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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  Camry - Not as Good as Competition - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Prashant - August 28 - 12:30 am

  Ive had my car for about 2 years. I dont like it whatsoever. The clock is positioned so poorly, that only the driver and passenger can see it (and thats if they are sitting upright). The car has poor pick up for a V6 with 190hp. The stereo and air conditioning are positioned too high for easy & comfortable access. The speakers and stereo overall are not as good. I would think that the company with, in my opinion the best luxury brand (Lexus), would provide a really classy car and luxurious. But Im wrong. Too bad, cause I really like Toyota.

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  Satisfied and still evaluating - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Terry - August 27 - 3:19 am

  Loved the fact I could buy the SE and upgrade the seats to full leather without upgrading the entire model to the XLE. I didnt want some of the XLE features so this worked well for me. I had a SE with 198,000 miles so its nice to have more comfort and conveniences.

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  Usual Toyota Quality - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By NiceCamry - August 26 - 6:10 am

  No negatives here. Typical Toyota quality. Smooth tranny, strong horsepower when needed, good fuel economy (28 city/hwy). My car has been trouble free with no tranny issues claimed by others. Very smooth/quiet ride. My SE adds the taut driving feel and not mushy as the base unit. I get complements all the time on the looks/ride. Compared Honda, Nissan, Mazda... sorry cant beat the package/pricing of the Camry. This is our 6th Toyota and we continue to receive the quality we expect. You can not get that comfort with any other automaker other than perhaps Honda.

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  Expected Value - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Scarface - August 25 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this 1994 Toyota Camry LE 4- cyl two years ago with 80,000 miles on it. Its been two years now of me owning the car and it has help up in the best way. The ride is smooth and everything works the way it should. I have had no problems with it. It now has 150,000 miles on it and is holding up like a worrior.

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  Hanks Toy.Camry Review - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Henry Mitchell - August 25 - 10:00 am

  My silver Camry CE is a great car. It now has 41,000 miles and is still very reliable. Have had no mechanical problems in 4 years. Have replaced the tires recently, and had regular service about every 3,000 miles and thats the only extra expense Ive had except gas, of course.

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  Excellent Sedan - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By John O - August 23 - 10:00 am

  This is a terrific car. Quiet interior, smooth ride, and nice engine.

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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Chris S - August 23 - 6:36 am

  This is my first mid size sedan and all I can say is wow. This car has some serious power, the manual shift mode is great when you need instant power. On the interstate I was cruising at 90mph and barely knew it. The ride is very comfortable, although Im 66" and I didnt think head room was an issue but I do think leg room could be better, I think this is mainly because the back seats have tons of leg room. (Most people are not 66" so for most this shouldnt be an issue.) I like the wood grain accents with the tan colored interior (white exterior) but I dont think is looks as good with the gray interior. Most of my friends cant tell this is a toyota, the exterior styling is second to

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  My regrets, dont make them yours - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Cegalton - August 22 - 6:33 am

  Did Toyota rush this car or what? Toyota seems to have fallen from its traditional solid built platform to a car that, welI, now regret I bought. New squeaks in dash are developing weekly. The transmission is the nightmare many have already talked about. Step on the gas and sometimes the power just isnt there immediately. Going up an incline the car down shifts to 5500 RPM way-over powering the car. Perhaps the most annoying thing to me, the transmission kicks up and down on shallow declines - never had this in any automatic before. If you care about a smooth transmission run dont walk away from the 4cyl automatic 2007 camry.

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  Reliable car but thats it! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By thedriver93 - August 22 - 2:43 am

  My dad bought me this car when I graduated high school. I got an all white with backup camera and cloth seats. It was great at first because it was my first car and all but that wore off, QUICK! It was recalled for unintended acceleration which dropped its resale value 3 months after I bought it. The bottom of the car would scrape every time I would pull into anyplace including my own drive way which was rediculouslu annoying and ended up havin the bottom drag everywhere I drove which wasnt pleasant. Needless to say, never buying another Camry, EVER

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  Overall Great Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Geoff83 - August 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Camry in April of 2002 and have had no major problems at all. The car is great on gas milage and has adequate power on city streets. Besides normal wear and tear the only issue i have had is the passanger door window motor which was inepensive to replace. Only complaints are that the rear cup holders are easily broken, that the car rides low or the suspension is too giving that the car scrapes its undercarriage alot on bumps, and that the stereo has no lights on the buttons to see at night; only glow in the dark stickers.