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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  Camry XLE 2010 problems - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Speckled Hen - April 12 - 7:23 pm

  Problem switching the radio over from XM to Sirius. I have had so many problems with this car. The remote key does not work well. You have to hit the button several times for it to unlock. The interior starting falling apart about a month after I bought the car. The visor on the drivers side has the stitching coming out, the front passenger seat fell apart. The engine also makes a loud and strange sound. The dealership said that this was a new engine that they just starting installing in the 2010s. This car has been so awful. I wish I had looked around more before I purchased. I also do not get the gas mileage that the sticker promises. When driving highway I only get 27 mpg instead of the 32 mpg stated.

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  Best value for the money - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By josreb - April 12 - 5:14 pm

  I bought my 2002 Camry LE at 52k and now have 129k with no issues and I dont really expect any. We are a Toyota family having had 5 Corollas, 2 Camrys and a recently purchased 1998 Lexus ES 300 with 120k miles. If taken care of with regular maintenance these cars will last well beyond 200k miles. My next car will most likely be a 10 yr old Camry or Lexus. Cant go wrong IMO.

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  Solid Vehicle - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Mike - April 12 - 12:40 am

  Bought this vehicle new. Has easily been the most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned with no dealer visits at all. At 73K miles (averaging 19K/year) all I have needed to do is change the tires once and oil regularly. Extremely unexpectedly, havent even changed the brakes (although Im close, measured depth was around 55-60% remaining as of a month ago). I log every gallon of gas by the current mileage. On full synthetic oil Im getting 27 daily to/from work ("leadfooted" - not granny drivin on V4) but only 33 on pure Hwy at 80mph. Had exactly one defect - manufacturing defect for rear speaker covers - they crumbled after about 3 years.

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  Good Reliable Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By ilovemycar - April 7 - 9:13 am

  This car is very reliable and has great gas mileage. My average has been close to 28-30 miles and on long road trips about 31-32. Its not the most exciting to drive but it is reliable and very low maintenance.

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  Reliable - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Greg Fernandez - April 7 - 12:37 am

  Excellent comfortable mid size

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  TheProfessor - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By TheProfessor777 - April 6 - 2:00 am

  The best INVESTMENT I made in the last 9 years.

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  Ill never own a Toyota again - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By bz13 - April 5 - 9:03 pm

  Sure my Toyota looks nice and is comfortable to ride in. My 2007 Camry has 78k miles on it so its safe to say I drive it A LOT. Heres the problem things shake loose. The drivers side visor fell off, the curtain side airbag panel falls off constantly, the recalls galore and now today, the lock for the glove compartment fell off. This was the straw that broke the camels back for me. Im selling it at a loss and buying a new car. One that holds up.

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jdv - April 5 - 8:33 am

  It has excellent power and good mileage considering the amount of power it has. The transmission shifts smooth at all speeds. So far I havent ahad ny problems. I would like to have a little more trunk space.

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  mold/mildew blowing a/c not covered under warrenty - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By mitchell dorman - April 4 - 12:42 pm

  if you buy a Toyota,and it starts blowing mold.mildew in your face. good luck. Toyota will not cover it under their warrenty because they put it in the back of the owners manual the a/c heat may have a bad smell at times. sorry Toyota,but your car you built makes us sick with upper lung infections. and Toyota motors corp.has said they would call us back. never happened.please dont say, put a filter in it.that only covers the problem. Toyota dealers have done nothing but insult us, with stupid fixes. like ride with the windows down. crank it up, rool the windows down with the a/c on the air it out.last biggest insult was for them to change the Freon at our cost. they refuse to cover any of it. I guess people have to get lung cancer and die before Toyota does anything. we will not sell or trade the car knowing it WILL make people sick. l;ook online at the others with this same problem. and yu cant sue because of paper work signed when the car was bought. btw it was new,not a flood car. the stink started less than a month after buying it. thanks for ripping us of with your death trap car Toyota.

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  Who Knows - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Pooney - April 4 - 10:00 am

  After owning this car I would never own any other type of automobile. For the first one hundred thousand miles I had virtually no problems. My only costs were normal maintainence costs. Now after one hundred eighty thousand I am putting some money into the car but it runs like new with no problems. One minor problem has occured and that is the stero AM/FM has gone out on us.