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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  Dont Buy This Junk!! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Toledojoe - April 28 - 3:30 am

  Toyota has fallen off of their pedestal. The transmission shifting is horrible in city traffic. Shifting is very erratic and clunky. There is also a drag on the transmission during coasting speeds and when approaching a stop. The transmission is constantly clunking and jarring the car when slowing down or approaching a stop. Surprisingly, the dealers all know about it and shrug it off as not important. One had the audacity to tell me it was a "safety feature" to which they quickly retreated from upon further reasoning. Dont buy one!!!! These cars are junk! What happened to Toyota quality?

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  great first car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By tpwrm - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I got the 5-speed V6 version of the Camry used with 45k on it... having put nearly 20k on it myself in a little more than a year, Ive only had to replace the front brake pads and a tie rod. Its a great car, looks good in dark blue with the alloy wheels. The engine is smooth and quiet below 3k rpm but above 4 it starts making a nice sound and a lot of power. Only problems are a bad shifter, a tacky pattern on the seats and the suspension, which could be a little bit tighter.

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  Great Experience - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By marshall - April 28 - 12:33 am

  I love this car. After two 7-series BMWs, I couldnt afford the maintenance/fun ration of a German car anymore. The only significant issue I have with the Camry is that the paint on the hood is problematic. It pits and flakes easily - first noticed after 3 months. Performance is strong, handling is fun, spacious enough for me - at 62" and 240 lbs. Camrys history of reliability was key to purchasing it, but the 6 cyl SE version is a beast!

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  Fun to drive - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Scottie - April 27 - 6:20 am

  Best buy for the money. Comfortable with lots of room including trunk space. Lots of fun to drive.

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  Excellent - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Michael R - April 26 - 10:00 am

  It was my first car and I have no second thoughts. Very reliable, always ready to go. Very peppy acceleration for a family car. The car handle well and looks great. Excellent car for anyone really. Fuel economy is not that bad for a V6.

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  BEST CAR I HAVE OWNED YET - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By justusgirlzz - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This car is a dream compared to other cars i have owned and operated. The 4 cylinder engine in my Camry blows away the V6 I had in my Ford Taurus. The car handles the road and turns very well, has a very smooth ride. The built-in CD player is great and the sound system very nice. I have driven the car for 35,000 miles so far and besides having had the oil changed every 5,000 miles and replacing the brakes, no problems at all. I believe I am hooked on the Camrys for life. Next time, I may try out the V6 Camry, not that it is even necessary, because my 4 cylinder kicks the butt of most V6s out there anyway. But more power is never a bad thing.

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  Camry SE sedan - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Stan Fiega - April 26 - 10:00 am

  Car rides great and handles fine with the sport suspension and V6. Seems to be a good value after comparing many other cars both foreign and domestic. Very quite on the road.

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  I highly recommend this car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Navyguy - April 24 - 4:23 pm

  In 2003 I bought a new Toyota Camry LE and I recently sold it. I bought a 2007 Lexus ES350. Overall I loved the car it is very reliable. I drive 70- 75 mph and get over 30 mpg. I had no issues with the car all I had to do was basic things like replace the breaks, and get a 100K tune up. I highly recommend this car. Lexus and Toyota are just hands down better than the competition. I am a tall guy 63 and there is plenty of room for me to feel comfortable. The back has plenty of room and you can also store quite a bit of groceries in the trunk. Overall this is a solid car but after six years it was time for an upgrade.

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  Toyota Camry - A GREAT BUY - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Joel - April 22 - 4:46 am

  Ive had my Camry approximately 3 1/2 years and its the best car Ive ever had. If you want reliability, its there. If you want extras, its not bad. If you want comfort, it does the job pretty well. If you want performance, it can handle pretty well. For economy, it is pretty good. The value retension seems to be good. All around, this car is a pretty solid buy! I know what my next car will be. Another Toyota.

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  104K Still Going Strong - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By flyingrc12 - April 20 - 5:23 pm

  Bought this vehicle new in 2003. Oil changes every 3k, brakes around 54k, all needed service completed. Water pump replaced, on my 3rd set of tires. Intermediate steering shaft needs replacement, not a safety issue just annoying knock sound. My a/c light blinks from time to time lately causing the a/c to not work. This appears to be a relay that needs replacement which is common. Other then what I would call minor issues with a vehicle with over 104k miles on it, its treated me fantastic. Still getting 34 mpg highway 25 mpg around town. Engine sounds just like the day I bought it, amazing. Honestly, the car is just as sound today as the day I bought it! I would buy another in a sec.