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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  Dissatisfied - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Jim - February 3 - 4:10 pm

  The ride is rough, and the wind noise is unbearable. I had the windshield and seal replaced, as per the dealer internal memo to solve that problem, but it made no change whatsoever. I am so dissatisfied, I am searching for another 2007 vehicle and am selling the Camry.

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  No American Car comes close to the Camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By EJG - February 3 - 12:13 pm

  I have driven many cars in my time. Saturn L-2000, Honda Accord 1994, Pontiac Sunfire 1996, Buick Century 1988 and 1998, Buick Lucerne, Dodge Charger (recent) and many others. Besides the Honda Accord, no other car listed comes near the Camry. I have had this car for 70k now, and nothing besides the tires have been replaced, not even the brakes. If you want a car that starts up every day, is safe, comfortable, and is refined, buy a Camry.

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  Amazing car but lurches at stop lights! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By hatedealers - February 2 - 9:56 pm

  I have had my new 2005 Camry for six months now with 1750 miles. I am very happy with it with two problems.It lurches frequently when I come to a stop and have the A/C on. The dealer knows this is a problem on these cars and refused to do anything about it.It also makes a loud grinding noise from the front end when I do a U-turn. They lubricated the steering, dont know yet if this fixed it.But the LURCHING!!! It is a small push feeling that feels like someone rear-ended me at a stop light.I worry that someday the lurch may be a BIG one and I may ram the car in front of me!I dont know what to do about this.The dealership was no help but I didnt talk to the manager yet.

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  Personal experience - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Sun - February 2 - 9:20 am

  Now my Camry is about 2 years old. Dealer has to replace my strut because of oil leak. Also, I was told battery need to be replaced soon. Tire is about to worn out at 27k. I like this car and do maintenance regularly. I was driving 91 Camry for long time and its quality deeply impressed me. I couldnt believe new Camry work like this. I feel disappointed.

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  2000 Toyota Camry CE - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Barcou - January 31 - 10:00 am

  By far the best highway driving car Ive been in. Very good build quality -- no squeaks or rattles. Car feels as tight with 45,000 miles as it did when new. Smooth, smooth, smooth.

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  I AM IMPRESSED - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By IMPRESSED - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I owned various vehicles in my life from Mercedes to GMC to Honda, but when I test drove the Toyota Camry, I was impressed by how quiet it was. The engine sounded smooth and the ride was just right. The interior of the leather covered XLE with wood trim definitely looked better than my 99 E430. I loved the sound system, the heated seats, the VSC and the eight airbags that came with the car that I was riding in. There were many other gadgets and cool things to explore in the Camry. I truly believe that if you want to get the bang for your buck and treat yourself to some affordable luxury then you should definitely consider looking at a Camry.

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  2013 Camry XLE V6 - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By retired2013 - January 28 - 7:24 pm

  We bought our newest Camry seven months ago, and have driven it 13,000 miles now. This is our third Camry so we must like them. The 2013 V6 is very fast. The 2013 XLE seems lighter and more nimble than our 2002 XLE. The gas mileage is good and the car is definitely comfortable. The steering is quicker than prior models, and this model feels better balanced than prior year models too. Overall a fantastic car to get from Point A to Point B in comfort and safety with attractive styling.

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  Im in love with my car - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Rochelle - January 28 - 6:50 am

  This car is comfortable to travel in, as well as "no effort driving". And the get up and go is there when you need it. Fantastic gas mileage on the highway. What can I say? Im in love with my car.

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  07 Camry I4 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By palpak - January 28 - 1:23 am

  Love the car. The only thing I hate is the shifting performance of the A/T. It feels like the car is in neutral or stay on the same gear when power is required and you have to press the accelerator harder such that the car jerks when the gear is engaged.

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  not so hot - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By servco=headache - January 26 - 6:16 pm

  Bought this car thinking it would be a 10 year car. It is now 3.5 yrs old and dont think the car will last past its 5th birthday. The transmission is sick. The dealer isnt the greatest (Servco Pacific). To get warranty work done to fix the jerky transmission is like pulling teeth. Hawaii is warm and poorly designed ac gets smelly. To put a redesigned ac to prevent mold growing, they are going to charge me $338 for a $270 part. Last time I checked, Hawaii is part of the US but according to the dealer, they are not part of the us and can charge whatever they like. Trim panels and rattles will drive you crazy. If you buy used, look up all tech service bulletins and get it fixed!