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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  Clunk when taking off from a stop - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Greg - December 4 - 6:43 pm

  I bought a new 2010 Camry. it has had a clunk when leaving a stop light with 3/4 to full tank of gas. It sounds as if the spare tire shifted. I have taken it in to HOOVER TOYOTA, Alabama 3 times and had a Toyota engineer come out and the dealer, engineer and service manager all heard the clunk. They went on to tell me it is within spec. I will never by a Toyota again. The dealer was so set on dodging the issue. The engineer told me it was something I had to deal with. I dont think a new car under 3000 miles should feel as if something is shifting in the trunk when you take off. Very bad service and car never again!

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  First Camry for me - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By metro21 - December 3 - 8:55 am

  Got a great deal from Toyota- 0% APR for 60 months, no payments for 90 days and a killer deal. Who can say no to that? I bought the SE model 4 cyl. loaded with the $3600 everything package. Did I mention the 2 year/ 24k mile all maintenance free plan? After 3 months and 6k miles, very impressed with the Camry. Glad I got it over the Accord.

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  How could Ive been so wrong? - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By joe322 - December 2 - 10:52 pm

  The 2 factors in buying the auto were the name and 0% interest for 60 months. Within a week Id had the vehicle back to thedealer twice(rain or snow coming off the roof when door opened, blind spots when vehicles pass,and then theres the transmission.) Im 62 and have driven many vehicles but none like this. The tranny is always seeking a gear, it without warning downshifts at 40 mph, it drifts back on a hill when your changing from braking to acceleration, it revs to approx 5000rpm before engaging the tranny on a fast getaway and forget cruising thru the country at 25 to 30 miles and hour. And after reading your reviews today I find its not my imaginationwhen I hear something rollin

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  WOW!! What a car ! - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By R. Eubank - December 2 - 11:06 am

  Bought our 2000 Camry in late 06 on the Toyota name alone. This car is very fun to drive and my wife and I know, with proper maintenace, that this car has another 150,000 miles to go with no problem. We both have had Toyotas in the past and they have not disappointed. Our 2000 Camry has the 4 cyl. engine, wouldve liked the 6 but none were available at the time we needed the car. Yet to my surprise, the 4 cyl. is more than I thought.... VERY strong !! Great car and would do it all over again today if we had to. Enjoy the ride.

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  Love My Toyota - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Jean D. Witt - December 1 - 2:00 am

  Got my new Toyota Camry XLE for Christmas and love it so much. It gets up and goes when I need it to and very easy to drive.

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  Fed up with Domestic Mfg.unrelible prods - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By ERN - December 1 - 2:00 am

  This xle scats up the mountains on I75 in Tenn.,passes everything.A very stable,comfortable riding car to drive with excellent gas mileage.I love it!

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  Flawless after 4 years - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By gello - November 30 - 10:00 am

  We have now logged 82000 miles on our Camry. It still drives as smooth as the day driven off the dealrship lot ( maybe even better after replacing original tires with Michelins). Still on original set of brakes. This is a great family sedan with plenty of room for 5 adults. Huge trunk! This car is a testament to Toyotas commitment to building quality vehicles that will run forever. Toyota has earned my business for many years to come.

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  Oil Consumption - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Richard - November 29 - 6:03 pm

  This is our second Camry. First was a 2000 model. After 6 great years with our first Camry we decided to purchase a newly designed 2007. We love the styling inside and out. The only real problem with our car is the oil consumption. at 80k is uses about a quart every 1500 miles. We did research and found other Camry owners with same problem or worse. Toyota has an oil consumption category in the owners manual that states it may use up to 1.1 quarts every 600 miles. NOW COME ON! Who else has that category? My family has owned Toyota for many years. We are now looking for a new vehicle. This makes it very difficult to buy another Toyota. Where has the quality gone?

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  30 MPG with a 260 HP V-6! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By George - November 29 - 5:13 am

  I drive 40,000 miles a year and was looking for a dependable car that would be comfortable as well. I wanted navigation, bluetooth, leather and auto temp A/C, so I went with the XLE. I have seen people saying that they were getting 30 mpg on the highway with the Camry V-6 and they are right, first tank was 29.86 mpg (90 % highway). Car is much quieter than the Honda.

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  Very Stylish and Sporty - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By 0hheck - November 27 - 8:02 pm

  When replacing my previously leased car, I was looking for a quality vehicle that had a great reliability reputation. I looked at Honda Accord, Chevy Malibu and the Toyota Camry. I wanted specific features, such as push button start, remote start, proximity entry, quite/comfortable ride and excellent fuel economy....all for a reasonable price. The Camry SE Special Edition had all the features I wanted and was the best buy in terms of cost as well as future resale. Im currently getting in excess of 41+ mpg on the highway with the way I drive. Around town, Im getting 27+ mpg. If youre looking high performance, you may not choose this model as it only is available with the 4cyl engine. However, this engine provides quick acceleration and passing performance. For my purposes, the V6 is more than I would need. Overall, Im quite happy with my Camry.