I loved the Prelude from this era. It was the ultimate in Honda design language then. I love the ultra-low hood line, it's low and wide stance, and clean, slick styling. It is a design that still looks attractive today, even if a little dated.
I love motorweek videos because they're straight to the point. General overview, engine specs, 0-60, 1/4 mile, overall thoughts. No weird etcetera stuff forced in.
I miss Honda's "go-kart" era. Now they all look like spaceships and feel like marshmallows. The steering feel is what I love about my 99 - an otherwise mundane little commuter.
+David Hoffnung The new model is huge to boot..If you like the go kart handling try a protege 5 Just as reliable to boot.. Mazdas even the newer ones still retain some of these properties as well.
Luis Coqui I've always loved the P5 - and lately I've really been coming around to Mazdas. I'll still probably go for a 90's one because I'm a sucker for 90's cars - but I'd chose a Mazda partially because you can actually still find relatively low-mileage engines for them. Good luck finding a D or B series in viable condition these days!
David Hoffnung I can attest for sure i had 1st gen Protege and currently the 3rd gen Protege a P5. both are reliable..i think the 1st gen edges out in the reliability by a small margin..If you get the 1st gen make sure you get the Dohc LX model a 93 or 94.
Unless I'm not mistaken, the 99 had a 1.6 L motor that hit the rare 100hp/ liter, rarely seen on a naturally aspirated engine. Smooth shifting, and 8k(?) Redline I think.
Haha!! Wow centenon, you sure are a crabby one aren't you? Calm down there guy, just a comment. Don't get your panties in a bunch... ; ) Trouble is, many people's definition of "supercar" is subjective... To me, Cars like the Ferrari 308, BMW M1, Lotus Esprit, Ferrari Mondial and Lamborghini Jalpa would be considered supercars. But I'm sure according to you, they're mere sports cars, so as to support your unnecessary argument.. So be it.. Some folks just need to be nasty and hateful I guess, to each their own! Also, the Testarosa's times varied based on publication.. Many posting 0-60 times of 5.5, or even 5.8.. Mere tenths off of the little Civic SI's 6.0 second run. OH.. And XD
Spiritcr1jsher yup. Had two Accords. A ‘98 and an ‘06. Both 5 speeds. The ‘98 was so incredibly well built in every regard. The ‘06 was full blown “meh”. My dad had an ‘09 and we both exited Honda for our current cars. He went For an Outback and I have an ‘18 Mazda6. Honda just kept heading the wrong way in terms of fit and finish. My in laws have a ‘17 Civic and it’s just the most un inspiring thing to drive ever.
@@ebrente yeah , I have an ILX I use as a commuter ( aka older civic si) and it's nothing special. My next commuter is 100% going to be a mazda miata . The one honda I think is a great buy for the money is my wife's acura TLXawd a spec. Awesome car , standard with everything and was pretty inexpensive to lease.
I remember, as a kid, hearing guys complain about how the suits killed the great cars of the 50s/60s. I thought that would never be me. Though I never thought today's small cars would be approaching mid-seventies land yacht weights...
Any Autocrosser will tell you that this '89 Civic SI is legendary. The extreme light weight platform and double wishbone suspension makes them untouchable in the modified front wheel drive class. Nothing is faster and nothing will be since they can't make cars this light anymore.
My moms best friend was an original owner of one up until maybe 10 yrs ago. She loved it for its reliability and it was economical. It was also in amazing condition. It was interesting to see a middle aged lady being stalked by young men everywhere she went asking to buy her car, most likely to be modified for racing.
A little red '90 base model Civic hatchback was the first new car I ever bought. I had the dealer add A/C for $1,000 bucks and the final sales price was $8,300 out the door. It regularly got 39-40 mpg on the highway at 75 mph and was really fun to drive, even though it only had 70hp. Sold it with 200,000 miles on it after 10 years. Truly one of the best cars I ever owned.
Back then, 9 second 0-60 was fast! Luxury cars like the new Lexus LS did it in about 9.5 secs, according to Motrweek. Major mags regularly got about 8 seconds. This was about 4 years before safety features like ABS and airbags came to the line
I found this test interesting because my 91 Si ran to 60 in the much lower 8s and when I took it to the track after it had 120k+ miles, I got 15.9 @ 84MPH. That was stock. After I/H/E, I never did make it back to the track. It did get to 60 in ~ 7 flat though. Something to note is that I had it dyno'd and it made almost the same numbers claimed at the crank at the wheels. 108HP was 107.6 @ the wheels and 100lb/ft was 105lb/ft @ the wheels. Brought back some fond memories and I sold my Rio Red one in 2007. Wish I still had it.
My first car was a 1986 Civic SI hatchback and for the money (less than $9000) it was a fine car. I then bought a 2006 & it was a fun car too and I now have a 2015 & the same thing is true. For the price it's hard to beat it in many ways.
