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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  Camry - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota camry - May 19 - 10:00 am

  Excellent vehicle with a reliability, very durable and a affordable sedan for the masses.

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  10 months later - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By petras52 - May 19 - 10:00 am

  Still happy with my 4 cylinder le 10 months later. No reliability issues, observed mileage as high as 39 mpg in mostly hwy driving, decent performance from the smooth 4 cylinder 6 spd a/t does act differently from the 4 spds Im used to in that when coasting, car decelerates quicker but Im told this is normal, optional jbl stereo sounds good but display "washes out" in bright sunlight, very comfortable, quiet ride, maybe at the expense of better handling but thats ok considering my driving style. Absolutely no regrets buying this fine car.

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  2007 4 Cylinder Camry SE = 19 MPG - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Raymond Hoag - May 17 - 2:56 pm

  My 07 4 cylinder Camry SE gets 19.1 MPG. Every advertisement from my window sticker to Edmunds.com says this 2007 Camry should get 24 to 33 MPG. We are not guessing. We have recorded every single gas up on a spreadsheet, its simple math. For 10 months our Camry has averaged 19.1 MPG. We went back to the dealer. After three visits they tested the vehicle and said nothing was wrong and it must be our poor driving habits. Please note: We have two other vehicles that we drive the same way, gas up at the same stations, and drive on the same roads through the same weather conditions. Our 02 Sante Fe/6 cyl gets 22 MPG, Our Impala/6 cyl gets 25 MPG. PS. Just updated our gas ups....18.9 MPG.

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  searching for a gear - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By hammer - May 16 - 5:29 pm

  the 6 speed transmission will stall when changing into second gear it will hesitate about 5 seconds while you just roll befor eit catches and takes off the toyota dealer said was searching for a gear and was normal almost hit twice while rolling, the back up camera is poor as it shows the back license plant

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  Best car Ive owned - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Joe Satisfied - May 14 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new and maintained according to normal schedule. No mechanical problems of any kind, excellent gas milage (28+ mpg). Nothing has failed. Car performs as it did when it was new. I will keep it until something major fails, probably in another ten years. The new 2003 Toyota SE is just like my 92, only cost more. 5 speed manual is great; cant hardly find manual trans. anymore. Toyota quality is first rate. Id buy another in an instant.

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  Camry Fuel Economy - Lower than Expected - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By JP15 - May 14 - 2:00 am

  On my 2003 Camry SE (V6) I am only experiencing only 17/18 MPG overall. This consist of combine city/highway driving.

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  Heaven on the Highway!!!! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Sunsh616 - May 14 - 2:00 am

  I am so pleased with this car and I am only on day 3 =). I never would have imagined this car would be as nice as it is!!!!!

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  A good move.. - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By mrnat - May 14 - 2:00 am

  I have been very happy with this car. I mean this is a car...Once inside of the quite, it is very quite and outside noise is limited. I own a Chevy Prizm, prior to this, which is same as Corolla, and there is no comparsion. If you want a good car.........This is the way to go...

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  Great car!!! - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Pete - May 13 - 1:03 pm

  Bought mine new in 2000 and have had a no major problems with this car. After 7 years still runs smooth for a 4 cylinder. Love the power and reliability and performance. Great with gas mileage.

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  A very Nice Car - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Avil Stewart - May 12 - 1:56 pm

  I recently purchased this car for my wife and I am really pleased with the style and performance of this car. My wife wanted this car so bad after test driving it and I wanted to get an Accord but Im glad I went with the camry.