(first posted 4/29/2014) There are people who don’t feel any particular allegiance to their given nationality, but rather, claim a more global identity. Likewise, while many cars undeniably reflect their national origin, there are others whose unique character makes their identity much more difficult to pin down. Honda’s fourth generation (EF) Civic was one of the best ambassadors of this concept, bringing the company’s cosmopolitan ethos to buyers all around the world.
While certainly a success, it never matched the global sales volumes of either of the Golf or Corolla, and whereas those cars typified small German and Japanese family cars, respectively, the EF Civic brought forth its own unique virtues in a lean package. And while earlier iterations were more European in concept, with later models becoming increasingly Americanized, the fourth generation balanced all these values together almost perfectly, as did its predecessor.
Coming hot on the heels of that car’s success, the new for 1988 Civic continued to capitalize on that car’s reputation for sportiness but with a greater emphasis on solidity and finesse. In the process of creating their new subcompact, Honda wound up with a chassis whose fundamentals, with periodic changes in size and other refinements, managed to keep the Civic, Integra and CRV at or near the top of their respective classes until 2001, when a more mundane architecture superseded it.
Design-wise, the new car was a basic rehash of the old model, with rounder edges and an even lower profile. The four basic bodystyles continued as well, with a range based around a three-door once again distinguished by a long-roof and shallow tailgate design, accompanied by an increasingly popular sedan, a tall-boy five-door wagon, and, of course, the CRX coupe. This would be the last Civic to take this rather expensive approach to create such a diverse–but aesthetically and mechanically unified–lineup.
There’s plenty to suggest that this was most over-engineered car to compete in its segment, with no competitor from Japan or Europe approaching the complexity of its chassis design. Well advanced in its development before a 1985 treaty intentionally devalued the US dollar and exacerbated the Yen’s appreciation, and introduced a few years before the burst of Japan’s bubble, the 1988 Civic was one of the last cars to represent Honda’s traditional approach to new car development before a change in management in the early ’90s reigned in engineers’ zeal. A lot of Japanese cars from this era showed an ambitious spirit, but the Civic was unique in its comparative aversion to gadgetry. Adjustable suspensions, turbochargers and digital dashes were not a part of the plan and the most basic Civics had a lot in common with the high-end models, with cylinder heads being most notable area of mechanical divergence.
If the inclusion of a four-wheel double wishbone suspension was a step above the competition for the Accord, in the Civic, it was an example of sophistication no one else could match at the price point. Even better, its implementation in the Civic was even more ingenious, with a large pressed steel trailing arm/hub carrier for each rear wheel, with a main lower link used to locate them laterally. As with the company’s other contemporary designs, a short, upper lateral link kept camber constant throughout the wheel’s travel, but it mounted directly to the trailing arm and linked it to the body inside the wheel, taking up much less space. The most clever aspect of the design was the use of an additional compensating link which attached to the opposite end of the trailing arms which, unusually, extended forward of their bushings. This short link moved in the opposite direction of the main lateral links and negated the toe changes which would ordinarily occur under load.
Engines sold in US were mildly tuned variants of the D-block, with the hottest 1.6 liter versions receiving multi-point fuel injection to make 108 horsepower (initially 105). More commonly installed was a 1.5 liter engine using dual fuel injectors in a throttle body/multi-point compromise producing 92 horsepower and 89 lb-ft of torque. The big news at the time was the use of a single cam to drive sixteen valves using rocker arms. Despite the understated nature of the car, these were the first of Honda’s workaday engines that hinted at high strung power delivery that, for better or worse, came to characterize the company in the ’90s. Overseas, the ZC (shared with the first gen Integra, using the same block as the standard SOHC D-series engine) was the initial high-end engine offering, but VTEC engines debuted halfway through the EF’s model run.
The white car featured here is easily distinguished as a 1991 because this was the only year DX hatchbacks were given wheel covers and body colored bumpers. If you wanted an automatic transmission or power steering in your hatchback, they came together, and only in this trim level, which came with the 92 horsepower 1.5. Base trim level hatchbacks got a detuned version of the same engine making seventy horsepower (how the engine was detuned so much while maintaining the same sixteen valve design, fuel-injection system and compression ratio would be interesting to know), a four speed gearbox and vinyl seats. If you wanted a sunroof, the hatchback was again your go-to, in Si trim, which only came with a close ratio five-speed and a variable ratio manual steering rack. Finding a clean EF hatchback these days isn’t easy, especially if you have your heart set on an Si, and isn’t cheap.
