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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  Dont buy the 4 cyl - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By dscott - September 25 - 2:00 am

  Dont waste your money on the 4 cyl - buy the V6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  What a poor car! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Immed - September 25 - 2:00 am

  2002 Camry SE V6 has a good exterior, lots of power & acceleration and a reasonable price, but.. From the begining its had a front end vibration that has not been diagnosed. There is a clunking in the transmission and the car will not accelerate when the engine is cold. Theres no response from the engine or the car starts then stops then starts, etc. on acceleration. Throttle housing has a defect & I must run it 15 minutes in park when its cold to get it to move. Throttle response gets worse worse as the car ages. Zero traction in wet or snowy weather. Steering is "wobbly". The power seat no longer adjusts properly.

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  Never Again! - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By jcollins2 - September 24 - 7:29 pm

  I would never purchase this car again. The number of (and cost of) repairs Ive had to do is ridiculous! While under warranty, the following things were repaired/replaced: seal around the sunroof, seal around the windshield, & cd player. Two weeks ago, my water pump went out and had to be changed, along with the rotors. Now my air conditioning is broken, and the Toyota dealership is telling me that it will cost me $2,900 to repair it. In a three week time period, I will have to invest $3,700 into a car that is 3 years old and has 70,000 miles. I bought a Toyota thinking I would get a good car for the money I spent. I was absolutely wrong! I will not purchase another Toyota!

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Dan Parnell - September 23 - 2:23 pm

  I have owned many cars over the years so I speak from experience. The Toyota is one of the best driving cars I have ever owned. The outside appearence is no show stopper, but the inside is very nice and it drives like a luxury car. I have a Corvette convertible, but like driving my Toyota better.

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  Caution - 2004 Camry - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By traveler464 - September 23 - 3:30 am

  Please note that if you have a 2004 or 2005 Toyota Camry, you may want to dump it now before it is too late. The vehicle has a part called the throttle body assembly which was of a faulty design and was redesigned. Toyota sent out a technical service bulletin reference number EG023-05. This part, the throttle body assembly with motor, costs $934. On our 2004 Toyota Camry XLE, replaced this on 08-06- 2007. On 09-09-2009, this part quit again and my wife had to walk an extended distance and Toyota refused to repair this faulty part for less than $1100.66. They had every excuse imaginable. Bottom line - Toyota does not stand behind their product - DUMP THEM.

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  Oh what a feeling? - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By SubVet - September 22 - 2:10 am

  Have had the car little over two and a half years. Honestly the first and only one I will ever have. About every 20K have to lube steering column, have done 2 four wheel alignments, now on third set of tires. Scrubbed curb and did $1000 damage to suspension alone. Ride is fair at best. Yea, I guess I could weld the hood shut my expenses have all be under the car. Will not ever consider one again.

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  Researched Heavily - Camry #1 By Far - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By xtremeshopper - September 22 - 12:53 am

  WOW! Smooth and responsive interior is as luxurious as you can get without slapping an L on the grill. I only had to buy the CE model because it comes very well equipped. Since Ive had it Ive put 5100 miles on it and not even a hint of any problems! If any one is even considering buying a new car i highly recommend the camry over any other vehicle! Its roomy, stylish, affordable, and if estimates are true Ill get the best trade in value when im done!

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  Not perfect but a great value! - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Klem - September 22 - 12:49 am

  2016 SE, have had it for 5 months now. likes: Seats are comfortable, Easy to see out of, Fuel economy 30 city 38 HWY, Rear seats fold down to add versatility to the storage. Chassis is tight and steers good, Car is quiet even on the Freeway. Dislikes: I am 62" and the legroom for the driver is ok but the center console is too wide causing my right leg to be forced against it and it becomes pain-full after a half hr or so and then it becomes hard to find a way to get it comfortable. Older Camrys had narrower consoles and when I drive an older one I have no problems. I have the upper optioned radio and I agree with others that it really is bad. No depth to the sound, I would guess it has low wattage and cheap speakers. The NAV system Toyota owns called scout and it is really bad. Voice command is useless and often, more than not it does not get you to the front door of your destination but will leave your a block or two away at times. It has traffic app in it and it does not do anything, maybe Toyota plans to make this work in the future or something. We have pretty much resorted back to using Google NAV on our phones again. Dont get me wrong. For the money I still believe this car is a good value and plan to own it for a long time. Overall I am very satisfied with the purchase.

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  Uncomfortable Front Seats - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By jonemick - September 21 - 9:23 pm

  Im wondering if anyone else has a problem with there front seats being uncomfortable. The seam in the middle of the back has a wire behind it, its like leaning back with a 1 inch rope behind your back. Its very uncomfortable !

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  Left worries behind - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Sophia - September 19 - 7:36 am

  We bought this car new and also bought extended warranty. What caught our eye was the provision that all money will be refunded if warranty were never used. And you know what - after 7 years we got all our money back! The car is 13 years old now and all we have to replace ( besides wearable items like brakes and tires) was catalytic converter and the battery. So in our case Toyota proved its reliability for sure. The only bad thing were the original tires - we had to replace them after only 17000 miles and we had to pay for them, because it was the only thing not covered by original warranty. The tires were not made by Toyota, but still, they have to install more durable tires.