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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  Toyota Camry is an excellent buy! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Cynthia H. - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed driving my Toyota Camry XLE. Performance is excellent as well as interior comfort and design. The ride is quiet and it handles well on the road. The JBL sound system is very nice too!

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  Toyota delivers - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By brian penniall - December 3 - 12:26 am

  Owned 2 previous Camrys and was sick of the boringness, sluggish acceleration and performance, but loved their dependability and durability. I test drove Infinitis G35 and was pondering spending the extra $ for it when a friend and I stopped by the Toyota dealership just for a look-see. WOW! They have changed the Camry. In terms of bang-for-your-buck it blew away the overpriced G35. Acceleration and handling are excellent with good fuel efficiency. I opted not to get the Nav. system but other than that it has all the bells and whistles for under 30k. Transmission is a little different than previous Camrys (downshifts at strange times) but MPG and better accel. are worth the transmission.

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  Great for value and year! - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Jarrod - December 2 - 9:10 pm

  My Camry is a 2001, and it feels like it could be a 2015. The interior is very, very quiet and the only noises coming into the cab are bumps on the road. Toyota did very well on their interior quality too! There is minimal wear on the front seats, even less on the rear, no dash cracks, no carpet rips. For a 14 year old car you get a lot of value, especially on a fully loaded xle.

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  It Does What it is Supposed to Do - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By doug nelson - December 2 - 4:43 pm

  Our Camry has been utterly reliable. We like the attention that was given to seating height and overall comfort. Interior ergonomics is its strongest point. I dislike the marshmallow feel of the brakes, although they do seem to stop the car well enough. The exhaust pipe hangs far below the car, like that of an old school bus. I must be very careful on dirt roads with a raised center. I should not have to put up with the bulk and inefficiency of an SUV to drive rough country roads. Come on, Toyota, the world is not a California freeway.

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  Toyota is loosing ground to others - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By camry20 - December 2 - 1:49 am

  First and last time to buy Toyota brand. I have a 2008 Camry LE bought almost brand new. Since I got it I had few repairs I did not expect. First the U joint for the Steering wheel column right at 50K miles after the warranty expired. Few thousand miles later the left front Spring broken and paid another 900 $ to replace the spring and strut. Not to mention the engine starting to burn oil already at 50K miles too. I had a windstar few years back and had a spring broken and because Ford is having a concern for their customers Safety they did have a recall on this problem. Toyota should not be even operating in NA when they do not care about those issues that could put drivers at risk

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  check engine light - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Brad - December 2 - 1:10 am

  The check engine light goes on and the dealer and Toyota can not tell me why. The car has 475 miles on it. I also own a 1999 Toyota Camry and that light went on at about 52,000 miles and they fix something and or reset the light and its back on. The car runs find but if something is wrong with the engine I will not know

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned! - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By kel - December 1 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned. Brought it new in 92 and it has been very reliable. I have 148K miles and just recently replaced struts and motor mounts. Good tires make a difference in how this car handles in the snow. Also replace brakes more than I have on other cars - but thats not too expensive.

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  Nothing less the outstanding - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By artiefishill - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned ONLY Camrys since 1992. My 1990 still runs, little rusty, 141k, but runs like a champ, reliable car. My 1998, which this review is about is the same. 46k on it. Just bought a new 2002 5speed. Camrys have proven to be very dependable, good value for your money. Out of all three, only non- normal maint I ever did was replace steering column in the 90 at about 110k, and the power window in the 98 had track problems that have since be corrected. Other then that, never a worry.

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  Upgraded from 2013 - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Roy - November 30 - 12:26 pm

  This car has been upgraded with a more comfortable, quieter, and smoother ride. The upgrade are not flashy but the effectiveness during the ride cant be denied.

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  My Camry SE - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By tatsuhime - November 29 - 10:33 am

  The cars great. Never had any problem with any of my Toyotas. Step down from my 4-Runner, but its fun to drive. Great pick-up on freeway.