Best Reviewed
Family Cars
- Best family car overall 2012 Toyota Camry *Est. $21955
- Best family-car value 2012 Kia Optima *Est. $19500
- Best large family car 2012 Chrysler 300 *Est. $27470
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- Roomy interior
- Quiet, comfortable ride
- Good fuel economy
- Smooth powertrain
- Boring to drive
- Mixed reviews for interior quality
- Lower crash ratings than rivals
- Showing its age
The 2011 Toyota Camry hasn't changed much in the past few years, and not at all since 2010. It's still a top-selling family sedan, but most experts now prefer more stylish new rivals like the top-rated 2011 Hyundai Sonata (Base MSRP: $19,395 to $27,245), which offer better driving dynamics and higher crash ratings. For a detailed analysis of the Camry, read our review on the 2009 Toyota Camry (*Est. $19,395 to $29,045).
Fuel economy a strong point
The 2011 Toyota Camry offers two engines – a 2.5-liter four-cylinder
and a 3.5-liter V6. With the base engine, expect 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway/26
mpg combined with the standard six-speed manual transmission (32 mpg highway
with the optional six-speed automatic). The V6 Camry comes with the automatic
transmission, delivering an estimated 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway/23 mpg combined.
We cover the 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid in our separate report on
Rivals do better in federal and independent safety tests
Crash ratings for the 2011 Toyota Camry lag behind its rivals'. An early release of the 2011 Camry scored 3 stars out of 5 overall in government crash tests; its lowest subscores were 2 stars for protecting female passengers in frontal or side crashes. A later release of the 2011 Camry beefed up side crash protection and boosted the car's overall score to 4 stars, but it still gets 2 stars for protecting a female passenger in a frontal crash. In separate crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Camry gets good ratings for front, side and rollover crash protection, but only a "marginal" rating for protecting occupants in a rear crash. The 2011 Camry does include the usual complement of safety equipment for its class – antilock brakes, traction and stability control and front, front-side and curtain airbags – plus a driver-knee airbag.
Base MSRP for the 2011 Toyota Camry ranges from $20,195 for the base model to $29,845 for the V6 Camry XLE, both up $800 from last year.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
The 2011 Toyota Camry remains unchanged from last year, Edmunds.com says. It's "spiritless" to drive and its interior isn't as polished as newer rivals', but the Camry's still roomy, safe and efficient – overall, a good choice for a family sedan.
Review: 2011 Toyota Camry, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. SaferCar.gov
An early release of the 2011 Toyota Camry earned an overall crash-test rating of 3 stars out of 5 at this government website. A later release of the 2011 Camry improves its rating to 4 stars overall, with subscores of 3 stars for frontal crash protection and 4 stars for side crash protection and rollover resistance.
Review: 2011 Toyota Camry 4DR FWD, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
3. IIHS.org
A "marginal" rating for rear crash protection drags down the 2011 Toyota Camry's safety rating here. Otherwise, it earns the highest rating of "good" in front, side and rollover crash tests.
Review: Toyota Camry, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
This federal website publishes EPA fuel-economy ratings for most cars sold in the U.S. The 2011 Toyota Camry ranges from 23 to 26 mpg overall, depending on which powertrain you choose.
Review: 2011 Toyota Camry, U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency
The Toyota Camry has changed very little since 2009. Our full analysis of the 2009 Toyota Camry links to multiple expert reviews for more information.
Review: 2009 Toyota Camry, Editors of ConsumerSearch.com, April 2009
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