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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  Had 2 1999 Manual V6 Camrys. - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Oleg Dyachuk - September 19 - 5:14 pm

  Bought one with 170k, sold it with 199k, bought another with 192k, sold it with 219k miles. THESE HAVE A HORRIBLE RESALE VALUE, I did not make any money on either of them, probably because not many people want a camry that is manual. But it has great power, 0-60 was 7.4 seconds for me on my first one, my second one was a bit slower because it felt beat on. Topped out the first one at 131 mph but blew a whole in the exhaust doing that lol. Both of mine had 1 common problem, the rear sway bar link bushing go bad and make a horrible clunking sound. Was impossible to change them because the bolts get rusted up and break if you touch them.

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  Great car for the money - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Tim - September 19 - 2:00 am

  I have to admit i was a little concerned after reading the so called professional reviews. I love this car. fit and finish is excellent and the looks are outstanding in the SE model. V6 and trans are very smooth with good acceleration. I like the fact that the SE suspension is not rock hard pounding like some of the other models Ive tested. Gives you a little extra firmness with it not being to firm. Very happy with my purchase.

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  Best - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By p zemanek - September 16 - 12:53 pm

  Best car on the market. Only needs oil change and never car problems.

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  dougs main car - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By doug/toyman - September 16 - 2:00 am

  car rides nice. good power. has good amenities. audio is great. mirrors are easy to adjust from inside. good milage. repairs are expensive.

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  Best car yet - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By DonJm964 - September 16 - 2:00 am

  The reliability,and comfort is more to me than anything. This car has a life time service on the powertrain as long as you own the car,as long as you keep changing the oil etc. every 3500,miles at the dealership, no mater how much milage you have, now that is BIG.

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  Excellent Car!!!!!!!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By shatan - September 15 - 3:20 am

  After getting the TSB EG056-06 done, this car just flies. No more hesitation issued and no shifting concerns. Luxurious interior, great MP3 player addition. I highly recommend Camry over other vehicles.

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  What a Ride - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By DanielHaas - September 14 - 11:13 pm

  I tried several competitors but when I test drove the Camry LE I was sold. Smoothest ride of all. Excellent acceleration and 33.8 mpgs even before the break in period of 1000 miles. Convenient controls, spacious interior and very quiet. More standard features than I could ask for.

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  Best Car Ive ever owned! - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Gary - September 14 - 10:07 am

  I bought my 1997 Camry new in 97 and it is still going strong today (2016). The only issues I have had was to replace the spark plug wires at 110,000 miles, up until that time I still had the original wires. The intermittent wiper control bar malfunctioned at around 105,000 miles, so I replaced it. The paint on both side mirrors began to peel off, so I had to repaint them. My driver side inside door latch broke, so I had to replace it. Other than those minor issues I have not had any problems other than normal maintenance. It still runs like new at 120,000 miles. I plan on keeping this car until it falls apart, but I dont see that happening. I am retired now and dont do a lot of driving so I know it will last longer than I will. I love my Camry!

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  Fantastic - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Becca - September 14 - 12:36 am

  Our Camry is a 1997 XLE V6 fully loaded with 107,000 miles and still looks, feels, and drives like a brand new car. We had the car checked out before the purchase and were told by our mechanic that the Camrys will run forever and that the XLE V6 is the Lexus ES300 with the Toyota label. Every single part is interchangeable. We couldnt be happier with our decision to purchase this car.

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  Excellent - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Eric - September 13 - 3:50 pm

  I always wanted a Camry and now that I have it I am very satisfied. For the price I couldnt have asked for a better performing, comfortable and stylish whip.