There’s an old school American influence to the design, in that the Civic hatch is a rare small car with low, inefficient proportions, almost like a Vega or Pinto. That, along with its ‘tweener dimensions, limited its appeal against the likes of the Peugeot 205 or VW Golf in Europe, as well as in Japan, where the Corolla’s mini-Crown vibe kept it a best seller for years. But in the United States, where the extent of the car’s capacities would be tested by single owners or very small families, the hatch was a strong seller. This automatic-equipped example with dealer-installed A/C would’ve run about $11,000, making it no more expensive than most of the Japanese competition.
Unlike the competition, Japanese or otherwise, the Civic stood out with an effervescent spirit that brought to mind a sporting Italian or British hatch. Even without blistering performance, these cars were a lot of fun to abuse in daily driving, and took well to aggressive treatment, with a hard-edged engine note. It’s no wonder that these cars are popular with the same crowd which loves the Miata (which turned twenty-five this year). Performance characteristics of the two cars aren’t entirely dissimilar, and in DX trim with a manual transmission, the Civic reached sixty in about 9.5 seconds and went on to a top speed of about 110 miles per hour. 35 to 40 miles to the gallon was easily achieved in most driving, though all these figures undoubtedly suffered with the automatic. The only other car which could compare was the Golf, in 1.8 liter Digifant form, though it was a comparatively supple, mature car, with a tippy-but-grippy feel and more low-end punch. Not that any such comparison held much weight in the US, where VW sales were in the toilet at the time.
Also like the Miata, the Civic brought a degree of serenity and ergonomic sanity to go along with the taut ride motions and sharp throttle response that made the cars stand out dynamically. But even when driven sedately, there were unique characteristics helped define the Civic as different from its more clinical Japanese brethren. One could point to the virtually silent idle, on the positive side, and more controversially, the low driving position and the dramatic view out the windows, which could be likened to sitting on a sled, or the loud, chirpy sound of the starter and the clatter of solid valve lifters. Like all Hondas back then, it was a car you could identify blindfolded.
As the Japanese and global economy changed, so did Honda’s corporate structure. The EF would be one of the last Civics to remain true to the spirit of the 1973 model, and while its character and basic architecture were strong enough last up until 2000, a larger body and reoriented marketing trajectory morphed the car into a more American, family friendly proposition, with its shaper edges literally and figuratively filed off. This was reflected in a more upmarket approach for the sedan and, by 1996, a much less prominent role for hatchback versions in North America. With the Yen’s steady appreciation versus the dollar, lower production costs were pursued, leading to a process of decontenting and, eventually, longer development intervals, though the cars still remained satisfying through their fifth and sixth generations.
With Toyota content to turn the Corolla into an anonymous droner sold in basic trim levels with extra value packages, and consumers giving secondary consideration to the excellent Protege and 1991 Sentra, the Civic remained largely unchallenged in the US market. GM, of course, treated Saturn like a housing project (good intentions rapidly giving way to neglect) and the exciting Neon was rapidly abandoned by consumers due to its half-baked development, so Honda never again had little pressure in its largest market to commit to the sort of innovative approach which made the EF and its predecessors so unique among its competition. The much larger, well equipped and fashionably styled fifth generation car cemented the Civic as the car for the import tuner crowd, but other than some trick cylinder heads, there wasn’t much to write home about.
By the time any serious rivals came around, Honda was no longer the same company and subsequent Civics sometimes didn’t even achieve parity with the best of the competition. Today, the Civic isn’t even sold in Japan and the car marketed in Europe is very different from the one sold in North America. How ironic that in a hyper-globalized economy, the profits margins needed to make a world beater are that much harder to come by.
Perry, as far as I know the base engine in that generation of Civics had an 8 valves head.That’s the reason it made only 70 hp.
I’m pretty sure that’s the case. It also looks like it has a milder cam, albeit not quite as lazy as the one in the CRX HF (whose torque peak was only 2,000 rpm!).
BTW, great article in your site about the history of the CRX. I read it a few weeks ago.
