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:

• 

  Totally Satisfied - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By love2ride - September 7 - 5:46 am

  This is my fifth vehicle and it is actually the first that I am completely satisfied with. I usually want to get rid of my new purchase a week after having them but, this car is awesome.

• 

  Great Car! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By 4annie - September 6 - 10:16 pm

  We bought our 95 Toyota Camry XLE V6, in Dec. of 1994. Currently it has 172,226 miles and we could not be more pleased! It is comfortable and the fit and finish of the interior and exterior are unbelievable. My husband takes it in for required service, its never been in an accident and it only drips a bit of oil. I love this car but we often have our very young grandchildren so we want something with more airbags and better safety features. Consequently, today was our first day of shopping for a new car. Its been a faithful vehicle for our family so were considering donating it to someone who needs reliable transportation but cant afford to be worried about airbags.

• 

  Camry # 3 - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Jim Zeunik - September 6 - 7:16 pm

  Our 3rd Camry. We still drive our 96 which has 204,000 miles on it. Cant beat the reliability, quality of design and body integrity.

• 

  Deteriorating rubber on window seals - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Toni - September 6 - 3:05 am

  roll down back windows and check for streaking on the Windows. I have had my Camry for 5 months and have had trouble with both back windows. Toyota is rufusing to fix this under the warranty because I had the windows tinted and altering the Windows nullifies the warranty. Toyota actually tried to blame the company that tinted the Windows. So I got a statement from the window tinting company that Toyota is wrong and the reason the Windows are malfunctioning is because of defective rubber seals installed at the factory by the manufacturers. Shame on Toyota.

• 

  95 Toyota Camry Xle - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Limey - September 5 - 2:00 am

  This car has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. Only problem was a burned out tail light bulb twice,hardley the cars fault.Excellent dependable family car.

• 

  This is a great car - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By watlerules - September 4 - 9:13 am

  I drove an Accord, Altima, and the Hyundai. I believe I made the right choice for sure. This is the quietest car Ive ever driven. The JBL audio system is superb and the bluetooth was standard on my XLE. I drove to California and this car made all the difference in a drive Ive made many times. I cant imagine a quieter car. There is virtually no road nose and I like the steering feel. It takes much less effort to control on the open road than my 05 Accord I traded in. I have received many complimentary remarks about the color (Magnetic Gray) which I only got because it was the only color they had with the Navigation System. I love this car and I plan on keeping it for a long time.

• 

  Excellent car - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By brando - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is excellent. This is the best car in the world for the money. very very reliable. cranks up and go everyday. the ride is smooth. The car is so quiet, I have to turn my stereo of at red stop lights to try and hear the engine. THIS IS A BABY LEXUS" shop around it has great resale value, and cool styling. Mine is a 1993 4dr LE drives like a 6. This is not the flashiest or most powerful car on the market, but it is an affordable solid buy. I promise if you take care of it with minimal maintenance it will take care of you. 200,000 and 300,000 miles is not out of the question. I wrecked mine with 160,000 miles on it and it still pures like a kitten.

• 

  Good basic transportation - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By jcd - September 3 - 10:00 am

  My Camry LE, 4 cylinder is driven primarily in town with an occasional road trip thrown in. The car runs without a hitch and gets great gas mileage. I average 20 mpg (city) while highway averages 32 mpg. The powertrain warranty is 5 year/60K miles. Its not an exciting car to drive, but I didnt buy it for "fun" factor. The ergonomics of the dash are great, I can reach for anything without even looking for it. The car seats four comfortably, Ive never had five people in it. The trunk is accommodating and can be extended into the backseat. Because of Camrys reliability (I drove my 93 LE, 4 cylinder 183,000 miles!), Im sure Ill have this car for a VERY long time.

• 

  great car - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By slomo - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I have over 90,000 miles and my vehicle is doing great. I have done the regular maintenance on the vehicle and it is still going strong. The only problem I have had has been the power motor for the antenna.

• 

  Im loving my new Camry! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By beautifulrx3 - September 2 - 2:00 am

  I used to have a 1996 light blue camry which I loved. It was a great car. Alas, I gave it to my grandmother and it is still running strong. Decided to purchase a new Camry. This car drives like a dream! Its a pretty gray metallic color. Its great on gas also. Ive had for two weeks now havent had to fill the tank. I can plug my Ipod touch into the Aux and play all my songs! Its about 30 degrees here so my seat warmer is getting a lot of action. The trunk is big and roomy. The seats are comfortable and cozy. My windows are tinted, so when Im riding through town, I feel like a star..Im not kidding! I am so glad I invested in another toyota. They really are great cars.