I was old enough to drive in 1998. At that time , there was plenty of these still onthe road. These cars were a blast for a high school student like myself at that time. My friend owned one , and at about 2200 pounds the 108 HP was a blast. All thiscar needed was a little wider and lower tires , say like 195/50/15 , and it handled like a dream. Stiffen the suspension by 25-30% , and it was like driving on rails.For that reason alone , Civics and Integras were so popular during the 90's , andeven way through late 2000's , and still today.
I had a brand new 1989 Civic between late 1989 and late 1991 base model dx I believe while living in Germany while in the military. I used to drive from Heilbronn to Furth on the Autobahn around 3 times a week for about a year, approx. 105 miles one way. This was fairly flat. I could maintain 115 mph the whole way no problem. The fastest I ever went was approx. 130mph done hill on the Autobahn between Heilbronn and Stuttgart, the speedometer only went to 125 and it was past this. This I would say was extremely unstable at this speed, It felt like the front end was slightly lifting up. I believe I only did this once. Most of the money you pay for high end sports cars goes into stability at extreme speeds which this car was not built for.
Let's do some math here. The closest thing to this today is a Honda Fit in all honesty as the Civic has become bloated and overweight. The MSRP of a 2015 Fit EX-L (closest thing to an Si today) is $20,925. The MSRP of this 1989 Civic Si is $9,980...adjusted for inflation that is $19,053. The modern fit produces 130 HP whereas the 1989 Civic Si produces 108 HP. The 89 Civic gets an average of 35 mpg whereas the 15 Fit averages 34 mpg. I could go on about safety (the Fit has multiple airbags and safety beams whereas the Civic Si has nothing) but the point becomes clear in reading. The modern equivalent is better in pretty much every way and even costs less. The only kicker is when it comes to style...you just can't beat that classic late 80s look. Make of that what you will, I still like the older one better personally.
The only bad thing that I can say about the Fit EX-L is that it only comes with a crappy CVT. I'd rather get a manual. Too many new cars today stick you with either a CVT or an auto.
those air bags can be dangerous in a crash, even a low speed crash. Your version of better is not always better. Less legislation is usually better, more choices are better. One thing I have to admit is that I do like that cars today burn cleaner.............so I am a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to that =)
Jay Santos Yeah, all that info in your post was very helpful (not really because there was no info just your own personal opinions). Maybe next time do some research before you shoot off your mouth. Btw I don't read the posts below the "share your thoughts" comment input, I just respond to them when they show up in my inbox...usually by morons (you in this particular case). Have a nice day
Absolute tank of sport/hatchback. My 1st car growing up and I put over 400 km on that thing. Bought a 2006 Honda Civic 2 door coupe and it’s got 487 km on it with barely any surface rust in a Canadian city with snow and tons of salt. Just solid build quality not to mention a much better looking rear end !
1989... Those cars were looking so nice, specially the dashboard and front-end. When crashing nothing much was left to see but still one of the best Civic's ever.
RJFT 1973 my mother was hit head on (by a 85 Pontiac Grand Prix) while driving her 6 month old 88 civic LX. She Was treated for a cracked chest bone from the seat belt. The doors opened and shut like normal. The front end was smashed to the wheels. Car was a total loss, but it would still start. Tough little car. No doubt they are built for better crash resistance now, but it held its own against the big American Iron.
My firs car was a used 89 Si in red exactly like the car John was standing next to purchased in 93. I loved that car! Still miss it to this day and I judge all my subsequent purchases against it. Probably why I bought a new 2012 Fit Sport since it reminded me of that little hot hatch.
An 89 Civic SI in red was my first brand new car, purchased a couple years after getting out of college. What a great car and I agree with MW it was fun! Miss that car.
This was my first ever car and the one I learned to drive a stick on. Honda clutches were so easy and forgiving. I remember it being so much fun to drive aggressively, well as aggressive as 108hp can get. I did have to swap out the tires for some Bridgestone blizzaks in the winter. With those on, I drove through many snowstorms on ski trips to Vermont. I put 145k miles on it before I had to sell it in ‘98 due to a move. Good memories and a great car.
All I'm thinking is I WANT ONE This type of vehicle seems to have disappeared from the market today: Simple, efficient, affordable, sporty and fun to drive. And superb quality too!
Wow, that Honda civic is so elegant in design. Goodness, it is nice to see one that is not riced out i.e "hellaflushed" or "stanced". Honda is just living off of its ego now and does not seem to be the deal it once was in terms of economy and simplicity. Bring back the old Honda please!
I have a 1990 Civic Hatchback DX with 5 speed tranny, I love my Civic,, it is lots of fun to drive and is now 33 years old and still passes smog and does not have any oils leaks anywhere. Car is now just under 384,000 miles, same engine and trans, never worked on or replaced, just maintained properly.
I had the base model of this, same year. I loved it; it was low on power but had that same sweet chassis. My friend had the CRX Si. I always wanted one of these; it's the best mix of the two.
