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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  Cant beat it! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By TRM - July 29 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car! Absolutely no complaints whatsoever. However, the "TMV" is about $2,000 higher than what I paid for it.

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  So so - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Nelson NYC - July 29 - 5:16 am

  The Camry SE is an above average sedan at an affordable price. It does everything well but nothing spectacular. Gas mileage at 7500 mi is still around 20 MPG and Im hoping it will improve as I rack up the mileage. With 268 HP it definitely has some spunk, but the tranny hesitates at times. My dashboard creaks like an old house in the wind and the starter makes a sound on cold weather starts. I guess for the price of the performance and that it runs on regular gas makes it more attractive than other sedans on its price range. One thing though, at hard acceleration there isnt the torque steer that is experienced with other front wheel drive vehicles with this amount of HP.

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  If it aint broke, dont fix it! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Cary - July 26 - 1:26 pm

  I have had my car for two years and 30,000 miles. Not one complaint. Rides like a champ, roomy, big trunk. My prior vehicles were small pickups so I am not a nit picky person when it comes to performance. I am amazed that this car is so smooth and silent. Not a single squeak or anything. I have changed the oil every 5000 miles as recommended and rotated the tires. Follow the owners guide for your type of driving conditions.

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  2005 XLE V6 CAMRY is the BEST! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By jinxy - July 26 - 3:36 am

  I love my car!!!

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  Great Car - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Ilya - July 24 - 7:33 am

  Ive driven about 33K over the last 3 years and the Camry now has 105K and running strong. There are a few minor problems (small leakage of power steering, shocks need to be replaced), but that would be the case for any car with this much mileage! Either way, still runs great! Ive worked on upgrading it myself over the years and this car has survived my trials & tribulations!

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  Its been a good car. - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Ken Santo - July 24 - 1:06 am

  Just went over 100k miles last year and except for an oil leak its been pretty reliable.

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  95 camry - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Iamunsain - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The toyota camry is a great midsize sedan. I have pretty good automotive experience and find the camry to be a good, reliable car. The horsepower is somewhat underdone...at interstate speeds acceleration into higher speeds is slow. At lower speeds, acceleration is fairly good due to excellent torque from the engine. It is fun to drive, gets good mileage, and has good style to it.

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  Camry Ratings - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Gabriel Perez - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I feel very satisfied the my new Toyota Camry. It is more than I expected.

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  First and Last Toyota - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Bake - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Where is that legendary Toyota quality every one talks about. The paint is chipping off this car faster than I can touch it up. The transmission is constantly confused between 45 - 60 mph. The windows, doors, dash etc make loud snap, crackle and pop noises. The brakes feel like they dont engage until the the brake pedal nearly hits the floor. The steering is numb at best. The list goes on. If your dead set on buying an import I recommend you buy a Honda, Nissan or Mazda. Even a Hyundai would be a better choice than a Toyota.

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  Oh what a feeling! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By lecrict - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had my new 2002 Camry for two years now.I enjoy the stereo system, power seat, and smooth operation of the V6. This car is well built. It has personality style. The tranny and engine are smooth and well contolled. Drives great and is completely reliable. Also feel very safe due to the larger size of the car and being surrounded by airbags.