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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  Toyota MUST fix the paint! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By J. Stuart - November 30 - 9:50 am

  Mechanically, this car is fine. A great highway car. Comfortable and quiet with excellent gas mileage. But the paint chipping problem on the front end and hood should put Toyota to SHAME! This is 2008! Why are we skimping on the paint? Looks like a single layer was put on! A familiar and intolerable problem of all owners of this vehicle! Do the right thing Toyota and fix it! You should be embarrassed by this!

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  poor reliability - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By mharon - November 29 - 1:40 pm

  Not sure if my car just sucks or something, but i bought a camry last year with 112,000 miles on it. I bought it for $2000, and have so far put a total of $4500 into it and now it needs a new transmission. I will not be buying a camry again. yea the car will go forever if you can start it, but once you turn it off, you dont know if it will start again, or if it will just fall apart randomly. IF YOU DO BUY THIS CAR CHECK THE DOOR HANDLES. This is a super common problem ive seen with all camrys of this year. ask the owner if any door handles have been replaced.

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  woot woot!!! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By CHong - November 29 - 10:00 am

  overall its a pretty good car. a problem in the camry was that whenever i accelerated or lowered the speed, there are small jerks. the transmission isnt as smooth as my 1987 Volvo 240 DL. the brake discs grooves were too deep after a month of use, signifying the deteriorating quality of it as you use the car. Star Toyota in NYC stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  My quick lil Camry - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By KBurnette09 - November 29 - 4:46 am

  This is a very well built car. I have the 3.0 liter v6 and it runs VERY strong. I took out the horrible fan design that runs off of the power steering and hooked up 2 electric fans with a relay on the ignition. Just got a new performance transmission put in it with a cold air intake and its a very quick car. I bought it for $300 and it had a wrecked hood and radiator and I replaced that for $350. And the new tranny was only $1100.

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  Littlre Red Rocket - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Beave - November 28 - 7:58 am

  Its a good quality, economical 4 door family sedan, if that is what your looking for the Camry fits the bill.

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  2009 Base Camry - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By balkania - November 24 - 7:00 pm

  Bought the car brand new (3 miles on it). Currently I have 130,000 miles on it and Ive had zero issues. I drive mostly highway, very little stop and go. Out of boredom I changed the spark plugs and the PCV Valve at around 80,000 miles. Been changing my own oil since the 50,000 mile mark. The only issue is the oil consumption. From the 50,000 mile mark to now the car would consume 2 quarts out of the 4.5 i put in over 5000 miles. On the most recent oil change I only got back 1.5 quarts of the 5 quarts I put in .(added 1/2 quart at around 3000 miles). Seems like the car has turned a corner

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  Great Investment, Great Quality Family Sedan - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By causti - November 24 - 1:43 pm

  The Camry has a smooth and quit ride and it feels like it was made with high quality features. The Camry feels extremely stable on the road and you cant beat all the room provided in both the front and back seats and in the trunk. The Camry has excellent fuel economy. We felt very comfortable and confident in our choosing the 2006 Toyota Camry LE. We expect our Camry to last for many many years to come.

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  From Caddy To Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By c3domn8 - November 24 - 10:00 am

  We had a 97 Catera for a year and a half, enough about that mistake. My wife was scared about purchasing a 4 cylinder after a bad experience with a 87 ford rustang. I let her test drive it. I had already drove my aunts 2002 Camry and was impressed. She loves it and wont let go of it.

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  dependability - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By richard - November 23 - 9:20 pm

  I bought this car brand new. Its has been very good on gas, reliability, good performance overall. Its a 5 speed so I do get good mileage.

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  No complaints - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By James Lumbert - November 22 - 12:06 am

  This car is a great car for the money. Plenty of room, has all the extras, not bad on gas and a bit sporty with spoiler and alloy wheels. looks almost like the Lexus of the same size.