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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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Cameron - November 9 - 8:30 am

  Hard to find with manual trans but worth the wait. Cant beat the room, gas mileage and performance for dollar.

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  New Camry is a big blunder - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By reddy6 - November 8 - 1:51 pm

  The new Camry is a big blunder. The numb steering makes the drive as not comfortable. You dont feel driving car but feel like riding a boat. The steering doesnt come back to normal position after you make turn. If driving in above 60 you feel like car is out of alignment a floating on water. I made big mistake buying this car. Poor out side look and not comfortable ride.

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  Good Car, good value - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By luckydriver - November 8 - 10:50 am

  Purchased mine with 95K in 2005 (with no carfax) and it now has 160k in 2011. Since then I have had normal expected maintenance, breaks, battery, and tires. And then some things I did not expect, 1) Work to the front left axle or bearings. 2) a Bushing in the rear end. 3) Overheating engine caused by a failing water pump assembly. and 4) dripping oil beneath the car. 5) a Dear ran into the side of my car causing a huge dent in the rear quarter panel. The car shows exterior signs of damage from a previous owner, possibly a rear end collision.??? In six year the car has cost me about $.10 cents per mile for maintenance. (including body damage repair costs), if This car is great!

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  Almost Perfect - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Gymswim - November 7 - 5:10 am

  I love my new XLE with Navigation, but I wish it came with more current information in its DVD. My version is 2001 Version 1...strange since I bought it in March 2002. The dealer says a new version of the DVD will cost $900. I hope theyre wrong or that Toyota will offer it for free to us this year.

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  New SE V6 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jim - November 7 - 2:50 am

  Great looking roomy car that rides and handles well. Good acceleration but some torque steer on hard acceleration. Nice looking interior but seats are very hard and are not comfortable for long trips. Only problem has been a rattle from sunroof so far.

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  Gret Car! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Ladyeight - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I am very satisfied with my car. It is very fun to drive, and has great features. The trunk has so much space and I love that it has a full size spare tire.

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  Luxury ride at budget price - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By repleo - November 5 - 2:00 am

  After 6 months I am still amazed at how smooth this car is every time I get into it. I only got this car because I needed a reliable car for low payments and Toyota was runnung a lease special. Even the most basic model is equipped and drives like a luxury car costing twice the price. Dont know how they get the performance they do out a 4 cyl 2.4L engine. The only problem - my wife and I argue who is going to get it every morning. Solution - looking at a Highlander to replace Taurus wagon.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Had - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Bernadette - November 4 - 10:00 am

  After well over 90,000 miles, my Camry rides and looks like a new car. The only thing Ive replaced are tires. Reliability is the #1 thing I look for in a car and the Camry has it. I recommend it for anyone and will purchase another. I like the newly designed 2002 or 2003 Camry. I owned a Corolla before the Camry. Too small and uncomfortable for long rides, but it was still a very reliable Toyota product.

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  Poor reliability - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By jtan3 - November 4 - 10:00 am

  After driving for 3 years+ and around 38K Mileage. I have to fix: 1) Car paints 2) Air flow sensor 3) Air fuel sensor 4) Oxygen sensor 5) Engine control unit and the last 3 part happened in two months after the 36000 mile coverage expired. It cost me R600+ to fix the above problem. I doubt Toyota is that reliable as it claimed.

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  6600 Miles So Far - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Fair Assessment - November 3 - 5:03 am

  This is our third Toyota. I drive about 80 miles round trip to work. The drive is mostly highway. The car is comfortable. However, the gas mileage is not quite where it should be about 27 MPG. I expected closer to 30. This is comfortable overall. However, if you are over 63", dont buy it. My older son is 64" and he doesnt fit well. The handling is OK, but remember this is a family car not a sports car. I have not had any issues. I did have recall fix applied at my 5,000 service. The car goes very well in the snow with the standard tires. I drove 400 miles in treacherous conditions (12+ inch snow storm) with no problems.