It’s easy to confuse, but the CRX HF used the eight valve, as did the 92-95 CX hatch. The base 88-91 hatch used a detuned 16-valve.
True, I looked it up again for confirmation and you are right.
If memory is correct, our 1990 base 3-door hatch *did* have a 16-valve head (1500cc). I did my own valve adjustments…
Perry, the comparison of Saturn to a housing project was, in a word, brilliant.
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Love it. This model three door is a superb, clean design. I think it looks better than the concurrent CRX, but that’s of course debatable. Saw a metallic green one of these the other day and it looked even better. Honda at their styling peak.
My only experience with this car was when our neighbor ordered a new car and dropped the keys off with the plea -sell it for me. She was head of the state AIDS education and awareness programs, so she would jaunt off all over the world for months at a time. I took my time cleaning it up and with $10 of gas lasting two weeks, didn’t even CL it for a month. Then, to my surprise, a bidding war erupted between two teenagers that got me $250 extra money. This was probably eight years ago. It had 140k, basic 5 speed yet sold in two days for $1500. I got educated completely by that simple little car. Should have kept it. I still see the rebuilt car driving around, but it is now about 1 inch off the ground with lights on the undercarriage, with wheels drastically out of camber. The modern version of traction bars and slicks, I guess.
There was a whole bunch of stuff in this generation that we never got, including ABS, torque-sensitive power steering (which was optional on most models in Japan), four-wheel discs (which we got only on the later CRX of this vintage), and of course VTEC.
It’s really too bad we didn’t get the VTEC engine. I think there were a couple of good reasons for that, but the VTEC engine really took the hatchback from “kind of a hot hatch” to “yessir, that’s a hot hatch.”
There was no need for ABS, four-wheel disks, or VTEC to begin with. The Si in it’s original form was a plenty. Most people today compare tired old equipment with “newer” replacement, and that’s where they’re wrong. Honda themselves said that the D16A6, known as one of the Hyper 16 series of engines in Japan (at least, officially) was the one engine that could produce similar output (underrated at 115 hp, with SOHC ZC at 118, thanks to higher compression and a 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, NOT a cam profile) to their own DOHC offerings (DOHC ZC in particular). As for rear disk brakes, they are weaker (size for size), don’t do that much work in a FWD anyways to warrant the need for ease of maintenance or lower brake temps, and are known to stick anyways, not to mention weigh more. The B16A is the most overrated Honda engine ever, enough said. Moral of the story is that not everything JDM is necessarily better.
A friend of mine has one since new. He used it for commuting, had it resprayed once. It looks like new. He is still driving it in his retirement years.
My teenage sons had only one car make on their minds: Honda. This civic platform has a lot to do with it. I bet it will be going from curbside classic to auction house classic status in short order.
I just love those Honda’s, from the 1983 to 1993’ish periode.
And the yearly one’s like the S600 – S800…
Great for driving.
And so troublefree.
Only to bad, nobody cares for those old Honda’s.
I’ve given up on keeping my 1986 Prelude 2.0i (not the lowpower US Si), BA2, 4W-ALB, with rearrotor’s with integrated hub…, alive, because it’s impossible to get matching brake-parts (and engine parts) for it.
Even getting dampers and springs, can proove a challenge, if you live in a “German-car-infested” country.
My brother drives an ’08 Civic, and while it’s a nice enough car, it is not what this car was at all.
I dont think these were as popular in Australia because of the smaller size and 30% higher price tag versus a (less well equipped vs the single spec Civic) Toyota or Nissan.
I would say the next gen hatch ‘kept the faith’ before it really grew in the subsequent model, alhough the sedan did change more.
The size comparison to the Peugeot 205 would be pretty similar, likewise the Corolla hatch I don’t think you got in the USA was just a touch larger but probably more importantly had 5 doors. The Civic was really the odd one out in staying (or going back to) 3 door only for so long.
Vehicle choices are quite limited in Aussie I didnt notice while living there but returning to NZ made it obvious with the incredible range on offer here.
it could have done better had it not been for the price tag.in fact despite the problems with quality that the home grown family cars in Australia had at the time you could get them for the same price as a civic in 1988.this is the model that would have won the car of the year 88 had it not been for the VN COMMODORE AND WHEELS GIVING THAT PILE OF SHIT THE GONG.funny thing is you still see Civics largely unmodified from 1988 to 1991 around the place going strong whereas your Commodore or Falcon would have long gone to the wreckers by now.
