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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  Not happy with quality - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By soapbox17 - January 29 - 3:36 pm

  This Camry is not the Camry of the old days. The interior materials seem to be cheap. The SE vehicle suspension is horrible. You can every bump. The acceleration in the 4 cylinder veh was OK until the recall on the brake pedal. Now the acceleration is horrible!!! My vehicle is Black and the factory paint had bad places on it when we bought it and we had to have the PS door and rear bumper painted. The paint is very dull and even when clean it is not shiny even with a wax(almost like to they did not put a clear coat on it).I had a 2000 Camry for years and loved it until my daughters boyfriend totaled it. This 2009 Camry could never stand up to the quality of the older Camrys.

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  Great Car - Except for the Stereo - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By tpbush - January 28 - 5:03 pm

  This is my 4th Camry and like the others it is very satisfying, except for the stereo. This is by far the worst sounding factory stereo I have ever had, regardless or the brand. It has a surround sound setting that is worthless - it sounds like a tissue filter on all speakers. And speaking of speakers, there is supposedly a sub-woofer in the car. It must be disconnected because I have to increase the bass settings, which I never do on other systems. And there are up to 36 presets but no band or other means to categorize the presets. Just a terrible product on an otherwise outstanding car.

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  Best Selling Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Chan - January 28 - 9:13 am

  Quite Comfortable for a small family

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  Good car...needs some style - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Propaintball321 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car last summer and have loved the realiabilityof the car. All that I have had to do is oil changes and tires. I also love it when Im at the gas pump. The one thing I do not like is the exterior styling. It looks like every other sedan and the light bar across the back is awful. Other than that it is a great car

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  Replacing my 1999 Accord w/ a 2nd Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By By - January 27 - 10:00 am

  My 2003 Camry has more pep, more interior room, more luxury, is quieter, gets better gas mileage, is easier to get into & out of, has more trunk space than my 1999 Accord EX. I cant say enough about the best car I have ever owned. Put 25K miles on it in 11 months and am stiil "in love".

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  Buyer Beware - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By DLC - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Beware of the "performance tires". They are not all season or snow tires. The tires do not perform well when the roads are just wet. My first set of tires only lasted to 14,000 miles. Major thread wear down the center of all 4 tires.The tire mfg,Toyo,replaced all but 1 tire. I called Toyota in CA. who basically told me that no, the tires werent designed for snow and ice conditions and if they had to replace every part they ever received a complaint about they would be out of business! Toyotas customer service motto should read, "Buyer Beware"

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  Solid and Powerful - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Big C - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I asked a friend who repairs cars for a recommendation of a car that I could keep for 10 years. One of the four cars he recommended was the Camry. After a year of driving the car, I havent been disappointed. Its a solid ride, powerful and smooth. Gas mileage has been great. My model is the XLE V6. Its a beautiful car and has lots of gadgets. For me, Id rather have done without some of the gadgets and had the interior materials been nicer and the seating plusher.

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  Great vehicle - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Sam - January 25 - 8:00 pm

  I purchased this vehicle off the show room floor and still love how it looks after 10 years. It is fun to drive and lots of room inside makes it comfortable for long trips. Trunk is huge compared to most and I love the fact the seats fold down for the larger items. I have done minor repairs compared to most, timing belt, brakes, tires, and batteries, normal wear and tear items.

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  Good purchase - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By flyfishpa - January 25 - 7:00 am

  I bought this car new and have had few problems. Replaced CD player under warranty due to skipping. Clunking sound in rear has been present since new and Ive still not found the source but its tolerable. Very well built, smooth ride GREAT mileage w/ 29+ MPG incl. many central Pa. mountain miles. Nearly 150,000 miles now without a mechanical issue. Just replaced the timing belt and rear struts, the first maintenance other than normal brakes and oil changes. Ive been using amsoil synthetic and changing on 20,000 mile intervals since new with no problems. Now starting to puff a faint blue smoke immediately upon startup when cold. Ill run it until it dies and hopefully buy another toyota.

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  Do Not Hesitate - Best Car Ive Owned - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By Dan - January 22 - 12:50 am

  My wife bought this car before we were married for $6000 w/ 50K miles on it from an older woman. It now has 140,000 miles. We have taken it on old forest service roads and through small streams, packed to the brim with camping gear and a canoe strapped on top. It is comfortable and reliable - I *never* worry about breaking down or repair costs with this car. In 90K miles we have done the regular maintenance and service: timing belt & water pump, spark plugs and wires, and oil changes. Other than that, we had to replace a seal on the final drive unit and both CV boots. Overall, $1500 worth of repairs and maintenance for 90K miles of hard driving. Simply the best car we have owned.