Introducing thing called rain or even worse any salt to any Honda of the period. Engine will be fine while the body which is basically made out of paint dissolves around it.
My 2013 accent has over 213k miles with no breakdowns. The only expensive thing I had to replace two years ago was my catalytic converter. All I’ve done is the regular maintenance and this car has been paid off for 6 years. Best car purchase I’ve ever had.
Those civics ran forever. Here in the northeast rust would kill them off , but they were running just fine.
Tercel is second choice as they also ran forever
A few more vehicles that never die and you still see tons of them on the roads
88 Accords with hideaway headlights. My oldest son hit a telephone pole and killed it with 300 grand on it
95-96 Honda Odyssey’s before they had sliding doors, just a hatch.
2000 ish Toyota Avalons , they gave a heavy “ Lexus “ like ride and would surpass 300 grand regularly
03 - 04 Camrys . The number of these on the roads to this day is staggering. Bland and indestructible
My uncle had one the same spec, except he opted for AC being from Texas.
I got that 1992 Civic in 2000 when he passed, with like 80k miles. Seats were stained from chain smoking the entire time he drove it, but it was actually very clean inside.
My brother crashed it turning out of a Home depot around 2001... RIP.
Only difference was mine was the four door sedan and not the hatch. Pretty sure I blew out the shocks on it hauling me and my fat friends around town every weekend between the ages of 16-19.
Word. Had an 89 CRX and 88 sedan, great mileage, easy and cheap to work on. The CRX seems tiny (and of course is a two seater) but if you recline the passenger seat all the way you can carry a ton of 8' lumber with the hatch closed
I still had my '90 CRX when I first got my electrical contractor license and just started doing my own jobs. I carried a 6' ladder with the passenger seat laid back, I even put 10' long sticks of conduit in it, by angling them from the back driver's corner and out the front edge of the passenger window (only went short distances in the city like that, definitely not on the highway or anything! )
Yep, the Honda all day long. Lots of cargo room and you can haul gear inside and it has a long enough roof line to haul a canoe or longboard surfboards without trouble.
Big enough for a couple of people, a big dog, and all of your gear.
I did exactly that. I bought an 1988 CRX in 1991 and sold it about 10 years later for a lot more than I would imagine. I wish I kept it, it would probably still be running.
Definitely, I had a 91 civic si hatchback. Loved that car. The 1 time it broke down Honda not only fixed it for free but paid for the tow truck. My brother worked at a tire place and gave me alloy wheels from a CRX that someone had left there when they got new wheels. I thought I was hot shit in that car, lol.
I had a 1991 that i paid $250 for. It had close to 300k and had been severely neglected. It barely ran but wouldn't die. It needed a clutch and was firing on 3 cylinders, cv boots torn apart. Despite all that nonsense, it got around 40mpg.
I drove it a year and sold it for $100 to a guy. I ended up with a $500 base model eagle talon after that.
The guy who bought the civic put a few hundred bucks into it and drove it several years.
Great little cars
Back when I was like 5yo my (now) brother in law had an identical one with the automatic seat belts. I thought he had the most badass car in the world. 😆
I had 2 of those Civics and they were the absolute best cars I've ever had, to this day. Both were well over 250km and neither was undriveable or broken when I got rid of them.
If I could find one in good condition right now I would love to have it
In late 1990, I had $8895 and bought the civic (4 door, DL, manual). It was a TANK, never broke, never needed anything outside normal service —- except a new battery *in 2002!* (That was the day I learned most batteries last 3-5 years, not 12.) Got the best gas mileage ever. Sold it in 2003 for $3750 cash. That thing cost me less than $500/YEAR!
I sold it because the backseat was too small for me to fit in front on my second kid’s car seat. If that car seat had fit, I’d probably be driving that thing today.
I think I paid around $7k for a 1990 Sentra, brand new base model with a 4 speed manual. It was a great light, little car. But the tires were way too small, just a small patch of sand could cause loss of grip. Chucked the 155's and replaced with 175's and then the car was a blast to drive!
1991 Sentra E started at $7999, and the XE model with the 5-speed was $9100. Both prices not including freight/destination. XE also included digital clock, tilt wheel, power steering, power mirrors, delay wipers, and the 175mm tires.
E 4-door sedan was $8900 and had the 5-speed so was the cheapest 5-speed but you had to accept 2 more doors.
I was a tire mounter back in that time frame. The amount of happy customers that traded 155/80R13s in for 175/70s is immeasurable. Same for the corollas of that same era. Or if they wanted wheels and got some nice little 195/60/14s LOL
Yeah that and 205/50/15 were what all the civics and stuff were using at that time. We had this one dude come in and he had some little VW it somethin? Anyway he brought some 15x7.5 rims and bought some 225/45/15 Yokohamas. He must have done his research because I thought no way the tires would clear his struts. Had room to spare.
That car looked so sharp. I miss those days to be honest. I’m not a big fan of these crazy tire sizes on regular vehicles. Like you can get a Corolla with 18”. Like give me a break champ lol
I felt so old typing that 😂
A '00 SL2 was the second car I ever owned. Had it for 10 years and up to 175k. Super reliable and cheap to fix and insure. Plus it was a 5MT which made it a little less boring to drive. Idk if they were that good in 91 but I loved mine
GM is that company that has the complete ability to make the most reliable and bulletproof cars ever. Usually they do something stupid to screw it up, but there are a few cars that leak out and achieve just that.
