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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  Super Reliable - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By J. Heller - December 19 - 7:23 pm

  This is my fourth Toyota. Have never owned anything but Toyotas. While its not my favorite (options, luxury), it has been my most reliable. Bought it with 41,000 Has 192,000 on it now. This one has needed the least amount of repairs compared to my others. Still going strong, still gets excellent gas mileage (its a manual, which helps)! Other than a few rattles, this one has lots of miles left in it!

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  Reliable, but plain grandma car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By andahku - December 19 - 1:51 pm

  I drove this car up until a few weeks ago. It was in the family since new. It was very reliable, and never broke down on me until the very end. It lasted until 190K miles, but it probably could have lasted longer if I had spent money to investigate the check engine light. Then one day the head gasket blew and the engine overheated and that was the end of it. Before that, all normal maintenance repairs for its age. A very boring, plain vehicle but if youre looking for a reliable mid size sedan with reasonable acceleration power, this is for you.

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  true work horse - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By mercer - December 19 - 7:46 am

  I purchased my 92 camry used, with 130000 miles. I used it for 2 and a half years for work. driving an estimated 60000 miles a year. I had no problems other than an emission coil needing replaced. other than that it has been well worth money spent. and money earned from this work horse.

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  Love this car! - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By sunrise - December 18 - 2:03 am

  I bought this car used almost 4 years ago and it has been a dream to own. Reliable, fun to drive, economical. I have not had to put a penny into this car, except for regular maintenance, tires, brakes, oil change, battery.I will own this car until it has 500,000 miles on it!

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  Great car? - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Harold Stark - December 18 - 1:28 am

  This car has been one of our all time favorites and we are now in our 70s. Very comfortable on long or short trips.

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  NEW CAR BUYER - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By HUMDRUM - December 17 - 10:00 am

  LIKE: QUIETNESS, GAS MILAGE,EASY TO GET IN AND OUT, STYLE DONT LIKE: SPONGY BRAKES, SMALL ODOMETER READOUT, CRUISE CONTROL STEM PLACEMENT, IGNITION KEY OFTEN BINDS

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  True Quality - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By John6202 - December 17 - 10:00 am

  I have driven this car for over a year and I am very glad and happy with the vehicle i bought. the car has been driven for 30,000 miles and has not shown any problems other then a few rattles here and there but my dealer has repaired everything to top notch quality with no hassle. I highly recommend this vehicle it will defintly last forever.

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  having issues - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Chris badertscher - December 16 - 7:16 am

  I just bought a 2009 toyota camry LE with 76000 miles. After owning it for only a couple weeks Ive had it stall out on me as I slowed down for a stop light. Also the other day as I was driving the brake light randomly showed up. Anybody else having issues with their camry of around the same year stalling out?

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  Oldie but young in miles - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Ray Robison - December 16 - 2:09 am

  Im selling my car because of my age disabilities. Im driving so little that my battery kept dying on me until I just recently (February 2017) had to buy a new battery. This car has thousands of good miles left in it.

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  money - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By tanesha brandon - December 15 - 2:00 pm

  i want to know if i payed to much money