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 My Camry - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Chris Ryan - November 25 - 10:00 am

  never been to the shop for anything serious, just normal checkup, creat built car

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  Kims car - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By cricketman - November 25 - 10:00 am

  Very dependable, and comfortable. Traded a 97 Buick Riviera, and the power is comperable, even with the loss of cubic inches, and cylinders, advances in design more than make up for it. I actually enjoy having 4 doors again, for ease of entry, and not having to move for in-laws that travel with us sometimes. Getting softer, or lazier as we get older. Highly recommend the Camry as a daily driver, and even a road car.

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  Declining Reputation - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By San Jose - November 24 - 10:50 am

  I bought the Camry because of past reputation. That has gone completely down the drain for Toyota. Maybe they are using bad suppliers or are not engineering for superior reliability now. List of issues I and/or most 2007 owners had: Failed CV Joint 40k, uncorrectable dash rattle, poor tranny performance even with updated ECU flashes, failed brake components. The ride, comfort, and drive is as expected, however, the quality and reputation of yore are completely gone for the flagship Camry. Look at the Accord, they have none of these TSB problems! Big regret, should have waited for the new accord! Just paid $300 to fix the failed brake issue, feels like I own a Chevy!

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  Dont buy this car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Naveen - November 23 - 2:00 am

  This car has been poorly built. There is excessive wind noise starting from 70 MPH. There are rattles even when the car is driven at low speeds. I also hear a rattling sound when the A/C is switched on.

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  The Best Purchase of My Life - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Tony412 - November 21 - 4:06 am

  The 04 SE 4cyl seems to me as the most bang for your buck. The V6 has some added features but it also kicks up the price out of range. The 4 cyl gives you all that you want and leaves out the things you can live w/out like steel wheels, a spoiler and ofcourse more power. W/the 4 cyl you still get the sporty interior design (black w/chrome accent), the sporty grill, headlights and fog lights. After 40,000k everything about the car is the same as the day I drove it out of the lot. For a big car that can fit 5 adults comfortably, and a spacious trunk for pretty much anything, the gas mileage is very good. Icing on the cake is you get a spoiler. What more can you ask for?

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  Best car ever - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By kennycrowshaw - November 20 - 2:30 pm

  After being a GM man I made the jump to Toyota. Best decision Ive ever made with cars. This car is comfortable, quiet and best of all great fuel economy on the highway. Last week my wife was rear-ended by a Chev half ton as she was stopped to turn left. He hit her traveling over 30mph - the half ton has been written off and the Camry is repairable. Best of all my wife came out of it with just a little bit of a stiff neck. Also it is very predictable in rain and snow. To sum up this is a safe, reliable and not bad styled car I highly recommend.

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  Never Purchase Toyota again! Find out why - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Dave - November 20 - 2:04 am

  Just passed 1000 miles in this beast. Nothing but problems. My kia had no problems in 3 years. So far I have had multiple problems with my 2018 Camry. Today I was at Autonation Toyota in Fort Myers Florida. Total frustration at the dealership. Went there for 2 reasons. Yikes! 1 the Lane sensors have quit working. 2. the front sensor ceased to work. because of this failure went to far parking car. Over the concrete stopper I went. Tore up some plastic housing. Couldnt drive car. Went under the car in good clothes to fix it. A normal screwdriver did not fit to tighten. Finally fixed it, Kinda, so I could drive it. I bought a new car to avoid problems and that is all I have had. Never mind that Sirius wasnt installed and that added it on. Was told this was on the XLE. Dont buy this vehicle.

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  I feel like I stole this one - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Terry B - November 17 - 5:30 am

  I cant complain about any of the features or components. After 30 years of buying cars (from a 12 year old 66 Bel-air to the 07 Camry), I finally feel like I got a great deal. Added Leather, heated seats and floor mats and I got it for $24500. $2200 off msrp (with no add-ons)! If Id had a bit more patience Im sure I could have wrangled $200 more off the price. But, when I came across the black one with tan leather, I could resist no more. Great work Toyota.

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  Old Faithful - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By toyotahappy - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car almost 3 yrs ago Pro: reliable, just needs basic oil change to run smoothly, accelerates smartly for a small-engined car; turns quickly for a mid-sized vehicle; miserly when it comes to fuel consumption Cons: stiff seats, no daytime running lights; OEM tires are horrible; no drivers side lamps; no quick-wiper control; weak lo-beam headlamps - needed to replace bulbs w/ aftermarket PIAAs; added foglamps to improve visibility; replaced OEM tires with Michellin X-One Radials (200/70R-14)

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  love Camrys but, this one disappoints - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By YodaFan - November 16 - 2:46 pm

  I like the new body design mostly. Only traded my 2002 Camry because of new body style. I never really test-drove the 07 much before purchase. Though I would probably still get a 2007, I am somewhat disappointed in Toyota on this one. Gas mileage is lower than my 02. Auto-tranny is not smooth in shifting. Initial acceleration performance is lacking; has hesitation while shifting through about 35 mph. Due to lack-of-power or transmission problem, car down-shifts (revs to 3000+ rpm ) with cruise control going up very slight incline (i.e. frwy overpass); then annoying up-shift jolt well after cresting incline.