It’s an odd shade of goldish brown, has some dings on the right, and the kids affectionally name it “Coopie.” Sure, by this description alone you have no way of knowing that it is a 1996 Toyota Camry, but rest assured that this grocery getter may not be pretty to look at (anymore), and truth be told, pretty much blends into a crowded parking lot, but when it comes to fuel efficiency and downright durability, you will be hard pressed to find its equal.
The 1996 Toyota Camry is a study in functionality. Bells and whistles on the standard model are kept to a minimum, and some of the amenities included are somewhat outdated by today’s standards. Take for example the cup holders which may do okay with a can of soda but all but capitulate with a water bottle, Starbucks cup, or baby bottle. In the same vein, having them located in front of the convenience compartment makes it hard to take out anything when you have a beverage in the holder.
Of course with gasoline sold at Vegas minibar prices in sunny Southern California, who cares about the cup holders? With roughly 30 miles per gallon on the highway and about 21 miles to the gallon picking up the kids from school and hauling groceries, the 1996 Toyota Camry does not guzzle the gas but instead delicately sips it. Even as the rush hour gridlock does not allow the driver to truly enjoy the benefits of the highway miles per gallon capabilities, it is nice to know that they are there.
Since the 1996 Toyota Camry is an older model, front impact airbags are available for the driver and passenger only. As you know, later models do feature side impact airbags and thus this is a minus. The manual remote opener is more hassle than it is worth since the range is severely limited and the remote gets a bit temperamental, especially in cooler weather.
The 1996 Toyota Camry comes with cloth seats which drive many a car nut, well, nutty. For reasons which defy logic, it appears that men in particular prefer leather (faux or otherwise) to cloth, but as a mom permit me to assure you that cloth is the way to go. Vacuum it, dry-shampoo it and stains are gone in a jiffy. Spilled juice boxes, tipped over chocolate milk (groan!) and Cheerios in mass quantities are cleaned up quickly and easily, and with no leather interior to worry about, it does not matter if the kid’s shoe buckle catches and scratches the seat. Try that on leather and weep!
All in all, this 1996 Toyota Camry is a great family car for the driver who is not concerned with Fahrvergnügen, does not derive a hormone boost from acceleration speed, and is not envisioning cruising down Sunset to get some babes to drool over him. On the other hand, for the practical driver with an eye on the fuel cost, potential maintenance expenses, and ability to haul a week’s worth of groceries in addition to a stroller and other assorted sundries in the trunk, the 1996 Toyota Camry is a great choice! (Just make sure you tie a balloon to your roof during Christmas shopping at the local mall. This car does not stick out and in a sea of similar looking vehicles it can take forever to find it.)
