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:

• 

  1999 Camry LE - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By tdd - June 1 - 10:00 am

  I had previously owned a 91 Camry, so I convinced my wife, and dedicated American car company customer, to drive a 99 when she needed another car. She was hooked in about 30 seconds. We spent an afternoon driving 99 Camrys, and she wouldnt even consider another car after that. We had driven such cars as the Saturn L series and Pontiac GrandAm. She was set on one of them, but after driving the Camry, they werent even a consideration! We even drove the Nissan Maxima and the Honda Accord, and she strongly preferred the Camry.

• 

  Keith - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Keith - May 31 - 4:49 pm

  just purchased car two weeks ago and am very impressed compared to the Hyundai Sonata that I traded in for.

• 

  2004 Toyota Camry XLE - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By labassist - May 28 - 10:00 am

  We purchased a 2004 Toyota Camry XLE in May of 2004. We have owned the Toyota brand before and were pleased with it reliability. To date, this vehicle has not disappointed us--it drives like a dream--no road noise, superior sound quality in the upgraded stereo system, very comfortable and room, power seats very easy to adjust in many different positions. Gas mileage has been as rated and interior design is very easy to get used to--the radio/cd/cassette controls are within easy reach. Auto temperature control feature is an excellent way to remain comfortable while driving. The direction indicator in the rear view mirror is also very helpful.

• 

  review - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Sofashack - May 26 - 10:00 am

  EXCELLENT! AFTER 123000 MILES IT STILL DRIVES LIKE THE DAY IT WAS BORN!

• 

  Thump in rear suspension - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Sfiega - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I love this car except for the thumping sound in the rear suspension on bumps. Its been to the dealership 3 times for this. The claim they hear nothing. Its always there on bumpy roads. I think they hear it but dont know of a fix. It is very annoying on bumpy roads or tar strips on the freeways.

• 

  My first Toyota - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Lonna - May 25 - 11:20 am

  This is my first "foreign-made" car, after owning GMs for the last 30 years. Im counting on Toyotas reputation for reliability and value. Ive owned my Camry XLE for 6 months and love the comfort--even better than my 1995 Buick Regal, which I didnt think could be beat for long-distance driving comfort. Other than for oil changes, Ive only had my Camry to the dealership twice for a hesitation problem between 1st and 2nd gears. When cornerning, or accelerating after a slow down, my car seems to remain in 1st gear at 20 mph, then zooms off all at once. Dealership has re-set the drive-by-wire twice. Ill guess Ill just put up with this minor problem.

• 

  First Toyota Purchase - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By First Toyota - May 23 - 10:13 pm

  I leased a 2010 Camry XLE V6 approximately a month ago. (coming off 12 years of GM cars). I test drove the V6 SE (love the sporty look of the car) and the V6 XLE. After test driving both cars, I immediately told the salesman that the XLE was the way I wanted to go. The ride is so smooth, but not soft. The handling is quite responsive and the powerful V6 (268) is extremely impressive. I use the cruise control on the car whenever possible on the highway and find that this cars CC is extremely accurate with no noticeable braking and acceleration on hills. Love the comfortable and well laied out interior. The JBL audio system is fabulous. A truly good car.

• 

  very smooth! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By wario - May 23 - 10:00 am

  I traded my 03 honda accord for my new 04 le camry. Everything about this car is very smooth, the engine is very quite and theres no wind noise. I dont understand why some reviewers say that this car makes alot of engine and wind noise. My guess is that those reviewers have never driven this car.

• 

  Gallery Edition - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Gallery Edition - May 22 - 9:00 pm

  Got this 2001 V6 Gallery Edition Camry as a gift from an aging relative. Got it in 2009 with only 20,000 miles. Edmunds should have mentioned the Gallery Edition. Perfect condition. Excellent JBL! sound, solid V6 power. Bulletproof reliability like all Toyotas. I do all the scheduled maintenance. Car is very easy to drive, but not particularly fun. But, what do you expect, its a Camry. Its like the AK-47 of cars, everyone has one and it never lets you down!

• 

  New Kid on the Block - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Curt I. - May 21 - 11:03 pm

  With gas at over $3.00 a gallon, this car is right for the times. It has more room than the competition and it performs very well. The 5 speed transmission shifts like one would with a manual. It loafs along at 80 mph.