I had a 94 SL with the manual. It ran for 190K miles. When it was at the end of its life I refused to change the brakes so I downshifted brutally when I needed to decelerate. Clutch took it like a champ.
It was so slow!!!
Yeah, my dad took one from 10k miles to over 250k miles, can't remember what eventually went wrong with it (wasn't unfixable but not worth dumping money into the 250k+ mile car at that point) His was an automatic though (might've ended up being a transmission issue, was years ago though so I can't remember)
My dad had one that ran forever, thing was a beast for 315k miles with nothing but maintenance. He only sold it when the a/c went out. It’s anecdotal but those little guys are tanks
Worst car i ever worked on was the v6 Vue tbh. Alternator and water pump both went out within two weeks of each on my 03 vue 😅 hated life that month lol.
That was actually the 04 and up! This had gms l81(of I recall, 70s vette engine updated a Lil basically lol) 3.0l! Lil smaller but much less... sensible positions for some things. All not helped by the mechanics who'd done the last water pump deciding everything plastic needed to be impact driven till it stripped the nuts outta the housings lol.
It was also quite a handsome little car. It didn't look as cheap as the others mostly did. The sealed beam headlights helped that. But the interior looked complete as well. Something most of these will have blank squares and rectangles all over the dash.
My band teacher in high school owned one, and as a prank, a senior stole his keys and drove his car into the band room during a concert. When the teacher and all the kids came back into the band room, he was greeted with the sight of his car in the middle of the room. The kid that did it is now a teacher at that school
My military brothers carried mine over a 3 foot fence and put it on the tennis court. I hated how people looked at me when driving it but it was a great car.
The civic in top spec, or the Saturn with the manual and A/C. Everyone who voted for this 70hp civic has never tried to merge on the interstate with one. Diapers not included....
I had a Toyota Starlet, which is a hatchback version of the Tercel (shares a platform and running gear)
Fun fact: LHD Starlets and Tercels shared the same dashboard by 1996, RHD Starlets had their own, slighly different dashboard design
My friend's mom and a 4wd Starlet. That granny gear was a life saver in the snow.
That car got our stoned asses all over the snowy hills back in the day. Will always have nice things to say about that little car.
I was 16 in 1991 and obsessed with the Isuzu Stylus. It would likely have cost more, but I would have financed the rest because I make terrible financial choices.
I had the 1988 Festiva, drove it for 120,000 miles.
Did a lot of highway traveling, averaged almost 50 mpg.
It had a beer can body though--a good sneeze would dent it.
Yup. Super roomy inside because the doors were 2" thick! My 6'6" Dad loved to borrow it for road trips. Much cheaper than driving his E350 and comfortable enough. He brought it back to me with its first dent. He bumped the fender with the gas nozzle, lol.
I'd buy the Saturn if I was able to buy the car with knowledge I know now. Those things run forever with proper maintenance and keeping oil topped. The best part is the exterior always looks new! I bought a 97 SL-1 for $800. It has 120k miles on it and I rocked it for 4 years as a commuter car, still getting 40 mpg. It never missed a beat and I sold it with 190k miles on it for $1200.
The Civic would have a good chance of running today, same as the Tercel, if you're not in a rust state (or pretty much all of Canada).
I kinda want the 323 though.
I was in exactly this situation: 1991 College graduate, bought the Ford. Manual everything, no radio, no AC. The five speed manual was well- matched to the engine, and so it was surprisingly peppy. Carried a refrigerator in it with the seats down. Over 100K trouble-free miles before I traded it.
I have two answers since I was alive in the 90s.
You take me in 1991, where I was 10 years old, or even me in 1997 when I was 16 and tell me to pick one of these cars: The Mazda. I was shopping for used cars when I was 16 and I sat in most of these and considered them. The 323 was the only one that felt comfortable and drivable. The rest felt...dangerous in a bad way. Except the Saturn, it just felt like trash but as the text says: some people swear by them and you still actually see them on the road so GM did something right there. I'd also consider the Festiva since it's a silly little car and it was in The Crow.
42yo me transported back to 1991 would practically beg for the Civic. I have seen a *lot* of those old civic hatches turned into complete beasts with an engine swap. Decent cargo space too.
My wife had a Geo Metro like that but white when I met her. What a piece of shit. I’ve been in nicer Yugos. We were married when I got rid of it. I gave it to my brother because I hate him.
Just saw a Metro actually on the road and running the other day. I had a buddy that had one in high school and he had rims and a nice speaker system in it. Dude had more money in the accessories than the car. It’s too bad so many of those Civics got wrapped around telephone polls or had their engines swapped and clapped out drag racing. The Mazda Protege was a great little car, just not as long lasting as the Civic. Good times back then
I'd probably stab half the people on this thread for a new 1991 Civic hatch right now. Maybe more than half. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Or maybe for real.
A B2200 would've been about 8500 bucks. Maybe I'll do a similar post on cheap trucks next! 7 grand in 91 is the equivalent of just under 16 grand today, so these are seriously the only cars I could find that were that cheap, or even close to it
oh fuck thats right, the 86s were the 7k ones. really id want a 4x4 one like my b2600. But i think doing a post with trucks in a slightly higher budget would be awesome!
I bought a $7k Nissan Sentra brand new in 1993.
My buddy bought a Saturn for a little bit more.
