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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  Hooray for Camry 2007 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By esfesq - December 9 - 12:40 pm

  I am very happy with the 2007 Camry XLE. It performs well, is stylish, and has quite a few upscale features for the money. It is an excellent value. Well done, Toyota!

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  Average - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By E.Crawley - December 8 - 10:43 am

  My experience driving my new SE Toyota has been good and bad. However until a couple of months ago every thing was o.k. While driving my car I found it to be smooth and controllable. However I did not like that shaking in the car when I stopped the vehicle.

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  Hesitation is normal - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Wil123 - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Everything about this car is great except for the 5 speed automatic transmission. The transmission cant seem to decide what gear is correct and is always shifting. In addition, the drive-by-wire throttle combined with the transmission causes the car to hesitate when acceleration is needed most. Toyota says that hesitation is the drivers fault and that when the car is driven, the accelerator pedal must not be floored or pressed too quickly otherwise hesitation will result. Toyota told me that they may or may not address this issue in the future, but at the present time I am told that "hesitation is normal for this design".

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  Good car but ? interior quality - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Fred - December 7 - 4:00 am

  Bought it as a dealer owned certified auto with miles. Glad I didnt buy it brand new. It has served us well and is comfortable to drive. The 4 cyl does an acceptable job but is noisy. Biggest complaint is interior fit. I get plastic squeaks from the middle of the dash around the radio on about every bump and when I stress the car with stops, starts and turns. The car has a lot of pluses but not sure if this will be a long term keeper. Performance Toyota dealer did a great job accommodating us during the recall, however I am really disappointed with the loss of quality control with corporate.

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  I come from a family of GM lovers, Trust me now they are spreading the word to others about Toyota, ITS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DRIVING VEHICLE!! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By goyankees44 - December 5 - 5:17 am

  Trust me, I come from a family of General Motors lovers. They now believe me, after this car, and recommend Toyota to everyone. My Dad now loves the Sienna. GM still makes crap. Chevy sonic.. anyone? Toyota has had side airbags standard and better resale. Cobalts, sonic, colorado, s10, buick, the new impala and their new models r horrible. my gram has 15k on her cobalt and kbb says 9k. i have 40k on my 09 and kbb says 14500 HELLO!! Seriously people.. its my pride and joy. Full tank of gas city driving only will last you 2 full weeks, trust me, this car can move!! it is SO SMOOTH this is what GM buyers dont understand, TOYOTA DRIVES TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!! and thank god for that :)

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  easy going ride - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By torres - December 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Toyata after driving my brother inlaws Toyota. I feel good driving this vehicle. This vehicle model looks better the the latest model.

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  A Poor Choice - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By fourstar - December 5 - 2:00 am

  The Camry is a very comfortable car. For a long trip this car is quiet and it rides wonderfully. The interior controls are excellent. I am dissappointed with the build quality and the overall gas mileage (Average=23.1). There a intermittent rattles that cannot be fixed. The styling is bland. I would not buy this car again.

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  Former Corolla Owner - This Feels Like Real Luxury - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By steve6206 - December 5 - 12:08 am

  2012 Camry SE. I must be different because I find the exterior quite elegant, not at all humdrum like the Honda and Hyundai offerings. Interior is very spacious, especially in the rear and even with the front seat fairly far back. Overall fit and finish is excellent (especially the leather), everything lines up nicely. One quibble is the plastic with the metal finish behind the gear box, could have been a little more robust, doesnÂ’t give off a solid sound when tapping on it. Ride is very smooth, engine whisper quiet and there was no wind noise (some people reported this). I like the "ECO" feature (which you can disable), with some practice IÂ’ve been able to keep it on quite a bit, canÂ’t wait to see the mileage. For the price, more car than I expected.

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  Camry is the Car - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By toyotaduude - December 2 - 7:10 pm

  The 1994 XLE Camry is luxury and reliability combined with a cheetah. Ok, not really a cheetah, more like 185 horses. I have purchased my Camry pre-owned in 02 and have put over 130k with 265k and counting. If you want to spend money on other things in life, then I highly recommend buying a Camry and maintain it. The investment will pay dividends.

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  Quantum Leap - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Lawrence B. Lame - December 2 - 4:26 pm

  I have driven Camrys for 20+ years. My 07 Camry LE V6 is clearly superior to any prior Camry. While the 03 was roomy and comfortable, the steering and handling were very vague. The 07 tightens the ride and improves the steering noticably. The interior is upgraded markedly, and although there is a bit less headroom, the added telescoping feature of the steering wheel combined with the greater travel of the seat (which is even more comfortable than the 03s) yields greater comfort. The engine is smooth, quiet and powerful. The transmission is seamless and, with six forward gears, the engine is virtually never strained in ordinary driving. I like the exterior styling (see in darker colors).