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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  my camry - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By john roberts jr - June 12 - 2:00 am

  this is by far the best car ive ever owned no wind resistance, smooth ride and great gas mileage.

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  I have never driven a Camry I liked - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By kittycats - June 10 - 2:45 pm

  We have owned 4 Camrys that my husband keeps bringing home because they are cheap. Well duh, they are cheap because they are CHEAP. Everyone of them lost their engine around 150,000 despite the fact that we do everything the manual says to do (I have a beautiful oil slick in my garage too). The ride is awful, pickup worse and not all the great on gas. This last one was in an accident and gratefully no injuries, but was totaled (I thanked God for that one too). After my experience with this model, I honestly do miss my AMC hornet, at least it was peppier, fun to drive and did not blow up on me. I do not recommend.

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  So Far So Good - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Lee - June 8 - 1:03 pm

  Pretty good car so far. Nothing wrong with it yet. Great ride and roomy. Few things I didnt like was cheap plastic controls and no traction control for winter weather.

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  smooth, reliable - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Barbara - June 7 - 5:20 pm

  built well, feels safe, comfortable, low repair, feel movement from wind on expressways

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  A little disappointed - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By jbarada - June 6 - 7:23 pm

  I bought this car for my wife from an elderly couple who had bought it new. It had less than 70K on it. I didnt look it over a closely as I would normally because of Toyotas reputation. I later discovered an annoying rattle in the front end that turned out to be strut mounts, it burns and leaks oil, I go through four quarts of oil before its due for an oil change. The transmission does not seem to shift properly, especially on uphill grades on the highway. Despite these few let downs I am fairly pleased with its overall performance. It is above par when it comes to road manners, very plush ride, and effortless to drive. It does quite well on gas too usually gets about 28/32 city and highway

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  Interior styling????? - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By juzepp - June 6 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Toyota and and I really like this car! One thing really irks me though. The ugly dash! Ive always preferred "waterfall" type cockpits. Look at an Olds Aurora and youll see what a dash should look like! And whats with the open bins? They look SO cheap! Cant Toyota put a hinged door on it???

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  Best value in class - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By atb2 - June 5 - 12:50 am

  First-time Camry owner with only 4k on the clock. Combined city/hwy mpg is 30.2 so far. Very smooth and quiet on the road for an I4, with minimal road/engine noise. Truly a solid and well-built sedan. Excellent overall.

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  Im impressed - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By sharon - June 4 - 11:46 am

  Bought this used and have not been disappointed. Other than a very tiny leak in the AC, no problems. Checked out the competition prior to this purchase and Toyota won easily. More comfortable ride, better interior looks and quality, less in price. I couldnt get over the lack of engine noise! During the first few weeks of ownership I was never sure if the engine had turned over or not! Plenty of power for hills and passing. Very nice ride and good handling. Friends and family have commented on what a nice car it is. Average 24 mpg mixed. Only feature I do not care for is the one touch power window. After two years of trying, I still cant crack the window without several attempts.

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  Toyota, One of the best - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Tampopo - June 2 - 1:43 pm

  After test-driving just about every car on the market, I decided to purchase this 4 cylinder beauty. Visually, I was instantly attracted to it. Mechanically, I was a little worried because I travel quite often through mountainous areas and wouldve generally preferred a V6. I took that back after I took my first trip. It was surprisingly pleasant and I had absolutely no problems picking up speed or getting up those huge mountains. The car is VERY comfortable and the air conditioning is perfect for the heat here in Arizona. All together, this car I believe was the best buy.

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  the car I wish I had not bought - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By pam cribb - June 2 - 10:00 am

  I have had to replace the tires twice- on top of the tires that came on my car-I am not pleased- my steering wheel squeeks like mad and my brakes have started sounding off to. I still owe too much to trade without giving it away- I seriously doubt I will ever buy another Toyota.