Sunday Slumday: 1996 Toyota Avalon XL
This next car came into our tips email box with a note from tipper Rock On who called it a “Japanese Buick”. A what? Oh. Yes, the Toyota Avalon was the ultimate example of the guys from Toyota building a car that the older guy in middle American wanted to drive…which was a reliable Buick Regal — complete with column mounted shifter, boring looks, gushy suspension, and gobs of torque from a big V6. This might not have the vaunted Tri-Shield crest of David Dunbar Buick on the fender, but it will be much more reliable. Find this 1996 Toyota Avalon XL offered for $2400 in Henderson, NV via craigslist.
From the seller:
1996 Toyota Avalon XL
VIN: 4T1BF12B8TU079938
condition: excellent
cylinders: 6 cylinders
drive: fwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 165000
paint color: black
size: mid-size
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: sedan
Immaculate condition 1996 Toyota Avalon for sale by owner. Clean title in hand. Garage kept.
165k Original miles. Keyless entry. Well kept.
Fully loaded. Leather interior. Passes smog.
Air conditioning. Brand new Bridgestone tires.
Clean carfax report. Automatic transmission.
Please call or text me at show contact info .
Asking 2,400$ Thank you so much for looking!
See a better way to drive a car with shocks filled with Ensure? tips@dailyturismo.com
Japanese Buick? I thought it was an American Lexus.
Take the badging off and this has to be the most unidentifiable mainstream car ever. Great getaway car “can you describe their car?” “No”
I didn’t know you could get a column shift in a car without buying a police car. Thats cool!
I never could figure out why an automatic needed to be between the seats.
At that point, you couldn’t get a Regal with a column shift. Unfortunately whoever at GM kept sneaking forced induction option packages onto the Regal build sheets seems to have had no counterpart at Toyota.
A friend refers to his Avalon as the Geezer Pleaser.