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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  Happy so far - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By redrobert - March 28 - 5:16 pm

  This is an outstanding car and excellent experience in my first Toyota. My XLE 2007 is both responsive and quick to a fault. The dealer told me I should buy the 4 but I wanted the V6. The V6 was too much power, but with the gas mileage difference of less than 2 MPG. So far so good. I do recommend this car!!

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  Best car for the money - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Warrencheek - March 26 - 10:00 am

  This car is fantastic.The car gives a beautiful ride & is extremely comfortable. It is very quiet & feels like its built solid. Comes with with plenty of standard features like AC, push button windows, remote mirrors & electric door locks. Also comes standard with cruise control & AM/FM cassette, CD stereo. I have the 4 cylinder & its more than enough for me. I added the ABS brakes which also includes the electric drivers seat.

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  Gets the Job Done Right - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By joe - March 25 - 5:40 pm

  Even after driving v6 camrys, Im sold on the I4 engine. Although not as much throttle as the v6, it does give enough acceleration for hwy merging and driving up on the SoCal hills, credit the 5 speed auto and torque. Plus its easy on the petrol. One thing to get used to though is the car is sensitive to driver demand; when passing, only have to press the pedal slightly to invoke a downshift for more passing power. Some harder and engine is running 4k+ rpm. Since the engine bay is dampened, there isnt much audible feedback as to engine speed, but its a trade-off for a quiet cabin. Other than that, interior controls are top notch, lots of storage cubbies, and comfy seats. Bright headlights.

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  Best car - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Grace Jenal - March 25 - 1:38 pm

  Everyone should be informed of what they should pay.

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  Nice Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mscs - March 23 - 8:30 pm

  The 07 Camry is a great car for the money. The interior is large, the controls are well placed and simple. The ride is quiet and comfortable. This is not the fastest car on the road if you are looking for 0-60, but it accelerates just fine. I have the 4 cylinder with manual transmission. My car was built in Kentucky with 75% North American part content. I have had zero issues, except the hesitation when accelerating that everyone is complaining about. This is easy to fix - I took mine to the dealer, and 35 minutes later, it was fixed. It is just a simple engine control computer reprogramming.

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  I hope it lasts 1 million miles - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By my sweet baby - March 23 - 3:03 pm

  I wrote a review about a year ago (happy camper). I am a nitpicking car nut who owned many different cars ranging from Lexus to MB. I know, price makes a difference. So it is stupid to compare a 150k car with a 20k one. BUT sometimes you get more than what you pay for. This car is it. Reading the reviews I can say that people are unfair or inaccurate in their evaluation. Some complain about changing oil, brakes, tires and belts. What??? Bottom line is, this is a great car; quiet, comfortable, powerful, good mpg + many-many amenities.

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  Toyota Reliability. Not This One. - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Karen - March 23 - 3:13 am

  Bought the car used with about 13,000 miles on it. Regular oil changes and routine maintenance. Had 2 power window motors give out - expensive! Then at 91,000 miles, a connecting rod broke. Leaves us with a totaled Camry that we thought would last for another 100K miles. Toyota USA refused any help with repairs. Last Toyota Ill own.

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  Drive a Camry, Buy a Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By DJKash - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Was not a big Toyota fan but this car is made very well. My car has every available option, including the DVD Navigation system. I love it!!

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  Rock Solid Reliability - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Don - March 23 - 12:00 am

  I bought my 1994 Camry LE V6 used 7.5 years ago with 57k miles on it. IÂ’ve put 90k miles on the car since and itÂ’s been a fantastically reliable car. The car felt light on its feet. One thing I always hated about the V6 engine was the lack of low end torque. Until you rev the engine up to 3000 RPM, it feels like a 4 cylinder. The suspension was far too soft so I would always get a lot of body roll when I took turns. Definitely not a fun car to drive. The car is meant for people who want a smooth ride.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By M Case - March 21 - 10:00 am

  My 92 Camry SE V6 is the best car I have ever owned. Has 130,000 miles and is still in great shape. Extremely reliable. Fantastic ride on the open road. The SE body style is very sporty. Great paint job. I wish Toyota still made them like this. I have a 97 Camry that is no where near the quality of this car.