I’ve only owned two Honda vehicles, an ’89 DX and a base ’90, both three-door Civic hatchbacks. We got the ’89 not long after we married, and sold it after a bit over a year when Son No. 1 made his presence known (we planned on Beth staying home with children and we couldn’t afford two payments). We had already bought the ’90 by then, so the two overlapped by a few months.
The ’90 was purchased absolutely as base as possible – no radio, no a/c (in Atlanta, GA, no less!), no pin stripes, no dealer prep (I cleaned the cosmolene off the wheels myself). Paid a bit under $7,000 for it.
While I have no other Honda experience with which to compare, I’d argue vigorously that this generation was “Peak Honda.” We *loved* both vehicles. They were comfortable road trip cars, and the ’90 easily got in the low 40s for mileage (44-45 was not unheard of on long trips). While not what you would call luxurious, the materials, fit and finish were quite acceptable. We had a couple minor problems, including the ignitor recall (ours failed on the road, but Honda picked up all charges, including towing).
We kept the ’90 until our two sons literally outgrew the back seat (older son was about 9-10 years old and already had long legs!). With 165K on the odo, we sold it to my youngest brother for $500 (about $1000 less than it was worth), and he racked up another 50K on it before selling it again for $500 to some kids who wanted to race it.
The pic shows both cars, with the ’90 mid-repairs after my brother rear-ended an Expedition. A junkyard radiator and some S-10 headlights, plus some hammer and come-along work put it back on the road in short order.
The ’90 was easily one of the best cars we’ve owned to date.
When we were considering the next vehicle and our first stop was the Honda dealer, where we quickly learned the next generation of Hondas had been priced completely out of our our range… so we waited a bit and then bought a ’98 Caravan.
Excellent piece, Perry. Like Ed above, I became a Honda acolyte in the 80s. I married an 88 Accord, and two of the Mrs’ siblings had matching Civic wagons. These Hondas had a personality that has been mostly lost in the intervening decades.
I say “mostly” because that personality is still there in my 2007 Fit Sport. It lacks the impressive rear suspension, but still makes do quite nicely with a willing, agile spirit that always wants to play.
The original Fit, and Fit family of cars in general, do carry some of it’s DNA, as witnessed by their similar vehicle and engine sizes, the orange RS versions in Japan, an extended Fit version called Shuttle (name used for Civic Wagovans outside of North America), even the teal color option, all hint to the Civics of old.
prettiest of all the civics ever made. IMO best handling with the SI trim.
Even the base model was very tossable / well balanced.
Such a great little car. Our family’s driveway looked like this in 1998. Honda frenzy.
My first brand new car was an 89 base hatch, red with grey interior. It was so much fun to drive, and I loved the clean, low Honda lines. Honda styling and engineering went downhill quickly after this generation. The only Honda that even mildly interests me now is the Fit. I still see some of these old Civics out and about, though.
Honda really had it going on in the mid-late 80s with the 3rd gen Accord, this 4th gen Civic, 2nd gen CRX and 3rd gen Prelude. What a line up!
Each was nicer looking and better performing than its predecessor or what came next, though I have a slight preference for the 5th gen Civic hatch over the 4th. That was the last aerodeck looking Civic and had that trick tailgate and super short rear overhang.
It felt a bit more robust than the 4th too, just like the 2nd gen Integra felt more robust than the 1st. A sweet spot for me in terms of lightness + refinement + durability.
Great write up Perry.
A good friend in high school had an ’89 DX 4-door sedan as his first car. White with blue interior. One of the things I remember most about it was the visibility…with the comparatively high greenhouse, low beltline and wedgy nose, it seemed like you were surrounded by glass, not high sills like today’s cars. The ’91 Accord I would later own was similar, as was my father’s ’84 Accord, but the feeling was the strongest in that Civic.
Also, Honda styling from the late 80’s has held up quite well, at least in my opinion.
Call this body style a 3-door hatch if you like, but I really consider it a Shooting Brake.
