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, but.... - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By VG - April 27 - 9:43 am

  Ive been driving a Suburban for 5 years. I LOVE driving it. It is pure pleasure to drive. I LIKE my Camry. Its OK to drive, but not nearly as quiet. It doesnt have the driver comforts of my Suburban. Im driving it purely for fuel economy. Its a great quality car and drives magnificently. It is simply a very utilitarian car.

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  Over 300K - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Jeffrey in Phoenix Arizona - April 27 - 3:35 am

  My 1999 Toyota Camry - 6 cyl - Manual Transmission - love the car - now has 302K miles on it. My last Toyota Camry, a 1987 had 387K miles before it got hit. I expect this one to go over 400K.

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  Over 300K - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Jeffrey in Phoenix Arizona - April 27 - 3:35 am

  My 1999 Toyota Camry - 6 cyl - Manual Transmission - love the car - now has 302K miles on it. My last Toyota Camry, a 1987 had 387K miles before it got hit. I expect this one to go over 400K.

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  Over 300K - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Jeffrey in Phoenix Arizona - April 27 - 3:35 am

  My 1999 Toyota Camry - 6 cyl - Manual Transmission - love the car - now has 302K miles on it. My last Toyota Camry, a 1987 had 387K miles before it got hit. I expect this one to go over 400K.

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  Not bad at all! - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Ruben M. - April 27 - 2:08 am

  Traded up from a 2009 Camry LE. Everything has been upgraded from since that model. The ride is smoother & quieter, interior much more roomier. infotainment system much better. Very pleased!

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  Hoped for more - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Emma - April 25 - 2:53 pm

  I shopped for months for a new car & picked the Camry. I originally loved it. I thought great mileage & I loved the look of the new Camry. Now I am second guessing myself. Terrible mileage!! 23 mpg in the city & tranny seems sluggish or hesitant. Some of the thing inside seem cheap. If I had known then what I know now I would have bought an H3. If Im going to get mileage this bad I may as well look good doing it.

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  rattles drive me crazy - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By pepper45322 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I have been a loyal Toyota buyer since 1982. I traded in my 1999 Solara for this vehicle. This car is a disappointment because of the rattles, squeeks, creeks coming from the headliner and front dash. I took it to the dealer 3 times and on the third time they told me the car is in "normal" range for noise. I guess Toyota has lowered their standards to American made vehicles for rattles. There are serious inerior quality issues with camrys. I have not experienced the surging/jerking at 50 mph when releasing gas pedal with this car but did with my Solara, which is why I dumped it.

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  A disappointment - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Ponch - April 22 - 3:13 am

  This car seemed so nice at first, that is until all the nagging details started surfacing. It rides fairly quiet and has good legroom but the trunk is smaller than some competitors. The 4 cylinder is adequate but many other competitors have a good deal more hp and are quieter. Suggest making the exterior look cleaner and less Mazda like. Also bring back the deleted door protection moldings and make the visors extend like on many other cars made today.

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  2005 Camry LE V6 - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Trent E. - April 21 - 3:26 pm

  This car is surprisingly good, even for a 7 time Toyota/Lexus owner. This is our 2nd Camry, the first being a new 2003 XLE V6. That car was loaded and well enjoyed. However, the 05 LE V6 has proven to be a better car than even the higher priced, heavily equiped XLE V6 of two years prior. The basic LEs V6 is much stronger, quieter and gets great fuel economy over the 03. The ride quality is even more preferable in the LE with stability over rough roads at speed and mild understeer when pushed hard through turns. The sound quality of the basic 6 speaker, single CD stereo is even better that that of the 8 speaker JBL in-dash 6 CD system. Overall, reliable high-quality transportation.. again.

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  Great car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota and Nissan - April 21 - 10:16 am

  Great car. I bought it when it had 168000 miles on it and ran great. I did get new spark plugs, short ram intake and a strut bar, to improve the performance a little. The car never broke down, i had no problems with it. Now it has 192000 miles. It does have a 18gallon gas tank which i found to be a bit too big. but its okay. Now i drive a 350z Overall upgrade from the 99 camry. but the camry did very well the last 2 years.