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:

• 

  23456789 - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Talamera - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Its a great car, built to last a long time as long as a dealer or a mecanic do not touch it, otherwise it will be the end of it. At least you have an honest mecanic. Forget about the Peoples Courts. That are for the birds!.

• 

  CBs 1995 Camry Review - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By BarnesCC - October 21 - 10:00 am

  This has been the best car Ive ever owned. There have been no major problems with this car except the A/C went out in 2001. I have it maintained regularly (oil changed, tires rotated, front end aligned, tune-ups performed, etc.) and as a result, Ive had very good performance/luck with this car. Ill never buy anything but Toyotas!

• 

  Great Fast little car - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Jacob Zotta - October 19 - 9:37 pm

  I bought a used 2009 Camry LE at 176k and the V6 that toyota put in the 2009 LE and the XLE has some pick up and go to it, in comparison to the classic oil eating 4cyl that toyota normally drops in a car body. The car itself has much more room than my 03 Corolla and is a much smoother ride on the road. The gas mileage ranges from 25-30 mpg on highway (if you use cruise control). The interior is ok, the seats are of average comfort, mine has all electric controls. Only thing that I would add to the LE model is heated seats as well. The carpet does wear through really fast if you take the floor mats away! The radio is of really good quality JBL speakers and has an option for phone support for calling (not for music, you need an AUX cord plug in for that). The only two things I do not like about this car so far is the way the engine knocks and ticks, and I have never owned a toyota Brand New off the lot, but every toyota I have had has the SAME classic knocking to it. And the windows are not tinted at all so if you drive at night and a truck gets behind you, I hope you brought your sunglasses because that glare in the mirrors is going to be harsh. Other than those small details these cars are great and run for well over 300k. I plan to put another 200k on my 09 with confidence.

• 

  Great New Model the Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Daniel McCain - October 18 - 4:03 pm

  This car drives great in any situation Ive been in. Fuel economy is great and that is a huge plus. Very comfortable ride. Quality of assembly is outstanding. I love the new Camry.

• 

  Are you in? - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By cecep - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car overall! Great gas milage, Great reliability, Though the good gas milage sacrafices power!

• 

  the greatest car ever made - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By brian arnott - October 17 - 4:26 pm

  i love this car because its easy for my 65 y/o uncle who had a stroke to get in and out of and all my friends like the looks and even the younger kids at work like it and say thats the kind of car they want my boss would buy one in the future and even my grandfather is considering buying one i love playing my ipod on it it sounds better then a cd

• 

  Not Grampas Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Ritt50 - October 17 - 2:10 am

  We have had this XLE 3 weeks and put 2000 miles on her with no problems. Driving to MN from MT with 4 people, the trunk full and AC on we got 30 MPG. Every time I heard a rattle I was something I had in the glove box never something loose as in other cars. We looked at Passats and Avalons, but ended up with a Lexus in disguise.

• 

  Love my new 2017 Camry SE - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Allan - October 16 - 11:32 pm

  Traded in my old 2003 XLE Camry V6 fully loaded. However, I really love my new 2017 Camry SE. Im impressed with the entune technology, moon roof, and Qi Wireless, . The Camry SE is a very smooth vehicle and handles very well on corners. The breaks are awesome. I just wish the heated seats and blind spot monitor feature were included.

• 

  camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Belinda - October 16 - 10:00 am

  It is nice and soft, but it should be bigger in the inside. It is not for tall people

• 

  Do Your Research! - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By 08CamryXLE - October 15 - 5:16 pm

  After 1 month and 1,000 miles I would have reservations about recommending this car. It looks great, and is overall fun to drive. The navigation, sound, and bluetooth operations make the car easy to drive. The interior is roomy and looks great. When merging into traffic on the second day of owning the car, I almost totalled the vehicle as there was NO response from the engine after pressing the accelerator. This happens constantly. Check nhtsa.gov for current reports. The dealer doublespeaks the issue. I also had defects in the paint that resulted in a repainted bumper. A taillight also didnt fit and required body shop work to fix.