***** I absolutely agree. I drive a 1999 Renault Clio with 58 (!) hp...Not too nice on the Autobahn here, but you can keep up until like 140 kph. But where it shines is the other roads- driving like a hoonigan but still in legal limits (mostly:P)
***** Also i like that you can rev out those small cars way better - in a fast one you gotta change gears every second because you`re at a hundred in notime. But a small car... Throw in second at 30 kph and race throuh tight turns in second;P Mazda 3? Nice mate, I heard they have an awesome suspension even in basemodels ;)
***** No kidding, I went from an 86 Subaru GL Turbo Coupe (2400lb, 111hp on a good day) to an 05 Impreza Outback (~3300lb, 167HP) and quite often pout when I realize I've reached the speed limit already. Man, I need to fix the GL...
The 4th Gen Civic is one of the reasons I am a Honda fanboi. I have 3 of them, '91 CRX Si, '91 Civic Si Hatch (LeMons racer), and '91 Civic Wagon RT4WD. Yes, Honda made an AWD Civic! Thank you, Matt, for taking a car like this out for us to enjoy. If you ever make it to Oklahoma/Texas, I think you'll like my CRX. It has a Civic Type-R drivetrain swap making 175whp and revs to 9200rpm
2:23 "Oh man, this is a fun little car!" Farrah is a true car guy, able to appreciate all cars!. Rather than be limited to waving the fanboy flag for their brand of choice like so many "car guys".. I had a Honda very similar to this one, and learned why so many people love their Hondas.. They blend excellent efficiency with a surprisingly fun to drive character!
I just got my first 1991 honda civic ef. after driving range rovers, escalades,hummers,lightnings and ford svt raptors, but let me tell you, this little cars are super fun to drive, I love mine.
***** So true... I actually always thought they were kinda high in price. It's not just this video, it's on the Top 10 Autocross cars on the SCCA website and has been proven! Many top drivers in the STF class use them and they are solid! I rode in one recently and I couldn't believe the speed and G's on the track we had setup with cones. It was almost comparable to the Elise I rode in just before it xD
Proof that you don't need a shitload of power or a really expensive car to have a fun time in your car. Just an intelligent modding philosophy and realistic expectations.
Alex K Because they have no appreciation for things other than their favorite cars. I don't consider those types car people, but brand snobs. Most car people can appreciate all makes and models. No matter how much power.
So refreshing to hear your take on it. For some reason, I was expecting the typical anti-Honda, anti-FWD review, but The Smoking Tire did not disappoint. No word on the car's double-wishbones though, but an all-positive review makes for it in more ways than one.
The stigma against light low horsepower hatches needs to go. I have an 87 Mirage and I absolutely love driving it. More so than most moderns with several times the power. I used to own an EF Civic too. It felt so refined and amazing to drive.
Lextube Agreed. Before settling on a Focus ST, I drove all sorts of cars. Mustangs, GenCoupes, STis, you name it. One of my favorite test drives was actually of a Honda Fit Sport 5-speed. So fucking slow, but so light and direct. I sometimes think I should have bought the Fit instead.
Lextube everyone raves about the ae86 but the ae82 is a good car in it's own right for the same reasons these all are. Weigh's sub 1 tonne, is chuckable, turns on a tack and revs to the sky!
Lextube Clio owner checking in. Those that have them already know how much fun they are, you have to work to keep the momentum and it commands disciplined driving to keep them on the boil. A dude at a track day recently took his Mazda 2 out and was matching cars with twice the power. Sadly I'm not as skilled but I just love trying to keep the balance of grip and speed.
Civics get way too much shit but they are great cars when modded nicely and very fun to drive. Im very glad you liked this car. I wanna pick one up for as a DD but finding a clean one is nearly impossible nowadays out here in the east coast.
I had a 2000 Civic Si for 11 years and I absolutely loved it! Normal bolt on's tune suspension brakes and it was perfect. Only reason I don't have it now is because it was stolen.
DJ MotoVlogs Also Hondas are like the most reliable cars too. Also I noticed this ricer thing is mainly in US, here in Europe Hondas doesn't get that much hate.
jkflorida2013 The 99 and 00 Si's get stolen more than candy bars in poor neighborhoods. I'd love to have one but I'd be to paranoid to leave it in a parking lot to take a piss and get a sandwich. Same thing with 3rd and 4th gen accords.
