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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  City MPG doesnt match - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By zipper6 - April 26 - 4:32 pm

  I bought this car 3 weeks ago, I like everything about this 2013 CAMRY SE except the advertised MPG and exterior. We had a good deal from the dealer thats the reason I bought this. MPG advertised for CITY is little misleading for what I have noticed. 3 weeks close to 800 miles now and car give me 18-20 Avg in city. 25 MPG only if their are no lights and no stop sign. On HWY I get 40 MPG if I drive 65 miles on cruise. If I drive 70+ MGP goes down to 35-38. So I am happy cruising on 65 :) but little mad when driving in city :( Exterior looks little cheap than compared to my 1997 old camry i told 4 years go. Overall its a good car and hope it stays reliable like everyone says.

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  I absolutely love my car!! - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Linda E - April 26 - 1:12 pm

  Ive had sports cars(Mitsubishi and Corvette) and older Camrys, Celicas, Fiat... this is my favorite car!! It is so comfortable. I got leather seats and loaded with extras and I am so happy with my car purchase. The dealership (Cabe Toyota in Long Beach) was the BEST!!! Evan Morioka was so knowledgeable and the entire support team has been fantastic! So glad I bought this car.

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  Very nice car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By derek - April 26 - 11:53 am

  Very smooth ride. Lots of leg room. Very comfy seats. All handles are easy to reach. Very quite all the way around. Good fuel economy also.

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  1996 TOYOTA CAMRY - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By petch22 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  VERY RELIABLE AND WORTH EVERY PENNY !!!!

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  1998 Toyota Camry LE - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By rlafford - April 21 - 2:00 am

  We purchased this vehicle, our second Camry, from Hertz after a 1 year rental. The vehicle had 25,000 miles when we purchased it. The only maintenance has been oil, a scheduled timing belt change, transmission service and 2 sets of tires. We just put the second set on. No brake work required and the pads are still in excelent condition. Paint is doing fine with only a yearly waxing. This Camry is well on its way to joining our first one in the 200,000 mile club. Our 1990 Camry LE wagon is pushing 290,000 miles and still going strong. These things must take lessons from the Energizer Bunny - they keep going, and going, and going....

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  Very reliable transportation - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By Cori White - April 19 - 6:00 pm

  Great gas milage, beautiful interior, at highway speeds a little noisy however I like my music loud so you dont really hear the noise. Super quick off the line but governor kicks in way too soon. For a six speed you would think the power would remain consistent, but due to the governor kickingredients off so quickly you hit high rate of speed in just 4th gear. Good, clean car for the money, just be sure you have 2 jobs to make the payment......way over priced for a 4 banger.

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  Serendipity to the 4th power - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By shellspell - April 19 - 1:33 pm

  The 2012 LE Camry is my 4th Toyota. I agree with other review about cloth interior, dog nails catch on it and shows snags (hate leather). Easy fix- seat protectors. I set out to buy a 2014 Corolla trading in my 09 Corolla- then I test drove this Camry. I put a car through a hard test drive, doing excellerations on rural roads and interstates, hard stops, and taking sharp curves while speeding. Ive had many types of vehicles and this beats them ALL. Not sure what the bad reviews previously are about, but Im a Toyota cheerleader. Its super comfortable, (my friend has 2013 Lexus sedan and says its just as comfortable), reliable, surprising in ice and snow, n fun to drive!

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  Almost bought one.... but in the end, had to pass - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Chad Shephard - April 18 - 6:27 pm

  Overall we were ok with the car despite 8 gear some what clunky shift. But in the end we realize not having CarPlay is a deal breaker. We used it with other rentals and found out how important this feature was. We just cant see ourselves stuck with this car without the feature for 5+ years.

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  BestCarOutThere - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Naum - April 18 - 10:03 am

  This is trully the best car on the market. I bought a used one with 40k miles and drive it for 2 years now. Not a single problem with it. This car is so reliable that you dont have to do anything just get some gas and change oil regularly. THATs it. It is very quiet and sometimes I am not sure if the engine is on or not. It is pretty fast too. I test this car to its limits and it never fails me. It can compete with many sports cars and will lose just a lit bit. I raced a Lincoln MarkVIII which was ahead of me about one body length at 80 mph. In other words its pretty fast. The driving experience is excellent. Its like riding a dream. There are no compromises.

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  My car Camry - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Frank Jowitt - April 18 - 9:33 am