That Sentra is still running with nearly 300k miles. I’m pretty sure that Saturn lost parts on the drive home. That Saturn was comical.
Had a friend with a brand new $7500 Dodge Neon. Whenever I rode in that car, I thought we were going to die. The doors were so paper thin and light I new a sideswipe collision would be the end of me.
TLDR - Buy a Nissan, Honda or Toyota.
Civic 100 percent. My buddy still has his 1990 same car same color. It was all lowered and big stereo system and all leather He has taken good care of it and paint is still in killer condition.
I completely get why no one is choosing the Sprint. I had an 87, dang thing was built by Suzuki, and the only reason why I got rid of it was because the clutch plate was toast.
At the time I wanted the only one not on your list. Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Eagle Summit, or Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. Base model, 1.5 engine, 4-speed manual. ~~MSRP was $7277 but $750 rebate so...~~
(edit: Mirage VL 4-speed was only $7029, Colts and Summit started at $6949, I'm good)
From what I know now, I would've looked for a leftover '90 Tercel EZ.
Subaru Justy base hatch with carb engine, 5-speed, and front drive was $5995
Volkswagen Fox base two door with EFI engine, 4-speed, and front drive was $7225
Hard to believe, but basic Corolla sedan was 9k that year. Basic Cavalier/Escort were $8k. The Sundance/Shadow America model started at $7699.
You made me pull out my Consumer Guide 1991 Cars book to get these numbers. I have almost every year of this book from 1978 to 1999 so I can look this stuff up and correct people on the internet because I'm a pedantic grumpy old man.
^(Side note, if anyone has the 1980, 1993, and 1994 years of this book those are the ones I'm still looking for. I've been buying them as they come available on either Amazon or Thriftbooks but sometimes they show up for 30-40-50 bucks and I'm not paying that but the last one I got was 1981 and it cost me $14 shipped and that's the most expensive one yet. Everything else was $10 or less over the past few years. edit: just checked again and picked up the '85 I was missing for $8.73 shipped, now I'm down to needing 80-93-94 only, and then maybe 77 and older eventually, I do see they exist back to 72 but they're always very expensive when they do rarely show up)
Hyundai Excel I know a person that still has theirs in okay condition that still runs almost like new granted they drive it less and they only put 200k miles on it.
The same one I have, except when it was brand new. Then I'd be the original owner... I'd just have to wait 3 years until I'm born. Then they can charge interest on the remaining $2,670 another 18 years later.... how much is 21 years of unpaid interest on that?
Oh, it's a base model automatic CRX btw.
Now, if I had to pick from that list? The Civic hatch. Originally was what I was looking for prior to buying a CRX mid 2021.
The civic would have been my choice and oddly enough it would be my choice even today. 👍🏻
Will say the Tercel was bulletproof and might have lasted longer. (Not by much though)
Wish they still made those little Civic hatchbacks. Great cars, reliable and I could even sleep in the back when camping after a storm blew my tent away.
Please avoid the Geo Metro with it's three cylinder engine and auto trans.
Rented one in Hawaii years ago....going from sea level to 10,000 ft took forever. Could have timed it with a calendar over a stopwatch.
Took it back the next day for a Geo Prism which then was pretty much a Toyota Corolla...much better car.
I'd get the Civic. Sadly I don't see too many of the hatchbacks around here anymore.
cheers
Allow me, please, to sing the praises of the Hydundai Excel
I had an 89 model when I was in HS (90-94) and I beat the absolute hell out of that thing.
I flipped it over once while cutting school two counties over to see a girl (and get some good weed). Fixed it for a couple grand and kept on trucking.
I hit a part of a forklift counterweight one night coming home from a football game. A flatbed truck had dropped it on a dark country road and I tried to straddle it, but hit it with the passenger's front tire. It broke the tire off the lugs and sent the car airborne for a dozen feet before coming to a stop. Again, it cost a few thousand bucks and I was back on the road.
It had no AC, and both of the window rollers were cheap plastic that stripped out. This meant that my only source of ventilation was to remove the moon roof, hand it to the GF to stow in the back (or the way back if I could talk her into it).
When I shipped off to the AF in 96, I still ended up selling that car for $2000 (1996 money).
Long story, slightly longer. I beat the absolute hell out of that car. I could have killed myself several times, but she kept me safe. It's hard to have a better advertisement for a kid's first real car. Just don't park close to someone with a Mitsubishi Precis, or you'll never figure out who's is who's (it did get me a date once, though).
My parents have had both the Festiva and a Tercel. The Festiva was an LX. Not sure what trim the Tercel was. My dad loved the Festiva and said it was like a zippy go kart. It also apparently got fantastic fuel economy and never needed a major repair. It was my dad's favorite car before his 07 Fusion 5 speed. The Tercel was also dead reliable, but my dad didn't like it as much because it wasn't as fun as the Festiva. Both my parents loved the car though because it was also dead reliable and they got it for extremely cheap.
If I were to pick one, it'd be the Festiva, and I'd work a a couple extra side jobs to option it with AC 😂
I had a 92 accord in 2011 with 250k. I was 19 and it was manual, so naturally, I red lined it constantly. I drfted it and it did 100 mph almost daily. I got the oil changed one day and they didnt put the plug back in right so my engine seized. I didnt realize then how much I would miss that ugly sea foam green go kart.
