1996 Oldsmobile Ciera Review
1996 Oldsmobile Ciera Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What’s new
Best-seller prepares for retirement at the end of the year, receiving badge revisions, some additional standard equipment and an improved optional V6 engine.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 4dr Sedan and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$171/mo for Ciera SL
Ciera SL
vs
$176/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
First introduced in 1982, the Ciera is pretty much the same car as it was 14 years ago, inside and out. A mild freshening of the exterior several years ago didn't help the Ciera march into the '90s with any sense of contemporary style, and our opinion is that the Ciera is ready to be retired from the Oldsmobile lineup.
One glitch in that plan; the Ciera is Oldsmobile's hottest seller. More than 100,000 Cieras find their way out of GM's Oklahoma City assembly plant every year, and sales haven't tapered off in quite a while. And so it remains in the lineup, possibly to be replaced by a modern design in 1997. What is the current Ciera's secret recipe for success? It certainly isn't obvious.
Crash tests prove the Ciera to be a relatively safe car, but it only comes with a driver's side airbag; a passenger-side airbag is unavailable. Antilock brakes are standard, but the Ciera does not meet 1997 side impact standards. A dedication to safety features is not what sells the Ciera.
Uadventurous styling renders the car invisible on the excitement meter, and the interior is about as close to numbingly dull as it gets. The dash is reasonably functional, but many of the controls look like they were pilfered from the Chevette parts bin. The seats are mushy and unsupportive. Style and comfort are not what sell the Ciera.
Prices for the anemic four-cylinder sedan start around $14,500, and a top-of-the-line V6 station wagon goes for less than $19,000. The Ciera is reasonably roomy, decently reliable, and carries a fair-sized load of cargo, at prices that reek of value. Ahhh, so this is what sells the Ciera.
New reasons for those buyers to swoop into Oldsmobile showrooms in 1996 include groundbreaking improvements like simplified exterior badging and fresh colors. Storage armrests, better speakers and a cassette player are now standard items. Long-life spark plugs, and improvements to the optional V6 round out the changes to the Ciera this year.
We think buyers would be better off shopping Dodge Stratus, Ford Contour or Chevy Lumina in this price range. So the Olds is a good value; we think the more modern machinery will make you happier in the long run, unless you're one of the few who really needs a mid-sized wagon. The Ciera, and its corporate twin the Century, are the least expensive mid-size wagons on the market
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera.
5 star(24%)
4 star(42%)
3 star(22%)
2 star(7%)
1 star(5%)
41 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.38 out of 5 stars
Attached To My Olds
Kiki, 11/08/2010
1996 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 4dr Sedan
I bought the car when it was 5 years old.It had 39,000 miles on it. I liked the car on the first test drive. I am quite attached to my 96 Olds now and take care of it with TLC. I read on another review: QUOTE "I've had to replace the battery several times and the "service engine soon" light stays on all the time." The same for me but it's OK. I will have a hard time to part with this … car. It looks like new (had body work done) had a remote starter installed, added Oldsmobile mudflaps and wire wheel covers. It's a sharp looking car. I have spent the most for repairs this year but I knew that was coming and I was willing to make the repair investments. I love my 96 Oldsmobile !
3.75 out of 5 stars
No Major Problems After Eleven Years!
J Bloom, 01/20/2007
1996 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 4dr Wagon
I have two '96 Cierras. The other one is a 4-door sedan. My wagon has 108,000 miles on it while my daughter has 132,000 miles on her college bound four door. The wagon has just had the water pump and fuel pump replaced for the first time shortly after it turned 100,000 miles and the drive belt was replaced at 80,000. It's comfortable and the fuel economy - especially on trips is very … good. Both get exactly what the EPA reports - about 20 mpg in town, and 29 to 30 mpg on trips. The 3.1 V6 engine combined with a four speed automatic (overdrive) transmission does the trick. Even my 3-speed auto '90 Corolla doesn't deliver 30 mpg on the highway! The sedan had a top manifold leak at 125,000 miles, so I'm watching for similar problems with the wagon. It's OK so far.
4.88 out of 5 stars
Great Care
vsochaquiroz, 10/27/2004
1996 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 4dr Sedan
Great Car to get around in. Great on
fuel consumption.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Still going...
Owen, 05/13/2004
1995 Oldsmobile Ciera SL 4dr Sedan
Have racked up 161,000 miles thus far.
Engine doesn't use a drop of oil yet, and it
hasn't needed anything but scheduled
maintenance. Transmission lasted to
129,000 and then ate itself. Had original
rebuilt and runs flawlessly. Still gets almost
30mpg on the highway with the 3.1 V6. No,
it's not remotely exciting, but when they
make essentially the same model for … like 13
years, the kinks are pretty well ironed out by
the end of the product cycle.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera, so we've included reviews for other years of the Ciera since its last redesign.
1996 Ciera Highlights
Sedan
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 24 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $171/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 15.8 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original0
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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