Notice the proportional resemblance to cars like the Volvo 1800ES
“I don’t always own import cars, but when I do, I own Hondas”
I’ve had three Hondas over the years – ’88 CRX Si, 95 Civic EX Coupe, 90 Accord EX Sedan. Enjoyed them all, but the CRX was one car that I really regret selling (of all the cars I’ve owned).
I purchased it from my brother-in-law with 140K or so miles on it. It needed a thorough cleaning, but was mechanically sound.
One of my favorite road trips in that car, from Sacramento to Yellowstone and back. So much fun to drive and great mileage. But, alas, I needed a truck and the CRX had to go at that point.
These things are everywhere in NZ in all specs some with vtec go really well the hat on backwards brigade has captured most of them and lowered them into the weeds removing any cornering ability Honda built in, but there are still stock standard examples in most parking lots in town
Perry, you’re a great writer. This is an excellent description of a great car! I had the sedan version, a 1990 LX, and loved it. It truly was “Peak Honda” (although maybe the trailing end of that period, IMO). It felt open, airy, roomy yet small, light yet strong. I think the Civic only had 7 more HP than the “J” Pontiac Sunbird that it replaced, but it felt much more nimble and powerful, even with the automatic (I think it had the 16V engine). And I always loved the styling, crisp and taut yet curved in all the right places. Unfortunately it filled up with water in a flood when it was less than 5 years old and was totaled. I replaced it with a top-line 1995 EX sedan with VTEC, but that car, although very nice, never impressed me quite as much.
A favorite ad from the period.
I feel pretty confident that the sedans were somewhat of afterthoughts compared to the hatch until the fifth generation car came out in 1992. Unlike Honda’s other sedans, the wedge shape wasn’t pronounced, and the look was upright. To me, it looks like they were trying to force a sedan on the low and short hatchback platform and raising the rear deck as on the other cars would’ve made the shortness even more apparent.
Bringing the LX over was a great way to make the sedan bodystyle more worthwhile, since other competitors weren’t as well-equipped, but even initially, there was no 1.6 liter available, so I feel the focus was mainly on the other three bodystyles.
That, of course, changed with the 5th and sixth gen cars, which became much larger, with a notably higher beltline and seating position. And while they looked much more comfortable in their skin as sedans, the attitude was very different, and distinctly American.
I don’t agree about the sedan being an afterthought. In fact, I consider this particular generation Civic sedan to be quite brilliant all the way around; in addition to the qualities it shares with its stablemates. It was a very fine design; much better than the previous generation sedan, which never really worked for me. It’s uprightness worked for me, given its short length. And its visibility was nothing less than perfect.
My Production Manager at the station in San Jose bought a new five speed EX sedan, and one day we played hookie for a few hours, swapped cars, and had a blast of a drive through the coastal hills and mountains, on secluded back roads I’d gotten to know. I don’t know when I’ve had as much fun with a car; the little FI four was just so eager and willing, and the gearing was spot on, and the handling was splendid. A very memorable drive. He could get a ahead of me in my 300E on long straights, but as soon as the road turned twisty, I was all over him.
I suppose it would have been just as fun in a hatchback, but I rather liked the practicality of the sedan. Best small car of the whole era; I felt privileged to be driving something as significant and superior as was the 300E in its class. I miss that little Civic sedan; and have pined after one ever since.
Oh, I think it’s brilliant, too and a real favorite of mine (I tend to like small, low-slung sedans), but the design theme optimized for the three-door. The longer Integra sedan’s proportions seem to match the rest of the company’s contemporary lineup more closely, and I think that’s a function of their greater length.
With the higher beltline and substantially longer wheelbase, the Civic which followed seems to have been conceived more with the sedan in mind, but all of the cars lost their panoptic look, while the hatches became ever so slightly chunky.
As far as the driving experience, if there any difference were noticeable between the sedan and hatch, it would be felt in a greater willingness to rotate and a lack of power steering, but either car allowed a lot more fine tuning of cornering angles with the throttle compared to the Accord or Prelude. I actually think this is Honda’s best FWD chassis.
Actually the only Civic models to get a substantially longer wheelbase for gen 5 were the sedan and coupe. The coupe of course was a new bodystyle unique to North America. The 3-door hatch had a shorter wheelbase than the coupe and sedan, one which was just slightly longer than the gen 4. Overhangs were a tad shorter than on the old hatch.
