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 a.k.a. TANK! - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Kc Stebbins - February 15 - 5:01 am

  This car may not be anything sporty or highly appealing but I give Toyota all credit by making a strong running reliable car! This car has been by far the BEST car Ive ever owned. I purchased the car with 235k on it so it was well broke in. The car now has 284k on it and has never failed me. Other than regular maintenance of changing the timing belt, tires, brakes, oil. I have had no major issues at all with this car. Everything works on it. It does consume a little oil though but the car is going on 18 years old. I would recommend anyone to buy a camry. The build quality is amazing too. Everything is still in tact inside and out. It is very comfortable to drive on trips as well. I lived in Ohio and taken the vehicle to Indiana, Michigan, west Virginia and Kentucky several times, and here just recently drove the car from Ohio all the way to Arizona with absolutely no problems! I hope this car lasts for a long time to come even with almost 300k on it. I will definitely be buying another camry for my next car. Toyota has me sold, compared to other brands of cars that consistently have problems and dont even live to see the day of 200,000+ miles

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  Mixed - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By colec - February 14 - 2:58 am

  Got this car as a hand me down from family. While the car has proved to be fairly reliable, I feel like the problems I have experienced with only 138,000 miles are not consistent with the reputation that Toyota builds for itself. Many interior things have broken and have proven costly, the clock alone was several hundred dollars. I also feel like for a 98, and the top Camry model, steering wheel controls and keyless entry should have been available. This is the first car, out of the three that Ive had to leave me stranded somewhere, due to it not starting. Other than this car, my family owns all GM and one Ford, and believe it or not, the 98 GM sedan we have has been a better car overall.

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  Sorry I bought it - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Phoenix owner - February 12 - 5:30 pm

  This is my 4th Camry, and Im sorry I bought it. The car is very sluggish and slow to respond. There is also a lot of wind noise. Its already been back at the dealer (for 2 days) to get rid of a rattle in the back.They fixed that problem, but now Im taking it in again because the AC is messed up (no air coming from lower vents on the drivers side), the wind noise and the poor acceleration. I traded in a 1994 Camry with 158,000 that had better AC and more acceleration.

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  I love the car - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By iamashokv - February 12 - 3:36 am

  I got the car almost a year back and absolutely love it. It drives really smooth and the controls are all ergonomically well placed. It does sometimes seems to struggle for power, but otherwise is a pleasure to drive. Recently drove a rental new Altima and should say that except for power, Camry felt a better car to drive. Gives me average of 31 miles/gal for a 80-20 combination of highway-city.

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  2004 toyota review - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By john talty - February 11 - 10:00 am

  It is a very well made vehicle. Very well designed with comfort in mind. Great car and we are very happy with it so far.

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  Unbelievable reliability - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By bgarraty - February 10 - 5:06 pm

  Great compromise between price, fuel economy. reliability, comfort and safety. 160,000 miles so far and only routine maintenance except for a broken door handle.

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  its still No. 1 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By chupacabra - February 10 - 11:56 am

  Fantastic ! You wont know until you drive it !

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  It wont die. - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Andrew Tran - February 8 - 5:16 pm

  Bought my LE V6 in 2005 with 58k miles on it. It has 143k miles now. I secretly wish it would die so I can buy another more exciting car, because this car is utterly boring to drive. But its refusing to do so because it is so danm reliable. It has never broken down and found dead on the side of the road. The only parts that have been replaced were brakes, timing belt and water pump at 100k miles, spark plugs every couple years or so, and the door handle on the driver side that unexpectedly broke off a couple winters ago. The windows on the drivers side is beginning to go bad now. It can go up and down, but its loose. This car would probably run for another 100k miles. The engine is still very quiet and clean, not even an oil leak. I had considered replacing it with a 3-series BMW, they are really fun to drive, but decided against the idea given the reputation of costly and frequencies of repairs of BMW. Cost of maintenance for the Camry has been low. During the 10 years that Ive owned it, besides oil changes and tires, total cost of maintenance was about $1k or so.

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  Most reliable car ever! - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Diego - February 8 - 12:56 am

  I have a 2000 Toyota Camry ce automatic. It has been absolutely amazing, the acceleration is great and the speakers are really bass heavy and prime. Its also comfortable and easy to drive. This is one of the most reliable cars ever. You will almost never need any maintenance issues. Its also super practical because of its big trunk. If you have an opportunity to get one you should do it, you will not be disappointed.

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  Great alternative to an expensive option - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By JohnieB - February 8 - 12:00 am

  When I purchased this car back in 2006, I was looking at the Lexus ES300/ES330. I ran across my 03 XLE V6 with every option but nav and it included 4 addtional airbags! The V6 has decent power but the throttle response is my only real complaint. The throttle by wire system is severely lacking when it comes to reponding to my needs. If you can drive around the 2 second lag, you can plan to be a happy, comfortable owner. The interior is quiet and well designed. I thought it was quiet until I added new Micehlin Primacy tires and it is so quiet now that the loudest thing in the cabin is the V6 singing away under acceleration. I love my Camry, styling and comfort of an ES, sans $$$.