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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  never buy - Camry 07 LE I4 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By vin - June 26 - 1:30 pm

  I have owned 2 cars, Camry 03 and corolla 03. I traded in my corolla 03 for a new camry 07 LE with I4 engine. Its been 3 days only. It has serious acceleration problem and is hesitant in pick up .Sometimes I need to press gas pedal hard to gain power. I have been a toyota loyalist since 4.5 yrs .This is the greatest disappointment I ever had with Camry 07.

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  My Trusted Car - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By Hax - June 26 - 11:02 am

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  "Leak City" at 85,000 - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By myalex08 - June 26 - 10:00 am

  It developed a major transmisssion leak and rear main engine seal leak,head gasket leak at approx 90000 miles. These were very expensive repairs as the entire front subframe had to be removed,transmission dropped.Almost all seals and gaskets in engine have been replaced. Great riding car though and till this year, engine reliable.Extended warranty proved to be ambiguous.

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  Toyota--a whole lotta shaking goin on! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By MrMark - June 26 - 10:00 am

  There is a constant vibration in the steering wheel that Toyota can not fix. It feels like an alignment problem but the alignment, wheel balancing, toe-in have all been checked. Toyota is saying we just have to get used to the feel of the car. Odd that the steering wheel of our 92 Sable doesnt vibrate as much as the Toyota. Were already out looking for a new car and this on only has 2300 miles on it and weve owned it less than 8 weeks! Were very disappointed in the Toyota Camry.

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  Better than I expected - Camry XLE - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Ray - June 25 - 10:13 pm

  I just got my Camry XLE 4 Cy and I am loving it, it has plenty of power good fuel economy, the exterior on the XLE looks great with the chrome grill, chrome exhaust pipe and other small details only available on the XLE. The Interior is luxury with tan leather, blue tooth and great sound system (JBL) and insulation. I just came from a Mercedes 2008, CLK 550 and I am not missing I thing. The Camry XLE is great.

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  Love it! - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By fanearnhardt_3 - June 25 - 8:25 pm

  I have had my Camry now for 1 1/2 months. So far so good, I absolutely love it so far. Going from a 2005 Chevy Malibu to this is amazing. The seats are confortable and its alot nicer then my old car. It feels a lot safer than my old car. The XLE has the auto climate controls and the rear vent which is really nice. I wanted a Toyota Camry for a long time. The Camry is updated for 2012, which was a bonus. I love the sun/moon roof. I like everything about this car that is why I bought it! I couldnt find a car that I liked more and as soon as I rode in it, I was sold.

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  Car is outstanding, seats are awful. - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By derbarkasmann - June 25 - 10:53 am

  Superb quality, everything in the interior is where it should be and works very easily, adequate power (4 cyl), but the seats ... did anybody actually sit in one for several hours before finalizing the seat design? I love the car but will never take it on a long trip because of the seat.

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  Traded it in - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By John - June 24 - 5:10 pm

  I traded a 2005 camry SE v6 for this underperformer as was the 05 v6 3.3 It is a good interior and exterior design and should be copied by other car makers, but the MPG for the 2.4 is poor. It is reliable but the tranny stinks and is a task to drive if your doing a lot of turning and stopping. Its fine on the road, mpg 25 avg, got 30 on the highway was best I ever did.

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  Great Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By kwc1987 - June 23 - 3:46 pm

  The 99 Toyota Camry is a great car for me so far. I have had no problems with it. The car rides very nice and I think it will last me through college. The only problem I have is the suspension is noisy when it goes over rough bumps. I am 64 and I really feel comfortable because the seat adjusts back/forth and up/down. Its a great car and I have read great reviews on this car!

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  Toyota Fan - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By H Foust - June 21 - 8:06 pm

  I have owned several different kinds of toyotas, but my favorite is the Camry, this is my second one and I have had absolutely no problems out of it.