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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  New Owner - 300 mile review - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Fischman2 - September 14 - 7:00 am

  Well, I just got the car a few days ago and I have already put over 300 miles on the car. I got approximately 27.4 MPG on the first tank. Fun to drive, very comfortable.

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  Love it! - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Ml Mccarthy - September 13 - 1:36 pm

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  Amazing car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By m3turko - September 13 - 10:18 am

  The first owner was my dads friend. with no care for his car. barely any oil changes or checkups gave it to us at 140,xxx. Had one accident already. and went through 3 more. 1 from the back, 1 in the front. got it fixed and kept on going the car died 4 months ago at 189,xxx but dont think yours will too since the car was in the last accident which caused it. so after we got it from him. we kept it in top condition and i know for a fact we could have pushed it to over 250k. so my opinion? its one tough s.o.b. i honestly recommend it.

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  Reliable but needs more soul! - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Freshman - September 13 - 2:00 am

  This is acaully me parents car that i will get in 2 years. It in ok car with good passing power except when you need to merge. Good gas milage, about 21mpg. Comfy interior but exterior design is ugly! Handling is ok but has improved from the new michellen tires. Now has pretty good traction in the snow. ABS is a very nice feature in bad weather driving.

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  Love my car, but not holding its value - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By kdbugsmama - September 12 - 12:16 pm

  I have had no problems with my Camry and it is pushing 63000 miles. Being a mother who drives a lot I wanted a safe vehicle with good gas mileage and this car delivered that and more. It has never been to the shop, I did replace the tires at 60000 and performed all scheduled maintenance. I have never had one single problem with it. I feel safe when I travel with my family and it looks good for a sedan.

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  2017 Camry - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Leslie Robinson - September 11 - 8:51 pm

  Just recently bought this car. So far, it is what I expected.

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  Not bad for the price - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By A pretty good car - September 11 - 7:43 pm

  I am pretty much impressed with the handling of this car and the good gas mileage for a big car. I bought this 2004 Salsa Red Pearl Camry last Nov. 2003 and have used 18K to date. I normally just use 12-13K a year but I loved driving it so much my wife and I use it more than her car. I just wish it had a sportier look like the Altima or Accord. But overall its worth the money!

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  Great Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Bob Mcgraw - September 11 - 10:23 am

  Bought new in 1999. I have replaced only parts that I expect to. Belts, hoses tires etc. It has never failed to start. Safe, secure and keeps its value. I liked it so much I bought a 2006 Camry last year.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Khoa - September 11 - 10:06 am

  Ive owned an 03 Camry LE and there is no comparison to this car. The new design is very aggressive on Toyotas part and the interior design is very contemporary. The suspension on the SE is "sport" to every sense of the word. The steering is much tighter than past Camrys.

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  XSE V6 BEST VALUE , FAST, COMFY, RELIABLE - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Andrew - September 11 - 1:43 am

  I have had this Camry XSE v6 for two months and 3 thousand miles now. I purchased it with 8 K on it pre owned dealer car and LOVE it. The car is pure vanilla but FRENCH VANILLA ! The quality of workmanship, the quiet ride, comfy on long rides, great looks and a drivetrain with a great sounding fast v6 attached to a quick shifting tranny makes this car fun to drive with surprising MPG as much as 32.8 highway. This car just does everything right !