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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  Reliable but not so fun to drive - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Topaz - December 30 - 2:10 pm

  Its a very reliable car. Low maintenance. However, when I need a sudden burst to accelerate on the freeway, it almost redlines going from 55mph to 65mph.

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  Problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By bridge - December 21 - 11:26 am

  Very uncomfortable when driving long distances. Replaced radio at 15k. Transmission was very rough, dealership re-programmed, its ok now. Gas mileage not the best (regular 87).

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  Will never buy a Toyota again - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By 1st and Last Toyota - December 5 - 8:26 pm

  Bought this 2010 Camry LE Automatic in October 2009. Have had three warranty repair visits in the last 6 months, and the problem is still not fixed. Heavy pull in one direction or the other. Excessive steering wheel play, wobble, and vibration. Alignment done twice. Tires rotated twice. Front struts replaced. Going to the dealer for the fourth repair visit this week. Not just disappointed with Toyota - frustrated, and feel robbed of my money are the right terms.

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  No More Toyotas For Me - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Pgcorky - December 5 - 4:13 pm

  I think we all know the Camry history, solid - if unexciting - performance coupled with legendary Toyota reliability. Unfortunately, its clear that Toyota has seriously lost its edge and my confidence. At just over 80,000 miles the engine on our Camry seized - and its likely that oil gel or sludge is the culprit. Even following the manufacturers recommendation of 7,500 miles between oil changes was insufficient. So we basically now have a junk car when we thought we had another 100,000 miles in her. I guess Im a Honda man now.

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  Loss of product and service quality - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By First & Last Toyota - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Purchased Camry for Toyotas product & service reputation. Within 1000 miles, drive train (transmission) began to shift either very hard, or slipped; had very uncoordinated shifts. Dealers told me I was too sensitive, cptr was still learning, and everything else to make me go away. Most every discrepancy was dismissed, or pencil whipped without maint. Toyotas quality of product AND service have been denied. They finally admitted to a problem, only to dismiss me once again because another Toyota on the lot did the same thing...thats like a tire company saying its OK and considered normal for a tire to come apart and explode when another tire does the same. I wont purchase another Toyota.

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  I got one from the Lemon Batch - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By rcampos2 - November 20 - 5:08 pm

  I hate this car! Traded in my Tacoma for a "family" car that has given me nothing but problems! 95K to date. Warranty Fixes: Moon Roof Leak, 3-sets of new brakes and disks, 1-set of new struts, 3-sets of new tires, 1 new tranny and now NON-Warranty Fixes: the water pump went out and rear axle is leaking. Not sure if I am giving up on Toyota entirely, but definitely giving up on Camry.

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  Oops.... - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Mary - November 20 - 10:00 am

  Im sure that it will be reliable and hold its resale value. But it is NO FUN to drive and the styling is not pleasing. I do like the superb 4- cylinder engine which is powerful, smooth and economical. Gees, put this engine in an Accord and then wed have something!

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  Transmission is awful - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By DCguy - November 17 - 1:06 pm

  The transmission is really really bad. It has been changed twice and repaired twice on my car. 1-2, 2-3 shifting is awful and vibrates. Then comes the high rear end obstructing visibility for parking. The front bumper catches parking wedges, which cause it to tear the thin plastic undercarrage.

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  Buy Somethng Else - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ToyotaIsGoinouth - November 12 - 1:23 am

  The reputation of Toyota may have been hard earned in the past but now is quickly waning. The "organic" break pads went out at 36,000 miles. We lost the engine at 40,000 due to the engineers at Toyota putting a rubber piece of hose on the oil return to the top of the engine. Buyer beware! Stay away from this car and dont bank on Toyota any longer!

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  vibration in gear - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By Joe Rollings - October 29 - 1:12 am

  When i bought the car thier was no vibration at all with the car in gear at a stop with the a/c on or off. At 11,000 miles like flicking on a switch. out of no where the vibration started. I know this because it was actually bothering my stomach. I brought in and at first i got the run around, told me it was the nature of the model. Then i insisted they find the problem. I spoke with the mechanic personally and he said he cleaned the throttle body, injectors and realigned the motor and wishbone. Seems to be better but not gone. Very earitating with a/c on. I suggested to the mechanic could it be a faulty a/c compressor clutch or something. He said that couldnt be it. I tried to gently powerbrake it just enough to bring it up about 50 RPM. Flelt much better. Im thinking the computer my not be bringing the rpms up high enough at idle. Anybody else out there with these same issues?