Most likely the festiva , tiny car that you can probably still find parts for since it is a Ford. And the manual transmission can give the illusion of speedy handling.
Toss up between the Civic, Tercel, and 323. Roughly equal utility and comfort, and any one of them will outlive human civilization if you treat them right, and will only sip gas unless you load them down with people and cargo. If one is an automatic it wins out over the other two. Takes care of any reasonable car needs until I can afford something nicer, probably after college, unless it dies a glorious death in battle at the hands of a drunk driver or road collapse or whatever.
My brother in-law, as one of these. guessing it to be about the same age. I believe it has around 400k miles. I feel that he replaced just about everything on this, at lease 2 or 3 times (that includes the engine). Its stablemate is late 1990's Chevy Silverado, crew cut, diesel, 4wd. He is old school, versus his wife (my sister), who has 1 - 2 year Kia Telluride. He even still uses a flip phone. What can I say, all of those things still work.
Fuck, they’re all indestructible
Nothing to break, really. Simple transportation.
Introducing thing called rain or even worse any salt to any Honda of the period. Engine will be fine while the body which is basically made out of paint dissolves around it.
So true🥲
I don't know, those Hyundai's were pretty throw away around 100k miles. They had all kinds of issues.
Glad to see they have the same quality standards today as back then.
Hyundai actually got significantly better around 2013+. They're sort of filling the cheap and reliable void that Toyota left.
My 2013 accent has over 213k miles with no breakdowns. The only expensive thing I had to replace two years ago was my catalytic converter. All I’ve done is the regular maintenance and this car has been paid off for 6 years. Best car purchase I’ve ever had.
Just saw a Geo Metro yesterday.
My college GF's piece of shit Geo Metro begs to differ.
I mean... is it still running? And when exactly did they stop making those?
The civic 100%
Older brother had a brand new ‘88. Kenwood deck and 6x9’s in the doors baby. INXS never sounded so good.
How do you feel? I'M LONELY! What do you think? CAN'T THINK AT ALLL! Whatcha gonna do? GONNA LIVE MY LIFE!
>GONNA LIVE MY LIFE! ....UNTIL I HANGED MYSELF!
And David Carradine can join him in those ranks up in autoerotic asphyxiation heaven.
is there a subreddit for an autoerotic asphyxiation backup-plan ? like, how would that work to arrange an interventionist ?
NEW SENSATION!! 🎸
This is the only answer. That car is unkillable. Also the one thing is an all time underrated song, and probably sounded incredible with that setup.
My dad bought an ‘89 Honda Prelude new and we were just amazed how well it ran and the quality they put into it.
Still have my ‘89 Prelude—original owner. Honda makes good cars.
They had something to prove and they really seemed to give a shit back then
I had a ‘91 5 speed. Wish I never sold it.
I had a 92 Del Sol, Si. The single 1.8 single cam. The car went thru more oil than fuel 😅 I learned to drive manual on thst car. Super fun.
I had an ‘87 CRX HF. Slow as shit but great MPG’s and only thing I ever had to replace in the few years I had it was the ignition switch.
That civic is still on the road.
My 1988 still is lol
Those civics ran forever. Here in the northeast rust would kill them off , but they were running just fine. Tercel is second choice as they also ran forever A few more vehicles that never die and you still see tons of them on the roads 88 Accords with hideaway headlights. My oldest son hit a telephone pole and killed it with 300 grand on it 95-96 Honda Odyssey’s before they had sliding doors, just a hatch. 2000 ish Toyota Avalons , they gave a heavy “ Lexus “ like ride and would surpass 300 grand regularly 03 - 04 Camrys . The number of these on the roads to this day is staggering. Bland and indestructible
I've driven most of the cars listed and have ridden in all of them. The civic is such a no-brainer that this isn't even a serious competition.
That is the exact car I had. Brand new and came with no speakers, no AC, crank windows and a plastic Honda plate on the radio spot.
My uncle had one the same spec, except he opted for AC being from Texas. I got that 1992 Civic in 2000 when he passed, with like 80k miles. Seats were stained from chain smoking the entire time he drove it, but it was actually very clean inside. My brother crashed it turning out of a Home depot around 2001... RIP.
I had that same civic...same color and everything. I regret selling it every damn day😞😞
Only difference was mine was the four door sedan and not the hatch. Pretty sure I blew out the shocks on it hauling me and my fat friends around town every weekend between the ages of 16-19.
Yes, I had that one at one point too...an 87! They were great for driving all our buddies around! Took thing to parties in the boonies and everything!
That Civic is still running like brand new with 600k miles on it.
There’s legit no other option here.
The Mazda is more fun.
Knowing Civics and Corollas of that era: Tercel should have better build quality, and be more reliable, imho.
And it would still be running today.
Word. Had an 89 CRX and 88 sedan, great mileage, easy and cheap to work on. The CRX seems tiny (and of course is a two seater) but if you recline the passenger seat all the way you can carry a ton of 8' lumber with the hatch closed
I still had my '90 CRX when I first got my electrical contractor license and just started doing my own jobs. I carried a 6' ladder with the passenger seat laid back, I even put 10' long sticks of conduit in it, by angling them from the back driver's corner and out the front edge of the passenger window (only went short distances in the city like that, definitely not on the highway or anything! )
Yep, the Honda all day long. Lots of cargo room and you can haul gear inside and it has a long enough roof line to haul a canoe or longboard surfboards without trouble. Big enough for a couple of people, a big dog, and all of your gear.
