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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  Cats AZZ - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Rockin - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car...reliable...comfortable...good gas mileage...like to see the Camry as a hybrid in the near future

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  great car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By camry builder - June 22 - 10:00 am

  i love my camry its the best built car in america built by americans

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  Transmission problems - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Morey Dennison - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my V6 XLE in June. After reading a couple other posts and talking to a few friends, I believe this car has serious transmission problems. The car shifts roughs and hesitates all the time. It bumps into gear at times, especially when slowing not quite to a stop, and then accelerating. Keyes Toyota in Van Nuys assures me that this is a normal function of the transmission. If it is a normal function of the transmission, it makes it very uncomfortable to drive.

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  I love my Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By elattyak - June 22 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Camry. The first one I had for nine years and 150000 miles. The 03 ride is so much improved than the last car. The cabin is so quiet.

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  Camry SE - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By JKawa - June 22 - 10:00 am

  This SE model is th best yet. It doesnt look like an old mans car, so younger people can drive it.

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  Camry sport - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Jquearry - June 21 - 6:22 pm

  Great car

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  Sold ! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Prime Health - June 20 - 10:10 pm

  The ride is smooth, sweet, and in zone.

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  Fully Satisfied Camry owner - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By stevenzhuli - June 19 - 8:52 am

  I just bought a used 2009 camry V6 LE with 98K mileage, measured 2 days trip, average gas at 7.3L /100km, about 32MPG, Mostly country road driving. I am very happy with the purchase. Good acceleration, excellent commut car. Very quiet. I am hesitating to buy a V6 since the gas price. But the camry really surprise me. So far did not see anything wrong with it.

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  Great Car - 12 yr owner of 15 yr old car - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By alexa - June 19 - 7:56 am

  I bought this car in 1997 when it was 3 years old with 40-K miles, I have owned it since and it is at 275-K and running smoothly. I have all the regular maintenance done and recently drove it non-stop 450 miles on one 16-gallon tank of gas. I am not selling it since I cannot get what it is worth, everyone sneers at the mileage and age of the car, but I know that it is a great car, will not be surprised if it makes 500-K miles. No problem at all just change tires, routine maintenance, very little rust, change batteries, etc.

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  40,000 mile review - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Greg - June 19 - 6:06 am

  Bought this 06 Camry SE (4cyl) new and have put 40k on. No problems at all. Whenever I have purchased a Toyota or Honda I like them more as the miles rack up. This Camry is no exception. The OEM tires needed replacing @ 40k. They were kind of noisy and didnt do well in wet weather or snow. I replaced them with Good Year Triple Treads... big improvement. The paint is kind of soft so it shows scratches easier. But the ride, quietness, comfort, roominess, MPG and everything else has been great. Yeah the styling is kind of boring but it functions well. I like the simple controls. Cruise at 80 mph is no problem. Lots of interior room front and rear.