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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  Not what used to be - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Sliverhorse - April 22 - 6:23 pm

  Not a bad looking car but not as good in other ways as was my 2002. Am wishing I had not purchased. Looks are good but after having it not happy with way it runs, or rides though it is comfortable. Not much attention to build quality.

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  Camry Love - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By tsmythe - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I have been in love with my Camry since the day that I drove it off the sales lot. Being a single female, I needed reliable transportation and the Camry has delivered. Best of all its fun to drive! Unfortunately I was recently hit by a Semi truck on the Interstate at 62 mph but my Camry saved my life! Talk about a car that held it together. For safety sake, this is a car that I trust my life on. My next car and the one after that will be a Camry. What a car!

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  Update after 13,000 miles - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Whib - April 21 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Camry LE in Feb. and truly "broke it in" according to the manual. On 2900 mile trip afterwards averaged just over 32 mpg.(Including city driving). Now have 13,000 trouble free miles & avg. better. This car has no rattles, squeaks, ect. It is comfortable and a pleasure to drive. Some say its handling is boring. My sister owns a 2001 Honda Accord EX. Around town our Camry is everybit as enjoyable, if not more so. On the open road the smoother ride more than makes up for a touch less handling in curves. - The build quality, interior materials and refinement make us feel like we own a much more expensive car.

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  GREAT! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By CamryLover - April 21 - 2:00 am

  GREAT! BEST BUY EVER!

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  Ok, but not up to expectations. - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Doh - April 20 - 2:20 am

  Had a knock in the steering, needed ball joints at 50K miles. Rear door latch broke. Was misled about Toyota quality.

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  Great car for a great price - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By jtbruin - April 19 - 2:00 am

  Im very happy with my purchase. The ride is great, feels like a luxury car with a quiet cabin and refined ride. Acceleration is very good for a 4 cylinder and doesnt sound harsh with hard acceleration. a lot of the engine noise is dampened. If you want a quiet and comfortable car, that borders on almost-luxury, then i recommend this car. if you want a sports car with good handles, then this might not be for you.

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  Quantum Leap - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By SoGood - April 15 - 11:36 am

  From a 1997 Ford Taurus to a 2005 Camry. Well what can I say. We are not looking back. Just a rock solid car with a well thought out design. Matches or beats all the big three and has great resale value.

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  Disgust - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Charles - April 15 - 3:20 am

  First of all, I farm in ND and like thing simple. Recently I traded in my 2009 Camry for the 2010 model which will be my 7th Camry. Thus far I have been very happy with the Camry model, but recently I attempted to change the oil. When I crawled under the vehicle I discovered that Toyota has gone backwards in their oil filter design and type. The new "feature" is a canister filter instead of the spin on type. It requires a $50 tool just to remove the newer filter. I run 300 horsepower plus tractors and they went away from canister filters many years ago for simplicity sake, and so I see this recent filter change as a backwards step. I find this step to be both irritating and disappointing.

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  EGR valve - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By excamry - April 14 - 6:43 pm

  At 88,000 miles the computer analyzed a faulty EGR valve. Replaced the valve ($170.00). The engine check comes back on. I took the the vacuum connected little valve right next to it out and examined it. The top comes off and it contains a little 1" diameter filter inside. Replaced the filter and check engine light was history. Sorry I spent $179 when a little foam filter from the lawnmower did the trick. Otherwise the carry has been a gem never a repair in ten years. This is for doityourselfers to save some money

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  LOVE MY CAR - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By MGR2727 - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE MY CAR.