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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  Solid car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Tiemen - December 8 - 6:03 am

  Having owned nothing but Japanese, I had high expectations from this Camry. It definitely hasnt let me down in mechanical quality, but I can tell the quality of some interior features and window moldings, weather strips, and other plastic/rubber parts are inferior to Honda and Mazda. But it is definitely more comfortable and quiet, so its a trade-off. If yours failed on you, its human error. Dont take care of it and like any car, it will perish. (it just takes longer to kill it than a Detroit product)

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  Best decision I ever made. - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Philip Judge - December 7 - 11:54 pm

  If you are looking for comfort and ease of handling, then I can think of no better vehicle to purchase.

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  A 60 Year Old Baby Boomer in a car for a 30 something. - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By ktb1 - December 6 - 7:42 am

  OK. So here goes. Purchased Aug 2012. This is not going to be a very good review. I am a 58" and about 255lbs so Im a big guy. When I sit in the buckets seats they uncomfortably squeeze me on both sides. The "sport suspension" makes the vehicle ride like a JEEP! Every little bump! And now onto the tires. Low profile, hard riding, difficult to maintain even air pressure. "Grey" coated Aluminum wheels. When and if you inadvertently scrape them on a curb or such they cannot be touched up and look cheezey! The automatic tire inflation monitor on the cabin touch screen is absolutely useless. The so called "miles per gallon" gauge on the right side of the dashboard is downright stupid.

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  Completely Satisfied - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Dave - December 4 - 10:56 pm

  Awesome acceleration! Quiet ride. No squeaks or rattles after 8000 miles. No drive problems like some say they are having, i.e., hesitation or surging.

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  Awesome Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By S - December 4 - 10:00 am

  My 99 Camry has 285,000 miles on it. Nothing has been done to it except regular maintenance like the timing belt and oil change. It still has the original motor and engine. Im looking for other cars in case this one just break down but so far Ive havent had any problems! I had this care since 99 and I LOVE it. The speakers are great and nothing is more reliable. Toyota needs to go back to making cars like they did in 1999!

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  Very Pleased with Purchase and Dealer - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Paula - December 4 - 10:00 am

  Have owned car for a week. Researched and test drove five different makes and models before narrowing choice to a Camry. Very pleased with car overall. Saved myself just slightly over $1000 dollars for driving to Ames as opposed to the Des Moines dealer. No buyers remorse here! Actual fuel economy too soon to say since I have driven about 200 miles thus far.

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  Sweet!! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Jeff - December 3 - 6:36 am

  The car is very surprising. I had a 99 Malibu with a 6 cyl. The Camry will leave it sitting. Good acceleration and much better gas mileage. Malibu 24mpg Camry 34mpg. Pretty comfy on long trips. very quiet. I tented the windows and installed in channel rain guards. Hated cracking the window and getting soaked. But it really looks sharp now. Lots of these on the road in SC. I got the car on the 39 month lease. I may buy the car. If not I will get another just like it. My opinion, best car on the road.

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  Drives Well, Good on Gas - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Rick - December 2 - 8:13 am

  Bought this car with 39k on it. The car rides well and has good stability. If I have any complaints is the interior cloth seats tend to generate static electricity and dont hold up well with child seats. The interior is loaded with plastic. Car is tight, steers well and a pleasure to drive. It actually has a lot of similar characteristics to a luxury car I have that costs almost 3 times the price.

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  OK ride - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By mac - December 2 - 6:43 am

  Watch the strut mounts, they are making the noise, not the struts. Dont let the mechanic get away with just struts, needs the mounts too to stop the noise. I bought this from a friend who got it new, now have 163K on it and runs great. Love the engine and transmission, suspension is awful, front and rear. 50/50 highway/city 23 mpg, have gotten up to 27. Geared too low for good mileage but has good pick up due to this. Just change the oil regularly and timing chain, water pump, plugs and belts every 100K and drive it everyday, through the rattles from the suspension. Turn the radio up and drown it out. $2000 and 80,000 miles not a bad deal. Still going.

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  Driving Greatness and Reliability all in ONE!!!!!! - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By DKW - December 1 - 2:13 am