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 - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Ryan - November 10 - 8:03 am

  My Camry LE has been extremely reliable. But then again, most Toyotas are. My Camry only has about 57k and I plan on going another 100k! Camry is fully loaded, has two-tone paint, leather seats, alloy wheels, sunroof, etc. Was my grandmothers car previously and was in perfect condition (save for a few typical scratches). Still looks like new on the inside, but the quality of the paint isnt as good as I thought. Needs to be cleaned really well to restore the original shine; but then again, it is a 7 year old car. Overall, have been very satisfied with the car. The only problems I have would be with the seats. On long drives they can become uncomfortable.

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  Over-rated - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Tom - November 10 - 2:13 am

  We went with Toyota due to its history as a great car. Went with the SE w/V6 for performance. We had it in the shop the first week we got it. Had to take it back 3 times before they replaced the rear shocks and the noise did go away. However, we have developed a cabin noise in the front. All and all, Im not sure Toyota is what it was. The fit and finish in the cabin is not the level of quality I expected. We have had the car a year, and I think you should shop around before you buy, because Toyota is over-rated.

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  Car You Must Have!! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By MOSSO71 - November 10 - 12:23 am

  Ive been driving this car for around 2 years (was used, 84,678 miles). It is excellent, no problems whatsoever and Im up to 95,235 miles. The ride is very smooth, the seats are comfortable, the noise level is also really low. The controls are very easy to use, and the displays are not confusing. The AC gets cool really quickly, and the heat gets warm quickly. Overall this is a great car that I would recommend. Its reliable and I havent had any problems with it so far. Just I can say its the best car ever!!

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  My first Toyota - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By E.D - November 9 - 2:40 am

  I bought my 2005 LE Camry about 3 months ago and so far no problems. This is a roomy and comfortable car. Its also pretty smooth compared to my other car. Ive only noticed some slight hesitation when I try to accelerate quickly. This is a reliable, practical, comfortable and roomy car.

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  Wouldnt trade it for the world - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By shortierocka1 - November 9 - 2:00 am

  My first time in a camery, smooth, clean ride, sturdy. I felt very comfortable with the power it gave and how safe it makes me feel. I have not had any problmes what so ever with the vehicle. Just keep your maintenence up & you could have this car for years to come!

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  A keeper - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Doc - November 8 - 10:26 pm

  Bought our Camry used with 65,000 miles on it, and put on another 65,000 so far. This is easily the best car I have owned in my 30 years of driving. It is still like new, very few squeaks or rattles. Very few problems - burned out light bulbs, other minor items. I figure another 65,000 miles and we will pass it on to our kid.

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  What a Joke - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By NoCamFan - November 7 - 8:10 pm

  Sure seemed like an excellent used car at the time I bought it for my mom, exactly one year ago. At only 63K miles it smokes when cold (valve stem seals), clunks on small bumps (strut mounts), all the painted plastic has faded (bumpers, mirrors, door handles), exterior door handle falling off (cheap plastic). I should have spent thousands less and bought American. Extremely disappointed in this smoking rattle-trap. There are TSBs on the problems we have, so these are not maintenance issues - I regret ever buying this car - cant sell it without doing a valve job at ONLY 63K MILES! NOT a solid car.

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  Toyota Camry weld problems! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By toyotalemon - November 7 - 7:50 am

  My son bought a new Camry from Dave Edwards Toyota, Spartanburg, SC -its been in the shop all but 5 days in 1 month, and is still there. Toyota is sending an Engineer to assess the faulty welds in the chassis. The car is making strange noises when when accelerate" and stop. The dealership tells him they are out of the picture - its between him and Toyota. Although he took it back within 3 days after he purchased it- bad weld on the chassis. It is now in the shop awaiting a Toyota Engineer who will advise how to weld without interfering with electrical parts - the noise is also coming from the rear and that is a separate issue. DO NOT BUY A TOYOTA! I feel so sorry for him!

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  Bad brakes - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By JJB - November 5 - 11:33 pm

  Had the Camry for about 7 years and it ran well the whole time. I did have to replace the brakes two times in 4 years. Also the alignment was always getting out of whack. First gear was a little tricky too, but that could have just been my car. Another thing to think about is the gas mileage - not as good as you would think. Spent a lot more on gas than I should have. All that aside it was a very reliable car, and the only real work I had to put into it was the brakes.

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  Absolute Work of Art - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Ken - November 5 - 7:53 pm

  Ive got the model with the BBS wheels and the concave body kit. I love this car and everything about it. Traded my 2006 VW Passat in on it and couldnt be happier. There arent many cars on the road that look better than this one. 4 cylinder engine runs like a champ. Plenty of power (especially for the wife).