One of the most popular vehicles ever built is the Toyota Camry. This midsized sedan is a car that’s been around for the past thirty-five years to give us an excellent vehicle to drive and enjoy as a family sedan or as one that is perfect for commuting. While it’s not the most powerful or exciting sports car on the market or even a sports car at all, the Camry has been one of the most important cars for us to drive.
Regardless of whether you’re buying a brand spanking new or a used Toyota Camry, this is one of the most reliable and longest-lasting vehicles on the market. Let’s take a look at America’s favorite sedan and its development over the years since it first arrived from Japan:
1983-1986 The Beginning – During the years it first arrived on the market in the US, this car was put to the test during a time when the market was calling for lower power and greater emissions. This first model showed up with a pair of engines that peaked at 95 horsepower by 1985. This car started the success needed with 130,000 models sold during the first two years of production.
1987-1991 Coming Out of the Eighties – The 1980s were a tough time for nearly every automaker and this model of the Camry was still square and boxy. The engines offered were tuned up to provide 115 horsepower. 1988 was the first time we saw the V6 engine under the hood to give us 153 horsepower and by 1989 we saw this car begin to be built in Georgetown, KY.
1992-1996 Bigger and Better – By this third generation, this car had become a model that was one of the favorites on the market and was setting the standard for the midsized sedan market. This new version was bigger and offered more power than before in both types of engines while also adding more features and qualities that made this car more engaging to drive.
1997-2001 Dominating the Segment – With this model we saw a longer wheelbase, modern style, and two new engines to pump out even more horsepower. This was the car that took over the segment and never let go. With this version of the Camry the sales were pouring in and most of the competition was scrambling to try and keep up.
2002-2006 Added Luxury – The Lexus brand came on the back of the Camry-based ES sedan and began to add more luxury which was partly shared with the Toyota badged model. During this era, there were more quality issues that came about from the pursuit of volume over quality, but that didn’t slow the sales any as Camry continued to be the leading name in the market.
2007-2011 Headed to NASCAR – The quality crisis continued into this new generation of the Camry and Toyota had to find a way to produce two different models of this car for the first time. One model would be for the American market while the other would be built and shipped to the other overseas markets. This was also the generation that entered NASCAR to give Toyota a start in this previously only American racing circuit.
2012-2017 Sleeker and Better – With the quality issues repaired and more models offered that were lighter and easier to drive this seventh-generation of the Camry offered a style, build and power we wanted to enjoy on the road. This car was powered by a pair of excellent engines and offered us more choices to have the Camry we wanted to enjoy.
2018 The New Generation – For this new generation of the best-selling midsize sedan on the market the Camry expands its design and engineering using the Global Architecture platform. This model of the Camry has a V6 engine that brings 301 horsepower and a Hybrid model if you want to save some of the gas and make it stretch. This is a car that continues to give us everything we want on the road.
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