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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  Outstanding vehicle - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Art - May 18 - 7:23 am

  This will go down as one of the best vehicles that I have ever purchased. Replacing my Yukon to gain better economy, this vehicle has exceeded my expectations. Fuel economy is excellent giving me with the V6 32 MPG with the very first tank of gas with the cruise set right below 70. Appears to be very solid and comfortable and the fit and finish is excellent.

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  Good Choice - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Arif - May 18 - 7:13 am

  The car has lot of space, good power and real good sporty design.

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  Great Work Vehicle. - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By m-b-g - May 18 - 3:23 am

  After driving a VW Jetta for the past 4 years, this car has been a pleasant surprise. It is quiet, fuel effecient (for a car its size), & it has all the safety features I wanted. It is not as nimble as the Jetta, however I bought this car to work from, and has much more space than my Jetta did. I am a salesman and 95% of my driving is in the city 24 mpg on first tank. This car has enough clearance to not have problems with the cement parking lot stops & curbs. This car is an excellent value!

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  Camry Ratings - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By DbC - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This is an awesome car to drive. I feel very confident driving it. Never lets you down.

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  Fabulous Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Fred Motorhead - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Toyota has really outdone itself with the all new 2002 Camry. The car rides wonderfully, handles well, and is extremely quiet in even the four cylinder model. The Camry has lots of room and luggage space. The gas mileage is great.

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  Pretty Nice Car - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By dodoadiesel - May 14 - 7:56 pm

  I drove everything before buying the Camry 2.5 i4 LE. Jettas, Accords, CRVs, Civics, Corollas, Matrix, Prius, Vibe, Sonatas, Elantras, Fusion, Outbacks and Foresters. Camry is quiet, has plenty of power, roomy, trunk is cavernous. Fold down 60/40 seats in the back lets you put six foot long objects in there. Interior is very functional - wont win any design awards but it is comfortable and the instrumentation is easy to see. Basic stereo is nice and plays MP3 CDs with aplomb. Six speed shifts smoothly and the car likes to operate at around 2000 rpms. Got 32.6 MPG with my first tankful - mixed driving. Handling is nimble for a family sedan.

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  Wish I hadnt bought it - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By VerySorry - May 13 - 6:23 am

  This car looks great and the build quality is good. It is relatively comfortable inside. But it has a severe hesitation problem on acceleration and my Toyota dealer wont acknowledge it or do anything about it. And Ive never gotten close to the EPA estimated MPG - the first time I can say that for any car Ive owned. Its rated for 34 on the highway and the best Ive ever gotten is about 29. Unacceptable for a car thats as much of a dog as this one. I get better mileage with my BMW 325i. Though this car will last many years, Im suffering from serious buyers remorse.

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  Toyota V6 LE - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Destella - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car 2 months ago at 132,000 miles and I have put well over 3,000 miles since! I have had the brakes services and 2 oil changes. Other than that I have been driven happy! It rides nice and the V6 provides plenty of power and a smooth ride. I decided to buy this one with the cash for a new Camry after a dealership tried to sell me a new one with a 25 percent interest rate. My 92 Camry came with a Kenwood CD player, woodgrain, power everything. It is a great car and I get so many compliments on the body style and ride. I love it!

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  Perry Como - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Arnold - May 11 - 6:30 am

  The car is slow as a slug when starting out. I have had 4 cylinder Grand AMs with 40 less horsepower that accelerated better than this car. I took the car back for the service bulletin fix but the recalibration of the computer did not help the acceleration problem. If you slow down then give it the gas it takes a second to respond. I have almost been rear ended on two occasions this month. I really wanted to love the car but I am merely satisfied with it because of this problem. This car replaced my 2001 Ford Taurus that had only 8 more hp, but it felt like it was an Indy car compared to Perry Como the nickname for my Camry - smooth but slow.

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  Dont believe all bad reviews. - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By s bonom - May 10 - 7:20 am

  Ive owned my black camry se 4 cyl for 4 yrs now, and its been a very good car overall. Drives good, quiet engine with power I didnt expect from a 4 cyl. Good gas mileage - 30 in city. Turns low rpms due to 6 speed trans. Not so good - Plastic interior, and fake leather, but durable. Interior really doesnt look that bad. Exterior paint chips & scratches off easily - thats my biggest complaint.