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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  thank God for chrysler sebring sedan - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By tyipicalnewyorker - July 5 - 10:00 am

  This car is horrible. its ugly,dull,and very inconvient and no headroom in front. the seats are all very unconfortable. the chrysler sebring we just bought is good looking hot looking actaully. its performs better then the camry and interior is more modern and covient then the camry. Get the sebring sedan if u want an affordable sports sedan.

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  horrible and boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By tada1234 - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I just got the camry and it is horrible!!!!!! its back lights are ugly and big and the seats are the most unconfortable seats ever! the body is dullest eva and the interior is also dull. The controls are hard to reach and use!! the navigation system hides the radio forcing u to move the navi system to tune the radio!! the back seat is ok thats the only plus. their is no headroom. did i mention this car is ugly?

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  Second Camry - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By flbntz - July 5 - 9:19 am

  I had a 2011 Toyota Camry Base, which I liked, but this is better. Fancier, bigger, better gas milage, more powerful engine, more stylish. Also, got a great deal.

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  Better than the Lexus 250 or 300 - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By BimmerMan - July 4 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car for the reliabilty but kept it 7 yrs for the quiet fun. Built like the Lexus 250/300, this car cost $ 5,000 less. Always rated a "Best Buy" theres real value in the XLE V6 and it holds its resale value. Toyota realized its mistake in offering a lower cost Lexus so it to lower the price on the Lexus line! This car has few equals in comfort, performance, quiet ride, build quality, value or reliability. Its rare to find one up for sale from any model year. Get one, if you can find one.

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  best car ever made - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By datadee94 - July 3 - 1:11 pm

  the 1992 toyota camry is one of the best cars i have owned. this car has bin giving me about 30 miles per gallon hw and about 25-26 city. out of all my cars it has lasted the longest with 250,000 miles with no parts changed ever on the car just regular oil changes and rides like a lexus with the LE model it has eveyrthing u could need.

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  Incredible Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Jay - July 3 - 12:06 am

  In one word, AWESOME! This car is amazing, and can really move. I had the previous model with the V6 engine and loved the way it moved and shifted gears without struggeling. The new camry blows that one away. The ride is quieter, the car faster, the exterior and interior looks better. For all interested in getting a car that performs better than some BMWs, this is it. It is faster from 0-60 than the BMW 330i and has a higher top speed than the 530xi. Congrats to all that own it, I know Im happy with it.

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  270,000 miles and still going! - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Jared - July 1 - 2:36 am

  I bought my camry in July 2016 and used the heck out of it throughout the summer, putting 12,000 miles on it in the summer. I am the second owner and the first owner took really good care of it- oil changes, radiator flushes, etc... For some reason the check engine light keeps coming on and off, but overall this car has saved me a lot of money. I was stuck driving a truck that got 10 miles per gallon, but my camry gets way better. Update: Im now up to 290000 miles and the only repairs done were the replacement of the factory timing belt and the serpentine belt

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  2002 Toyota Camry XLE - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Rambotx - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car for handling, fuel economy, and value quality. Normal maintence checks will keep car running for many miles.

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  I love my Camry - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By yuboy - June 30 - 2:00 am

  2004 Camry is our 4th Toyota car. We never had any problems with all other Toyota cars except normal wear. This Camry is very comfortable and fun to drive with manual transmission (manual transmission Camry in 2004 are all made in Japan). It drives very smoothly, powerful and has lot of space inside. It will be a very reliable car for many years to come. We trust Toyotas super quality and we love this car.

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  Try Camry Before Buying a Sedan - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Dark Joan - June 29 - 5:40 am

  Only 1700 miles so far but had to speak up. I love this car! 25+ mpg daily on 50-mile mixed commute. Great seats front and back even for two people with chronic back problems. Quiet, almost soothing ride. Precise and responsive handling. V-6 gives immediate, smooth power when needed and can really fly! Driving position like a cockpit, nice for those used to a smaller car. Passengers love individually reclining back seats and pulldown sun shade. Compare stats - back seat space is huge versus most sedans thanks to extra legroom. Tight build, no rattles, flaws or gaps. Cars design is elegant and stylish. Build quality and ride better than Cadillac. My first Toyota and Im impressed.