Anybody hating on this car knows nothing about motorsports. The 89 Civic Si is a legend for most the 89 is like 50 pounds lighter that's why it's so sought after These cars literally dominated the STC Class In Autox winning championship after championship to the point where they had to change the rules and class and they still are one of the best for STS and Track Cars look at Hollis one lap Crx redline motorsports the EF'S FTW!!
damn straight. can't go wrong with a 99-89 crx/ or civc or a na/nb miata. I've got a 2012 impreza in sts and the civic's and miatas rip my ass apart, and I've been autocrossing for almost 2 1/2 years.
JE V Yup, mad easy to work on too... the only thing that was a PITA on them were the old 3-bbl Keihin carbs that required 8-billion miles of vacuum hose.
I love this one take. I find myself coming back to it time and again. I think for me it's because you get to see the spirit of driving in its purest form, in that you don't need a whole bunch of power to have a great time. It's more to do with how well you car is set up and how well you can manage and hold the speed you can attain. It sorta reminds me of made me fall in love with driving in the first place which was driving a small, low powered fwd that went wherever you pointed it and was just so fun to drive in windy roads like this. I'll always appreciate the kind of enjoyment and simple car like this can bring you.
Matt, the 89' civic is very VERY well known in the autocross community as being a sure thing, its one of the most winning cars in its class. I ran STC with mine its also widely known as the spec 89' civic Si class and its a riot! after I was done racing it i put a 5.1 final in the trans with a stock D16y8, it would rip through the gears so fast it was so fun.
There's a ton of misconception about hondas but yet the only haters are the only people who refuse to accept the quality and the engineering behind a real drivers car. For all those who choose to ignore the truth, there's a reason why honda still exist today, while other companies are getting bailed out by the government, Honda is a leader and its an innovated brand sets new bars for others to break. Its a very bold statement but a statement that Honda had already made with the NSX, Civic R, Integra R, and the S2000. These cars are clear examples of how Honda can jump in and out of the racing scene and dominate with flying colors.
I agree with you man my mum has a 2012 Honda Accord euro with a couple of mods and it flies, the engineering behind a Honda is amazing, such ahead of its time
Oh Matt! This brought back SO many memories of my '86 Civic hatchback. 12 valve, Dual Mikunis, Koni shocks, Sway bars, short shift, Mugen exhaust, Brembo brakes... Man I loved that car! Probably the only one of my cars I'd ever want to have again someday. And that includes my Mustang, Supra and Opel GT. lol :) Great video brother. -Drew
TheSmokingTire Either way, it's great. Atleast your videos now stand out from others. I am sure you'll figure something more creative out with this now. Keep up the great videos!
TheSmokingTire Please keep it up, high frame rate is the future. Some will complain, but that will become less as people get used to it. People used to complain about electric and hybrid cars too, now we have Teslas, Porsche 918s, Mclaren P1s, and La Ferraris.
What I respect about Matt and this series, is that he's not bias to a specific type of manufacturer, year, style of vehicle. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode!
My first car was a 90 Civic DX. I bought it in 2000 and I still own it. Spends most of its time in the garage now, only take it to the canyons occasionally. The suspensions been worked over and it’s got a first gen B16A. Fun cars.
This is what is great about One Takes. We get a (more or less) unbiased opinion on a wide spectrum of cars and come to learn that a properly setup Civic can make a great driver
Glad to see you driving something a little closer to my pride and joy, which is a 1992 Toyota Corolla SX. I know, I know, everyones eyes close when they see Corolla, but this one was the successor to the AE86, despite being FWD, it's still a heap of fun for many of the same reasons as you state in this video, although it has a bit more power as it has the 'smallport' 4AGE pushing out 100kw or 134hp, which isn't heaps, but it's enough to have fun in a car that weighs under 2200 pounds (1050kg in metric). Sure, it's not the fastest in a straight line, but on a road like that, it delivers many many grins per mile! I'd happily hand you the key and have you make a video like this, but sadly I'm in Tasmania, Australia, so a long, long way away. I do have a few videos that show how much fun my Corolla is on a twisty road...
