Drove a '90 Civic, now I "get it".

You may recall me asking the GRM collective about 1990 Honda Civics a few months back. A friend of mine was offered one for real cheap with low miles, and she picked it up. Last week, she visited our house in the car, and I asked her to let me take it for a spin.

Overview: it's a basic red 1990 Civic sedan Automatic. 1.5L TBI motor. It was ordered new and has only 52,000 miles on it. very minimal rust, and a couple small issues, like the fact that it needs an alignment, tires, and has a very small exhaust leak. The funny thing is that it has just about every option EXCEPT a radio. It has power everything, A/C, cruise, the auto trans, and no radio. Weird!

Driving Impressions: I have forgotten how small and nimble these cars were. New Civics are HUGE compared to this car. My Mazda 3 feels like a crossover SUV after driving the Civic. It sits very low to the ground and feels like a go-kart. It handled like one too. Driver inputs were immediately felt, and the car handled fantastic. It had extremely tight and responsive steering, and even the automatic transmission shifted hard and was up to the task. It may not have been fast, but it sure FELT fast, and it was peppy. Brakes were alright, but could have been a little better.

I took the car on some back roads near my house and found it more fun to drive than my Mazda. The only thing was that I had trouble finding a comfortable driving position. I'm a big guy, and my leg hit the side of the center stack the entire time.

She said its all mine when she is done with it, so this could be a future Challenge car or Lemons entry for me.

You should try an si.

In that era, all the hondas hit the ports without ac or radio. They were dealer installed options (at huge mark-ups.)

Its a fact...its more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. Momentum cars are a hoot!

Bravenrace is right. I owned an auto DX hatch and I just sold a manual Si last year (see my pic). If you think an auto Dx is fun, please track down an Si

And thanks for reminding me how awesome they are. I just e-mailed about one.

My wife had a 98 1.6 DX 5 speed. It was fun, but not nearly that fun. I did the dealer-install AC myself when we moved. That was fun.

Now I've got my eye on a '90 Si in case our one operational vehicle decides to crap out this week. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

If I didn't already have too many vehicles, I probably would have brought home a Si by now. When I was driving this car, I kept thinking how much better the Si must be.

SilverFleet wrote: I'm a big guy, and my leg hit the side of the center stack the entire time.

That may have been at least partially because it's an automatic - my memory is fuzzy, but I briefly owned a '91 DX with a stick years ago while my girlfriend at the time had an LX with an automatic, and I seem to remember the console on the automatic car took up more leg space.

Wait until you try a CRX Si.

In reply to e_pie:

The center console is more intrusive on the CRX than it is on the Civic.

even my '01 Integra is like that ... that's what I get for being 6'+ ..... all my Honda's have been like that .... gel wrists supports ( computer mouse content) stuck to the side of the console helps

bravenrace wrote: You should try an si.

Or a CRX Si...

e_pie wrote: Wait until you try a CRX Si.

I am still mad at myself for passing up a 1st gen CRX Si back in high school. I could have had it for around $500 and it was nice. I probably won't fit in one now.

Oh well, I'll just have to play with my CSX. I know I fit in that car just fine.

SilverFleet wrote: I am still mad at myself for passing up a 1st gen CRX Si back in high school. I could have had it for around $500 and it was nice. I probably won't fit in one now.

You'd probably be surprised - I gave rides in college to a big roommate and he never had a problem sitting shotgun. I'll probably own another 1st gen Si someday - it was just a blast.

Woody wrote:

bravenrace wrote: You should try an si.

Or a CRX Si...

Meh, I don't care, I have both.

bastomatic wrote:

SilverFleet wrote: I am still mad at myself for passing up a 1st gen CRX Si back in high school. I could have had it for around $500 and it was nice. I probably won't fit in one now.

You'd probably be surprised - I gave rides in college to a big roommate and he never had a problem sitting shotgun. I'll probably own another 1st gen Si someday - it was just a blast.

Good leg room, limited head room.

CRXen have no headroom, even the later ones.

I tried to drive a friend's and I didn't make it out of the driveway. I had to hold my head sideways to fit under the roof. Not so comfortable.

(also had to chop and reweld the seat bracket to fit in my NX2000 with a helmet)

Hey...look at this!:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Honda-Civic-CRX-Si-Very-good-condition-No-Modifications-/281048042536?_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true

spnx wrote: CRXen have no headroom, even the later ones. I tried to drive a friend's and I didn't make it out of the driveway. I had to hold my head sideways to fit under the roof. Not so comfortable. (also had to chop and reweld the seat bracket to fit in my NX2000 with a helmet)

I'm 6'2" and had plenty of room in my CRX with a helmet on. Especially once I removed the sunroof.

Woody wrote: Hey...look at this!: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Honda-Civic-CRX-Si-Very-good-condition-No-Modifications-/281048042536?_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true

Oh shnap! Is that the one you just bought? They're bringing around $3,500 in that condition around here, fyi.

Woody wrote: Hey...look at this!: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Honda-Civic-CRX-Si-Very-good-condition-No-Modifications-/281048042536?_trksid=p3984.m1586.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&forcev4exp=true

Oh shnap! Is that the one you just bought? They're bringing around $3,500 in that condition around here, fyi. Best of luck. Hope you make some $$$!

I've driven an 2nd gen CRX HF, CRX Si, 90 Civic Si, 1st Gen CRX Si and various miatas. Decent enough cars but I just don't "get it".

I can't seem to get over the memory of going through 3/4 tank of gas in an 06 GTO over about 3 hours one night.

That would be fine.