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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Worst driver seat EVER!!! - 2015 Toyota Camry
By Tomas Checo - January 22 - 1:21 pmEverything about the car is good. Engine good, transmission good, reliability good, fuel economy good, but my god it has the WORST FRONT SEATS EVER!!!!!! When you test drive the car you will not feel that the seat is uncomfortable, but if you are planning a road trip longer than 50 miles this is not the car for you. Think twice if you are a person that will put a lot of miles to the car. This car has the worst front seats EVER!!!! I bought it because of the reliability (have always been a Toyota fan), but now I am looking to trade it because I cant stand this front seat.
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Value for money.. - 2006 Toyota Camry
By Varad - January 22 - 4:33 amI bought this car for my wife and have done about 3500 miles in 2 months. The car is very quiet. 63dba@ 70 mph compared to 68dba for Accord. Good gas mileage. On a recent trip to Toronto the highway mileage was 31. Well laid out controls and the automatic on/off headlights are cool. Wont have to worry about running your battery if in case you forget to switch the head lights! Huge trunk, and comfortable thigh support for the driver and passenger seats. The lumbar support is awesome for long drives. Very good handling on potholes.
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Excellent Purchase for the Second Time!! - 2009 Toyota Camry
By Mindy - January 20 - 6:30 pmWe bought this car to replace my other Camry that is 10 years old. I will say it is such a fun car to drive! I love all the safety features it offers. I drive up and down the interstate daily and feel confident that I am in a safe car! I got all that I wanted with no compromise. We still kept the old Camry to drive around town to save miles on the new Camry and my husbands 04 Toyota Tundra. I will only ever own a Toyota! Excellent made cars and trucks.
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2005 Is Refined above 04,03,02 - 2005 Toyota Camry
By Dealer - January 19 - 4:36 amI have owned a 05,04, and 02 Camry LE 4cycl. I am a Honda Accord fan, owned may Accords , some to 220k mi, so am not being bias to the Camry. But Toyota ha s built a great car! The 05 ha s anti lock breaks and the sponginess of the front breaks have been tweaked in 05, this is a common compliant from myself, friends and other reviewers. Yet in 05 they have tuned up the suspension to compensate for the soft rid e to the braking. My favorite car to date is a 1997 Lexus Es 300, I must say that the 05 Camry has many similarities, soaks up bumps, rattle free and decent real world handling between soft ride and decent handling. This car is GREAT on mileage , 22-24 city 30-38 hwy
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Never again - 2000 Toyota Camry
By enrun - January 19 - 2:00 amMost uncomfortable car I have ever owned. Power seat adjusts only 4 ways. When seat is back to where it needs to be I have to extend arms to reach steering wheel. If I adjust wheel down it rubs legs even with seat completely down. Power is barely adequate and fuel economy is only so-so for a 4 cyl car. I expected more. Road noise is so bad that radio has to be turned up substantially at highway speed. American cars had better radios 25 years ago.
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Nice car, BUT..... - 2012 Toyota Camry
By bschram - January 18 - 3:48 pmPleasantly surprised by what this 4 cylinder can do. Quiet, smooth great mileage but you have to drive sensibly to get the grat mileage. I have got close to 38 MPG at cruising speed on the freeway and got about 35 overall on one recent short trip. The secret of getting good mileage is to keep your foot out of the engine. I have had this car about a month now and so far so good. Only down side is the front fascia on this car. It is weak and by that I mean it is fragile. I had to bring it back the day after I bought it because the cheap under panels under the front fell off and scrunched under the car. Front bumper has a crease in it from some kind of bump and looks like hell.
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Not completely satisfied - 2007 Toyota Camry
By Nellie - January 18 - 2:30 pmDriven my new Camry less than 1,000 miles and not as pleased with it as my 00 Camry. Cruise control gains, RPMs accelerate up hill causing engine to make loud noise while using cruise control, higher in back making it harder to judge while backing up and transmission not completely smooth in take offs. Overall, I still like the car and love Toyotas reliability, so Im banking on this one to hold up to their reputation.
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Favorite Car - 2004 Toyota Camry
By jim88mm - January 18 - 12:46 pmI bought my Camry new in 2004 and am approaching 200k miles, consistently getting 30 mpg. Recently replaced valve stem guides, but that is the only major repair. This has been a fantastic purchase.
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Camry Woes - 2007 Toyota Camry
By Taffy - January 17 - 6:10 am1) Idles too fast - will move down road at 5-6 miles per hour w/o touching gas - very dangerous at stop signs as it will surge forward. 2) Cruise will not hold on hill - set at 65, up to 75 at bottom of hill. 3) Brakes - when brake applied, car surges/jogs forward before taking hold. 4)Poor gas milage 14 to 19 in town; 29 on highway. 5) Poor craftsmanship on interior. Carpets not down right, cap cover for seat track comes off. 6) Shifts hard/jerky 7) Drivers side auto up/down window- cannot put down several inches - goes all the way down or all the way up 8) Upon resuming cruise, it will accelerate so fast you are thrown back in your seat-like being shot out of a gun.
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new lease - 2011 Toyota Camry
By cyclist - January 15 - 10:53 pmI leased a Toyota XLE after driving a Honda Accord for 3 years. After a month of driving it I am still impressed. It is peppy and handles great on the freeway. Fun to drive and comfortable.