Yes, I understand. I mean the styling and product planning seems to favor the hatchback the further back you go.
“I actually think this is Honda’s best FWD chassis.”
All of the old-timers seem to think so, but I guess we’ll just have to let Integra Type R have that spot, for naysayers sake.
Guess it’s in the eye of the beholder, but I don’t find the 4th gen sedan to be poorly proportioned at all. Its worst angle is the rear, for sure, and I think it would’ve looked OK with a higher rear deck, but maybe that would’ve made it look too short, as you say. I always admired these sedans and still do. The C pillar area, in particular, is so delicate and tidy, just perfect. In fact, the perfect expression of a small sedan 3-box shape. Even though it’s small, nothing looks “stubby” on it. The contemporary Corolla looked so coarse by comparison. No comparison!
And these sedans and hatchbacks were roomy. I still remember a friend (probably 5’11” or 6′ tall) getting into my sedan and testing the rear legroom shortly after I got it. It passed, even without moving the front seat up all the way. Another friend had a 1990 Civic DX hatch, and it swallowed up a dining table I bought (which I still have). Amazing!
I think all the Honda designs of this era were very well thought out, and have stood the test of time well. I don’t think the 4th gen Civic or 4th gen Accord look all that dated even now, and I do see them regularly. Sometimes I see a 4th gen Civic sedan park right next to my 1st gen Acura TSX at the gym I go to. They look great together. Neither looks awkward to me. Of course, I bought both, so that’s my personal taste, I guess!
Yes, the rear suspension was very compact, allowing for a lot better packaging than in the Accord, which was useless–though still likable–as a wagon. I think the only reason the Accord didn’t use it might’ve been because its geometry, despite the compensating links, may not have been perfect if one didn’t use aftermarket bushings. The only reason I think so is that Integras and Civics will slightly oversteer on trailing throttle when the bigger cars and the Preludes didn’t seem as eager to do so.
It’s a unique design and should be called “Civic-link.”
“…Civics will slightly oversteer on trailing throttle…”
Especially on the 1988 model year cars, with their eye-style (vs. fork) rear LCAs that made for an active/passive rear toe (same design as found on the Integra Type R).
I love this period for Honda products. I bought an ’88 Prelude as my first new car, but remember checking out all the cars in the showroom, including these Civics. They were just so nice–well-engineered, beautifully built, intelligent cars that were a good value, even with the then-prevalent Honda dealer price gouging. That’s what makes the company’s decline into the humdrum cars of today so disappointing–they used to be truly special, now they remind me of oatmeal (good for you but nothing memorable).
Very well said, and I could only wish to experience them brand new.
me too.we didn’t have a civic as such from this era in our family but a couple of accords and wow what a wonderful car they are.I read an 87 wheels magazine test of the last of the XF FAIRMONT GHIA’S against the Accord and Honda was the winner unless you really needed room for three adults or three big kids in the back and the dashboard layout of the Accord was easier to read than the Ford.sure it didn’t have a 4.1L 6 cylinder unlike it’s rival but was a generation ahead of it’s in the same price range home grown australian rival.
My mom had a teal ’91 DX hatchback with 5 speed manual. As I’ve said in the past, being a fan of my grandfather’s land yachts, it wasn’t my thing at the time, but it really was a good car: comfortable (in the front, anyway), peppy, and so efficient, regularly returning 40 mpg on the highway.
I remember liking it a lot more than my father’s older ’84 Civic hatch it replaced (having sold that car to a young minister with 225K on it in 1994), because the cloth seats in the ’91 were light years more comfortable than the thigh-burning vinyl in the ’84 (which was a 4 speed, also). We got that ’91 with 43K, as I remember, and it was replaced with a ’98 Camry 4 years later, as I had grown too tall to sit in the back of a hatchback on long trips, and my father, at 6’3, pointedly refused to do so. It was the last hatchback and last Honda we owned; the parents have been Toyota folks since.
My mother had one of these. It was a black 1989 model, imported to Ireland from the UK. The car was fully-loaded except for A/C, and had the 1.4-litre twin-carb engine (which I believe was an 8V motor, but someone more familiar with Hondas can correct me on that if I’m wrong).
