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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  great car - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By lik@rpi.edu - September 26 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 2 years ago with 112k miles. Now with 136k miles, engine and transmission still runs great. Powerband and Gear ratio are where they should be. ECT works like a dream. Throttle response is great and engine is quiet. Handles awesome with Bridgestone Turanza tires. Gas mileage around 23mpg in the city, 30mpg on the highway with a gentle foot. Low maintenance costs. No major problems with this 8 year old car. Keep it well oiled and it wont give you any trouble.

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  Reliable, Comfortable and Roomy Sedan - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By S.T. - September 26 - 10:00 am

  This is American made Lexus 300. I saved $10,000.

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  My Toyota Camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By cinnamonbay84 - September 26 - 12:33 am

  I love my new car, it is very spacious inside and considering I cant handle small spaces it is wonderful.

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  Best Car EVER - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By R. Backer - September 25 - 12:30 pm

  Without a doubt this Camry is the finest machine Ive ever owned in more than 50 years of driving. It gets 33 miles per gallon on trips and has cost nothing beyond the routine, and even that has been minimal. Reliability is 100%. I put 104 thousand miles on it so far and will probably end up giving it to my grandson although Ill probably keep it til I die. Outstanding car period! (Not a speck of rust on it despite being outside for 13 years.)

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  Best Car Ever! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Niki - September 24 - 10:57 am

  We have absolutely no complaints about this car. This was the family car, until my oldest child was old enough to drive to school. Thats when I handed it down to him. Its now on its second teen driver, and still going strong. In October, itll be handed down to the 3rd. We were rear ended two years ago HARD in the rain, and the car did exactly what the crash tests tell you its gonna do - protect the passengers. Over 220,000 miles, and all weve really done (besides wreck repair) is put tires on it, replace a bulb every now and then, changed the oil until this week, when we needed to replace the valve cover gasket... at 220,000+ miles. I dont think thats a bad deal at all! Leg room is awesome... weve driven it on several long road trips with my son, who is well over 6 tall and an additional three 5.5-ish tall passengers plus our luggage with no problem. The trunk is a cavernous space, much bigger than you might expect. We get a couple of snow storms a year here, and this is our go-to car when we have to leave the house. The car handles great in the snow with no extra equipment/chains required. The stereo system is awesome, and we dont have anything special in there. If I had to pick a car for a family, or a first time driver, Id pick this one again every time.

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  My 2011 Camry - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By brandmann - September 23 - 9:08 am

  Let me just say, I am proud to say that Im now in the third generation Toyota Camry, I absolutely love this car, not only because of its reliability but its comfort as well. I went from owing a 93 Camry to previously owing a 03 Camry. I just recently purchase my 2011 Toyota Camry and Ive had for about a week now and its living up to its name. With 43,652 miles its riding like brand new and its got a smooth sound to it. As far as gas mileage I personally think the Camry gets great gas mileage on and off the highway.

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  Almost Perfect - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Howard Pedigo - September 21 - 10:30 pm

  Flawless engine & transmission performance. Plenty of power without sacrificing fuel economy,recent 800 mile trip= 27.6 mpg (actual miles divided by gallons, trip computer showed 28.3). Minimal wind/road noise. Outstanding driving position & visibility.Spacious and comfortable interior of high quality materials & workmanship. Flexible folding rear seats. Spacious trunk with full-size spare. Downside: p/steering is overboosted, tilt wheel has too little movement to be called a tilt wheel. Power window & door controls are not lighted at night.

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  My Camry - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Camry - September 21 - 10:16 pm

  I have loved this car since I bought it. I was intending to drive it to 200,000 miles, but now I have been hit in a rearend collision and I will probably have to trade it in.

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  Best Camry ever - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Sal S. - September 21 - 5:13 am

  The SE V6 drives and handles like car at the top level of the front wheel drive food chain. Little torque steer at launch and even power delivery throughout powerband. However, the transmission is a little confused at times during downshifting. The interior is on par with other cars in its class, but not up to the fit and finish of previous Camrys (trust me, my parents have had 7 Camrys since the late 80s). The JBL 8-speaker system w/BT and the leather seats are money well spent. If you want a practical vehicle with good looks, excellent all around performance and a resale value no domestic sedan could touch, the Camry should definitely be on the top of your shopping list.

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  nice car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By alaine - September 20 - 10:00 am

  nice ride esp compared to my prevous gmc yukon. wish the steering wheel would raise higher, i am tall and find it somewhat tedious to get in and out b/c the steering wheel seems low. otherwise great leg room.