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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  Awesome place - great service and cars - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By Danielle C - December 2 - 7:27 pm

  My family and I loved this place! We went to purchase a new car since my old one was crappy. Sam was the absolute best, he walked us through the cars I was interested in, showed us all the background information on each one, was straightforward with all our questions and was overall a great person to work with. Perry was also great and Ismael helped with financing so much. We will definitely be back for the next car and will recommend to friends!

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  We Picked The Right Car For Us! - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By showskyline - December 2 - 7:47 am

  We have leased 2 Toyotas previously to this one, and really shopped around for the best deal and best car for the money. We had a Matrix, and wanted more leg room, so the Camry was the natural choice. Toyota beat out ALL other companies on price, and we are very pleased with the quality of the car. Sharp look, smooth ride and handling. Wonderful gas milage too! For an entry level model, it has a lot of extras, and I really dont think its a boring ride at all. Love the car, and cant think of anything I dont like. Leased it the end of Dec.

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  2004 vs. 2016 Toyota LE - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Robert Kauffman - December 1 - 10:24 am

  I prefer my 2004 with 40,000 miles to the new car. The 2016 did not handle bumps and potholes better than my 2004. The 2016 has no front bumper. The interior of my special edition LE LE Is much more attractive. I am not comparing new technology with mine. I do not trust/have/like ABS. I am 71 years old, FYI.

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  94 Toyota Camry 2.2 4 cylinder - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Evan - November 29 - 5:13 pm

  Over all a great car. 80,000 miles on it and you couldnt tell. My gas mileage is great for a 1.5 ton car. 28 MPG. Smooth ride with smooth shifting. Not very powerful and has a lot of body roll but its not a sports car and never was made to be. It has a good 4 cylinder engine that can move the car like it was intended to. I like the torque this car puts out for being a 4 cylinder. To me this is a true luxury car. This car is reliable and i bet i will have it for many many more years.

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  07 Camry XLE V6 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Rick - November 29 - 3:30 pm

  Ive had my new Camry XLE V6 since early November and have slightly less than 1,000 on the odometer. A couple plastic covers that hide the rear of the drivers seat rails have worked loose but I consider this to me a very, very small inconvenience. Overall, this is the nicest Camry Ive ever owned (Ive owned four in my lifetime including the original, first year 1983 model). The engine noise is almost non-existent and the ride so smooth and controlled. On the highway Ive regularly averaged over 30 mpg at a steady 55 mph. Transmission is exceptionally smooth other than the first few shifts on a cold winter morning. Its really difficult to find anything about this car that isnt nice.

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  What a change from my 03 mercedes - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By bobby - November 29 - 7:30 am

  Had an 03 Mercedes for 4 years. This car is smoother, quieter, more responsive, better overall driving dynamics and way much more reliable and better built. Only problem has been the proprietary transmission glitch everyone talks about.

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  Rattle Trap - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Jim - November 28 - 11:34 pm

  Two reasons I will never buy another Toyota. 1. The Damn Car RATTLEs going down the road. The Dealer has not found this. The Car is crappy in my opinion. 2. They have made the car for the Japanese body. The American body is bigger. Take the lead from GM on this one. Mechanically the engine/transmission are excellent, but that still does not overcome the RATTLEing. I am going to runup the miles on this car, dump it and never buy another Toyota again. Oh yeah I would like the gal that have been used versus the miles remaining till empty - another take a hint from GM.

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  My experience: it is a junk car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Jason - November 28 - 8:13 pm

  I bought Toyota Camry in 1999. It ran ok in the first 5 years. Then I had to fix it at least twice a year (not including service or oil change). In average I spent $1500 on repair each year. I only drove 11000 miles and have changed most of stuff in the car already. Finally, I decided to sell this car. I really should have sold it earlier. I will never buy from Toyota anymore.

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  Many Problems - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Charlie - November 28 - 5:06 am

  I bought this car used with 20,000 miles on it. The dash board has a tear, buttons have fallen off the radio and all the interior seems to be made of cheap plastic pieces which break if you try to fix any thing. Power window motor died on the driver side. Windshield washer fluid reservoir broke and would not hold any fluid. Water pump broke off and broke the timing belt when it happened. A/C died, thermostat closed and shot off a hose. Car doesnt beep when you lock it and the trunk button doesnt work on the remote. Headlight leaks in water, now yellow. Paint chips very easily. Currently we are fixing the radiator because it is leaking engine coolant.

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  Great Car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Marty - November 27 - 7:40 am

  At first I must admit that i wasnt too fond of this car since it was more popular to have a small sport compact cars. But i am glad that i did stick with the Camry. The cabin space is unbelievable and the trunk space is great! I love the handling and braking.