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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  2002 Camry - Great Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Sb0004clt - March 3 - 3:00 pm

  I have an early production 2002 Camry. It is a great car, and exhibits the traditional reliability you expect from Toyota. This was the first year for this particular body style/chassis and the 2.4 VVIT engine. There were some minor early production mechanical problems experienced with the car including: manifold issues, belt tensioner issues, and leaking valve stem seals. These all occurred between 75,000 and 90,000 miles. I have since put another 80,000 (170,000) on the car and have had very few issues. Yes the car is boring and is has a soft suspension, but you will be hard pressed to find a car put together as well as this one. The driver-side leather seat is beginning to crack and t

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  Excellent Highway Cruiser - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By mark - March 1 - 8:13 pm

  I have the LE V6. The engine is super smooth, quiet, and powerful. Camry rides very well for its price range, and is very comfortable. More more comfortable and better riding than Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima. Handling is average (soft suspension keeps it from handling super well). Since comfort is more important than performance, I dont mind the so-so handling. Interior fit and finish is good, exterior fit and finish is good. Nice looking body. A great car for long highway trips. The softer than average ride is very comfortable, even on less than ideal roads. With cruise control, it will maintain a comfortable 70 MPH in style. Overall, I love this car and feel its a great buy.

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  Happy in a Camry - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Nort Josephson - March 1 - 5:50 pm

  Its a very comfortable smooth driving car. The gas mileage is approximately half of what I got in the Prius, but I knew that when I bought it. The safety features are very good. The moon roof will probably never be used but you cant get the car without it. I really miss the rear window windshield wiper. I dont see why the headlights dont automatically come on with the windshield wipers. All in all Im very satisfied.

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  Best Car had to Date - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Michele - March 1 - 11:03 am

  Just bought my Camry with 78,000 miles. I get better gas mileage with this car than I did with any new vehicle I have bought. I also have a newer Ford Taurus, and it doesnt come close to the mileage. The get up and go is much much better than the Taurus also. It is a quiet and easy ride. I would have preferred a seat that would lower and raise but otherwise okay. The placement of the clock is not very convenient to other passengers and armreast could be raised a little to make it more comfortable. Other than these minor things, I think I made a great choice and will probably buy Toyota again.

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  Outstanding - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By zman2 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 98 camry for >6 years. The only problem I had was the water pump went out at 80k miles and took the timing belt with it. My wife started driving the kids around in this car and made me drive her new Jeep Grand Cherokee. She figured I was insured for more.

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  My inexpensive Lexus with style! - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Jerome - February 28 - 7:40 am

  I enjoyed driving this vehicle. I traded my 1998 Corolla for the 2006 Camry LE. After driving this vehicle for two weeks, I found it very smooth, fun to drive, and very quiet on the road. It gives me 30 miles to a gallon. Thats pretty good mileage consider its a midsize sedan. Its probably the best car that I ever owned. Thanks Toyota... you did it again!!!

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  What I Expected - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Dave - February 27 - 11:16 pm

  I can not complain too much at all. When you buy a Camry, you know what you are getting... a quality built, reliable vehicle. In 2007, Toyota redesigned the Camry to make it one of the most appealing vehicles on the road. I have had an issue with the driver-side seatbelt not wanting to click, but I am willing to write that off as an anomaly, assuming I will not have any issues getting it fixed by Toyota. I am only getting about 22 mpg, which falls into the lower end of the ratings. I would like to see at least 25-28 mpg. Well see. Light from dash/radio is too bright at night. It is like someone is shining a flashlight in your face.

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  2009 Camry XLE - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By marcusjlynn - February 27 - 9:13 am

  I love my Toyota Camry XLE. The V-6 engine gives you more than enough power on the road. Acceleration from start is adequate, but accelerating in the higher gears is awesome!

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  Great reliable car with over 200K miles - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By iluvdodgetrx - February 26 - 2:10 pm

  I have had this car about 9 months and I bought it for $700. I did some normal and much needed routine maintenance on it and it has never let me down. I have almost 211,000 miles on it and I expect many more

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  Wow Its the perfect car - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Happyman - February 26 - 2:00 am

  My car has 245.900 miles. Only one time in a little repair. No more words. No better car in the world for that price.