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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  Camry.com (not real website) - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By 3rdcamry - June 18 - 7:49 am

  This is my 3rd 4 cylinder Camry 89, 98, and now 2006. The previous ones reached 200k miles with ease. The 2006 now has 144k miles. The real treat about this car is that the 4 cylinder 06 Camrys have a timing CHAIN, not a belt--which is a bargain for those of us Camry owners than run up the mileage. This is simply a reliable car. The spark plugs are platinum so you dont have to change them unless you are having a problem with performance. The 98 camry had the original plugs and wires when I traded them in (I have an honest mechanic) and the car ran smooth as ice. I need a reliable vehicle for commuting to work and this is it. Fun, safe and reliable, just keep fluids changed and fresh.

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  Camry Great NEW - SO SO Used - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By JJ - June 18 - 7:40 am

  I bought a 96 Camry brand new and sold it Aug 2005 with 45,000 miles. Never hit, paint/interior perfect. The resale value of $5,500 is great for a 9 year old car. However, the car had some repairs, the motormounts went, cracking the exhaust pipe, the flimsy door handle cracked off in the cold and the drivers seat belt stopped working. Now at 60,000 miles it will need a timing belt, tune up plus the 60,000 binding U joint camry defect and in a few years an expensive exhaust and strut issue. Camrys are great, but dont believe the hype, they break a lot less than a similar american car, but with the added price and expensive parts they are not a good used car choice.

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  SAVED MY LIFE - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By miracl - June 17 - 2:40 pm

  I financed this car with my Mom in early April, it was my second car. One morning after I picked up my friend for school, I was smashed/tBoned by a 2012 Yukon that was going 70 and ran a red light, at a 45 mph zone, my car was sent flying into another car. This car was TOTALED. No roof, no doors, blown up tires, and no seats. I WALKED away with a scratched up face from hitting my window on impact, but I had NO broken bones, my best friend had 7, and is WALKING with a broken pelvis/hip. Doctors/Witnesses said they have no idea how we survived this accident, if it wasnt for this camry, we would have been dead, Thank you Toyota, You SAVE lives. Get this car for your kid parents its a lifesavef

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  Love My Camry - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Veronica - June 17 - 1:16 pm

  I purchased my 92 Camry XLE third-hand from an elderly couple. This is my second Camry, and I love it. I havent had to put any money into this car except for scheduled maintenance and annual touch up painting. I have 111,000 miles on the odometer and hope to get to 200,000 or 20 years old, whichever comes first! My only complaint about the car is that it has a moon roof that takes up head space and makes it a little "short" for me. Im 511". Other than that, I couldnt ask for better performance or reliability.

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  325,000 Miles and still going strong - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Paul - June 16 - 6:10 am

  I bought this Toyota Camry new from the dealer. I have never had any issues with this Camry. I have only had to do the recommend maintenance, and now with over 325,000 miles on it it is still running as strong as the day I bought it no oil leaks it is the best investment I ever made I will keep this car until it no longer runs and at the rate it is going I will expire before it does, best car ever built.

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  Fabulous car - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By David W - June 14 - 5:33 am

  This car has been a total pleasure as well as a joy to drive. It is peppy and accelerates very well getting onto highways and when we need to move quickly. We have 205,000 miles, and have never had to do anything more than routine maintenance which we do religiously. The leather seats are showing wear after 17 years but other than that, we have no sense we are driving an older car, and we think the design is still handsome.

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  New Car - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By gofersatchmo - June 13 - 2:23 pm

  Just got a new 2010 Cary SE, my wife loves it, were getting 30+ mpg in town and you cant beat that for the comfort and ride.

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  Jack of all trades... - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By jdmcderm - June 13 - 10:00 am

  This car does a lot of things very well. Its stylish, roomy and has an impressive list of standard features for a base model. The ride is very comfortable, but not particularly involving. Ive owned several Hondas and considered the Accord, but felt that the interior material quality was inferior for Honda and the styling was bland. It was, however, more fun to drive than the Camry, especially in a V- 6. Also consdered the BMW 325i which was too small to be practical for 4-5 adults. All things considered, Im happy with they Camry, but the BMW will be at the top of my list next time around

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  Comfort and ride - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By gail roe - June 10 - 4:23 am

  Very comfortable ride. The suspension system is great. You pick up very little outside noise. We also own a Honda and it cant compare to our Camry for handling and comfort. Our Camry is a much softer ride.

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  Great Car! Review at 10K miles - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Camry Driver - June 8 - 1:28 am

  I bought a Camry LE in Feb 2015 and it has 10K miles on it now. Its a great car and I really enjoy driving it. Rear camera and 8-way power driver seat are standard features for the basic trim, which is very nice. I would highly recommend this car!