'90s cars AREN'T AFFORDABLE ANYMORE but don't let that stop you 

Did the boomers ruin the standard of classic car ownership or have we become the boomers?

As a person that is 25 (born in 97’). It sucks that now that I’ve finally gotten a career to get the cars I wanted as a kid, they’ve skyrocketed in value. 😢

Damn, I’ll never be able to afford a 90s Geo Metro now

The main reason people choose the lower horsepower 90s car over their modern counterparts can be summed up in one word. SOUL.

Thank you for calling out people only buying these cars for the aesthetic and not the performance. I've been saying for years that the Ecoboost mustang, ecotec Camaro, and brz/gr86 are the new s chassis. Quite a lot of 2000s-2020s cars are just 90s cars in better chassis and faster engines. Edit: This is only directed to those who buy 90s cars solely for rose tinted performance. If you're buying as a daily or because you genuinely like a 90s car then purchase as you please.

This is actually a very very very well thought out and factual video. I usually hear RU-vidrs make up stuff or forget things to make their argument seem more legit, but this is basically a collector guide. Nothing but facts.

Since boomers overpriced all the muscle cars, Millennials overpriced the tuners, and Gen X helped both, I wonder what the Gen Z equivalent will be. In 40 years will there really be stuck up zoomers driving mint GT86s and GR Corollas?

2000’s cars (for the most part) have now become the cheap, undesirable, “ugly”, cars for enthusiasts entering into a cool car. Not much nostalgia yet, but they have many of the qualities of 90’s cars

God bless the MR2-S mention, you can still pretty easily get new parts for it from the dealership and is easy to work on. Manual top is key as well, no stupid electronics to break like many other convertibles.

I've been saying this about the Supra for a while. Its never been affordable. Maybe they hit a low point in the early 2010s, but they've almost always been $20K out of reach for the average fanboy like me. Now they're $50K out of reach for an average one.

bro woke up and decided to speak nothing but facts

I blame social media. The tik tok car scene kinda ruined it.

I'm going to provide a bit of a counterpoint, and probably one of the reasons why the cars of the '80s and '90s are quite beloved: The feel. Cars of the '90s had creature comforts such as A/C, power steering, fuel injection, so on and so forth; they were more dependable and easier to live with than the carburetor-equipped beasts of the '60s and '70s which were relatively simple but required significantly more fiddling and tinkering. At the same time the things I don't particularly like about modern cars are mostly absent: electric power steering, rev hang, poor rearward visibility, the overreliance on technocrap versus driving dynamics and overall quality, and the disappearing manual transmission for godawful CVTs. Don't even get me started on EVs, which I flat out despise. That's why I gravitate towards these older cars. It's partly nostalgia, but it's also a dislike for modern cars. While I own one(a 2021 Corolla, thankfully with a manual gearbox), the driving experience is still somewhat numb and sterile. It lacks that rawness; that edge has been dulled by the technocrap and the need to milk every drop out of efficiency and emissions. On paper, a car with these specs would have been absolutely awesome in the late '90s and early '00s, yet it lacks the rawness and the edge that made the cars of the '80s and '90s so great. There's elements of that engineering still there, but they're buried underneath the surface; sometimes you get a hint of 4AGE from the engine note or a bit of playfulness from that chassis before the technocrap holds you back. In a way, it's sad. While I have some older cars, something tells me I need to get more of that into my life before it's too late.

The lunchtable commitee seems to judge car value based on straight line performance, when there is so much more to it. Just like everything from the 90s outperformed everything from the 60s, nearly every modern car can outperform nearly every 90s car. But modern cars lack one thing that keeps 90s prices high and increasing: they aren't 90s cars. Great video, if I wanted bang for buck performance, I'd have left the 90s years ago.

I am so glad that I have experienced peak JDM when they were affordable having been driving for over 20 years. From a JZX90 1JZ Cresta, Evo 6 TME, R33 GTR and 02 Sti. In terms of value for money they are significantly overpriced - strictly for nostalgia purposes if you are very well off financially.

