenance (I change the oil every 3000 miles), the only "complaints" I have are that the headlights yellowed and were really expensive to replace ($175 each and half a day to figure out how to do it), and the power antenna has gone out twice. Wont think about a new car until this one forces me into one.

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  Good, but not perfect. - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By W.Graff - January 29 - 5:23 pm

  Comfortable, good control layout, very smooth 4cyl. engine. Had trans. problem with rough 1/2 shift. Dealer replaced trans. Problem reappeared-traced to defective valve body & fixed. Paint on trunk rust-spotted in 6 months(repainted by dealer)! In mixed driving average 27MPG, but cant get above 30MPG highway.Car has been reliable since inital problems, however, it has developed a couple of rattles in the dash. (very un TOYOTA) PAINT CHIPS EXTREMELY EASILY!

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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Dave - January 28 - 12:33 am

  After driving my car almost 20,000 miles I have grown disappointed with the transmission hesitation problem as it did not show during the test drive. The problem becomes almost imperceptible if you use premium gas only, but it becomes annoying after a while. Overall not a bad vehicle, good ride on the highway. Most likely I will be trading for a V6. Still looking around for a good choice.

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  2004 Totyota Camry Beware - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Dan - January 27 - 8:00 am

  I started experiencing shifting problems, but the dealer couldnt fix it. While turning on a busy 4 lane highway, the transmission went out. I do not abuse this car (I am too old to beat any car up). Now I have a $4000 bill for a new transmission. I have found out that this has been a problem for other owners but Toyota will not acknowledge or take car of their problems. Other than that the motor ran well and I got good mileage, but I would never buy another one.

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  I love my wagon1 - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By jfoxx - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I traded in my 96 4Runner to buy this 94 Camry wagon because the fuel was better and the monthly payment was MUCH better. I thought Id miss my 4Runner, but I was wrong. This Camry is so much fun to drive. The 6 Cyl. engine is so zippy in the wagon compared to the bulky 4Runner. And I havent sacrificed any cargo space, the wagon still accomodates a large load. I bought it from a small used car dealership and it had been well maintained and only had 81,000 miles. I look forward to putting another 2 or 3 hundred thousand. I have read that the 6-cyl. engine in this model is one of the best engines ever made.

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  Going Strong - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Hannah - January 25 - 7:05 am

  I bought the car from someone at 114k miles in 2013, now 2016 I have 258k. Ive not had any major issues with the car, the most is getting a new radiator about a year and a half ago. Its currently burning oil, but its a 2002 and I drive a lot.

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  Camry the best in the West n East.Next to my horse! - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By talong_sayote - January 24 - 3:32 am

  My 2013 SE V6 Camry is perfect!Better than my X5 BMW that sucks a lot of gas.