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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  Best Camry Style - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By 1989 Mark 7 - December 12 - 9:36 am

  I bought this 100% brand new. Had just came off the delivery truck the day before. With 60,000 miles on it today I still believe its showroom new as it was on 2-16-1999. I drive it on long trips because of its comfort. Thats only time I do drive it.

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  So glad I bought it! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ace1632 - December 11 - 3:00 pm

  After driving the Camry, we forgot about the new Civic. The car is wonderful. It is so quiet, even @ 75 mph. Mp3 player is really cool, acceleration is ample and the look is not boring like the previous model.

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  Lots of Sparkle! - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Mike Miranda - December 10 - 8:26 am

  Others complain about the styling. I had a 2007 Camry and I think this car looks so much better. It could be a little more plush inside but I probably should remind myself that I bought an SE which has more of a sport sensibility. The seats while not the most comfortable have a nice feel to them and are easy to get in and out of. My only complaint is the ride is a bit harsher than what Im used to but again I hear the LE and the XLE have a softer ride. Performance is great and if this one turns out to be as good as my 2007 I can count on having many miles of dependable, trouble free driving. For me thats what its all about.

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  Great Dependable Auto - Bad Strut Mounts - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Grayfair - December 9 - 10:00 am

  Great car, no problems even with 117,000 miles on it. Interior/Exterior are in mint condition. It drives nicer than most American made cars. I highly recommend the Camry, for as much use as we get out of it, it gives us no trouble. The Strut Mounts are bad. They start making the wheels rattle after awhile and need to be replaced. I paid $117.73 to have the front strut mounts replaced in 2002. Around 100k the windshield wipers dont go back to the closed position when you turn them off and stop in the middle of the window. I just wait until they are at the hood & turn off. Had timing belt changed at 70K & the 100k tune-up.

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  Excellent car - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Highlanders - December 9 - 10:00 am

  This is a Japanese built car and bulletproof. I had my fill of edgy design and unreliability (i.e. American cars)so went for the conservative look. It has handled every condition I could throw at it and it didnt hurt to have the traction control, ABS, etc. What has made this the best car buying and ownership experience I have ever had (in 40 years of driving) is the dealership. An unbeatable combination.

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  The best sedan on the market - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Henry Vasquez - December 9 - 10:00 am

  it has been a good experience and pleasure to have and drive the 2004 Camry, it is an excellent car and I will keep it for long time

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  2006 4 cyl camry - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By captjack - December 7 - 2:13 pm

  this is my first Toyota and I am very pleased after the first yr, 15000 miles. no warranty issues whatsoever. car runs great on the highway at 75mph and the 4 cyl engine provides plenty of power.

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  LOVE my Camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Angela Walters - December 7 - 11:46 am

  I LOVE the Camry. I purchased my second Camry in Dec of 2004. I had a 1996 Camry and traded it in for a 2005. And if you have not noticed the Camry is basicly the exact same car as the Lexus GS300 with minor changes (of course with comparable options). Just can not say enough about the Camry. It is definetly worth the money and more. To me there is no reason to even buy the V6. The 4 cylinder Camry performs great. Just love it love it love it.

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  2017 Camry is a bad ride - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Jane - December 6 - 7:10 am

  I thought Toyota was supposed make cars that were good quality and reliable. It seems that may have bee true years ago but not anymore. I have had problems with the temperature control where you have to set it to 77F in order to get the temperature to be in the low 70s in the car. If you set it at 72F, the temperature ends up in the mid- to upper 60s in the car. I also have a vibration that has developed and, in researching the problem, I found that this is a common problem on the 2015 - 2017 Toyota Camry, all trims. I have been fighting with Toyota about this and they said that the car is fine. I read other people tales of dealing with Toyota on the same issue and they received the same response. They have tried replacing the tires, rebalancing, etc. and nothing fixes the problem. Toyota is refusing to deal with the problem. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the Camry unless you like driving a car that vibrates all of the time.

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  Thus was my mothers toyata camry! - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Mer - December 5 - 8:27 am

  Fantastic car. If you have one keep ! it it will drive foreva! 96,000. Miles love it!