A lot of these newer cars have Android Auto and Apple Car Play from the factory too

I wanted a 90s JDM manual, RWD car as a future project, but the "drift tax" on them is too insane. After doing some research, the 99-04 Mustang GT coupe is what I'm going fo now. They're cheap (for now), super easy to find, tons of aftermarket support, dope V8 sound, possible to swap an IRS (from the Cobras), 5x114.3 bolt pattern to run virtually any wheels. Need to get me one soon before everyone jumps off the JDM train.

What I miss about 90s cars, especially Hondas, is that go-cart feel you got because they were so much lower to the ground and had sloped hoods. Nowadays, cars (even the sporty ones) feel like you are driving an SUV or a truck.

I remember a few years back I bought a 95 civic hatch for $700 off a used car lot only thing wrong with it was some cosmetic damage other than that it drove like a dream I missed that little pocket rocket everyday I regret selling it everyday

American horsepower race is genuinely insane, the fact that ford making a supercharged gt500 caused LS7 Z06 is a superhero level back story

It's a hidden joke that the video was basically talking about getting the newer version of those old 90s cars, but never mentioned the NSX.

Also the productions value is amazing, seriously great work!

This is why I just bought a 94 bmw e36. It’s condition I bought for 1,500 I could never find in a 90s Japanese car today

As newer project, my C4 vette could be on the list as a budget friendly 90s car

Me with my $15k S13 👁️👄👁️

I will stand by the statement that the best bang for buck is American v8s, specifically the corvette. A c5 had the ls and minimum 345/350, and they’re under 10k now. If you’re willing to buy a c4 you can get 245hp and 350 torque for like 4-6k if you’re ok with some bad cosmetics. And the parts are cheap and labor is easy so diy everything.

Its too bad cars will never look like they did in the 90s or 00s ever again.

🤨 Focus RS are pretty much unobtainable and hella expensive

I own a few halo honda vehicles, i don't think I'd ever plan on selling because i know I would prob never replace them once they were gone. Not to mention it is just getting cooler and cooler owning "classic hondas" and they don't get boring to me. These new overly expensive vehicles just don't interest me at all.

The problem with the auto industry today is that the car manufactures are always trying to revolutionize their cars, but that keeps them on a ridiculous high price and makes them more and more complicated to mess with. If you are a 20 year old and you want a car to start your life, go to the meets, speed with your friends, drift it or modify it, you'll most likely get an old shitbox from the 90s. Cause you're young, and you don't have 50 grand to buy an A90 Supra for example.

I agree with everything you say, I’m just sad you didn’t mention 5k e90’s at all. Manual swaps are easy too.

Sadly newer cars arent better with pricing because of dealership mark up. Also availability isnt up there either. I want a Yaris GR or Supra or Failady Z. Guess what all of them sold. Dealers who have them put the price up 40%

I remember 1994. Wearing a t-shirt over a long sleeve wasn't even a thing in my high school, but I totally ate it up. Still love that trend.

C5 prices are already going insane...

Also for fwd consider a Dodge neon srt4 or chevy cobalt ss for American cars If u want Japanese honda fit or toyota matrix xrs and if u dont mind the xts trim get a pontiac vibe same exact car as the matrix (i own a base matrix and its an amazing little comuter with suv space inside. Im 6ft and can sit in the back with the seat infront all the way back) For more rwd u also have the pontiac solstice/Saturn sky the American miata same engine as the cobalt ss also

I remember asking myself when buying my first car, why do I want this AE86? And then realized it's JUST A COROLLA I still want and will look for, an NA SW20/2nd gen Eclipse because of nostalgia reasons. Sure if I want to buy a good, fun, reliable car that's fast? I can get a V6 Accord or Camry which I am still eyeing, or like you said an Ecoboost Mustang. I see the appeal of owning "that" cool car, but I always think of what is going to break my bank less for when something breaks.

