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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  Best overall vehicles you can buy - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Robert - October 24 - 11:20 am

  Handling is awesome compared to non-SE Camry. Great JBL 6 disc changer..could get a little louder. Smooth, quiet, comfy, roomy, reliable car. V6 perfect for this car. Reliable..my third Camry, second with V6..never get a 4cyl again in Camry. Had 3 Corollas as well..not big enough but GREAT cars. Camry has plenty of room for people and stuff. Got power heated leather seats (pass seat not power); moonroof; VSC; traction control; curtain air bags; sunshade/cargo net; 16inch alloy wheels all for $26K. Got 45K miles and no problems except original brake design was defective; dealer replaced twice at no cost and NO problems since.

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  GREAT CAR FOR MONEY - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By RAJNEESHVASUDEV@SBCG - October 24 - 10:13 am

  Excellent gas mileage. Seems like goes forever with tank of gas. Feels like a luxury car with smooth and quieter ride. 4 cyl engine is very responsive and efficient. very reliable. i have 80k on it and still very smooth. no rattles.

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  Im now a loyal Toyota Customer - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By gnieob777 - October 24 - 4:46 am

  Have had great luck with this car. It performs great for a 4 cyl. and handles good too. Zero maintenance problems (currently at 48,000 miles). I like the smart features like how you cant lock the doors with the keys in the ignition. Its also easy to change the oil in this car (4 cyl). So with good reliability, economy, and quality, I am now a loyal Toyota customer. Goodbye Ford and GM...

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  NEVER again... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Alex - October 24 - 3:13 am

  Ive had 2 Camrys before the one, and bought it thinking that the quality standards known to a Toyota would still remain excellent. This assumption was my first mistake. Its now apparent that Toyota quality took a nose dive. I get terrible fuel economy (19/20 in the city, 25/26 highway ...with a 4 cylinder!), even though its rated at 24/34. The transmission is crap, and erratically shifts despite modest acceleration and conservative driving habits. Ive already taken the car back to the dealership 4 times for rattling, creaking, and clicking in the dash and center console (granted Ive had the car for 3 months). They never fixed it, but instead said that its normal.

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  Camry was better than I thought - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Jay M. - October 23 - 9:36 pm

  This is a solid car that has a LOT of features. Its extremely reliable and is great on gas. It is pretty comfortable inside and can easily accommodate 4 people in the back seat. I just got the car 2 weeks ago, as my dad convinced me into it, and it was a lot better than I anticipated.

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  Very Happy - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By laubacrc - October 23 - 4:56 am

  I researched for months and came down to the Camry, Accord, and Altima. I was on a tight schedule and felt when the time came I would just buy the best car available on the given day. The Camry happended to be the best deal. I couldnt be happier. Much better pick-up than expected from a 4-cyl. Excellent gas mileage (34 mpg highway), and it drives so smoothly its a pure pleasure. I bought the car with 25,000 miles on it, and I look forward to driving it for years. I get a lot of comments about the very smart purchase I made.

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  05 Camry XLE - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By frank collins - October 22 - 1:53 am

  The only thing I dislike about the new Camry is the driver/passenger seats are not near as comfortable as was in my 02 Toyota Avalon. I had the drivers seat re-padded with much softer foam and it made the comfort level go up over 50%.

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  do the homework before buying - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Sin Tan - October 21 - 7:13 am

  price

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  Super satisfied - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Frog - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Drove it 4300 miles in six days after 9/11 ferrying emergency personel for government organization. Averaged over 700 miles a day. Stopped only to change oil. Never a problem. This is fifth Toyota in our family since 1968. Wife still drives 1988 Corolla and swears by it.

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  10+ yrs, 100+ miles - still going strong - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By thc - October 18 - 7:36 pm

  Since March, weve been looking to buy a new car to replace this 10 yo Camry. However, after months of search, we decided to keep it until it breaks. This car has been unbelievably reliable. After 10+ yrs and 100K, the V6 is still running strong exactly like the day I drove it off the dealer lot. The front brake pads are still the original ones. There are still no rattles or squeaks. It has better interior material than the 07 Camry. I am still getting approx. 23-25 MPG which is inline with (the old) EPA est. We only paid for one unexpected repair for the leaking rack and pinion. Its gonna take a miracle for its replacement to beat this record.