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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  Glad it was a rental - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By concordenerd - December 13 - 1:42 am

  I rented this vehicle as I was interested in buying one someday. I must say this car was new with only 3,000 miles on it and it was a let down. The carpet next to the driver seat was not even put under the molding near the door. You could see underneath the car. The window switch panel was peeling/flaking off. The transmission was a bit harsh as when you braked it jerked down in gears. Not good. So I am glad that I did not buy this car with these kinds of problems. I guess youll have to look over the camrys with a good eye before you buy now.

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  LOW MAINTENANCE - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Raul Davila - December 11 - 7:03 pm

  Excellent sedan, have had to change only filters, oil, battery, fluids, tires. Excellent ride, very comfortable front and back, good trunk space.

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  94 4-Door XLE V6 - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Civil - December 11 - 3:46 pm

  This has been an absolutely wonderful car. It has 167k miles on it, and it just did a cross country trip yesterday getting 29 MPG. Not much more to say than its been a wonderful car!

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  Poor Quality/Workmanship - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Silas DuBard - December 11 - 4:46 am

  After purchase and arriving home, some- one noticed a body brace hanging down. Then I began to notice how flimsy the doors, bumpers,etc. are. Then I began to compare how well doors, trunks, etc fit compared to other makes of autos. About 2 years ago I noticed how paint chips off without noticeable reason. In fact, immediately after purchase and close examination, I noticed chips on the hood and front. Ordered some touch up paint from dealer which didnt work and you would have thought I was buying caviar. Taking your car back to the dealer is too costly, unreal. I recently went in because car would vibrate when braking. Well, this cost over 550 dollars. And I doubt it.

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  Still love it even with more problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ToolTom - December 11 - 1:03 am

  I already wrote a review four months ago, but I need to add to it. They have finally fixed my transmission. I am very happy with it now. However, more problems have developed. There are still rattles in the dash and now the roof now has a bad rattle. Also, the paint is chipping terribly all over the car. Well, at least the car shifts better now!

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  Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Chuck111 - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Super car! No trouble, great turning radius, very responsive, great acceleration, quiet.

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  Moving up to a Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Baron Finn - December 8 - 2:00 am

  I have had the Camry LE for a month. I moved up when my Corolla was totaled in a flood. I am quite well pleased with the smooth quiet ride and the ammenities. The 4 cylender does not feel underpowered and gas millage is good for a midsize. I am not real crazy for Toyotas cruise control, it seems to forget where I set it when I re- engage but other than that I have no real complaints.

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  Very Reliable Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Tim - December 7 - 10:40 pm

  I bought this car 6 years ago. It had about 10,000 miles on it when I purchased it. I have driven this car over 100,000 miles and it still runs like new car. I had to replace the exhaust pipe once and had some repair done on the shockers which cost me about 600 dollars.

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  Very satisfied - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Pat - December 7 - 5:56 am

  Very smooth driving and comfortable car. Easy to take on long trips without being worn out on arrival. Large enough for 5 people if necessary, roomy back and trunk.

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  2007 Camry SE V6 - Excellent for us... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By metal - December 6 - 4:43 pm

  We have about 2200 miles on our SE V6 and we really love this car. It is a very comfortable car that gives us options that we never had on previous vehicles. I highly recommend the V6...it is a very nice engine and so far we have enjoyed every aspect of our car. The rear seat leg room is quite large, moonroof is great, and the handling of the SE is much better than I ever expected from a Camry. My wife drives this car more than I, but I always want to go places when the car is available. We test drove other cars such as the 2005/2006 Accords, 2005/2006 Altimas, 2005 Jetta, and 2005 Camry and found the 2007 Camry to have everything we wanted.