Nice video, lots of good points well made, and great wit. As an owner of an SW20 as well as ZZW30 I find the SW20 was built of higher quality materials, and engineered in an era when Toyota was over-building their products for durability. The ZZW30 is fine but definitely has a cheaper feel inside and out, if that matters to a potential buyer. One reason 90s cars are special to me, and I'm sure many people, is that they exist in an intersection between reliability / modern features (like fuel injection, turbocharging, ABS and so on) and a more authentically connected feel between driver, vehicle, and road. Roof pillars were narrow, offering great visibility. Beltlines were low. Throttle pedals had ultimate precision being cable-operated instead an ECU "interpreting" your "torque request". Steering assist, if there was any, was always hydraulic and weighted up beautifully. Many cars were lighter back then, adding to their nimble and responsive feel. Yet the tires had tall sidewalls, giving the cars a smooth ride. Stability control systems either didn't exist or were super easy to turn off. Signed, - Self-indulgent weiner P.S. - The 350Z is indeed a great 2000s car that offers much of the simplistic joy of many 90s cars. I should have kept my HR.

i got my 240 in 2017 for 3700 and even at that time I thought that was kind of pricey for the car

I love mustangs cuz so far they stay consistent to the original idea: a motor with wheels The new edges I would only recommend v8 since they are so cheap The s197 I would recommend also only the v8 until 2011 were they added the 5.0 v8 and 3.7 v6 engines that good power and are both fun. S550 early models still come with the 3.7,ecoboost, and the 5.0, and I recommend either the 3.7 or ecoboost

Ugh, seeing the close up on those Work VS's made me want to vomit 🤢. Most overrated wheel in car culture.

First!

I'm sorry but I'm sticking with muscle cars and JDM Cars. To me those are the best. Especially the old ones. Vaidyam 90s cars were the best but you can't forget about the 60s and 70s muscle cars. Great video by the way bro

FACTS. My 240sx just got broken into AGAIN this past weekend. Makes me consider if I should sell it before it gets stolen again… as fun as it is to drive, and looks are on point, they are getting to a point where everything is starting to break, parts are expensive and hard to come by, they are by no means fast unless you spend a few grand to turbo it while also spending a ton to replace all the old dry rotten parts so it can not fall apart on the highway

I’m very lucky to have a dad that loves cars (maybe not as much anymore) cause he’s kept all of his “rare” things hiding in case I would have a interest in them which of course I was intrigued! When I look todays car market I see a lot of new things I like but of course being a young enthusiast I’m drawn to those 90s cars I used to see as a young kid and get to ride along in the mid to late 2000’s going for prices of a brand new Mercedes today. It’s kind of heartbreaking but so ironic that history is basically repeating itself in the car world. Our parents buy the car they dreamed of or had as a young adult and will of course pay a hefty price for that iconic nostalgic look that I so crave too.

Hot take: I don’t like 240s, even if they were affordable

I actually own a 1993 nissan 240sx with an sr20det, hks exhaust, bodykit, paint, coilovers and Toyo r888r's. I paid less than $1000 for her bone stock, 20 years ago, literally took me 20 years to finish her. When you pull up to a meet and there's a sea of Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers it stands out and it's built not bought. Worth all the time and money I've invested without a doubt

About 6 months ago I got myself a 93 R32 GTST 60th anniversary of Nissan model with only 22k original body/chassis miles 🙌🏽 absolutely in love with it and glad I got it when I did, will only go up in value

Think like a brazilian, be like me. Wants a 77 chevy Opala that costs 30k, but you make 1300 a month, buy a 5k 89 chevy chevette instead. Fall in love with the car, put a turbo in the thing so the original 82hp running on ethanol is now 180hp. Stop thinking about expensive cars because im too focused on making the poor 8 valve 1.6 liter engine do 200hp.

This is a incredibly well produced video, feed. I recognize.

As an European, thank you, that fat american joke was hilarious

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Almost wish I had some extra money to buy a really clean SN95 and weekend it.

