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 Car Ive Ever Had!!!! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Audrey - October 11 - 10:40 am

  I have owned two Honda Accords and one Toyota Camry. And, I must say, this is the best combination of power and practicality Ive ever encountered. The acceleration is great. I have timed it on different occasions. I wont say how fast it was because no one would believe me anyway! The comfort and safety features are wonderful. And, it is awesome on gas mileage. Ive put a ton of miles on this car with minimal maintenance. It now has 223,000 miles on it. And, its still running strong. I run a small computer business out of my home and the Camry is my workhorse. It hauls a lot weight and for long distances. Im always supprised at how many iMacs I can cram into to this little Toyota!

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  Best Car Weve Ever Bought! - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By great car - October 11 - 10:00 am

  My parents bought this car after I was born, and I eventually started driving it. I couldnt ask for a better first car. It always starts, has pretty good pickup for a 2.2 L and I think its more comfortable than my moms new Honda. The car has nearly 140K on it and still runs like the day we bought it. The only complaints we have are: transmission going out after warranty expired, both CV joints going out around 100K, and a seemingly faulty exhaust system. Other than those couple things, the car runs beautifully and will hopefully continue to for many years to come!

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  Best Car Ever - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Mark - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I am one of those people that grows tired of cars after 2 years, but this one is a keeper. Bought it with 79K and now have 124K. The car looks, drives and sounds like new at 12 years old. The V-6 is one of the greatest engines ever in terms of performance and reliability. Weak points are wheels, which corrode with road salt and thin, easy-dent body panels. The best of nearly one dozen cars Ive owned.

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  XLE V6 - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Vincy - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car new and mine came from Japan. I change the oil regularly. Any problems have been electrical problems. The engine runs great til now. I may have to repair or replace the catalytic converter or its sensors. I thought about getting a new car but since this runs so well, what else would I buy?

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  2002 Toyota Camry XLE (2.4L) - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By AA - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought used in 2004 with 45K. The vehicle has 160K and running great. The only repair was the tranny at 98K but covered under 100K warranty, that was close, repair would have been $4,000 at dealer. The cat converter went out at 110K, warranty expired. That was 2 years ago, no problem since. Brakes have been replaced. Good comfortable vehicle. Everyone that drives my vehicle always comment on how smooth it drives.

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  Still getting used to this car - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By still adjusting .... - October 11 - 10:00 am

  We own a 2003 Toyota Camry & continue to use it every day & love it. We needed an additional car, so we decided to buy a 2011 Camry LE. We are both still getting used to this car.It seems to often drive like a "horse in the starting gate"-more than ready to take off, especially from a park or stop mode. It is a smooth ride on the open rode, but we both feel like we have to "manage" its tendency to want to accelerate when we drive it in the city. We may take it back to the dealer to have it evaluated for this. We also notice that the windshield is slow to clear when it is both humid and/or rainy. Other than these 2 problems, we are enjoying the car.

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  Happy as can be! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By TJ - October 7 - 9:13 pm

  I love this car. It is far superior to the Accord I traded in. The quiet ride and handling of the car are just two of the many pluses.

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  point A to B.. - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By tirthankar_b - October 7 - 2:00 am

  With a 4 cylinder engine, performance is reasonably good unless ur with 5 and the ac on. its very comfortable but there is a lot of roll during cornering. i am driving an used one in average condition, but it is very reliable. the engine works very well with the transmission. not so fuel efficient, gived me 19-21 mpg in the city. 24-26 on the highway.

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  Reliable/Efficient Camry - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By vic36dki - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I have 27,400 miles without a problem. The dealer is excellent for maintainance.I drove Detroit to Asheville,N.C.last summer and averaged 36 MPG. I was pleasantly surprised. It is my first non big 3 new car. It has made a believer out of me.

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  Love IT - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Big Schul Phil - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Great to park and drive - very smooth ride.