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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  Great car. - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By kharris - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Has 16K miles. Has a rattle by the ashtray. Had the dealership look at it. Tech heard rattle but unsuccesful at repair. Now have a squeek in the passenger side seat. If passenger shifts weight you get a annoying squeek. Will take and let dealership repair both problems. Average about 32 miles a gallon. Drive 80 miles a day, all highway (65 to 70 mph). Car is quiet (except squeek and rattle). Had to replace speaker cover on passenger side door (think child may have broke, but not sure). Wish I had bought V-6, but wanted fuel economy.

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  Love it - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Robert Murray - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Im very happy with my Camry

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  2009 Camry LE review - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By D Winegar - June 6 - 3:24 pm

  I will only own Camrys. I love them. I like I can have an outside thermometer to tell whats happening temp wise--especially if it gets really cold and its snowing-- I can know if it is below freezing and slow down, ect. I like the pep my 2009 has. It is dependable, drives smooth, and is quiet. The negatives are a few, but not major I guess. The heating/cooling system is not great. Not much power even on high. Takes a while to cool off/warm up and the feet vent is poor. The ability to see blind spots on both sides is not great. I have to turn my head and look for actually a second or two to really see whats coming-- and actually even w/ side mirror on my left and turning and looking for a car on my leftside, I almost had a car hit me.

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  Most Trouble with Toyota - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Hank Q - June 6 - 10:10 am

  This Toyota has given me the most problems of any Toyota Ive ever owned. Ive owned more than six Toyota products, including a Lexus ES300. The car has 112000 miles and Ive had to replace the catalytic converter, two engine mounts, and now the transmission may have to be replaced because the gears are rotten. Thats only the most recent issues that come to mind. Other Toyotas have had more than 220000 miles with only normal maintenance costs. What happened?

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  First toyota very disappointed ... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Vardhar - June 5 - 7:26 pm

  The delay in acceleration and poor mileage makes this car worse than any other car in the segment. The delay in acceleration is so much, dont know how toyota let this car out in the market. Neither they have issued a recall on this. Ill file a complaint with the fed on this. It is a very basic necessity of the car that is incorrectly done.

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  First Toyota I have owned - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Joyce - June 3 - 9:16 am

  This car is a wonderful piece of machinery. The handling in marvelous, along with the comfort. Many people see the car, and think it is new. I have nothing negative to say about this car.

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  Years and years of trouble-free driving - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Pat - June 3 - 6:36 am

  Brakes, tires, gas and oil are all this car has needed for 10 years/150k miles. It just keeps going, so my only complaint is boredom. The car is the most dependable I have owned and gets you from point A to point B, without much excitement along the way. I eventually had some front-end and suspension work done so that I can keep it as a second car. It feels like it still has several more years in it.

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  Great Car To Own - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Bobz - June 2 - 1:43 am

  I bought the car in 94 and its been running perfectly since than. It had been hit from behind and hit truck/van in front twice, body shop works had taken the original muffler out, and the replacement wasnt perfect. The original battery lasted ten years!

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  Love this car!!! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By DeeDee - June 1 - 5:56 pm

  I have been waiting for my Chevy Impala lease to expire and couldnt wait to get my Camry (I never considered any other car). I am extremely happy with my choice and this car has gone beyond my expectations. The ride is smooth and quiet and this car is just plain fun to drive. I got the SE model and the exterior is simply beautiful to look at. You cannot beat the quality of this vehicle nor the great resale value. It is like night and day going from my 2006 Impala to this car. Every time I drive it I love it even more. Test drive one, the quality speaks for itself!

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  ILL BUY IT OVER AND OVER!!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By I WAS a buick fan - May 31 - 8:16 pm

  I bought first one in april 07, wrecked it so bad, I had to crawl out through the trunk, but I did make it with minor scratch on my forehead only. Next day I went and picked another one. I am field service rep. and I spend 2/3 of my work day in the car. It meets all my needs and much more.