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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  2006 Camry is Fantabulous! - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Mac - June 5 - 9:20 am

  I compared the Accord to the Camry and decided on the Camry because of the quieter ride and larger interior space. Im 62" and the Accord was a little cramped with less interior space. Both are nice vehicles with proven reliability, but I did like the looks of the Camry a little better too. The Camry also comes standard with steering wheel audio controls.

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  Almost Six Years Old - Never a Problem - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By scott - June 4 - 5:20 am

  After almost 6 years and 90k, this car just keeps going without a single problem. I just get scheduled oil changes and tuneups every 30k miles. Other than new tires around 65k miles, thats been it so far. I bought it for Toyotas reliability and my expectations have been exceeded. I love that it runs on regular gas and gets gas mileage (over 30 mpg at highway speeds). The large trunk and roomy back seats come in handy. I dont know if Ill keep this car for 211k miles like another reviewer, but I am looking forward to another 6 years.

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  Poor MPGs and uncomfortable seat - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By stern_s - June 3 - 7:47 am

  Two year/26,000 mile review: Rattle can with wheels. Took it to the dealer and told them the noise was from my passenger seat, yet they took my headliner and door panel off. I gave up and live with the rattling. Dashboard constantly pops with temperature change. Front seats lack butt cushion. I can feel the actual structure of the seat when I am sitting. After about an hour my butt and back hurts. I love the size of the arm rest/center console and that it slides forward, but it has already broke. Accelerates ok, but is definitely behind in performance compared to other competitors. The transmission downshifts too much, causing me to have to constantly re-accelerate. Excessive body roll. Terrible brakes. Good back-up camera. Side mirrors are badly positioned; I have to constantly adjust the mirror so I can see the curb when I park. Excessive wind noise on the highway. #1 complaint: Terrible MPGs! I cannot believe how far off the actual mpgs are from the EPA estimate. I am lucky to get 30 mpg on the highway. I average 27 on the highway and 22-24 city. This is going by the gauge in the car, which I have found to be off by 1-2 mpgs. This car has soured my taste for Toyota and I dont see myself buying one again in the future (except for maybe a supra).

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  definitely a lemon! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jsusanmay - June 3 - 6:01 am

  Bought the car brand new, took good care of it, maintenance @ the delear ets.., thought I was getting the best value for my money, not so! after 5 years & 54k miles, the gages on my 2007 camry go haywire after I turn on the A/C and/or the radio , the ABS light, the hand break light comes on, also the RPM needle moves erratically, even the dealer cannot dignose the problem, never again will I buy another Toyota car.

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  Lazy take off - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By charlie - June 1 - 10:16 am

  I bought this camry 3 days ago, the car is very lazy on take off The side mirrors do not give you a good big view of the back. The driver side doorpost blocks your blindspot.

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  Average Car - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By W.G.B - May 31 - 11:23 pm

  I have owned three Camrys in the past and have found most to be great cars. The 2000 Camry has been a disappointment because it started to have different maintenance issue. It started with rear-end noises that were hard to diagnose. It turned out to be a rear barring. Then I had the the shocks replaced front and back which started several noises first rear which turned-out to be bad shocks. Then the front noises started which still are not resolved. Many parts may be the problem say the mechanics. The parts are expensive of course

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  Best car I ever owned - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By JJ - May 31 - 7:50 pm

  I now have about 115,000 miles on this car. There have been no problems. Even what I consider expected repairs came much later than expected; brake pads at 85,000, struts at 110,000. This is even after having been driven by two teenage boys. MPG is great; 27 on daily commute, and 34 on vacation road trips. i have enough confidence in this car that I let my son take it to college with him. I replaced it for my use with a 2007 Camry and have been disappointed. the 2004 is vastly superior.

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  Pleasantly Surprised - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By mwfu00 - May 31 - 3:10 pm

  Hubby purchased 2010 Camry SE V6 while I was out of town. This was my back-up choice, so I was not terribly excited to get home and see it or drive it. Boy, did my mind change when I saw it! This car looks TIGHT, compared to other Camry trims. I am not a car guru-I just want something that goes. Thats why my ride/drive ratings are 8s...those are things I just dont care about (except MPG). But the look of this thing is totally different from my grandmas Camry. Cant imagine Ill be disappointed in the performance/reliability, so Im totally happy with something that is not only a good, sensible decision, but also looks far cooler than I had expected.

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  Great Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By jafirm - May 29 - 9:40 am

  Fun to drive; however, I had a rattle noise in the dash. After the second attempt by the dealer, they finally fixed it. It was a loose heat shield. It is now fixed. If this happens to you, ask the dealer about a Technical Service Bulletin from Toyota dated Jan. 18, 2002 to help solve the problem. Also, could use a little more thigh support in the front drivers seat; otherwise, a great vehicle!

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  2016 Camry SE - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By J9Detroit - May 29 - 6:37 am

  Ive been a Toyota Camry owner for over 16 years. I recently retired my 1999 Camry for the new 2016 model. I cant begin to tell you how disappointed i am with my new Camry. I love the exterior styling but the interior is just meh. My two biggest issues are the incredibly uncomfortable seats which cause my leg to go numb while driving and the bouncing of the car. I seriously thought there was something wrong with my car when i first experienced the bouncing, especially pronounced when driving on the highway. I brought my car back to the dealer several times but was told it was a common issue and that i should put some weight in my trunk. I wound up putting 40lbs of birdseed in the trunk and that mostly solves the problem but you can still feel every bump in the road. Not something you want in the pothole capital of the US. Some of the interior trim is cheap feeling and forget the infotainment system - bluetooth works intermittently and the voice commands dont work at all. Though it will read your text messages to you, there is no way to reply by voice command which is frustrating. As someone who loves long road trips this car will never be the car for that. Much too uncomfortable with those seats. I commute an hour each way every day and Im constantly thinking about what Im going to do with this car - keep it or trade it for something more comfortable. Its really disappointing given i loved the 2014 seats. Have no idea why they changed them. Im really questioning my loyalty to Toyota at this point but then I remember its the reliability.