I had a brand new black 87 civic SI way back. Such a fun car. You cannot find them anywhere because people drove them until they fell apart YEARS later. Miss that thing.
Had one of these with an engine swap from Integra, coil overs, strut bars, gutted, and much more. Best handling car I've ever driven. Must have been 1800-1900 lbs when gutted.
I had 4. A 91 Civic Si, 91 CRX Si, 91 CRX Hf, and a 1986 Civic Si bought in 1992. These were very fun cars to own, cheap to maintain, and 26 yrs after the first one still cause me to snap my head in the direction of a clean example. I currently drive a Honda Accord coupe with the V6, sadly with an auto (silly wife refuses to learn to drive a manual), but it's fast for what it is, reliable and looks good.
My brother had this car and it was a fun and efficient little car. A blast to drive but a target for thieves. Was stolen twice and never recovered the second time. We still talk about that little car today and the good times we had.
Had a 1990 Civic Si hatch in black. Bought it new, added factory AC instead of the stereo. Bought a Pioneer pull out stereo a month later. It was a great little car. Wish I still had it. It was my favorite!
MMM the days when Honda used to make sweet little cars that everyone could afford and wanted! Todays Honda is pretty bland at best and not really sought after for their looks, just reliability. I would like to see them get back to their roots and make some fun small cars again that everyone can afford. Give me a CRX hatch again with 180hp and starting around 17 to 18k. That's what the young people want, something fun yet affordable!
+Acc0rd79 I totally agree!! They abandoned the S2000 model, now we have the new Type R but it costs a half more than Mazda Miata. Honda, pls, wake up!!! I drive a European Honda Civic 1.8 140hp (2011) and I love that car. Still in Europe Honda a bit overslept the turbo revolution ... (French and German compact cars have 1.5t - 1.6t engines to the tune of 200-240hp) :(((
Ma Ss to be fair scion did great in the first couple of years but they left their cars get outdated without adding any new features or special models which would have helped to keep them relevant, instead they pretty much left their few models stay the same for years. It was a good brand I thought, especially since it was backed by Toyota.
Acc0rd79 nah I rather have them continue were there at now They stopped making cars like this because people were driving them like race cars that kills your standard transmission and they don't want ricers and toners to ruin there good name.
Honda's are poverty mobiles, why you would own a Honda with a Porsche is beyond reason. They are meant to be cars where everything is built at the lowest quality except the engine, which will run practically forever.
I actually have the 1986 DX model, and it's my first car. What they say about the steering is head on, I love the way it feels going on curvy roads. Turning going 50mph+ isn't an option because understeer is definitely present
This was an era where good and excellent drivers stood out around everyone else. With modern driving aids now a days everyone is on a level playing field.
My first car was an '89 Civic DX hatchback. I drove that car for 10 years and 173,000 miles. I loved that car and if I came upon one today, I just might buy it. I have seen a few since I got rid of mine, but the owners of today add those stupid wide tires and loud mufflers.
Wow what a throwback! I remember when I was 16 in high school if you had a 88-93 civic that had an aftermarket deck and a muffler you were getting all the girls - LOL! I ended up buying a 93 Accord but I always wanted the civic
My grandparents had one when I was a kid. I was always getting in first and having to lean over to let someone get in the back. They eventually sold it in 1995 and got an Accord wagon, something with five doors and airbags.
I remember my 91dx with the 1.5 man I had so many issues with.i manage to sell it for 500$ with a blown valve.burnt out piston rings.broken Axel's.it was pretty fun while it lasted now I have a 91 crx and man I love that car!!!!!
I had an 88 Accord DX hatchback and it was very similar to this Si hatchback..although I really wanted this Si hatch more. Now I drive a 2017 Civic Si sedan, it's a great car but nothing like those late 80's Honda's!
mine has survived the test of time and is almost mint. i baby my hatch and only problem with it was a fuel pump. it is the most reliable vehicles that i ever owned
My first car was a new 90 Civic Si. Such a bulletproof car, but I wish I could have bought a Japanese built 89. My friend had one and we used to trade off driving and there were better differences in the 89. Another great car from 89 is the Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo/Dodge Colt turbo.
Wow! I just came from looking at Motorweek's review of the '89 Isuzu I Mark RS.. It's 1.6L 16 Valve engine made a whopping 125hp!! Positively stomping this Civic SI's paltry 108!
Test drove one once long time ago when I was looking for a car. Lacking headroom is very true. Nice compact car for someone who has no kids. It is very small! I have a 2000 Civic EX, it is still pretty small.
I had a white 87 CRX SI and my brother had a black 89 Civic SI, so of course sibling rivalry had us arguing who had the better SI, with the reality being they were both great cars. I currently own a Dyno Blue 2014 Civic SI sedan.
Lol.. This was my first car I bought back when I was a senior in HS (98) it had 70,00mi when I bought it for $500.. It had 220,000 when the timing belt broke, and junked it for $50.. I miss that car, fun to drive..
