Toyota Corolla reviews

1996 Toyota Corolla Review Summary

What reviewers liked most about the 1996 Toyota Corolla:

• With comfortable bucket seats in front and a three-place bench seat in the rear, Corolla is a congenial car for families with young children.- New Car Test Drive

• Though the Corolla is a compact car, you never feel claustrophobic driving it. There's plenty of head, leg and foot room for average-sized front and rear passengers.- Cars.com

• ...the optional antilock brakes, better than average crash test scores and integrated child seat go a long way toward making a safe compact family-sedan that is not too expensive.- Edmunds.com

What reviewers liked least about the 1996 Toyota Corolla:

• Though the automatic transmission generally works well with the 1.8-liter engine, it's slow to downshift for passing, unless you floor the throttle. The optional 3-speed automatic provided with the 1.6-liter engine is not only slow to downshift, it can be harsh at times.- Consumer Guide

• ...the base Corolla's 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine has been revised to produce lower emissions. As a result, horsepower drops by five to 100, while torque actually increases by five pound-feet to 105.- Consumer Guide

• A small car has a harder time managing ride quality than a larger car, in part because the wheelbase is comparatively short. Annoyingly, a shorter-wheelbase car may do a rocking-horse thing over road imperfections that a larger car would just absorb.- New Car Test Drive

• With the larger engine, the Corolla DX really should have fatter tires that would grip the road better, helping to harness the engine's power. With the smaller tires, you can easily cause the front tires to squeal on acceleration, especially when turning.- Cars.com

1996 Toyota Corolla Comparisons:

• With a fancier grille, leather seats and some real wood inside, the Corolla could proudly wear a Lexus badge.- Cars.com

• We timed a Corolla with the 1.8-liter at 10.9 seconds to 60 mph, which is slower than a Honda Civic, but quicker than most other rivals.- Consumer Guide

• Built on the same assembly line as the Corolla, out of the same parts and by the same workers, the Prizm is everything that the Corolla is and more. Most importantly the Prizm is significantly cheaper than the Corolla and comes with a roadside assistance warranty that the Corolla lacks. We like the Corolla, but we would buy the Prizm.- Edmunds.com

• It may be a more formal look than key competitors like the Dodge/Plymouth Neon twins and the Ford Escort, with more sharply folded sheet metal than some trendier products. This isn't because of a shortage of artistic talent at Toyota's design hive, but to provide a better interior peoplescape.- New Car Test Drive

• Corolla is quieter than the similar Geo Prizm because Toyota includes more sound insulation in its cars.- Consumer Guide

Best one-liners about the 1996 Toyota Corolla:

• The Corolla is one of those rare cars you feel good about the minute you sit in the driver's seat.- Cars.com

• Toyota has a winner with the Corolla.- Edmunds.com

• You'll discover a well-made, fun-to-drive little four-door that will provide many years of service--and then your child can take it away to college.- New Car Test Drive