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 with Options - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jnealy87 - May 9 - 6:35 pm

  I previously left my review back in 2012 and now its 2015 and its been better and I had the transmission serviced and now have no issues with the car at all im at 98000 miles and its running strong and the build quality has improved and looks a lot better now that the recalls on dashboard has been done and it fixed a lot of mismatches with the pillars and things and now my car is fully cleaned and detailed and its great to have a car that I trust on the road my car does not burn any oil and thats with me changing the oil every 3000 miles and I havent missed a oil change and I get 28 to 30 hwy and city I get 25.8 so I havent gotten 31 mpg yet and I drive the car once a week straight hwy ....

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  great car if it didnt have electrical system problems - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By conicelli2 - May 8 - 11:22 am

  Problems w/new loaded Camry. Intermittenly radio sounds like it is skipping or has no volume. Dealer said this happens if the radio is shorting, but they couldnt reproduce problem. When I picked the car up from dealer, it was dead. Dealer replaced the battery. Also, sometimes when we press the electronic ignition button, the car doesnt turn off. Dealer cant reproduce this either. This week the car went dead again. Got battery charged and took car to dealer. they said the battery was fine and the back ordered radio came in. But when they turned the new radio on, it had no volume. So Conicelli wanted to put old radio back in?? I said no and they need to figure out what is wrong/left car

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  2007 Toyota Camry V6 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Charles Anglin - May 8 - 6:00 am

  I have been driving Toyota Camry for several several years and traded a 2003 Camry. I immediately starting noticing transmission surge during 2nd and 3rd gear during first few minutes of driving. Service dept. ignored any knowledge of this problem until about 6 months ago. They finally had me bring it in for a computer update regarding the shifting, which cleared the problem for the most part. Still does some surging at times. Radio display went out several times before radio was replaced. Rattles inside. Rear bumper popped out on left side, I just popped it back into place. Disappointed in interior and exterior quality. 30,000 miles on it now and disappointed.

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  2007 Toyota Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Elizabeth - May 7 - 9:10 am

  My 2007 Camry rocks!!! Acceleration, braking, pickup, everything about the car is awesome! The car absolutely wants to fly. I had a 99 Camry before; it was great also, but the upgrades on this one are wonderful. Its quieter, faster, great fuel efficiency, more standard options, more room, the stereo is great. I just cant say enough about it.

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  My 3rd Camry - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By camrygirl2 - May 6 - 8:33 am

  I bought my car a month ago & so far I am LOVING it! This is my 1st SE Model & I really like the style/handling better than the LE model. Its roomy enough for hubby, kids & myself. Very comfortable for long road trips. I love the interior. My legs dont feel crammed. Radio display is nice. My car didnt come with Entunes or navigation but I always use my cell phone for navigation & other apps. The 6 speakers sound great, could be a bit better for a 2013 but Im satisfied. The bluetooth is awesome... loud & clear. I also like how the car display shows you your average speed, mpg & how many more miles you can drive with the gas you have in tank. The trunk is spacious. Great car,great deal!

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  Bad Choice - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Greg - May 5 - 8:23 pm

  Not the car the other 2 Toyotas I had. Transmission big issue and also rattles more than the 2001 Avalon that had 175K miles

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  400 miles and still unsure - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Carol Quick - May 5 - 12:02 pm

  Wish I had looked longer. Purchased an LE as that was the model of previously owned Camry (learning curve a positive). Second thoughts after only 3 weeks. First a door rattle that seems to be related to seat belt on passenger side. Had ride with friend with a 12016 SE... and I liked the feel and comfort of that car. Should have not been in such a hurry to buy the first one test driven.

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  Premature strut & brake wear - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By BLACKDOG - May 4 - 11:03 am

  40800 miles Camry LE 4cyl 5A has been awesome. Just had tires rotated, all four struts leaking significantly and rear brake pads down to 2mm. All struts and rear brakes need replacement. Something is wrong, 4 struts go all at once, at 40000 miles and rear brakes shot? Front brakes usually are replaced twice before rears. Called Toyota Experience, very nice but said it was my problem, out of warranty. Should I question Toyota longevity and unwillingness to stand behind their product??? Toyota is aware of premature rear brake wear and leaking struts. They have issued TSBs. Right not I am not sure if I will go back to Honda.

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  396K+ - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By driveon - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I have a 92 Camry that I drove off the lot with 108 miles on it,(in Nov. of 1991)over the weekend it just turned over 396K....Ill drive it until it gets 400K, around Dec.15th 2002.My family and friends say it is time to put her to rest, the car has some problems, but it runs like a champ. Has any one top 400K miles.

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  05 Camry XLE 4 CYL - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By starlakebeer - April 30 - 10:13 am

  I purchased this car new in 2005 w/all the bells and whistles avail at that time. It has been a wonderful car and handles well in all environments. It has carried us over Cascade Mountain passes with deep snow and safely across the deserts of Nevada, California and Arizona in the summer. The fastest I have ever driven the car is 95. From 65 to 95 stability seemed to improve. Solid and predictable. It handles corners extremely well, generally 15/20 mph over posted limits. Perhaps the tires help. They are Bridgestone V rated. Very comfortable on long 8-10 hrs driving days. Not as quiet as I would like but!! Will probably buy Toyota again.