I had one of those, back in the day, with a full Jackson Racing suspension kit and white wheels. It handled unbelievably good. Guys would get pissed of on Mulholland, in much more expensive cars when I could keep up with them. Those were great days!
Ohhhh, and the EF is SO MUCH FUN. Consistently underrated. I have 2 of them: a beater and a, "good," one. I let my friend borrow my beater for 2 days, telling him to be as rough with it as he wanted. (He drives a 300 hp, FD RX-7, btw.) and he came back saying this: "I *get* it, man! I GET why you love these cars so much! Would you consider selling the beater to me?"
You gotta love it. What a cheap thrill around those twisties heh. You should try one with a B series engine swap. Then you have around 180Hp in 2100Lbs and with some suspension parts from an integra, lowered on some wider/nice sticky tires and you have yourself a very capable track car that never gets old. Also the reliability just seals the deal. The only other car I can think of being as fun on the track for so little money is the miata. So it comes down to whether you want fwd or rwd of course. I prefer the honda, but I am biased because I have a 95 civic hatch with just some weight loss and suspension (40mpg doesnt get old either).
Hondas is a type of car that EVERYONE makes fun of until they've driven one themselves. Yes, Its underpowered and Yes its slow on the straights. But Hondas were built to be driven hard on the hills! Everyone driving 500+ HP V8s can take a Honda on a drag strip any day but take that 500+ HP V8 up against a Honda with half the power onto a hill run and that V8 woukd have a hard time keeping up!
iTroIIin Everyone? Nobody is making fun of Honda in Europe. It's funny to see how many people gets angry in the comment section though. And I'm sure there are plenty of open minded people in America who can appreciate a hatchback just for what it is.
iTroIIin Preach brother! I was lucky to have loved Honda right from the get go as a kid so I know just how great they are!! I am currently missing greatly my s2000 which unfortunately had to go after I blew it up and was too broke to fix it... Had the beauty for 6 glorious years as a DD... Now that I have some money I am really looking to get a track car! I want an s2000 again lol. Well I REALLY want an NSX but cmon you cant find one cheaper than 40g's its insane. I can buy a 2000 Porsche 911 for 14 grand but can't find that Acura for cheap AT ALL!!!
Matt i really respect how you respect all cars. I mean dude you have reviewed and driven cars with crazy HP but here you are having fun..like a lot of fun in a 100 Hp civic. I have mad respect sir.
I'm not a big civic fan in any way really (i own a Mazdaspeed 3) but this chassis with a GSR or a B18B non vtec even is a barrel of laughs. You put really any of the twin cam motors in this chassis and it can be so godamn fun.
This reminds me of my stock NA Miata. It has 100hp to the wheels at best. It is slow, but it isn't about power, its about carrying the momentum and keeping the speed around the corner. Very fun.
Interesting about the audio failure on your gopro. I had the exact same thing happen to me while karting a couple months back. Turned it off and back on then I was good to go.
TheSmokingTire Same here, I looked around to see if it happened to anyone else. You guys are the first iv heard of since it occurred to me. Mine hasn't had an issue since. Awesome videos by the way. Iv been watching for a number of years, quick question. If you had to choose a fun car for under lets say $12,000?(You can go cheaper and upgrade it later) What would it be? I keep looking at a porsche 914, if I can find one with a good body that is. However the prices have gone up over the last few years. The reason for the 914 is I wanted something kind of unique yet could still be fun to play with and not kill me on gas milage.
These cars really are one of the best fwd cars you can get, so many people overlook these cars and hate on them just because lots of ppl rice em out. But build these cars right and youre gonna have so much fun for not that much money.
I had a friend who was a pizza boy in high school who bought an 89 civic for 300 bucks and when we put it on the lift to look underneath it I swear 20 pounds in rust landed on the floor. We had to lower back down right away so the lift wouldn't punch through the frame. But he has delivered pizzas from that car for 5 years and as far as I know he still drives it. They're practically invincible.
Spot on one take! I own a 1995 Honda Civic Hatchback (the generation after this one) and you seemed to hit all the important aspects of why the civic is such a fun car.
