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 car - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By fishera - April 2 - 12:28 am

  Bought it in 2008 with around 180k miles and drove the heck out of it. I could always count on it to start and get me where I needed to go, and easily hit highway cruising speeds. It was a very smooth and quiet ride. Previous owner told me about the abuse he heaped on car, driving it off road and through standing water, but that didnt affect its performance for me. Clutch burned out at 210k, was the only major repair I had to make. Leaked oil, but thats not bad if you keep up on it. Eventually sold it to a coworker last spring, at around 220k miles. Its still going strong, and I expect it to continue so. Sometimes I regret selling it.

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  Same car. Why buy new? - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Alexander - April 1 - 11:43 am

  Shoppers should know about... Camry has no power. Take it to the highway and you will see. I didnt... Transmission shifts too fast and... there is no power. Lost between the gears. My combined MPG is showing 13.5 MPG. Not sure how to reset it. Interior: old dash from the European version. Hate transmission sifter.

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  Another Camry - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By high_speed_chase - March 30 - 7:50 am

  This is our fourth Camry, but the first with a V6. We traded a 2007 Camry SE I4, and I am not disappointed. The 3.5 V6 is very smooth and powerful. It runs 0-60 and quarter mile times of the infamous 5.0 Mustang from the early 1990s, (in stock form of course). Gas mileage is within 1-2 MPG of the I4. 600 miles already racked up since Friday night.

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  Nice - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By T.Johnson - March 29 - 10:00 am

  A great Car. Extreemly quiet and roomy. Glides like on ice.

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  i love my car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By bripmer - March 29 - 10:00 am

  i have put 34k miles on my car this year and i still love it. I really wish i bought the v6

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  Our best car ever - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By drp camry - March 29 - 10:00 am

  After nearly one year and near 18,000 miles this is the first new vehicle we have owned with zero defects. Gas mileage exceeds highway sticker often. The 4 cyl engine can spin the front wheels on dry pavement. By mistake I once got to 100 mph and it was so smooth. If you dont use cruise you will be at 80 before you know it. Wheel disks poor design—can be damaged on curbs. Light gray mats impractical. Otherwise, a perfect car—our 2nd Camry.

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  XLE after 1 week - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By rcf8000 - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I checked out the Accord EX with Leather. MSRP is the same. Camry won out because of more luxury features and quieter ride. I also found the drivers seat to be more comfortable in the Camry, although I have some issues with the Camry in that regard, too. Accord had better handling and acceleration, although the Camrys handling is good and the acceleration is adequate for the type of driving we do, which is mostly city streets.

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  Camry Again - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - March 28 - 8:13 pm

  I just got my 2007 Camry LE I4 and really like its refinement over a 2002 I owned. Compared to the 2005 Altima I traded it is world of refinement also. I do a lot of touring and so far this car has been wonderful.

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  Problem with visibility at night on dim - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By enchilada27 - March 28 - 11:38 am

  I just got my 2012 Camry and am loving it except for one thing. I think this is a design, plus safety issue. When I drive at night on dim, the design of the headlight cover is cutting off part of the extension of light. A definite black line come across the top of the beam thereby cutting off half of the extension of light. I cannot see very into the distance. It is like a black hood has come down on the light. In order to see where the road turns, I have to switch the brights which causes a safety issue. I have to choose whether to see where Im going or whether to blind oncoming drivers. The light cover needs to be replaced with one allowing the whole beam of light to refract out.

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  Unimpressed - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By C.M - March 27 - 4:16 pm

  Bought car for toyota reliability. (Not real impressed). Nice looking car and good gas mileage. decent power for a 4 cylinder, but a dangerous hesitating transmission that toyota does not seem to want acknowledge or fix. Nice gauges but the blue lights around the radio are way too bright at night for me. I ended up trading for a Nissan Altima which I like much better so far as of 10,000 miles.