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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  First new car in 30 years. - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By P. Kusch - January 31 - 11:30 am

  I Have no regrets about buying this car except some disappointment that the manual transmission gets a little worse fuel mileage than the automatic. I think a six spd. manual would be nice, but I realize few people who buy Camrys buy manuals.

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  What more could you ask for? - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Rick - January 30 - 1:26 am

  This car is awesome. Sharp looking, this car can go to the Country Club or the Country Store and never be out-of- place. Features are plush but functional. Good quality leather, good fit for trim, and very little road noise. Traded a "Big Iron" T-Bird and was afraid the Camry would be a step down. While not as quick as the big V- 8, this car should get as good as, or better than, raitings for style, comfort, and handeling.

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  Annapolis Camry - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Lenny - January 29 - 6:30 pm

  Have had for 4 months and a very nice vehicle--was hoping for better gas mileage but only have 2,000 miles on it so hopefully after it breaks in---the onboard MPG display is strange- sometimes goes from 39 mph to 99.9 mph-- pretty sure that is not true or would never go to gas station-but overall i am glad I bought this

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  Cute, but certainly not a NASCAR - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By DAWN - January 29 - 3:03 am

  The side front windows limit visibility, the transmission hesitates when shifting, the back seat passenger room is spacious, the stereo system has a great bass and the versatility of CD changer, satellite, iPod, etc., is outstanding. The Bluetooth hands free cell phone feature is user friendly, the 2.4l 4 cylinder engine is great, for in town driving, but there is barely enough power to maneuver interstate lane changes. Overall I like the Camry for its large trunk space, sporty look, the metallic red paint, reliability and low maintenance, Toyota warranty, Toyota dealer service department and better gas mileage than my full size truck. I would recommend buying the 6 cyl. engine.

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  Pretty fair automobile - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By carehta - January 29 - 2:00 am

  From an engineer eyed perspectice, every detail in the car is visibly designed from deploying people needs, no fancy or costmetic things, real needs in comfort and safe aspects. Mechanic design is simple to handle and construction is realiable.

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  Wanted a reliable car, got it! - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Benji P - January 26 - 10:16 pm

  After searching for a reliable sedan with an older but quality transmission, fuel economy, and reliability I decided on the 2015 Toyota Camry SE. I love the comfort, quality and feel of the sedan. I know with using an older transmission, buying this car used (47k miles), the trans will last many more miles (unlike the negativity I have read about CVTs and DCTs failures).

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  I love my Toyota - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Lisa Smith - January 26 - 4:45 pm

  This is a wonderful and safe family car, and great low

  maintenance vehicle.

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  2007 Camry XLE - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By CINDY - January 23 - 11:06 pm

  We purchased our 2007 Camry last week and I love it! The interior is stylish, roomy and has many nice features. I especially love the fuel efficiency (we traded in our SUV that has a V8 engine). The ride is nice for adjusting from a V8 to 4 cylinder engine. Overall I think its going to be a great reliable car!

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  The return of quality - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By tom champagne - January 23 - 2:53 pm

  Usually after the "honytmoon",(3500 miles), reality sets in: foreign noises, poor mileage,etc. Not the case with the new Camry. Quality built for the long run!

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  MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By addan495 - January 23 - 6:21 am

  i buy my 1999 Toyota Camry 3 years ago and i have not fix anything yet and it drive like the first day (I only change oil and head light and filter only) my car has over 2006037 Millage I would said buy it Toyota Camry not ford or chevy (i would not but any other car)