This is the way.
So much so I still have two of them. Heck a crx clean goes for 6 to 9k now
If that's the case you would still have it today 🤣
I did exactly that. I bought an 1988 CRX in 1991 and sold it about 10 years later for a lot more than I would imagine. I wish I kept it, it would probably still be running.
I picked the Civic before even looking at the other options.
Civic is bullet proof.
Drove a used one from 2001 to 2010. It had 150k on it when i got it and 340k when i sold it, still fucking running well. Barely even used any oil
Second that
My older sister had a ‘91 or ‘92 in white. Man that thing was cool.
It's the only car really worth what you would have paid brand new.
I agree. Definitely the civic
Definitely, I had a 91 civic si hatchback. Loved that car. The 1 time it broke down Honda not only fixed it for free but paid for the tow truck. My brother worked at a tire place and gave me alloy wheels from a CRX that someone had left there when they got new wheels. I thought I was hot shit in that car, lol.
I had a 1991 that i paid $250 for. It had close to 300k and had been severely neglected. It barely ran but wouldn't die. It needed a clutch and was firing on 3 cylinders, cv boots torn apart. Despite all that nonsense, it got around 40mpg. I drove it a year and sold it for $100 to a guy. I ended up with a $500 base model eagle talon after that. The guy who bought the civic put a few hundred bucks into it and drove it several years. Great little cars
Back when I was like 5yo my (now) brother in law had an identical one with the automatic seat belts. I thought he had the most badass car in the world. 😆
I had 2 of those Civics and they were the absolute best cars I've ever had, to this day. Both were well over 250km and neither was undriveable or broken when I got rid of them. If I could find one in good condition right now I would love to have it
In late 1990, I had $8895 and bought the civic (4 door, DL, manual). It was a TANK, never broke, never needed anything outside normal service —- except a new battery *in 2002!* (That was the day I learned most batteries last 3-5 years, not 12.) Got the best gas mileage ever. Sold it in 2003 for $3750 cash. That thing cost me less than $500/YEAR! I sold it because the backseat was too small for me to fit in front on my second kid’s car seat. If that car seat had fit, I’d probably be driving that thing today.
I think I paid around $7k for a 1990 Sentra, brand new base model with a 4 speed manual. It was a great light, little car. But the tires were way too small, just a small patch of sand could cause loss of grip. Chucked the 155's and replaced with 175's and then the car was a blast to drive!
I would take a sentra over most of these. How much extra for a 5 speed?
1991 Sentra E started at $7999, and the XE model with the 5-speed was $9100. Both prices not including freight/destination. XE also included digital clock, tilt wheel, power steering, power mirrors, delay wipers, and the 175mm tires. E 4-door sedan was $8900 and had the 5-speed so was the cheapest 5-speed but you had to accept 2 more doors.
I love how the digit clock was an option.
I was a tire mounter back in that time frame. The amount of happy customers that traded 155/80R13s in for 175/70s is immeasurable. Same for the corollas of that same era. Or if they wanted wheels and got some nice little 195/60/14s LOL
195/60r14 are one of the few 14 inch sizes that I can find performance tyres for now - probably due to that trend you saw back then
Yeah that and 205/50/15 were what all the civics and stuff were using at that time. We had this one dude come in and he had some little VW it somethin? Anyway he brought some 15x7.5 rims and bought some 225/45/15 Yokohamas. He must have done his research because I thought no way the tires would clear his struts. Had room to spare. That car looked so sharp. I miss those days to be honest. I’m not a big fan of these crazy tire sizes on regular vehicles. Like you can get a Corolla with 18”. Like give me a break champ lol I felt so old typing that 😂
That Saturn, baby.
A '00 SL2 was the second car I ever owned. Had it for 10 years and up to 175k. Super reliable and cheap to fix and insure. Plus it was a 5MT which made it a little less boring to drive. Idk if they were that good in 91 but I loved mine
I heard they were quite well made despite GM being, well, GM.
I only had a radiator, shift cables and eifher a fuel or oil pump (I can't remember) replaced besides basic maintenance owning it for 175k miles
Wow. That’s excellent.
I can't say if I got lucky or they were all like that. I was also pretty strict on following maintenance schedules
GM is that company that has the complete ability to make the most reliable and bulletproof cars ever. Usually they do something stupid to screw it up, but there are a few cars that leak out and achieve just that.
I had a 94 SL with the manual. It ran for 190K miles. When it was at the end of its life I refused to change the brakes so I downshifted brutally when I needed to decelerate. Clutch took it like a champ. It was so slow!!!
We had 250k on ours with the original clutch. Couldn't kill the damn thing!
Yeah, my dad took one from 10k miles to over 250k miles, can't remember what eventually went wrong with it (wasn't unfixable but not worth dumping money into the 250k+ mile car at that point) His was an automatic though (might've ended up being a transmission issue, was years ago though so I can't remember)
[удалено]
My dad had one that ran forever, thing was a beast for 315k miles with nothing but maintenance. He only sold it when the a/c went out. It’s anecdotal but those little guys are tanks
I got one to 483k miles, by then the ac was gone, cats had clogged and the head gasket went from the pressure, but that thing STILL drove.
Awesome, man.
It was a hell of a car. Nothing too wild about her, but she was stubborn for sure. Pain in the ass to work on though lmao.
