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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  love my toyota - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By Lowell Rostvit - March 19 - 2:56 pm

  Have owned two Toyotas. The first one was a cresita (not sure if spelled right) which was not too comfortable but a great built car. My second one is a 2014 XLE with the 4 cylinder. It now has 12500 miles and have had no problems with it. I find it very comfortable and love to take it on trips. I drove the 6 cylinder which had more power then I needed. The four cylinder has plenty power even in the mountains of Colorado. I really like the manual automatic which I use a lot. I was really surprised how good it does on gas. The lowest I ever got was 32mpg and the best was 45mpg. But it consistently gets about 38mpg. I would recommend this car to anyone

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  Great Car - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Cali - March 18 - 1:53 pm

  I have had nothing but good experiences with my Camry. No problems with the car itself (only some damage from hail, but nothing to do with the car). Its extremely comfortable and spacious inside. I mostly treat mine like an SUV, hauling a bunch of stuff around and it holds up great! I get at least 25 mpg city and much more than that highway. The car looks great from the outside and in. I have all black cloth interior that holds up very well with everything.

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  Great Car - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Ethan - March 18 - 7:17 am

  My grandparents bought this car new in 2001. It is a "Collector Edition" model with two tone paint and I guess a lot of other extras like auto climate control and the classy "wood effect" trim (plastic). The car was given to me from another family member a little over a year ago with 230k miles on it needing brakes and with an exhaust leak. Less than $1,500 later, the car has been perfect. The 8 speaker stereo with 6 CD changer works great, and the a/c is perfect. It now has almost 238k miles and runs better than my Mitsubishi with 150k miles. The V6 has plenty of power even with the a/c running. Its a grandpa car, but Im hanging onto this as long as I can. The dash has no cracks, and the leather seats are still barely broken in. Ive taken it on several 500+ mile road trips and it handles perfect doing 80-90 mph even with the high miles.

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  Toyota - I love it! - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Kim - March 17 - 8:50 pm

  My car has been extremely reliable and very sporty, even at 137,000 miles.

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  Great! - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Greg B. - March 17 - 11:50 am

  Toyota makes great cars.

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  Great Family Sedan - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Lutz Krohn - March 17 - 10:00 am

  I like the fact that it runs very quite; even at high speeds. It seems to be able to turn on a dime I like the looks of the front end, but prefer the rear end of the 2002 model. The power of ilumination from the city lights is great, but the highway lights are phenominal. Lots of head and leg room; more than any other brand of car test driven.

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  Junior Lexus - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By gchao - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Drives/looks like the Lexus ES300 but thousands less.Got a great deal b/c of credit union discounts.This is my first Toyota and I must say the build quality is great.Very much an eye turner.A little lacking in the power department but does the trick getting on the highway.Engine noise is negligible and smoothe.Little road noise except for stock tires transmitting over irregular surfaces. Logical controls are all within arms reach and easy view.Steerings pretty light and has the big car feel when it comes to handling.Toyota!Fix those spongy brakes! High,Cavernous trunk fits near everything.

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  Exceeds expectations - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By dacow - March 17 - 8:53 am

  I ordered this car without seeing the inside or driving the model year. I just trusted the brand and I have to say it has exceeded my expectations. I have had a couple of 4cyl. cars in the past and this far and away blows them out of the water. It has plenty of power for my needs and I have noticed no transmission problems at all. It is an extremely quiet and smooth ride. Looks great rides great. I had leather put in after sale and its good, not great but good. Overall car has exceeded my expectations.

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  My Camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By David - March 16 - 4:10 pm

  I purchased my Toyota XLE V6, five speed automatic January, 2005 and have been very satisfied with the car. The car is very responsive and the fuel mileage has averaged twenty four MPG around town and thirty one MPG on the highway. Toyota should improve the quality of the AM-FM/CD Receivers and speakers in the car. I have the JBL without the Nav package. The radio has very poor reception and the speakers arent very good in reproducing a quality sound. The radio and the automatic heater digital readout are a very dim green color and are hard to see in the bright sunlight. Please change to Blue color. Overall I will certainly buy another Toyota again.

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  incredible - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By kayli - March 11 - 10:33 pm

  Have had Corolla and Mazda GLC, and neither was as reliable as this car. In ten years Ive replaced tires, brakes, batteries, a starter and the hydraulic drive things and thats it.