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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  Luv It - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Cornhusker - February 24 - 7:43 am

  Bought it new. Used for lots of middle distance driving (100-200 miles). Best car Ive seen when considering comfort, mileage, and overall driving experience.

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  1999 camry - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By toonervilletrolly - February 23 - 10:00 am

  My Toyota Camry impresses me as I have owned many vehicles in my 72 years. This car is probably the best of those I have owned. I am very pleased with the reliablity and comfort of the Car.

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  Great value for money - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By sk - February 23 - 2:56 am

  I had a 2003 Toyota corolla. Excellent car. Drove over 170k miles before i sold it. Never had problem with it. Bought the 2010 Camry but was shocked to learn about the faulty acceleration soon after the purchase. Took it to the dealer and got it fixed. Never had any problem so far. I like everything in my new car except for the quality of plastic and fabric used to make the door pockets and the manual seat adjustment for front passenger seat.

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  Still good - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Raja - February 20 - 3:26 pm

  I bought this 10 days back with 110k on the odometer. I was reluctant since it is already 11 years old but surprised to see it runs great! The noise is very less when compared to other cars. Mileage is excellent. I think it gives around 25 per gallon still on city roads.

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  Sleeker design 2005, two days owner! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Nina Davis - February 19 - 10:00 am

  I have switched from my 250k miles Honda Accord to the new Toyota Camry 2005, lets see how long this will last. So far so good, the body is more sleeker, my neighbors mistaken as a Lexus. Cool lights, looks very classy! They are brite, inside and outside. Its a very well made vehicle for the price, looks expensive, but not. Spacious truck, two large person would fit. The hubs are nice, the dealership reported theirs stolen already. The car is well design, it rides good and Im happy with it!

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  Problems - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Patrick - February 19 - 12:43 am

  I just bought the used 02 Camry from a friend. In 500 miles, the catalytic converter went out, the A/C seems to be really week, I noticed the steering wheel squeaks (specifically on sharp turns), the rearview mirrors sags and it vibrates with the music on at any decent level, and the entire vehicle vibrates when coming to a stop. The dealership replaced rotors and pads and it is no better. The car is comfy and has good pickup, but so far I am very concerned about the quality, or lack thereof.

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  6th Gen. Camry is a Winner!!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By fsowireless - February 18 - 5:56 am

  This is the sportiest Camry ever built, in every aspect. The appearance, admittedly so, is the first time a Camry was something I would consider buying. Not to mention even bothering to look twice at it. After driving my Volvo S80 T6 for the last year or so, I have a certain expectation of torque when I depress the accelerator. The new 3.5 V6 in the Camry did not disappoint. Acceleration was very smooth through out the band thanks to the Dual VVTI and 6 speed automatic with sequential manual mode. It was not as much of a kick as I am used to, but it got up and went when asked.

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  Interior at night like air raid drill during WWII - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Len - February 17 - 12:22 pm

  Getting in and out of my recently leased 2016 Camry LE at night, interior completely in dark. There are NO interior lights that turn on to let you see. In my 2013 Camry LE, lights on overhead came on, not on the 2016. Also, Toyota decided to do away with the vanity lights on the visors - its not that they dont work, they just arent there. Very disappointed. Suggestion to owners/lessees of 2016 Camry LE - Always carry a flashlight. Since writing the above, I contacted the dealer and they told me to check the "dome light". There are three switch positions - 1-always on 2-always off 3-on when doors open or remote pushed to unlock doors. Works fine. I told dealer they should be sure that switch is not in the always off position when they deliver a new car. Would have saved me a lot of time and aggravation. I did read the manual on this subject but its clarity left a lot to be desired. Still upset with no vanity lights on the visor.

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  LOVIN IT SO FAR... - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By jdt1975 - February 16 - 7:33 pm

  I have only owned the car for one week. I do not have any complaints so far about the car itself just a little buyers remorse regarding the price I paid. Though I can only blame myself for not doing my research before going out car shopping. The car is quite zippy, lots of torque and horsepower. I bought the SE with the VIP package, paid $26,950.

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  First Toyota - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By aadams3119 - February 15 - 5:16 am

  The 2007 Toyota Camry was the first car we looked at when we were car shopping. I wrecked my 1996 Honda Accord, and had assumed we would buy another Honda. However, when we drove the Camry we were impressed with its looks and the comfort of the ride.