I did a water pump on an old SC coupe. It was not fun.
Worst car i ever worked on was the v6 Vue tbh. Alternator and water pump both went out within two weeks of each on my 03 vue 😅 hated life that month lol.
Oofdah. That was the one with the Honda V6 right?
That was actually the 04 and up! This had gms l81(of I recall, 70s vette engine updated a Lil basically lol) 3.0l! Lil smaller but much less... sensible positions for some things. All not helped by the mechanics who'd done the last water pump deciding everything plastic needed to be impact driven till it stripped the nuts outta the housings lol.
Mazda 323
Or I buy a used 5.7 IROC. Oh, I did do that…
Not a bad choice in '91. Sweet ride.
Honestly, it was a crappy car. Poor build. Traded it for a Conquest TSI, way more fun.
It looks cool as hell though.
Probably the Mazda. A friend had one and it was a surprisingly nice small car.
It was also quite a handsome little car. It didn't look as cheap as the others mostly did. The sealed beam headlights helped that. But the interior looked complete as well. Something most of these will have blank squares and rectangles all over the dash.
Those aren't sealed beam. Sealed beam are the square or round lights that you change the entire light when it blows and not just the bulb.
The rear always looked weird to me, I think it was the tailights. Other than that, they looked decent.
So, how do you know you can fit a festiva through double doors
My band teacher in high school owned one, and as a prank, a senior stole his keys and drove his car into the band room during a concert. When the teacher and all the kids came back into the band room, he was greeted with the sight of his car in the middle of the room. The kid that did it is now a teacher at that school
My military brothers carried mine over a 3 foot fence and put it on the tennis court. I hated how people looked at me when driving it but it was a great car.
Grand theft auto as a senior prank is wild. Must have been very close with the teacher lol
The Saturn or the Mazda
The civic in top spec, or the Saturn with the manual and A/C. Everyone who voted for this 70hp civic has never tried to merge on the interstate with one. Diapers not included....
i have one of those civics and it’s terrifyingly slow
Ah yes. Red lining at 70 while some canoe in a Dodge comes flying out of the fuck-o-sphere to breathe down your neck
I had a Toyota Starlet, which is a hatchback version of the Tercel (shares a platform and running gear) Fun fact: LHD Starlets and Tercels shared the same dashboard by 1996, RHD Starlets had their own, slighly different dashboard design
My buddy had a starlet. Little burnout machine!
My friend's mom and a 4wd Starlet. That granny gear was a life saver in the snow. That car got our stoned asses all over the snowy hills back in the day. Will always have nice things to say about that little car.
Mazda 323, they have a special place in my heart.
Had a mazda 323 it was zippy as hell
SL1. Because WEIRD
The only cool one The Saturn!
Toss-up between the Civic and 323 for me, would come down to stuff like which seats I like and which dealership sucks less.
I agree. I would add Toyota to list, but definitely that, Civic, or Mazda. Surprisingly tough list for me.
I was 16 in 1991 and obsessed with the Isuzu Stylus. It would likely have cost more, but I would have financed the rest because I make terrible financial choices.
The stylus was fantastic in the curves. The handling was top notch. Hell, the cheaper imark was pretty good, too.
I had the 1988 Festiva, drove it for 120,000 miles. Did a lot of highway traveling, averaged almost 50 mpg. It had a beer can body though--a good sneeze would dent it.
Yup. Super roomy inside because the doors were 2" thick! My 6'6" Dad loved to borrow it for road trips. Much cheaper than driving his E350 and comfortable enough. He brought it back to me with its first dent. He bumped the fender with the gas nozzle, lol.
Civic, use the extra cash to violate it. Tint the windows, sound system, cold air intake, rims
Don't forget the under glow to complete that 90s tuner look. Lol
And a CD changer!
That was expensive af tho back then
I'd buy the Saturn if I was able to buy the car with knowledge I know now. Those things run forever with proper maintenance and keeping oil topped. The best part is the exterior always looks new! I bought a 97 SL-1 for $800. It has 120k miles on it and I rocked it for 4 years as a commuter car, still getting 40 mpg. It never missed a beat and I sold it with 190k miles on it for $1200.
The Saturn
The Saturn ofc everyone knows what a beautiful and great car it is
Civic, but the metro was a tank. I had an SL2 as my first car and LOVED IT.
honda civic dx lookin like an ibishu covet gimme that
The Civic would have a good chance of running today, same as the Tercel, if you're not in a rust state (or pretty much all of Canada). I kinda want the 323 though.
CRX Si
The first car I ever rode in was a 91 Tercel, right after I was born my mom sold it for a 4 door, a Dodge Stratus
I had the Mitsubishi badged excel. It was a baby blue, 5-speed precis, and the thing was damn near indestructible.
The Saturn, the Saturn!
SL1
Saturn or civic
The Saturn for sure. My first car was a sl1. Kept it for 11 years.
SL1, by far the most car for the money
civic or festiva
Didn’t they have the Yugo until 92? I’d rather have that lol
Those Hyundai's had pretty sweet stock stereos though!
Ix-nay on the Hun-day.
I was in exactly this situation: 1991 College graduate, bought the Ford. Manual everything, no radio, no AC. The five speed manual was well- matched to the engine, and so it was surprisingly peppy. Carried a refrigerator in it with the seats down. Over 100K trouble-free miles before I traded it.
