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 for the money - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By uroberto - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I got the car in late April and so far no problems. I love the build quality and the redesign of the Camry. The trunk is big for a sedan in its class. The car was a good value for me(around $22000)with the curtain air bags, the cargo/carpet mats as the only options.

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  Smooth As Silk! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By hawks1 - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Very impressed with this car. For $21K, its an excellent value. The new 4- cylinder engine and auto tranny are tremendously smooth and responsive. This car drives and handles like a much heavier car. Interior ergonomics are wonderfully efficient and the interior and exterior design are very attractive. Highly recommend this car.

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  Good Family Sedan - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Robert Bratton - January 9 - 11:21 am

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  Hmm.... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Kevin - January 9 - 7:13 am

  Im eighteen and my parents suggested a 2007 Camry LE after my sister totaled my 86 Cressida. After putting 5000 miles onto my car, I noticed that my fuel economy is so-so, around 30 on highway, but significantly lower on city streets (my best was 21 mpg). I hate the transmission as it always hesitates to downshift when the power and speed is needed. I end up shifting it myself to keep people from cutting me off on the freeway. The brakes are too soft and not responsive enough. They also seem to squeak a lot. I will take my car back to the dealership for a fix soon. For the comfort and entertainment of the ride, I like the Camry. The performance makes me miss my 86 Cressida.

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  2009 Camry XLE Love it! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Finnska - January 6 - 2:53 am

  Got the vehicle in April 08. Love it! Love everything about it. Has great ride quality, great sound quality! Took it on a long trip and clocked 34 mpg. Yes, 34 mpg. Weve had many different vehicles, but this one gives us the most pleasure in driving it. We leased it, but well be keeping it in the end.

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  2007 Toyota Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Camry No More - January 5 - 5:43 am

  After owning a 95 Camry, I expected the same quality. Wrong!! This car has rattles and squeaks everywhere! My old Camry was not making a sound after 12 years and 125000 miles, but this car is garbage. The transmission is lousy. I dont understand what Toyota was thinking. Fix the quality now!!

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  04 Toyota SE V6 - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By STSi454 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the car for over 1 month and I love it. Its got pep, and its still good on gas.I like the design of the Camry a lot better than of the Accord.

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  Dependable, Reliable and COOL - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Frankie-i - January 4 - 8:33 pm

  I have a 1996 Toyota Corolla with manual transmission. The car has been extremely reliable as well as dependable throughout the years. I felt it was time for me to upgrade to a newer and larger vehicle. I knew I wanted another Toyota, so I purchased my 2006 Toyota Camry through a dealer friend of mine in Southern California. It took him some time to find a Camry with a five speed manual transmission. I love this car, it drives like a dream, the interior is super nice and the lines of the vehicle are classy. I purchased the 15 inch Toyota split spoke rims for the car and it looks tough. I get a lot of compliments on this car.

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  Horrible mistake - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By aetherial - January 4 - 12:36 pm

  Looking at trading it in after 2000 miles. This is a VERY disappointing car. The seats are horrible even with power adjustments I cannot get comfortable. The gas mileage is nowhere near what was stated. The transmission lag in dropping down is annoying. This is the worst car I have ever owned.

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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Denise - January 4 - 12:30 am

  I bought this Camry to replace my 1996 Camry. Im very disappointed with this car. The car squeaks and rattles. I have 21,770 miles on the car and the rubber around the driver window has come loose. The charger outlets have stopped working. I should have kept my 1996 camry. I think Toyota has dropped the ball with this Camry. Im thinking about trading this car in for something else.