This video and you guys ain’t kidding because to some people these are 90s rust boxes but to us car guys they are special

I personally gravitate towards '90's cars because I prefer the styling of both the body and the interiors that they did back then,as well as just the way they feel to drive. Don't go for older cars like that if you want cheap speed, go for older cars because of the cars themselves. My '90's car guilty pleasure is a '92 Eagle Talon TSi AWD and I am searching for a Mitsubishi Galant VR4.

Yeah, there’s a reason I’ll never get rid of my 99 EK DX. Stock and been in the family for a while that and you guessed it: will be K20 swapped eventually. Despite all the rising value, the things I plan to do with it Yata yata. It’s just honestly the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever driven even at 205,000 miles. When everyone complained about gas prices I hardly felt the bite.

Drifting definitely destroys markets for certain platforms. But, today I think it's more than just the drift community doing the damage. The biggest thing is how mainstream car culture has become & how accessible buying/selling cars is today. From re-sellers to clout chasers, the consumer side is crowded with scalpers and quick spenders. Enthusiasts that aren't trying to break the bank are being pushed out. It's honestly the same story in tons of other markets beyond cars. You either downsize your expectations or prepare to blow stupid amounts of money.

Currently own a Mustang EB for the past 5 years. Over 122k miles. It is the first car I wrenched on. It has a decent aftermarket support too.

Subaru, the only 1 not mentioned so glad ppl are scared of the EJ more for us subieboiz

*Cries in 92 Talon base model* For real they're getting hard to find stuff since Mitsubishi has all but banished it's performance legacy. Still it's a fun oddball from the era of confusing automaker collabs.

Im young but id like to buy a mk3 supra. They are expensive in my country, 15k € for a rlly bad one. Mk4 are arround 100k

Showing the Integra getting its lock picked is hilariously accurate.

Skip the integra and civic and buy a prelude, looks better than a civic and they're still relatively cheap.

i own a nc, its one of the cheaper 2wd cars. but if you want cheap speed thats awd id suggest the volvo s80 v8 awd, you can find them for under 10k and volvo aftermarket is getting stronger by the week. also if you can find a 80s isuzu impluse for under 15k they are a fun 2wd car, that can keep up with the miata nc in the corners. also suzuki imports from jp are cheap like the alto works awd which you can find for under 10k shipped to port and the jimmy/ jdm geo tracker are pretty cheap to if you want a off roader for under 9k shipped to port.

The hard truth is it’s not money, power, or any of that people just don’t like they way new cars look anymore they try so hard to make it look futuristic that they mess up the simple but clean old cars that we love 😢 Also most new cars have weird electrical problems and cars that where previously rwd are now fwd or awd now.

This comment is for the algorithm

I think the part of all of this that the video is overlooking is that nothing on the road today LOOKS like those older cars. So, yeah, you could buy a newer turbo 4 'Stang or Camaro, 350Z or what have you, but you don't get the look of those cars from the 90's or late 80's. The 300ZXTT has a fairly sleek look to it compared to the 350Z's lumpy look. There's nothing right now that compares to the 1st or 2nd Gen DSM cars (Laser/Talon/Eclipse and Stealth/3000GT), nothing out like the S13 or S14 (or S12 for that matter), nothing like any of the cars from the 90's so there's the attraction right there. I've personally been giving serious thought to a 86 or 87 Fiero GT with a 3800SC swap plus upgrades, and looking around town it's doable for $10K-$15K and for that money I get a 2 seat, mid-engine car that launches like crazy, will easily hit 12 second 1320's, and would be a ton of fun. Plus, nothing made today looks like it. Same for the 2nd Gen MR2, there's literally nothing on the market today that looks like it. So if you were a teenager or young adult when those things were new (as I was), and you look at the cars of the last 20 years, yeah, investing in a car from back then makes perfect sense because you get something that's fairly unique compared to the cars on the road today. I wholeheartedly agree with the C5 'Vette as a future tuner classic because that's also one I've been considering. $10k and you get a pretty fast car with a proper sports car suspension and plenty of tuning potential.

