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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  if you want a nice looking boring car this is it - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Michael - December 3 - 4:50 pm

  We bought a new 2015 XSE with the 4cyl. They exterior does have a good look to it. The interior is pretty boring compared to most cars out there. I was driving the car to DC and finally got the gas mileage over 30mpg. The info center decided to reset itself 4 times with in 4 minutes. Shutting off my phone charger, radio and display screen. Did it again on the drive back home a few days later. I havent driven the car longer than 2 hours since and it hasnt done it since. We bought a new Camry because it is suppose to be one of the most reliable cars out there. Compared to my 14 year old lexus GS300 and our 2010 Nissan Murano this car is not all that impressive.

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  2003 Camry XLE - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Karl Stauss - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Quiet ride. Excellent accelaration for a 4 cylinder. Great layout of controls. Solid car. Lots of features for price.

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  Not that Great - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By curt123 - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Driven many Camrys and this one is no different. Terrible exterior styling. Mushy Brakes and Steering. Great Headroom, strange dash. Poor choice of materials on the doors(felt?) This is a Toyota Buick. This one stalled many times. ONe word SOUL, this car has none. After getting back from our trip driving this car. My 1995 Buick Riv was so nice, better power, ride, style, brakes, handling, everything.

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  Cruise Control Downshifting - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Downshifting - November 30 - 6:06 am

  Overall, a very good car. Love the styling, its a real head turner. Good visability, though the side pillar gets in the way of good side visability when changing lanes. One annoyance worth noting - downshifting. I think the 5th gear is too low. They probably did that for fuel economy. When on cruise control on highway speeds, the car downshifts when going over minor hills and bridges. I wish there was an override.

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  92 Toyota Camry LE V6 Rocks! I love it! - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Sterling - November 26 - 3:43 pm

  Im a high school student and this is my first car and I love it! My dads a Toyota freak so i figured I would get one instead of a truck I would get a sedan and I love it! Drives smooth, is reliable, very roomy, just change the oil every 3,000 miles and youll get the best out of it. Im convinced that Toyotas are the best! Would have liked to have had the 5 spd but, hey, automatic is kinda nice when you just wanna go. Bought it for $3,000 so got a good deal and its still in good shape, will need things eventually probably but, hey its not a brand new car so what can you expect! It just goes and goes, but remember if you dont maintain it, you wont get 350,000 mile.

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  LE-V6 Gallery Series #1 - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By dks2001 - November 26 - 10:00 am

  This 2001 Camry LE-V6 Gallery Series is the best car I ever owned in my life. I plan to keep this car for at least a decade to come. The Toyota quality is very dependable and it has the great value for your investment. Proper maintainance and care for your vehicle will make it last a long time.

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  Im not that old, honest... - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By IWasAHondaNut - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I had my heart set on a new Altima and my wife wanted a new Accord - that all changed when we saw the Camry SE. It really caught us off guard - not at all like we expected. We tested several other cars, but kept going back to the Toyota dealership. Im not sure why people complain about the style - I think its great! The car gets lots of admiring glances at traffic lights - just wish it had a bit more power. I could not justify spending the extra money for the V6. My driving is generally split between city/highway - city driving is good, but highway cruising is what this car excels at. Were very impressed and I think well be Toyota owners for life!

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  04 Camrys quality is poor - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By hyyz - November 24 - 10:46 am

  My 04 Camry has many problems. Here is a list of problems I have: 1. It pulls to left. Dealer repaired 5 times without result. 2. Tires wear too fast. At only 15000 miles, many treads were already gone. I rotated tires regularly. 3. Windshield bottom rattles. Dealer replaced the cowl with only temporary results. 4. Rattles from door panels. 5. I heard rattle from engine or under vehicle every time I started the car and hit on gas to drive. Dealer said it is the intake manifold. After replaced, the rattle is still there. 7. Strong rotten egg smell at 8000 miles. Replaced converter and reprogramed ECM. The car started to feel heavy(hard acceleration, hard steering, and hard brake).

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  Perfect car - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By jbk - November 23 - 5:23 pm

  I bought Camry LE limited edition in 2006 December. This is just perfect car to me. Engine and transmission are amazing. Fun to drive, very comfortable, design is beautiful, I think 2004 model is better than 2006 new model in exterior design. Gas mileage is somewhat unsatisfactory. Average mpg 22.0 I think this low mpg is due to cold weather. 3-4 minutes warming up before start, and hitting in driving. Camry is the best car in mid-size. Any car is not matching to this camry.

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Arthur - November 22 - 10:56 pm

  Its been almost 15k miles and this car still amazes me as always. We had no problems with our two previous Camrys. Our last one had 148k trouble free miles and was still getting 30 mpg on a trip. This new one gets even better mileage, averages about 33 freeway.