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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  This car wont die. - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By rolseth - November 22 - 6:45 pm

  My mom bought this car brand new, took great care of it, and passed it down to me with 180k miles. I now have 285,000 miles on this car and have only done oil changes and a couple of inexpensive repairs, along with the typical change of tires and brake pads. I really have nothing bad to say about this car other than that the driver side lock failed. But other than that, this car has been phenomenal in terms of reliability and functionality. It averages around 25-27 mpg. What a pleasure it has been to have such a trouble free vehicle. I could see this Camry lasting me a little past 300k with no issues. Couldnt be happier with the performance of this car. If youre considering one, buy it!

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  2nd time owner - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By krystle - November 21 - 12:40 pm

  I had a 2012 Camry sport I loved it loved how it grounded to the road the 2016 is sleek love the new design its a tad bit smaller than my 2012 BUT I love it my 2012 was having some shuddering problems with the transmission but totally love my 2016

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  2nd time owner - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By krystle - November 21 - 12:40 pm

  I had a 2012 Camry sport I loved it loved how it grounded to the road the 2016 is sleek love the new design its a tad bit smaller than my 2012 BUT I love it my 2012 was having some shuddering problems with the transmission but totally love my 2016

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  2nd time owner - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By krystle - November 21 - 12:40 pm

  I had a 2012 Camry sport I loved it loved how it grounded to the road the 2016 is sleek love the new design its a tad bit smaller than my 2012 BUT I love it my 2012 was having some shuddering problems with the transmission but totally love my 2016

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  Very Little if any Problems - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By AxoDragonZ - November 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive been a proud owner of mine for since this last March, and I havent had any problems whatsoever. Ive done the normal general maintenence, oil change, undercoating, blah blah. The most recent problem was a CV Shaft replacement, and that was taken care of before I bought it. Ive no major complaints about the car overall, its a nice quiet ride, when Im not blasting that Dolby Surround Sound system ;) and it handles extremely well. Gas mileage is what I expected from a Toyota, very good.

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  3rd camry bought new - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By David English - November 17 - 10:43 pm

  One of few made in Japan. Bought first available new model sight unseen. New styling strange at first but ok and am now getting used to change. Seats are padded more firmly than previous model but comfortable on trips. New interior is very pleasing to the eye and am happy to have features like tire pressure indicator, side airbags, 4 wheel disc brakes and 16 inch wheels included as standard.

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  Best bang for your buck ! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Ravens - November 17 - 5:20 pm

  Love the styling and the way the car handles. The powertrain is smooth. This is my 6th Toyota product. They have done a great job in redesigning this car. Would like better wheels, but other than that, this sedan is an excellent choice for this price point!

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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mahash - November 17 - 4:53 pm

  I bought this car about six months ago and havent stopped loving it ever since. It gets great mileage for a V6, good sound system that comes standard in all Camrys and overall styling looks sporty and aggressive.

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  So smooth - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By scarexpert - November 17 - 8:23 am

  Had for 2 weeks. So smooth. Excellent MPG: 31. My is black with gray inside. No problems to report

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  6speedfun - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By man10camry - November 16 - 8:29 pm

  This car is everything as promised. A very comfortable and quiet car. With the 6 speed manual also fun to drive. The suspension is a bit soft but I guess thats why Toyota made the SE. But for a base model its quite good.