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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  Throttle Body Failure - Recall Coming? - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By pt - February 5 - 6:33 am

  As has been reported to Toyota and the NHTSA, the throttle body will fail on this vehicle due to a design flaw. Do a web search on this model of Toyota and youll see numerous instances of "throttle body failure." We just had to spend $1100 getting it replaced on our 2004 Camry and because it is a design flaw, it will fail again. The car will simply stop in the middle of the road with no way of restarting it.

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  My little Lexus - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By pghtoyotafreak - February 5 - 3:10 am

  Had an 02 Altima - What a mistake. This car is so much better and such a good deal. Dont buy the LE, you dont get that much more for the money. You save $1100 by getting the STD and only lose keyless, full size spare and power seat. I had keyless AND remote start installed for 250 bucks and dont miss the power seat because I am the only driver and I dont need to adjust. The car is so smooth riding an quiet! The instrument panel is great and reminds me everyday that this car is a baby Lexus. Plus, I am getting 30 mpg in mixed driving with the 5spd auto.

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  Good Car, Beware the Paint - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Patti - February 4 - 10:51 pm

  This was the only car Ive ever bought relatively new from a dealer. Bought at 60k miles, sold at 90k. It was very comfortable, performance was great, fuel economy about 31 usual driving, up to 40 on road trips. It wasnt great on ice, my theory is the weight of the car was distributed too far to the back to make for optimal front wheel drive traction. The only problem I had with it in that time was the paint. I had the blue color, and that paint would scratch/chip if you BREATHED on it wrong. The front hood was a mess of chips. The paint was kind of a ridiculous worry, but it stressed me out, and made me happy to get rid of it at the end of our time together.

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  Design flaws - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By own no more - February 4 - 7:46 am

  this the 4th toyota i have owned and probably the last. i drive 90% highway miles (hint zero to none use of brakes) and had to replace the rotors and pads at 14,000 miles. Door rattles, 4cyl lacks power for the hills of PA worst when AC is on, but my biggest peeve is when descending down hills at almost any speed the car down shifts into 4th gear and then into 3rd which sends the rpm so high that the pistons could shoot through the hood, not good at all for the motor. i know what Toyota would say that it is to help in braking but id rather replace brakes than a motor. will i buy a Toyota again? not likely?

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  Decent Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Satish - February 4 - 4:06 am

  My last cars were a 2000 sonata which i sold with 100k, then i had a mazda 6 for a few year. I brought this as my wife`s and our kid baby carrier. I was aware of the hesitation and did test drive 2. One had it and i picked the other. I have 40k and need tires.My wife drives very smooth. We took it on a 2000 mile trip and got like 38 mpg. Compared to my 5 speed Jetta it lacks in finish, performance and handling but its a different beast.I looked for post June build date in 07 where all the problems suddenly disappeared per all research i did.

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  Cant beat them... period - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By gooddeals - February 2 - 5:56 pm

  I have owned this one since it was new. Prior to this, we had a 1992 Camry LE. So, over the last 16+ years I have driven 2 cars, both Camrys. You just cant beat these things. After 7.8 years I finally had to replace the Panasonic factory battery. Ive replaced the front brakes twice, rears once, synthetic oil (Mobil 1 5/30) since it was new. One set of tires. The AC is still working fine (and I live in Georgia!), pwr dl, wdws, cruise, transmission, etc. Flawless, never had problems, just change fluids and filters & enjoy!

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  Toyota does it again - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By njzyota - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 2004 Toyota Camry on the 2nd of January of this year as a replacement to my 1996 Toyota Camry. There is a big difference between the two vehicles, this Camry has a much more roomier interior than the last one. The little extras sach as the power seats, the lighted rear-view mirror,the magazine pockets on the back of the front seats,the booming sound system w/CD player the illuminated cabin upon entering the vehicle, and the automatic shut-off of the same once the ignition is turned on and the outside temperature reading, imenities that in some vehicles you pay extra for, However, these were all included in the price of my vehicle.

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  Unhappy owner - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By ManManMan - February 2 - 2:00 am

  The gearshift is not very smooth at times and hard to shift to the reverse gear. It needs to release the clutch totally before reengaging the reverse gear again. To shift to 2nd gear then reserve gear, but it didnÂ’t help. The clutch is extra sensitive compare other cars that I had. The most annoying thing is the driver seat squeaks after two weeks old. I brought it back to the dealership on six occasions and they replaced the seat frame at the 3 visit. After the seat frame replacement, it started to squeak after a month. It jerks while driving the first 10 to 15 second. Warm up the car for 1 to 2 minutes before drive off, but it didnÂ’t help.

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  186k Miles, 5spd Tranny the best!! Great Car! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Jose - February 1 - 12:55 pm

  First Owner Japan Built, I have owned this Camry since new, people talk about headbolts problems and lot of negative comments..well, my car has been different, My Camry has been the most reliable of my cars, I owed a Benz S430, a suburban, a Honda accord, and this the only car that never has given me any major issues..the most Ive done to it was the starter, main serpentine belt, cleaned the MAF sensor and Brakes..and an oil change every 3k and fuel additive every oil change works..at this mileage I do have to use an Oil additive, I notice some smog in the mornings..but using thicker oil has fixed the issue..I recommend this car with manual Transmission since is the one I drive..I dont know about automatic Tanny experiences..

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  Had to part ways w/ my Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Janine - February 1 - 11:46 am

  This was my 2nd camry. After owning an 03 with no problems I expected a great car. Boy was I wrong. The transmission is the absolute WORST, it is very dangerous and can cause an accident. I took it back to the dealer to fix which they did but after a couple of months it was back to being very slugglish. My power windows stopped working, radio had to be replaced, rattles, rattles and more rattles. The plastic interior looks and feels cheap. I have since gotten rid of this car and upgraded to an 08 Infiniti G35 (wont buy another Toyota anytime soon). I dont miss this car at all!