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 love what you do for me Toyota!! - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By ToyotasTheBest - October 4 - 2:00 am

  We have had this car for 10 years now and it is still running great! It is THE most reliable car! Ive been driving it for four years and only once have I had to take it to the shop. The engine overheated. I was without my car for two days (and I missed it terribly), but that was it. While other cars would be going through repair after repair after 10 years, the Toyota Camry encounters no problems and still runs as if it were almost new! My Toyota Camry has turned me to a Camry buyer for life!

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  Great Family Car, Built well. - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Paul-from-phoenix - October 4 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Camry XLE in January 2003, and I have driven it for more than a year now and put more than 25k on it. No complaints. Very smooth ride, great for endurance trips (i.e. Phoenix to Vegas). A/C works in 120+ temps, and Heater works in 30- temps. Handles a little loose in high speed cornering, but I assume that is because of the smooth ride. A stiffer suspension would translate into more vibration and a bumpier ride. The last great feature is that it has depreciated less than 4k in the first year! My next car will be the Black Camry XLE V6 with a Toyota Racing Development Supercharger. 270HP!

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  Awful Nice Ride - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By rdog28 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  The Camry SE is powerful, quiet, comfortable, and attractive. I test drove the Altima, Passat and a certified used Volvo, and ended up with the Camry as it had the best track record from the reliability front. The Altima is a more powerful vehicle, but lacks the sophistication of the Camry. The Passat is a great car and wouldnÂ’t have been a bad choice, but was scared away by some problems with some coils, for a while (its been resolved). And the Volvo was used, although certified (those cars have more bells and whistles than a Swiss Army knife). The SE is the nicest of the family and also the hardest to find (if you want something different).

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  Customer Overview - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By James Williamson - October 4 - 2:00 am

  Excellent experience so far. Ive had the car four just under four months and approximately 3000 miles. No problems what so ever. I particularly like its handling characteristics when driving in snow and ice. I would have liked a larger V6 but the current engine is satisfactory and has enough pep to make me feel confortable passing on two lane roads.

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  V6 XLE Camry - I Love It! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By gatesh - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle. I traded up from a 2001 LE V6 Camry. The 2001 V6 Camry had slightly better pickup, but the 2004 has a much improved interior design (cup holders, map lights, arm rest compartment) and the 2004 Camry is way more comfortable. The interior controls are very easy to use. The XLE is loaded with added features and is well worth the extra money. The car is great on snow and ice (you dont need the traction control).

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  disappointed - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By l.D - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I regret purchasing this car. Rear visibility is horrendous, especially for parking. I can feel every change in the road surfa

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  Not up to Earlier Standards - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By John Baker - October 3 - 3:56 pm

  We have had far too many problems and repairs for a low-mileage vehicle. Electric door locks function intermittantly & cannot be fixed. Air bag already requires repairs although never deployed. Many rattles and squeaks. This is our 4th Toyota, and it is clearly not as well-made as the others.

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  toyota - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By dlasky - October 2 - 10:00 am

  excellent car reliable, no sludge problems and definitely better then my previous car galiant

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  COROLLA TO CAMRY - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By TLYNN - October 2 - 10:00 am

  I passed my wonderful corolla down to my mother-in-law in December. I was attracted to the new design and spaciousness.I love my car...hope its as reliable as my 93 corolla! I also noted the rotten egg smell. I only have 4500 miles and recently had my first oil change. The windshield chips very easily. The brakes do take a getting use to. It rides great on the road. I live 2 hours from my sister and it does 70-80 without a problem and gets 34 mpg on the highway. Most of my driving is city traffic and it gets 23 mpg. So far so good...reliabilty and future problems are my number 1 concern when buying a car.

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  My toyoto experience - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By bjcnshreve - September 30 - 10:00 am

  My experience with my Toyota! When I first test drove my Toyota I thought it was a little bigger car then I had planned but after getting used to it I wouldnt have it any other way. IT rides so smooth and nearly drives itself! Took a trip to Florida and you could really put your little finger on the steering wheel and it did the rest.. hugged the road so good.The trunk is very spacious. I love my Toyota