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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  Cant beat the Toyota package! - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By driver105 - August 19 - 2:19 am

  I spent a year looking at different makes and models, but kept coming back to the Toyota and Honda cars. I picked the Camry LE over the Accord because of the greater power, comfort, price, and speed shifter. Even though it came w/ a 5 yr. comprehensive warranty, I have peace of mind with a Toyota that I wont be needing it. These cars just dont know how to die! Ive had it for7 months and love it the more I drive it. One of the biggest features was the 0 road noise. I can take long trips and not have my ears ringing at the end. Hondas a great cars also, but for the price, you cant beat the Toyota for what you get.

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  95 V6 LE - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By camry - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Drive very quiet but boring. Front seats are uncomfortable, no lumbar support. I had to replace Axles and rack and pinion at 80K miles. Cassette died at 70K miles. Some engine oil leak and power steering oil leak. Very bad experience with Camry, never go for Camry again. Tip: Get a 4 cylinders Camry, its better and maintence is cheaper.

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  Had higher expectations of the car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By D. Grugan - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Power could be better and the gas mileage should be considering that the car requires premimum. I have a navigation system and its merely a toy unless the owner is in a position to travel to unfamiliar routes. Driver fron seat came up somewhat short on support for my long legs. Also, the power seats do not tilt back far enough for taller drivers with long legs.

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  AVERAGE TOYOTA - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By DYLANDAWG - August 15 - 3:06 pm

  Overall solid quality sedan. Nice exterior lines in black. Interior is typicial Toyota bland. 4 cyl is adequate for uses. Fully loaded with 5 people is definitely noticable. Automatic transmission shifts well and is smooth. Paint finish is easily scratched. A few more applications of clear coat would have done wonders. Bought the car mainly on reputation and previous experience with Toyota truck line.

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  Definition of reliability - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Lopan - August 13 - 4:00 pm

  Comfort in the Camry rates like a full size car. The performance of the 4 cyl. was so good, I argued with the saleman that the car had a 6 cyl. The Camry sets higher than other cars in its class making traffic driving easier and more relaxing. My disappointments in the Camry are the fuel economy and the handling. The Camry should get a little better gas mileage and the handling is a little sluggish and unbalanced. This can be corrected with the 16" wheels instead of the 15s. Fuel economy is checked EVERY fill up ranging from 23.8 to 27.9 MPG, falling short of the advertised MPG. Overall, I have been much happier with the Camry than I expected, after being a devoted Honda Accord owner.

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  New 2010 Camry - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By HP - August 13 - 9:06 am

  Picked up the car on 4/18/09- Date of manufacture is 03/09. New 2.5 engine mated to the new 6 speed automatic transmission is a big plus. Vehicle stability control is now standard. Ive only had the car for 1 day- Ill report back later. Plenty of room and power. It pays to get the new 2010 over the 2009. As of today the 2010 Camry is not on the Toyota website. Theyre pushing out the 2009s. Go for the 2010 with the upgrades.

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  poor gas mileage - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Mahendra Gupta - August 11 - 7:58 am

  My Toyota Camry SE 2015 consistently gives me less that 28 miles/gal on freeways, which is well below their claim of 35 miles/gal. Same is the complaint from my neighbor who also bought the same model the same time I bought.

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  2003 Camry SE - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By mac0s9user - August 11 - 2:03 am

  I am a Toyota mechanic and this is the car I trained on . I saw how well it was built and all the redundant systems and had to buy one. Got mine last year and at 80,000 now am having no problems. Brakes are getting due but for me thats only like $200. Best value for the money. I am adding different aftermarket headlights for originality but other than that its perfect!

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  TOYOTA is big mistake - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By meddoab - August 9 - 10:32 am

  I bought this car in July 2008 brand new from the dealership. I do maintenance regularly at the dealership where I bought it. The first year I had it, it lost a lot of oil but the dealership said it was normal, til now I lose a lot of oil. Now, I have 54K miles on it. Then one day, without any warning, the battery died. I bought a new battery from toyota and still the car wasnt working well. I returned to the dealership and they told me I need a new alternator, I had to pay all of this out of pocket because the warranty ended. I bought this car thinking that it would not give me any problems, I worked 10 hours a day to pay off this car in 3 years and now I this purchase was a HUGE mistake

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  OK - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Jeff - August 8 - 1:30 pm

  1st time buyer of a Toyota, bought one because of (so called) reliability. I know I have over 100,000 miles on it now, but I bought this to replaced a Chevy with 160,000 miles on it and have sunk more money into this than I ever did in my Chevy. Look out when you reach 100,000 miles. I had to replace water pump (leaking), power steering pump (leaking), rear struts, tie rod ends, rear cam seal (leaking) and now I have noticed another leak on my garage floor and dealer tells me it is the front cam seal and they have to pull engine (very expensive). Rides rough and rattles. Feels like you are in a go cart it sits so low. Repairs are higher than domestic cars. My wife wants us to trade it in.