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:

• 

  Failure - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By danger - August 5 - 10:20 pm

  Watch out for ball-joint failures. Toyota wont cover. Dealer claims theres nothing wrong, but car wont go straight above 45mph. It rattles, the rear shocks thump loud and hard every bump (like the 1996). JBL radio is low quality cd, fm, and mp3 all sound the same. You cant open the rear windows above 30 because of the deafening wind noise. The large trans-tunnel gets hot and is tight to the drives right leg.

• 

  Camry SE 2012 - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By bkcassell - August 3 - 5:06 pm

  Recently bought the new 2012 Camry SE. We love this car! We were looking at 2011 Camry SE mid September when the dealer told us the new redesigned 2012s were coming out in October. I got online and researched them as much as possible and decided to wait for the 2012s to be released and am so glad we waited. The car rides so smoothly and quiet ride. We are averaging 25 mpg in the city. Cant find many negitives on this car. Camry fans will love this new 2012 model. We purchased the car with: the Convenience Pkg, Carpeted Floor Mats, Display Audio with Navigation & Entune Pkg, Leather Pkg, and Power Moonroof Pkg, and Rear Bumper Applique for $28, 395.00 OTD (including taxes, license, etc.)

• 

  2010 Camry V6 SE - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By dixiedoodle - August 3 - 7:23 am

  I just bought a Toyota Camry yesterday. I just love it. White exterior, windows tinted. This is our 3rd Camry. Toyota out did itself once again. I only have one complaint; the head rests are uncomfortable, thrusting my head forward. The V6 is powerful. I prefer the V6 over the 4 cyl, sacrificing a few miles to the gallon to get the smoother and powerful ride. We are a family of Toyotas and we will never buy any other car. This car is fun to drive!!! The radio is excellent.

• 

  Do NOT BUY - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Big Disapointment - August 3 - 4:23 am

  I have had my 07 Camry LE for a few months now, and I am extremely disappointed. I traded in my 04 Accord and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. I am terrified that I will not be able to accelerate when I need it. Toyota will need to address the lack of power, I have to be very aware of this issue prior to making any moves on the street. I also am not impressed with the quality. My previous Accord felt better on the road. This car is too boring and dull.

• 

  Good performance... - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By tiqui2787 - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for almost 3 years, and the results are very satissfactory. The car runs great, and its very reliable, and neat. The only problem I had with this car since I leased was with the alignement, or tires. In other words, the car always pulled to the sides. Bottom line? Before you get your car, and believe me toyotas are very reliable and great cars. Test drive the autmobile "WITH NO RUSH" Check to see if it feels the car drives right. If it doesnt? DO NOT BUY IT. Go to a different dealer and until you find what you like.. oh and remember you arent buying apples....This is an INVESTMENT ;)

• 

  My SEV6 - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Tull - August 3 - 2:00 am

  I have not been disappointed with anything. This car has plenty of torgue for the "get up and go" not just who has the most horses. The transmission shifted smoothly in all conditions. I could not agree more about the 16" tires in the snow! I had to buy a set of "ContiExtremeContact" all season tires instead of the 3 season stock tires at Tirerack.com. The Accord V6 has wider and lower profile 17" tires which means that they will be cost a lot of $$ to replace them. I also liked my factory spoiler that wasnt an add on so you didnt see that stupid brake light in the back of the window. The car came fully loaded with everything.

• 

  Nothing But Quality - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Jake Benn - August 1 - 9:23 am

  My dad bought this car with 10,000 on it back in 2003 and then put 212,000 miles on it. We took care of the basics and it still runs exactly like new maybe better. I got it and put some performance parts on (cold air intake, racing plugs, new struts etc.) This car has never let either of us down and if the odometer did not say it had 218,000 miles on it, no one driving it or riding in it would think any thing else but it was a new car.

• 

  Fun, reliable car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Doreen - July 31 - 9:10 am

  Im happy with my Camry. Coming from mini-vans, this is like a sports car for me! The V6 seems like it is a "must" for this particular car. It has a lot of get-up and go. I just had it serviced at 20,000 miles and was told I needed an alignment because my tires were wearing unevenly. I do mostly highway driving and have not hit any potholes, so were not sure why this happened. I see from other reviews that there are problems with tires needing to be replaced at 20,000 miles. Also, my son has a 94 Camry and the engine runs so quietly. The 2007 is a lot noisier.

• 

  Great car - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Charles Hackner - July 30 - 1:57 am

  Very happy so far.

• 

  EXCELLENT - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Corkster - July 29 - 10:00 am

  The Toyota Camry V6 is not only great looking but it has awesome performance and great handeling!!!!! I love IT !!