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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  184,000 miles and still going - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By plano-chuck - April 13 - 2:00 am

  Bought my Camry V6 LE new in 1993. After 184,000 miles, its still going strong. Other than routine maintenance and replacement of normal wear & tear components, everything is still original in my car like muffler, radiator, CV boots, etc. Drove this car in northeast snow days and Texas summer heat; no problems.

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  my camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By sugarplum - April 13 - 2:00 am

  I love my Camry! I have the XLE V6, and I cannot tell you enough how great it is! Its sporty, its roomy, and its FAST!

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  Overall good value - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By fredslane - April 13 - 2:00 am

  Bought the 4 and have been very satisfied with the engine power. Great mileage at 30 consistently. Huge trunk. A few issues: even with power drivers seat it is tough to find a comfy position; needs the telescoping & tilting wheel of the Sienna. Its difficult to read odometer in daylight (had dealer examine what I presumed was a defect, only to be told thats the way it is made!). With sunglasses it is impossible to read. Radio/cd sound is terrible and Im no audiophile. Brakes are also on soft side as others have opined. But smooth, strong, quiet acceleration makes for nice ride. Paid 20M out the door incl ABS, NY sales tax (8.5%).

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  Faulty (Broken) Panaromic Roof one week after buy - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Reddy - April 12 - 4:54 pm

  I was super excited when I bought this car for my wife, but the excitement lasted only for 7 days. The panoramic moon roof stopped working and stayed open on a freezing night of 5F. It was super frustrating as I could hardly get hold of any Toyota dealer or Toyota Motor Corp itself.

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  did not like - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By hated it - April 12 - 1:46 am

  I bought the car in Feb 08 and traded it in in Sept 08. The hesitation at take offs and the up and down shifting of the transmission were getting on my nerves. It easily cames out of over- drive to get up a small hill. If you did not take off slowly, the car had a dead spot and then the car would take off. A lot of complaints about this issue on the internet. I do 80% interstate driving and I struggled to get 22 mpg. The car rode nicely on smooth roads as well as handled well.

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  Like a Rock - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By scooter262 - April 11 - 9:46 pm

  Love it so far; very quiet and comfortable ride, and I have no doubt it will be reliable given my past experience with Toyotas.

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  Hot Seat no Cell Phone - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Ed Yeater - April 11 - 7:54 pm

  GPS will not work without paying: for a smart phone, and a cell phone provider. The XLE driver seat feels like hot plastic.

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  1996 Camry-Great Ride,Always Reliable - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By GJC - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought it in l997 and it has given me 5 years of good riding, reliability,low and inexpensive maintenance and fun to drive. It still looks good and has alot of life left. Highly recommend.

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  So far, so good - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By sd - April 11 - 6:16 am

  I just bought this car, and the leather seats are luxurious, the sunroof is fun, and its great to look at. After having it about a week, the performance isnt great, but its okay. If my Sienna van is any indication (150,000 miles and it runs like new), I should enjoy this car for a long time. With my van, I like it better now than I did when it was new, because I never had an old car with so little trouble. I had Hondas before, and they had better acceleration, but more frequent maintenance.

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  2000 vs 2002 - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Bob - April 10 - 3:33 pm

  We have two Camrys. The best by far is the 2000 4 Cyl. Its road manors are much better. This car has 70000 miles on it and handles better than the 2002 with 52000 miles and the 2002 is a 6 Cyl. Never had a problem with the 2000 but had to align the front end of the 2002 twice.