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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  More Torque - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By y2kwon - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Very pricey vehicle for its class but ita well built car. could use some more horsepower with some torque!!!

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  2006 Camry LE I love it ! - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Roadturtle - October 6 - 2:23 pm

  I just bought my third Camry. This is the best one so far. Roomy, comfortable, stylish, fun to drive, great gas mileage. Everything I wanted in a new car, and a great price.

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  Good Car Hope It Lasts - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Monicafl - October 6 - 10:00 am

  I drive 70+ miles a day mainly on highway. I am not a car person. Did research for more than 10 month before I got rid of my Kia/Sephia 1994 with 70K mile on it, and bought this Toyota. Love it. NEVER BUY KIA!!! I will buy another toyota if I have to.

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  We Love It!!! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By warnerjm - October 4 - 4:46 pm

  We love this car. We drove the Accord, CR-V, and RAV4 and this car had them all trumped in nearly every category. It is smoother, quieter, more energetic, the headlights illuminate better, the seats are more comfortable, the trunk and the fuel tank are larger than the others. Even the horn sounds "adult" - no wimpy "bleat". Weve had the car only two months so I dont have a handle on MPG but it appears to be in the 23-30 range(V6!).

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  Acceleration Concern! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Kerry - October 4 - 1:00 pm

  I have always owned Toyotas. 76 celica 350,000, 87 Camry, and a 89 I still have at 287,000! I love my Camry. The 2005 is the first Camry in a long time I REALLY LIKE! Especially with the New Ground Effects! Makes it look so sporty! Good power too!

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  Will be my favorite.. 2.2 auto 4dr LE - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Evan - October 4 - 7:23 am

  80,000 miles, 14 years old, and still going strong. The Toyota Camry, one of the best cars ever made. Very quiet drive, smooth transmission, lots of space for people and stuff, the 4 cylinder engine can handle this 1.5 ton car remarkably well. I get about 27-29 MPG with a lot of town driving and a little highway. This car gets its primary power around 4,000 to 5,500 RPM. Good torque for being a 4 cylinder compared to its horsepower. Even over 100mph, there were not vibrations and everything was smooth and in control. Overall this car has a comfortable and quiet drive, and has the reliability of a Toyota to get you there.

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  Great Value - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - October 3 - 6:50 pm

  I have owned several Toyota models- this one has all the others beat as respects the overall quality, easy driveability, gas mileage and reliability. The 158 horsepower is more than adequate for the every day driver.

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  Refined motoring - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By phillipg2 - October 3 - 11:48 am

  This is the third Camry I have owned, a 93 LE, 141,000; 02 XLE ,149,000 and now a 09 XLE. This is by far the smoothest riding and comfortable edition of these word class sedans. I see no drop off of the fit and finish, I get great gas mileage (4 cyc) and the engine is so quiet. A Lexsus without the additional $10,0000 cost and reg gas, to boot!

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  Love it - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Tyler - October 2 - 3:20 pm

  I love Toyotas as i work for the company. However, even if i didnt i would still buy them. This car is very comfortable and makes long trips go very quickly. I love to drive it, although is kind of "uncool" to drive. But im a practical person, so it fits me well!

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  Toyota Camry Not A Toy - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Ronald J Mims - September 28 - 5:55 am

  My Toyota Camry is 15 years old, Im the second owner. I can only say good things about this car, the engine is so quiet you can hardly hear it. If you maintain a vehicle it certainly will pay off.