Have an 89 CRX with a 91 D16A6, lost a little weight, no AC. blast to drive. Half a tank it weighs around 1980lbs. A couple of suspension bits, Skunk 2 springs, Tokico shocks, braided brake lines, DC rear upper bar, reman steering rack.. a blast to drive every day. Appx 380G miles, over 40 mpg on hwy in 5th. Wish l owned 5 more! And so easy to work on.
Josh Collins a k20 is too much for this Civic to go through the canyons. It will be too much power for the brakes and suspension. A B16 or B18c is enough!
ComplexWork Lol exactly you dont stuff that much more horses in there without upgrading your stopping and handling power.. He would need a better tranny too
bingoberra18 I used to have one as well. The 1.6. A deathtrap, but really fun. I also had a Puma, one of my favourite cars of all time. Fantastic little 1.7 engine, and perfect steering and a perfect gearbox combined with a perfect FWD chassis = just perfect. Did i mention that it was perfect lol.
It has been more than 2 years since this video appeared and I still think that this is a great car. Simple, light, fun, reliable and cheap. How can you go wrong with this?
This car would be a great ev conversion :D since its so light you could double the HP to 200hp electric motor and make it fly :D plus with instant torque it would be alot of fun :D
Matt I got a suggestion. How about instead of having the drivers ride along, you get there permission to ride solo. Have a little snippet in the beginning where the owner introduces there vehicle with mods and such and make sure they allow you to push the vehicles limits then you just ride solo. At the end you give the owner your impression. The show is much more natural with just you driving I think.
TheSmokingTire Maybe tell the ones who are not so good on camera to just keep quiet (unless you say something wrong about the car) and enjoy the ride. With one take show it would be tough to get people who are good on camera.
TheSmokingTire I vote for how it is now. I like when the owner is there because it makes the whole test more personal. But if youre alone thats also fine. I think its up to the owner.
Daryl Hiers Haha. I can't really see Matt saying that. "Hey bro, thanks for letting me borrow your car and rip on it. Now sit there and shut the fuck up."
he is saying it has no power, and although its true, he is not getting up in the powerband, where the engine makes the power, like driving a zx6 under 10k rpm
I ended up finding it. Shit happens. Glad to see you didn't make excuses. Most people would have. You got a pretty good record on not wrecking cars. I would hand you the keys to mine anytime.
Always admired these Civics (only the hatchbacks though) for their looks, yeah they're boxes but at the time it was a way attractive box and really clean exterior. Honda gave it the "double wishbone" suspension at a time when most compact cars had struts up front and quite a few had beam axles in the back. College classmate in the mid 90s had one with an SiR engine (VTEC B16A with 150+ hp) from Japan (I don't remember if the whole car came over or it was just the engine). But yeah it was fast.
I'd say the 80s equivalent of the fiesta St is the Ford Fiesta xr2i. Old gen fast ford.. along with the mk1 escort rs turbo and fiesta rs turbo also. Got them in the UK not sure where you are from..
Ironically, I own a 285whp fiesta ST, and my first sport compact was an 89' civic with 169k miles on it. It was not like the fiesta ST in anyway. I put 13bottles of 70shot through it in 3 month cause it was so slow. Then I turbo'd it because boost is cheaper than nitrous at that rate. It made 220whp and... still was not like a Fiesta ST. It was scary as crap, lol. The fiesta is hard to see out of compared to the EF civic HB and the steering is better and worse ( power steering is nice, but civic was raw ). I'd say the omni GLH-S maybe a good "1980's fiesta ST", but maybe not. My EF civic didn't last long at 220whp though, lol. The one Matt drove was prob very well put together. My 89' CRX si was 2190lbs, so that civic is LIGHT, and someone likely put a lot of time and thought into it. I'm gonna find his "wheel well" file, lol.
