Used Vehicle Review: Toyota Camry, 2007-2011

2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid; photos by Paul Williams. Click image to enlarge

That’s the only serious problem noted in Consumer Reports’ (CR) data on the sixth-gen Camry, but combined with a couple of other small things – noisy brakes that wear quickly, interior squeaks and rattles and trouble-prone stereos – it adds up to a barely average used car reliability rating for the V6-powered Camry. CR gives the four-cylinder Camry an above-average used car rating. The Hybrid seems to be the most solid Camry model, in spite of its added complexity.

The Camry was affected by Toyota’s massive, media hype-driven recall for “sticky” throttles; best to ensure the car you’re looking at has had the recall work done, even if there was never a widespread problem to begin with (and quite truthfully, there wasn’t).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Camry its “good” rating in both frontal offset and side crash tests, noting a low risk of significant injuries to vehicle occupants in either type of collision. Likewise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the sixth-generation Camry five stars all around, for front seat protection in frontal crash tests, and front and rear seat protection in side impact tests.

Reputation is a major predictor of used vehicle value, so with the Camry’s solid rep for durability come strong resale prices. According to Canadian Black Book, the least you’ll likely have to pay for a sixth-generation Camry is $15,050 for a 2007 LE four-cylinder model; an SE with the manual transmission – a rare bird – is worth $15,575. Used sixth-gen prices top out at $28,300 for a 2011 XLE V6. Camry Hybrid prices range from $18,275 (2007) to $26,625. It’s hard to think of a family sedan that commands higher prices on the used market; the closest might be the Volkswagen Passat, which can actually be more expensive, but far less reliable. On the other hand, there’s the first-generation Ford Fusion (2006 through 2009), which is just as durable as the sixth-gen Camry but far less expensive on the used market: a basic 2009 Fusion SE (four-cylinder, automatic) is worth $15,825. The comparable Camry LE from the same year is valued at $18,800. ‘Nuff said.

2010 Toyota Camry; photo by Bill Petro. Click image to enlarge

The thing about Toyota is that, even if its more recent models are only, say, 95 per cent as reliable as some of its older cars, you’re still talking about a well-built car. Part of the value in paying more for a used Toyota used to lie in its reliability, but with other manufacturers catching up in dependability – especially less-expensive cars, like that Fusion or the slightly less-reliable late 2000s Hyundai Sonata – it’s hard to keep making the case for the Camry being the best choice in the crowded family sedan field.

All to say that, if you like the Camry, and are willing to pay the extra cash that a used one costs, buy one. Be aware of its problems, and the fact that the four-cylinder has fewer of them, and then look for a car that comes with maintenance records and checks out with a mechanic.