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:

• 

  Performance & reliability - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By usajat - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I didnt need anything other than regular service, i.e., no major repairs until I reached 200,000 miles. Currently, has 325,000 miles and still performing extremely well.

• 

  Saved my life! - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By erin770 - April 12 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car when it was 4 years old and never had to do anything except change the oil, get a new battery and replace a motor in the window. I had an accident where I hit a highway barrier at 70 mph and walked away with a few bruises from the airbag. I would reccomend this car to anyone, especially young drivers, or those who have to drive long distances.

• 

  Camry XLE for comfort and decent mileage - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By pjdxxxwa - April 11 - 12:33 am

  Smooth ride, large seats, roomy, huge trunk, easy access to controls.

• 

  Driving excitement - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Jane G. - April 8 - 2:40 am

  This has been the best car ever. Maybe not the sharpest looking but the way it handles, its smooth ride, quiet interior, quick acceleration and outstanding gas mileage makes it tops in my book. I consistently get 28-29 mpg. On my curvy road to and from home, I could effortlessly sail around the curves without a worry. Driving on snow and ice was solid. My husband preferred my car to his Ford Explorer for winter weather driving. If I could get another exactly like this but without the higher miles, I would.

• 

  I love the camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Sarwat Ahmed - April 6 - 10:00 am

  The camry is very good because it safest car I ever drove. I feel real relax while I drive CAmry is the best

• 

  16 Camry xse - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Kirk - April 5 - 4:42 pm

  16 Camry - paint bubbling on front edge of hood in one spot, field rep said was due to rock chip so I asked why the other chips werent doing it of course couldnt explain. lets get real rust doesnt happen over night specially on a car with the build date of less than a yr. - clicking noise happens 1 time each time I back up, was told normal condition.. Really, Toyota purposely sells cars that make noise?? - I buy a bew car every 18 mths or so, previous 2 were new camrys before that a CTS, and before that a Lexus 470, before that a Corolla and corolla was bought because I bought a new tundra which I loved but horrible mileage so I used corolla to go to work n back n drove tundra rest of time. This is just from 2007 until now and pretty much have bought new every 18 mths my whole life... - Never had any problems with any of my Toyotas until this one and now come to find out it doesnt really seem like toyota cares.

• 

  Blind Spots - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By buddy40 - April 5 - 10:16 am

  My first Toyota. Bought it new and so far the only problem that I find is it has quite a few blind spots. I think back up sensors would be a nice feature.

• 

  2009 Camry Struts leaking, other defects - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By miker17 - April 3 - 4:05 pm

  At 52.5k miles struts are leaking. Front seats make noises. Front door panel makes squeaking noises.

• 

  Reliable - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Prydog - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Camry for 5 years now and I just brought it to a mechanic for the first time at 81,000 miles. That was only for brake pads and tires (which until now had not been changed since I bought the car with only 30 miles on it). I love this car and I feel very safe driving my daughter around in it since it has steel doors. This is my first Toyota and I will never buy anything but Toyota from now on. I love it. I know it is not the fastest car around but it is very reliable. The only complaint I have is seeing everyone has one, it is hard to find my car in a parking lot.

• 

  Back for More - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Shirley B. - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I am very pleased with my new Camry. I previously owned a 91 Camry with a V-6 engine and all the "bells and whistles". This car is every bit as enjoyable as the last. I really like the power of the 4 cyl. compared with my old 6 cyl. and think anyone except a race car driver would too. The higher placement of the controls for the sound system is a big improvement over the older Camrys. We test-drove the Accord, since this is a new model year for it. However, we were not as pleased with the brakes and the interior color selection as the Camry. We also test- drove the Infiniti G-35, but the brakes grabbed too much.