I will say that doing a full restoration on a 70s car (240z) taught me a lot about cars and made me appreciate the hobby a lot more but what it hasn't done is given me a lot of seat time lol. Putting sticky tires on my 06 XB on the other hand really has.

The value of 90's cars was so inflated i went with an '06 997 911. Felt like half the price of a well maintained 90's equivalent

That Tucker impersonation got me dying!🤣

The r34 gtr is more a 2000s car than it is 90s. Any car that started production in 99 and ran up to 2006 is a 2000s car. And these are going up at the same rate as 90s cars.

Feed it was tasteful of you to leave the phonk music in those video clips. Really warms my heart.

They’re not worth it bro. Hands down idiotic at this point. The problem is that new cars are big and bulbous with added mass and weight which makes them less fun than older cars. But that doesn’t mean one should pay $200,000 for a car that is $25,000 in material value (Supra) or $100,000 for a car that is ($12,000) in material value E30 M3, same for the FDs and DC2 Type Rs. I remember these cars being cool back in the day because of their tuning capabilities. But modern tech has far surpassed old tech. Only thing is the bodies are not as cool. We need new cars to have the light weight lean designs of the older cars which still having the modern tech underneath. A Shelby Mustang should weigh 3200lbs instead of the 4200 that it does and still have 780hp stock

Holy Mother of Based Take.

Right now I’m torn between a c5 and a c6. I’m deff grabbing one in the next year. Tough choice. I’ll never agree with just getting what’s best stock. Both are about equal once I drop 10-15k straight into the engine. So it really comes down to minor stuff like the c6 has better rear end but the c5 has a better front end (imo) c6 has a better interior but I plan to swap out the main parts of either anyway like new steering wheel etc

ooo I had a 2011 NC Turbo Fab9 kit. 300WHP I blew the doors off of all the cars next to me. In search of more power I sold it and found a great deal on a IS300. Defiantly have the whole cost of the mx5 into the IS already. So youre spitting nothing but facts. Love the channel, found it recently and I couldnt agree more haha. Keep it up!

Unpopular opinion, The 90s and its cars are very overrated. If you want some very underrated cars for modifying, Look at the 2000s. However, I really wish the obsession with making every car a cash grab at auctions would end. And people actually get out and enjoy their cars as opposed to the current mentality of just hoarding them for investment purposes. Because after the 2000s and 2010s era cars become the next big cash grab, Thats it... There wont be as many 2020s cars that people will all be throwing money at since EV's are going to become the only real option toward the later end of this decade. And the 2030s will most likely have 0 to lust after.

(it will stop me) 😞

TikTok sad boys ruined 90s Japanese cars lol. Even the Miata is getting stupid expensive for what it is. People will drop stacks on these 90s rigs forgetting about the cheap rattly interior. Shit even the trucks are getting expensive. 88/98 Chevy trucks are stupid popular and expensive now. I paid 4k 8 years ago for mine and the same truck today would go for 12k

We out here

I bought a 1995 MKIV Supra, white, Targa Top, 5 speed NA, 40k miles, 1 owner in 2007 from Toyota for $12k. Still have the bill of sale.

I personally always cared about looks and feel never about specs. we got a 96 z3 and a 91 convertible reatta which are a lot of fun to drive. the reatta def feels like a boat but hey its a special experience

I thought I was stupid when I bought my evo x with 80k miles for 30k after taxes… but I’ll be damned if I bought clapped out S chassis for the same price😂

NOOO! DONT TELL PEOPLE THE ZZW30! Also for y'all zzw30 owners, how hard is to put a 3sge? Or is the 2zz best bang for buck in terms of price/performance?

I owned a 91 Mr2 / 2g eclipse GsX / turbo Hondas ETC and now a S2K... I puke seeing the prices of today. Makes me not even want to enjoy my car because I'm scared to devalue it..

