Used 1996 Toyota Tercel Consumer Reviews
Used Tercel for sale
2...
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Best used car I ever bought
mtnsubiedriver, 02/22/2013
1996 Toyota Tercel DX 4dr Sedan
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Bought a '96 four door Tercel in October of 2012 but with automatic transmission. It had 198k miles on it but ran great, other than needing new brakes. AC works fine, power steering, Got 40+ miles per gallon on the highway, 30mpg in town. I now have 207k miles on it. Needs a few things, like fan selector needs tweeking, CV joing is rattling on sharp turns, and will probably install new front calipers. High beams don't work but it is a switch problem in the column. All easy to repair I hope. I don't mind the faded paint. Bought for $1400 and won't part with it unless I find another, maybe a straight drive to get better gas mileage and cruise control.
Best Car Ever!
blaiseglaze, 05/20/2009
1996 Toyota Tercel 2dr Coupe
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Bought this car when it was 2 yrs old. Don't remember the miles on it. Drove it from KY - TN several times, then from Nashville - SLC. We called her "Tinkerbelle" (called her Tink) because she made that sound. Car was comfortable, fun to drive, excellent on gas... Never once had a problem with that car. So when I sold my Hyundai, I went looking for this yr/make/model again and found a 1995 in very decent condition... Left the car at 219,000 PLUS miles.
1996 Toyota Tercel DX
michael, 10/20/2006
1996 Toyota Tercel DX 4dr Sedan
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I may have been favoring it a bit in the ratings system but it depends what your comparing it to. As far as suiting its purpose, this is a very reliable car. Complaints about its lack of power are crazy if you ask me. I used boesch platinum twin spark plugs combined with castrol gtx motor oil and proper maintenance it is the perfect car for a daily commuter, and or somone who enjoys driving eficient non intrusive eco friendly, did I mention reliable, vehicle for less than 5,000 dollars.
Great Car
BrianV, 02/28/2003
1996 Toyota Tercel DX 2dr Coupe
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This was the first car I ever owned. I put about 75,000 miles on it and then gave it to my sister. At any rate, I drove this thing so hard, redline almost every shift, slammed on the brakes a lot, etc. I was 16, I didn't know any better. At any rate the car never failed, it needed a new idle sensor once and that was it. Great car, gas mileage is ok if you don't drive fast, but this car really needs to be floored a lot to get it to move so the gas milage goes down. Stock tires are way too thin, unsafe in the rain. Car looks good, interior is decent quality. Good first car.
Incredible car!
Ben, 11/07/2019
1996 Toyota Tercel 2dr Coupe
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I purchased my car on Facebook marketplace for $700. 298009 miles. 1.5L 4 speed manual. Previous owner put a brand new clutch in it before selling. Had some major hood damage, and the front grille was smashed due to previous owner hitting a deer. Picked up a junkyard hood, repainted it, and now it looks much better! Its a/c doesn't work anymore, burns a bit of oil, and has a crack in the windshield. Not a big deal for that price however. I took it on 2 work road trips. Kansas city to st. louis and back, and to chicago and back. Car practically paid for itself in gas milage! It cost less than $80 in gas alone going to chicago and back and driving around chicago for a week. It now has 303809 miles and it still purrs like a cat. I'll keep this thing on the road even if i have to replace the engine. They just don't make vehicles like these anymore.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2...