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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  The loaded Camry - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Gillmer21 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I love my car. Its very realiable and drives very well. The only thing is that it didnt age well but other than that its a great car.

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  Poor Quality - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Ann Koz - July 3 - 5:11 pm

  Paint chips all over car. Swirls in black paint. Seats are made of poor material. Noisy on highway. Tires had to be replaced after 27,000 miles. Very well maintained but you would never know it. Will not buy another Toyota and this is my third. Very disappointed.

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  New owner - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Eroc69 - July 1 - 11:06 am

  I just picked up my 07 LE-V6 so I cant comment on the total overall package. I do love the look and the dual exhaust and obviously the engine. I will post a more detailed review in a few months. I can be picky so read here in a few.

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  good looking camry with poor reliability - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jtlboy - June 30 - 6:46 pm

  The performance of a V6 is awesome. Handling is great. The windshield wiper design with the water spray is horrible. The water spray is blocked by the wiper on the left side when it comes out initially. The interior looks good but feels cheap compared to my 1997 LE camry. The transmission is the worst ever for camry. It downshift to much causing engine flare and I had problem with the reverse gear, but the up gear shift is great and smooth. Too bad it is not close to perfect.

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  2001 CAMRY LE - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By DOUG N - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Very good vehicle. Only problem was front end struts which wore out quickly, the same as my 1998 Camry which I traded in.

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  what these fools talkin bout? - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By mrcashmoneey - June 27 - 3:58 pm

  now ive only had my 09 camry for a week so i cant speak for the reliability, but im reading some nonsense on here. this is a nice car. i have the 4 cyl. and it has plenty of power. it is a little weird accelerating from a stop i will agree to that but cmon. this thing shifts very smooth, the suspension is nice! its a solid ride. i find it comfortable too. after my 08 nissan versa, this thing feels like the greatest car ever. and i get about the same gas mileage but with more of everything! space, performance, oh and a quiet ride oh and its also pretty low priced. dont let these reviews fool you [non-permissible content removed]. sweeeet value.

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  Fourth Camry - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By johnnyvero - June 26 - 11:06 pm

  This is my fourth camry, I bought my wife an 08, because I liked her 05 so much but she wouldnt give it up, so I bought the 08 for her and now Im driving the 05, both cars are 4 cyl, and have plenty of pick up. I cant say enough good things about them, reliability, performance, comfort, economy, just an all around good car with good trade in value. I was thinking about a V6 but the V4 has plenty of power and accelerates like a V6. Great Car !!!

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  A smooth ride - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By hanstheman - June 25 - 4:50 pm

  I bought this car about a year ago and it clocked less than 50,000 miles when i first got it. The ride is very smooth and overall very pleased with the reliability of the car, it almost never gives me trouble (not yet, at least!). Good mileage, i get a combined city/town/highway of about 25 mpg.

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  best car ever - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By willizannah - June 25 - 10:00 am

  In my 40 years of car ownership I have without question never had such a wonderful car. And at 215,000 miles it is still going strong. My mechanic said that this particular engine simply does not wear out. Not only is quality what one would expect from Toyota, but the power and handling are far above what you would expect from a wagon...and an old one at that. If you have a chance to get one of these, buy it before it gets away.

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  Super nice ride! - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By jph3006 - June 23 - 2:18 am

  After 600 miles, we are very happy with this Camry XLE, 2.5L 4 cylinder. This was our first Toyota, previously we had Hondas. We compared the Accord and Sonata and found them to be noisier and a little harder ride though both are more sporty. We specified cloths seats, and not leather, due to the hot Florida climate. We have the Convenience package, floor mats, and rear spoiler. The car is very quiet at highway speeds and the 4 cylinder engine has more than ample power.We are averaging 26 MPG city. The standard stereo sounds really nice within this quiet interior. We like the numerous chrome accents and with the spoiler, looks cool! This is a lot of car for the money, we recommend it!