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!! - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By chaviux007 - February 6 - 2:50 am

  Ive only had it for a little more than six months and its been a great car. Love the performance even though it has 171,000 miles it has its details. Probably the owners that had had it before didnt take care of it so Im just doing some fixings on the suspension system and the interior, but the engine hasnt given me any problems at all. Great car.

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  Like a Rock - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By GW - February 4 - 12:30 am

  After 109,000 miles, our Camry has lived up to the stereotypical reputation - a flawlessly reliable car. Basically, nothing has ever gone wrong. Well, the interior dome light didnt work when I first picked up the car - and I was too lazy to bring it back - so 7.5 years later it still doesnt work - my fault! The engine has developed a slight rattling sound, nothing to complain about, and understandable at 109K. The car still looks great, paint is still sharp. OK, one other thing, the rear seat drinkholder is flimsy and my kids broke it off pretty easily. Bottom line: Best $18,350 I have ever spent. What a great car - a no-brainer.

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  road noise - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By stanley stephens - February 4 - 12:26 am

  I relied on consumer reports and thier evaluation of the camrey as being refined and quiet and was disapointed after driving over different road surfaces finding only brand new asphalted roads as quiet. most roads create what I call "road roar", an unpleasant sound. after owning and viewing the camry from different angles its less than eye catching.

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  Still happy - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Quitepleased - February 2 - 7:10 am

  Just passed 80,000 miles and still drives like new. Three issues though; first of all, never use 0w20 oil. My lifters have been tapping ever since I did. Second, I had to replace my brakes after only 8 months. Since then, drilled/slotted rotors w/ ceramic pads still have 50% on them. Third, what the heck is up with the tires? I was literally forced to purchased sports car tires for this sedan! The originals lasted 70k but now I have 40k warranty tires that cost more than the originals AND Ive lost an average of 6 mpg! This is stupid!

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  1997 Toyota Camry CE - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Curt - January 30 - 6:03 am

  The car runs great! I replaced the struts, brakes and timing belt at 60k, and have redone the brakes at 90K, continued with the scheduled oil changes and what a quality car. I purchased my first Camry in 1990 new and have not bought an American car since. Everything works on my 97 and I plan to keep it for 10 more years. A top quality vehicle.

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  Buy it! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - January 28 - 10:00 pm

  So far so good. Ive owned the Camry for only 2 weeks and both my wife and I love it. This purchase completes the 4th Toyota we now own in the family. We love the Camry and all of its appointments and it drives as nice as they say. I researched this car to death and found for the money, it by far was the correct choice. All in all Id buy again in an minute.

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  Excellent car for the money - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Firefighter - January 26 - 2:00 am

  Camry offers the best value for the money. It drives great and the new controls are laid out for easy access. The only gripe is about the std features. Any thing worthwhile is an option on this car. Even floor mats are an option. Do not think this car is cheap compared to a Passat or Volvo. If you add all the options up, the price will match or even exceed the std Passat.

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  NOT BAD!!! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By sau - January 26 - 2:00 am

  2003 Toyota Camry SE 4cyl is a Nicely Built and Designed Sedan. It has a very smooth transmission powered by a quite 2.4L 4cyl engine. Its a great sedan however, there are few points can be improved. Price is a liitle too high and get real high with other options. I regret after tested drive the 2003 Honda Accord EX...more features are standard than Camry SE with lower price.

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  You want this car! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By jusa - January 26 - 2:00 am

  Car drives great! JBL Stereo is awesome.

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  Excellent car for the money - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By firefighter - January 26 - 2:00 am

  Camry offers the best value for the money. It drives great and the new controls are laid out for easy access. The only gripe is about the std features. Any thing worthwhile is an option on this car. Even floor mats are an option. Do not think this car is cheap compared to a Passat or Volvo. If you add all the options up, the price will match or even exceed the std Passat.