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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  Nice car but - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Eugine - October 27 - 11:46 pm

  Just used the car about a month and never had a Camry before. What I like: V6 engine which is quiet and powerful enough for the regular driver; comfortable seats; nice looking interior and good radio. What I do not like: the electronic transmission performance (unpredictable when driving), car feels every bump on the rough road; noisy tires on highway. Overall,however I like the car more than Accord and Altima.

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  A good buy - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By CarBuyer - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Tested Accord, Altima. Settled on Camry SE, manual. Used CarMax.com no hassle price of $17,300 as the starting point with the dealerships. Got it down to $16,900 + tag + tax + $100 dealer processing fee.

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  Forever Camry - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Mike - October 27 - 8:43 am

  This is our 3rd Camry. This one is the best by far. Our other Camrys were 1987 & 1989 and since then the Camry has come a long way. We traded in our truck because we stopped driving it since the gas mileage was so poor. So, we decided to trade it in for something that got better gas mileage. We looked the Honda Accord found it too noisy and had no stablity control. The Hyundai Elantra not enough pep. The Nissan Altima not as smooth. The Camry was "perfect" I cant wait to drive it on vacation. This car will be in our family for a long, long time. We couldnt be happier with our purchase.

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  Very Happy - So Far ! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By John M - October 25 - 8:56 pm

  I returned my G35X after the lease expired. For a lot less money I got a very good car. The V6 is quite powerful. The cabin is quiet. The MPG is better than the G 35X. Fit and finish are also very good. The fact that the car was built in the USA is an extra bonus.

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  Reliable and fun car to drive - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By AMiller - October 24 - 11:06 am

  I bought this car in 2002 and have had it for over 8 years now. No major mechanical problems outside of typical wear and tear (tires, brakes, struts). Did have to replace valve cover gasket and timing belt which was expensive. Car has 146,000 miles and running strong. I love the V6 power; yet hate the 18 mpg in the city driving.

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  2007 Toyota Camry LE - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Jerry Trew - October 23 - 9:13 am

  This was the first Camry I have bought and I had never had a four cyl before. I was surprise at the power of it, and driving 250 miles in a heavy rain storm the stability and ABS braking to prevent skiding was wonderful. I do not find the front seats as comfortable as the seats in my old 96 Ford taurus. Overall I am please with the 2007 Camry.

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  ce camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ALFRED - October 21 - 8:00 pm

  Just got back from Maine. I have to say the car rode great,comfortable and gas mileage great. Very roomy with four adults. The new design turns heads wherever we go. The only draw back is using the cruise control, kicks out of overdrive on very slight hills.

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  A good reliable car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By FRANKLIN VAZQUEZ - October 20 - 4:43 pm

  Solid performance, no problems of any kind, just what you expect from a good quality car company.

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  Surprisingly bad - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Marv - October 19 - 5:36 pm

  I was surprised with all the trouble I had with it. I had to replace the rack, water pump, and radiator. When I managed to get rid of it, the heater didnt work and I was still having problems with the car overheating, there was a major leak in the air conditioning system, and the AT wasnt shifting well. I suspect that a previous owner must have badly mistreated this vehicle (and possibly rolled back the odometer), though its possible Toyota occasionally produces an individual lemon.

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  2012 camry SE - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By bengal16 - October 18 - 1:35 am

  After driving this car for 15 months I have decided to express my opinion. This car is nice to drive, but a little rough riding. The interior is spacious and the trunk is nice and roomy. The four cylinder engine has great power and acceleration but it is hard to achieve the gas mileage that Toyota claims this car will get. The trip information computer can not compare to my GM vehicles which are more user friendly and offer better user information.