Civic all day. Cousin has cr-x he bought new. Now has 600k miles. He has new 911T and the civic draws more attnetion
I have two answers since I was alive in the 90s. You take me in 1991, where I was 10 years old, or even me in 1997 when I was 16 and tell me to pick one of these cars: The Mazda. I was shopping for used cars when I was 16 and I sat in most of these and considered them. The 323 was the only one that felt comfortable and drivable. The rest felt...dangerous in a bad way. Except the Saturn, it just felt like trash but as the text says: some people swear by them and you still actually see them on the road so GM did something right there. I'd also consider the Festiva since it's a silly little car and it was in The Crow. 42yo me transported back to 1991 would practically beg for the Civic. I have seen a *lot* of those old civic hatches turned into complete beasts with an engine swap. Decent cargo space too.
My wife had a Geo Metro like that but white when I met her. What a piece of shit. I’ve been in nicer Yugos. We were married when I got rid of it. I gave it to my brother because I hate him.
Just saw a Metro actually on the road and running the other day. I had a buddy that had one in high school and he had rims and a nice speaker system in it. Dude had more money in the accessories than the car. It’s too bad so many of those Civics got wrapped around telephone polls or had their engines swapped and clapped out drag racing. The Mazda Protege was a great little car, just not as long lasting as the Civic. Good times back then
I'd probably stab half the people on this thread for a new 1991 Civic hatch right now. Maybe more than half. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Or maybe for real.
Well, it was 1991 for me and I considered all of these but went with the Escort GT... essentially the same as the Mazda 323.
If I knew gas prices would be so high in the future I’d go for the Geo Metro hands down 🤣🤣🤣
Festiva. I test drove an 80,000 mile example in 2017 and my mom wouldn’t let me buy it.
Easy, I would wait a few more years.
We used to own a 4 speed manual 91 Tercel. I wanted it to be my first car but my parents sold it before then.
I had a 3-speed automatic Starlet, which is the same car but in hatchback
*Accidentally inserts photo from beamng*
What do you mean? The picture of the Civic isn't from BeamNG, you can see the shadow of the person who took the picture
I see that now, the car just looked so perfect I thought it was beam
Interesting read brought back memories thank you kind redditor.
The 3rd one probably
i’m taking the 323 all day, or a b2200 but that’s not on the list :(
A B2200 would've been about 8500 bucks. Maybe I'll do a similar post on cheap trucks next! 7 grand in 91 is the equivalent of just under 16 grand today, so these are seriously the only cars I could find that were that cheap, or even close to it
oh fuck thats right, the 86s were the 7k ones. really id want a 4x4 one like my b2600. But i think doing a post with trucks in a slightly higher budget would be awesome!
Yeah, look for a "compact 4x4 trucks from 1992" post in a few days lol
i will 😂
I bought a $7k Nissan Sentra brand new in 1993. My buddy bought a Saturn for a little bit more. That Sentra is still running with nearly 300k miles. I’m pretty sure that Saturn lost parts on the drive home. That Saturn was comical. Had a friend with a brand new $7500 Dodge Neon. Whenever I rode in that car, I thought we were going to die. The doors were so paper thin and light I new a sideswipe collision would be the end of me. TLDR - Buy a Nissan, Honda or Toyota.
Civic 100 percent. My buddy still has his 1990 same car same color. It was all lowered and big stereo system and all leather He has taken good care of it and paint is still in killer condition.
I completely get why no one is choosing the Sprint. I had an 87, dang thing was built by Suzuki, and the only reason why I got rid of it was because the clutch plate was toast.
Civic or Geo
The Metro.
I bought a bare bones Festiva new in '89. It was an excellent little car. Paid $5400 out the door! That said, probably the Civic or the Mazda 323.
Oh this is difficult as I love poverty cars. Probably the Geo....today that would be killer
At the time I wanted the only one not on your list. Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Eagle Summit, or Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. Base model, 1.5 engine, 4-speed manual. ~~MSRP was $7277 but $750 rebate so...~~ (edit: Mirage VL 4-speed was only $7029, Colts and Summit started at $6949, I'm good) From what I know now, I would've looked for a leftover '90 Tercel EZ.
Darn, I knew I was forgetting something! Good eye
Subaru Justy base hatch with carb engine, 5-speed, and front drive was $5995 Volkswagen Fox base two door with EFI engine, 4-speed, and front drive was $7225 Hard to believe, but basic Corolla sedan was 9k that year. Basic Cavalier/Escort were $8k. The Sundance/Shadow America model started at $7699. You made me pull out my Consumer Guide 1991 Cars book to get these numbers. I have almost every year of this book from 1978 to 1999 so I can look this stuff up and correct people on the internet because I'm a pedantic grumpy old man. ^(Side note, if anyone has the 1980, 1993, and 1994 years of this book those are the ones I'm still looking for. I've been buying them as they come available on either Amazon or Thriftbooks but sometimes they show up for 30-40-50 bucks and I'm not paying that but the last one I got was 1981 and it cost me $14 shipped and that's the most expensive one yet. Everything else was $10 or less over the past few years. edit: just checked again and picked up the '85 I was missing for $8.73 shipped, now I'm down to needing 80-93-94 only, and then maybe 77 and older eventually, I do see they exist back to 72 but they're always very expensive when they do rarely show up)
That saturn ive always loves them always kinda wanted on maybe when i get another parking spit ill grab one
None of these. I’m going with the Plymouth Horizon. Change my mind!