Bryan Leverett Correct term would be coincidentally, not ironically. Also I think he means driving characteristic in the canyons. How it wills you to go faster and drive it harder and have fun. It puts a smile on your face and makes you giggle. The way the car goes around a corner, the way you can carry momentum and how much speed it *feels* like you can carry in, the fun little mid corner rotation and ability to modulate the throttle to get the front end to tuck in. Additionally there is also the overall level of driver involvement involved with a car like that and the Fiesta. I think this specific example being tight as a drum, so well sorted when it comes to suspension and tire setup, and also being underpowered makes it not scary at all, the same way the Fiesta ST feels so tight and sorted and not scary at all. It's an approachable car you can get in and have fun without scaring yourself. This car makes 110BHP according to his wheelwell account, your car made 220WHP. That's also a huge difference. I think he means that the the Fiesta ST is a modern car that inspires the same type of emotions and fun when driving it hard. It has a similar ethos. I can agree with that.
Bryan Leverett Ya I was thinking the same thing on weight. My car is an 88 Escort GT and it's around the 2300lb range. It has around the same hp but I can't see how he'd get 500lbs on my car without having to gut it and strip out almost everything.
After going through a LOT of economy cars, mostly Hondas, I think I've more or less decided that a stock EF hatch or CRX is just the most enjoyable daily there is. No power windows, no power locks, no power steering, a cable clutch, and 90hp with a light flywheel and revvy stock cam. I really like vintage motorcycles, and the little EF Civic gives me the same kind of mechanical joy.
Smallest least powerful car you have reviewed but you had the biggest smile of all the reviews you have done that I have seen to date. My old 73' Mini Cooper used to give me the same smile.
I drove a small sub compact in mexico's small roads about a year ago and I love every minute. I don't remember a single time where the gas pedal was not smashed all the way down. It was so much fun trashing that poor rental.
for me personally, i like the 90-91' EF's. i know a lot of you will say it's the same car, yes...chassis wise but the exterior/interior subtle changes make it more aesthetically pleasing. Matt...you'd love it too. when i bought my 91' Si, it was already modified somewhat. it sat on coilovers with an exhaust. I think the best thing about the car was that it was retrofitted with power windows. of course like many, i went the B16 route and loved the vtec whine while i had it.
bogdan135 Even still. My gutted (yet, caged) '91 Civic Si hatch race car tips the scales at 1925lbs dry. I've got $100 that says this car doesn't weigh under 2000lbs.
LowFlyin' The 90-91's weigh about 150 more because of the crap in-door mounted seat belts and all the bracing which that required. Si's weigh even more because of the sun roof. The 88-89 STD weighed under 1950 from factory. 1900-1950 sounds dead on.
Ace Campano I agree most honda civics are rice, but not this one. Especially this one in particular can be a track monster, just look at Spoons. Theres no reason to hate man
Wow Matt, you really had a blast up there. I can see that you're very happy to drive that civic. This proves the point that a ton of horsepower is not the key to a joyous ride, it's well sorted car and lightweight. That's why for a new car, I love the fiesta. ☺
Friend of mine has almost the exact same car as this one and it was the second car I ever drove with a stick. COmpared to learning on my mom's then Jeep Wrangler, this made me go from hating manuals to desperately wanting a car with one. Fun little car, never felt slow.
I'm glad you got to drive a properly setup old school Honda Matt. They really are something special for basically no money. I've owned pretty much everything and keep coming back to light and slow cars. I'm moving to LA and driving my AW11 out there, I'll try to get into the lineup. I think you would appreciate it based on your reactions to the ae86 drift car and this civic
Little light cars like this are a blast on a tight back road. I grew up learning to drive hustling an 89 Mirage 5 speed on super technical VA back roads.
You really get me. I already knew that but this proves it. I still haven't gotten myself a "race car" (loosely used term) and when I do I won't have a lot of money to spend. That's why so many people choose the Hondas. Its not that they didn't want something cooler, its just that the car you just drove here is about the easiest and cheapest way to get that "race car feeling"
My restored 88 CRX Si is this cars brother. Car of the year in 1988. I've blueprinted the motor and put it back to exactly as it was in 88. If ever in CLT, come for a drive!
My older brother had one if these in the 90s. He absolutely adored it, so did his girl friend. It was light blue with real sheep skin fur seat covers. That was the only mod.
Hey Matt, another great video. When you do these single drives of other peoples cars you should have a little interview segment with them so they can explain their setups. I know its on the wheel well page, but it is always nice to here the people talk about how each modification has impacted the car. I would be interested to see if the chassis is that good or if this dude has put in a lot of time to get it to handle like that. Keep up the good work.