Cover picture is kinda motivational.. I never imagined owning a Mk4 supra but it was always a dream to own one in highschool (2013-2017) Well I was 23 and was able to buy one last year in 2022.. If you want one bad enough dont let anyone say you cant afford one. Get out there and get one.

id rather get a 90s dodge viper, a lotus esprit, corvette for the price of a supra. i love the 90s jdm cars but i don't get the crazy price increase for the car that you get. i imported a jdm car myself as a dream car, it is weird how it gets so much attention but bang for buck, it's not even worth it

I'm happy that I have a manual 1995 R33 GTS25T, series 1.5, where it has the original 1993 design but with 1996 improvements. I bought it more than 10 years ago where it had 105k kilometers, totaling $5k out of our shipping port. It's been my forever car from the very beginning, and it's still my forever car. Now at 165k kilometers, it's currently waiting on new timing belt, water pump, and seals for its cam and valve gaskets. With that said, I agree that 90s Japanese cars are becoming less attractive nowadays and are only worth it if you already have a decent and popular/relevant model at hand. Prices for R33 Skylines and their parts are skyrocketing as less and less as they and their parts are becoming less in the market. But honestly, none of the newer and more advanced cars will ever match an all stock 90s Japanese sports car, it's something that has to be experienced. Cheers from the tiny Pacific Islands of Palau!

As a JDM fan boy, the C5 Corvette is the only American car I want. Sadly, I absolutely hate the way the C6 looks I will never even look at an NC Absolutely hideous and it's the heaviest one

I remember my dad was about to buy one of those modern MR2's once, a "egg yolk yellow" one and he was close to buy it and everything until my sister told him "if you're going to buy it, where are you going to put the groceries in?" I guess that thought changed his mind and settled for a Mustang 40 Anniversary which still has to this day. Not gonna lie, but those versions of MR2's are quite underrated and they're cool looking cars.

As a vw guy it's incredibly hard to find nice non-ratted gti os difficult, ive got mine but man what a wild time to find a project fun car

Also every single of the newer cars is as reliable or more, cheaper to maintain, more comfortable, better fuel economy, safer, and a lot more. People just want the 90s cars for looks

Insane quality

And that's why my dream car nowadays is the Supra A70. Not overhyped by boomers/fanboys and also was the officially first ever 'Supra'.

MRS and 2zz celicas are gems

Glad i bought my 240 and put an rb25 in it when i did lol. also glad i grabbed an sc300 for cheap, they are still slept on and support for turboing a 2jzge is continuing to grow. Poor mans supra!

I’m so happy that I got my 1997 240sx when I was 21, I’m 30 now , I paid 7k with sr20det s14 blacktop. I blown the head gasket parked the car and threw out the years I collected SR20det parts ended up building one built sr and the blown one is still in the car. This was before the price jump on the parts. I also have C5 lol This video is on point 🔥

240sx's are basically extinct because of idiot car bros doing their "sick builds".

Loved this video dude. One hell of a reality check

2:01 “90s cars were cool because they were RWD” *Cuts to Honda civic*

Oh my god that Tucker Carlson intro was so funny. But yes, prices now are stupid because kids that had zero money back then, now have jobs that provide them with more money than they need so they have to spend it on things that make them feel young again. These cars aren't appraised at what they sell for, they're valued at it because of the precident set by idiots who couldn't go on vaccation during covid who realized they suddenly had a lot of disposible income, so they want on bring a trailer and bought up every shitbox they could find. This, plus the current state of our econmy means money is devalued so it just takes more money to buy things. I used to buy two bags of groceries for $60, now it's $140. Also, if anyone wants a honda that drives well - Honda fits. Fits are sick.

90s cars are only affordable if you know how to fix the and have time for them.Finding a car that just needs a bit tlc usually end up finding a bargain but if you dont fit that expertise and time ,chances are you're fucked.