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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  The Good Bad and Ugly - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Judy Limburg - September 3 - 7:00 am

  We bought our 2009 Toyota Camry XLE in the winter of 2012 with 30,000 miles on it. We now have 77,500 miles on it. We are a bit disappointed at the amount of work weve had to do on it . . . we had to have the fuel pump replaced. The struts were next. New tires and, if memory serves me, a new battery as well. And now the ABS module is on the fritz. Fortunately, the first two repairs were under warranty. But, of course, as soon as our warranty runs out, we have the MAJOR expense of the ABS module to deal with. Its at the dealership now being diagnosed. We are anticipating a repair cost of $2000 or so. Not fun. The good - the car is comfortable, reliable (mostly) and gets good gas mileage. The bad - the repairs weve had to do. When you buy a car at a reputable dealership, you dont anticipate having such major repairs to make. The ugly - the $2,000 we will most likely be stuck with when we get the call from the dealership later today.

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  Wonderful car - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By golfman - September 2 - 5:06 am

  Am finally moving on from this car after 16 years. Has been a great auto. Extremely reliable. This was basically the Lexus ES 300 with a different body and missing some bells and whistles. Toyota later thought this car was too good for the price and "decontented" it. Ive had no major issues or repairs with it. Replaced the timing chain around 80k miles. Im even reluctantly giving it up at this point, but there are just too many nice features on the new cars to pass up. I have the black exterior and tan interior and still think the car looks good today. A real peach.

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  my first Toyota - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By slowe - September 1 - 8:36 pm

  After doing lots of research before my purchase, I couldnt be happier. My Camry gives me the comfort, luxury features and reliability that I was looking for. Great resale value, too, although I plan to keep this car for a good long time.

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  Very Bad stereo and sound system - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Garry - August 31 - 8:49 pm

  We purchased a 2015 Camry SE. Never thought I would be in such a disappointment with Toyota sound system ! I love to listen to my music while Im driving so therefore my stereo and speakers needs to have the best quality but is the worst car stereo sound ever.

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  Very comfortable and quite. - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By VLY - August 31 - 12:10 am

  My third Camry. Still keep 97 LE – 12 years of trouble-free service. The 09 one is very comfortable and quite, hope will be as reliable as my 97 Camry. 2.4 l four is perfectly adequate but so far I got 22 MPG on mixed driving – compare to my 97’s 26 MPG. Another disappointment is oil change – have to do it after each 5000 miles compare to 7500 in most other cars. On positive side – all other maintenance is almost non-existing, antifreeze & transmission fluid work for 90000 miles, spark plugs for 120000, timing belt is finally gone and chain does not need replacement. Things like stability/traction control, trip computer, body side molding, mud guards must be standard.

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  Camry - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Ashu - August 28 - 2:00 am

  Phenomenal !! By far the best !!

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  Sail Away - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By GM Scheibl - August 26 - 3:16 am

  This was a very dependable vehicle for my use around the city and for shopping.

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  Replaced 325i - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Kawliga33 - August 24 - 8:10 am

  I always thought that I would own 3 series BMWs but because of extremely poor dealership practices, I purchased the Camry for my wifes normal driving. While not as peppy as the 6 cyl. Bimmer, it is fine for everyday driving. We both love the car and I honestly feel that we have not stepped down in quality, comfort. Those interested in fine family car should consider.

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  Still feeling the car out - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By C. Kramer - August 24 - 7:23 am

  Bought my 2009 Camry SE in May, so far so good, the 4 cylinder has surprisingly good power, economy is right on, and better. Only have 1000 miles on it so still early for mechanical problems. Love the car so far.

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  great car - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By chattanooga dad - August 23 - 10:00 am

  If you are looking for a great used car that is reliable, well-built, great mileage, and nicely designed, then this is the car for you. I believe that the 1996 model has better looking lines than its successor and you cannot beat Toyota for making a superb automobile. Although the four cylinder is not a race car, it does provide adequate pep and acceleration for most driving situations. Great for the student, wife, or the dad who needs a second car to run around with the kids. Routine maintenance is all this car needs.