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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  Expected More - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By toter1 - December 16 - 12:48 pm

  Have 4000 miles on the car. In general its a good car to drive. On the highway the car handles well. I have always bought Toyotas for quiet rides but this car has a higher level of road noise than I expected on the highway. Good mileage but difficult to get rated 35 gpm at 70 mph. Car came with Low Rolling Resistance, LRR, tires with a wear rating of only 260. I probably wont get 30000 miles on a set of tires. Entune display system monitors tire pressure on all four tires. The only problem it doesnt show the location of the tire whose pressure is low. Only that one is low. You have to check each tire using tire gauge to find the low tire if not visibly low.

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  Major quality problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Bill K - December 16 - 7:56 am

  Quality is abysmal. The car started to develop problems when it had less than 3,000 miles. Transmission slips, especially when the car is cold. Transmission replacement did not resolve the problem. Also, many rattles and squeaks.

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  Great sports sedan, poor quality - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ScorpionVonD - December 13 - 1:56 pm

  This Camry is fast! The handling is better than any other Camry ever. The tight suspension takes away very little from the ride, but it is still harder than the regular XLE suspension. The JBL stereo is perfect. Bluetooth is a great option. The leather is very nice.

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  Very reliable car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Dasha - December 9 - 12:03 pm

  I bought the car in 1999. It was new. Since then I just once changed brakes and two times the battery, of course tires. Thats it! I love my car. Ill give it to my daughter when she gets her driver license in October and feel shes in a good "hands".

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  Great Car - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Tom4563289161 - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. Had it for two years now and have about 30k on it. Still as good as when i bought it. Im a big guy so the roominess is great. Smooth ride, great stereo, nice design. We have both an 01 LE 4cyl and a XLE 6 cyl and i think the LE is leagues above the xle. The engine could use a little more low end pickup though. Great car to drive and doesnt need any repairs. I highly suggest this car.

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  bobs review - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By joe mamma - December 9 - 2:00 am

  it is great!I love my Camry. I wont buy another make of car ever again!

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  i was a chevy man you cant beat the toyota camry - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By E Allen caldwell - December 8 - 5:27 pm

  I read some of the reviews to the ones that had problems its the people that you bought it from.didnt take care of it i paid 500 for mine first thing i did change the oil both cv joints an tires its the best car i ever had it has 300.000 on it now and still running strong.i do all the maintence on it myself its never left me stranded it gets 30 mpg air is ice cold you could not find a better car.i take it every where .it doesnt matter out of state .it just keeps on going thanks toyota

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  i was a chevy man you cant beat the toyota camry - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By E Allen caldwell - December 8 - 5:27 pm

  I read some of the reviews to the ones that had problems its the people that you bought it from.didnt take care of it i paid 500 for mine first thing i did change the oil both cv joints an tires its the best car i ever had it has 300.000 on it now and still running strong.i do all the maintence on it myself its never left me stranded it gets 30 mpg air is ice cold you could not find a better car.i take it every where .it doesnt matter out of state .it just keeps on going thanks toyota

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  A great vehicle! - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Billy - December 8 - 5:26 pm

  We have owned this wagon since it was new. Often we have thought of trading for a new wagon, but there just doesnt seem to be anything comparable in the same size and price range. Here we are 13 years later and still waiting for a wagon as roomy, powerful, reliable and economical as the Camry! Current resale is around 2500.00, what a joke! This car is such a value vs. the cost of a Volvo or Audi, I guess we will just keep on ridin. Someone please start making wagons like this again!

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  Will never buy a Toyota again - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By 1st and Last Toyota - December 5 - 8:26 pm

  Bought this 2010 Camry LE Automatic in October 2009. Have had three warranty repair visits in the last 6 months, and the problem is still not fixed. Heavy pull in one direction or the other. Excessive steering wheel play, wobble, and vibration. Alignment done twice. Tires rotated twice. Front struts replaced. Going to the dealer for the fourth repair visit this week. Not just disappointed with Toyota - frustrated, and feel robbed of my money are the right terms.