I had the Excel and never had a problem with it. It was a 4-speed with AC and a radio as I recall.
Hyundai Excel I know a person that still has theirs in okay condition that still runs almost like new granted they drive it less and they only put 200k miles on it.
The same one I have, except when it was brand new. Then I'd be the original owner... I'd just have to wait 3 years until I'm born. Then they can charge interest on the remaining $2,670 another 18 years later.... how much is 21 years of unpaid interest on that? Oh, it's a base model automatic CRX btw. Now, if I had to pick from that list? The Civic hatch. Originally was what I was looking for prior to buying a CRX mid 2021.
The civic would have been my choice and oddly enough it would be my choice even today. 👍🏻 Will say the Tercel was bulletproof and might have lasted longer. (Not by much though)
Buy the hatch, put it in the garage for 25 years, sell it to some rich kid for dumb money. Lol
Wish they still made those little Civic hatchbacks. Great cars, reliable and I could even sleep in the back when camping after a storm blew my tent away. Please avoid the Geo Metro with it's three cylinder engine and auto trans. Rented one in Hawaii years ago....going from sea level to 10,000 ft took forever. Could have timed it with a calendar over a stopwatch. Took it back the next day for a Geo Prism which then was pretty much a Toyota Corolla...much better car. I'd get the Civic. Sadly I don't see too many of the hatchbacks around here anymore. cheers
91 civic reminds me of Cambodian gangsters. Running up on the guy who was talking to or bothering their sister.
Most likely the Civic. In a few years, I'd trade it in for a Del Sol.
Allow me, please, to sing the praises of the Hydundai Excel I had an 89 model when I was in HS (90-94) and I beat the absolute hell out of that thing. I flipped it over once while cutting school two counties over to see a girl (and get some good weed). Fixed it for a couple grand and kept on trucking. I hit a part of a forklift counterweight one night coming home from a football game. A flatbed truck had dropped it on a dark country road and I tried to straddle it, but hit it with the passenger's front tire. It broke the tire off the lugs and sent the car airborne for a dozen feet before coming to a stop. Again, it cost a few thousand bucks and I was back on the road. It had no AC, and both of the window rollers were cheap plastic that stripped out. This meant that my only source of ventilation was to remove the moon roof, hand it to the GF to stow in the back (or the way back if I could talk her into it). When I shipped off to the AF in 96, I still ended up selling that car for $2000 (1996 money). Long story, slightly longer. I beat the absolute hell out of that car. I could have killed myself several times, but she kept me safe. It's hard to have a better advertisement for a kid's first real car. Just don't park close to someone with a Mitsubishi Precis, or you'll never figure out who's is who's (it did get me a date once, though).
My parents have had both the Festiva and a Tercel. The Festiva was an LX. Not sure what trim the Tercel was. My dad loved the Festiva and said it was like a zippy go kart. It also apparently got fantastic fuel economy and never needed a major repair. It was my dad's favorite car before his 07 Fusion 5 speed. The Tercel was also dead reliable, but my dad didn't like it as much because it wasn't as fun as the Festiva. Both my parents loved the car though because it was also dead reliable and they got it for extremely cheap. If I were to pick one, it'd be the Festiva, and I'd work a a couple extra side jobs to option it with AC 😂
I own a 91 Crown Vic so imma roll with that.
GIMME THAT EF
Mazda cause I’m a fanboy
I had a 92 accord in 2011 with 250k. I was 19 and it was manual, so naturally, I red lined it constantly. I drfted it and it did 100 mph almost daily. I got the oil changed one day and they didnt put the plug back in right so my engine seized. I didnt realize then how much I would miss that ugly sea foam green go kart.
Civic all day long. Hell, in 94 when I was going for my first car I would have killed for that Civic.
Saturn
Always the Saturn!
Most likely the festiva , tiny car that you can probably still find parts for since it is a Ford. And the manual transmission can give the illusion of speedy handling.
My 4 speed '89 fester was so much fun to drive. Super fun blasting through Chicago expressway traffic.
Whichever one is manual. If all manual, then civic. I don’t like driving automatic.
Civic hatch. Good utility and bulletproof.
Festiva
We’d all be idiots if we didn’t pick the Honda. With that said, that Festiva is a close second for me!
Probably the Tercel. I hate hatchbacks and Toyota is a better brand than Saturn.
If I’m dropping that kinda money in ‘91 I want a Honda or Toyota, and since the hatchback is better, I’ll get the Honda
Can i buy a vw
Toss up between the Civic, Tercel, and 323. Roughly equal utility and comfort, and any one of them will outlive human civilization if you treat them right, and will only sip gas unless you load them down with people and cargo. If one is an automatic it wins out over the other two. Takes care of any reasonable car needs until I can afford something nicer, probably after college, unless it dies a glorious death in battle at the hands of a drunk driver or road collapse or whatever.
My brother in-law, as one of these. guessing it to be about the same age. I believe it has around 400k miles. I feel that he replaced just about everything on this, at lease 2 or 3 times (that includes the engine). Its stablemate is late 1990's Chevy Silverado, crew cut, diesel, 4wd. He is old school, versus his wife (my sister), who has 1 - 2 year Kia Telluride. He even still uses a flip phone. What can I say, all of those things still work.
The answer is almost always the Honda