Even with the 4-speed auto that hers had, it was a surprisingly quick little car: this was a pre-emissions requirements vehicle, so had no catalytic converter or other equipment to work around. Handled well, excellent brakes, and decent steering feel with just about the right level of assistance if just slightly on the light side.
Its one downfall: Irish roads. Around Dublin or on national routes it was generally fine, but on the backroads out in the country where we lived, its relatively short-travel suspension and comparatively low ground clearance made bottoming out on uneven or potholed surfaces (which describes the vast majority of them at the time) a constant problem. Cattle grids and level crossings could also be tricky depending on how they were set into the road or angled, respectively.
Still, a fun car to drive when it could be driven as it was capable of. With the 1.4 and automatic it definitely wasn’t a hot hatch – but it was good at being a warm one.
Today, the Civic isn’t even sold in Japan and the car marketed in Europe is very different from the one sold in North America.
I had not realised that, until I saw it here. Here’s the news from Motor Trend in 2010:
Sayonara, Civic: Honda Drops Civic Model in Japanese Market
we’re told slow sales in Honda’s home country have forced the automaker to drop the model from its domestic portfolio
Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/sayonara-civic-honda-drops-civic-model-in-japanese-market-9170.html#ixzz30Zb9rPtk
No wonder Honda seems to have lost it’s mojo. Their iconic product no longer sells, so they kill it, instead of considering the possibility that management has taken away the charactor that made the Civic so popular.
Didn’t realise how lucky I was to have enjoyed “peak Civic” it all it’s free revving, well suspended glory.
Hatchbacks like the white feature car look like baby wagons to me and they function like one too. That gets my vote.
Good article, good history, and an enjoyable read on one of my favorites.
When I met my wife in 04, she was driving her grandmothers 91 DX sedan with auto and air. It was ok, I enjoyed driving it, but not as much as her 84 Volvo DL. By 08 with 140,000 miles her Honda was becoming worn out (and beginning to nickel and dime us) and she sold it. Her Volvo had 192,000 and except for the wiring, was in better shape. But I’d still take ’em both back. Her Volvo got sold in 11.
Here tis
My first Honda CAR was a base ’88 Civic HB with a 4 speed and dealer added A/C and “stereo”. Of all the 4 wheeled Hondas I’ve now had that little Civic is probably my favorite, both visually and dynamically!
Gas mileage was outstanding and despite its lowly 74hp(?) it was fun to drive. In many ways second only to my Miatas for driving enjoyment. Had it not-typical-rusted out in front of rear wheel openings I would probably still have the lil car. Given its co$t versus perceived value…IMO, better than any other Honda (car) I’ve had including my ’18 Accord Touring 2.0L turbo.
Definitely a clean design that has aged superbly. DFO
Too bad one can’t find a clean example of these cars anymore. At least were I live which doesn’t have a rust issue compared to other locals. However, there is a tuner issue which means very few are in the desirable stock condition.
These are such great cars! Perfect ergonomics, slick shifter, smooth, peppy motor. Super-economy. Awesome visibility. Low hood, great handling. Of course good quality materials everywhere. Slick and functional shooting-brake type body. They’re pretty much perfect in my rarely humble opinion.
Agree!
My old girfriend has a 1990 sedan with the automatic. Great city car and great gas mileage. Not all that comfortable on trips and loud on the highway. Give me an Integral.
I had a red ’86 Si, and my wife had a ’91 DX identical to the one in the photos. Both manuals. Best cars we ever owned and I wish we still had them.
The 1991 two-door Civic represented the final year of flip-out rear quarter windows; starting with the redesign for ’92, they were fixed (on both the coupe and hatch).
Like many other Honda changes since that era: regrettable.
My ’90 Civic SI hatchback purchased new, was the best car that I ever had.
This generation of Civic will, for me at least, always be up there as one of the best car lines ever made. Here thirty years later I still find each of the body types to be beautifully styled and they had the dependability to match. I doubt we’ll ever see such a great whole model lineup as Honda had in 1990 from anyone ever again, or even just a single model of four great types as the Civic of this generation. The fact that they were everywhere at the time and were appreciated for what they were when new makes them that much more remarkable.
The first time I drove my Father’s new Civic SI, and realized that it was quicker, roomier inside and got twice the gas mileage of my aero V8 ’83 Thunderbird; I knew the T-bird would soon be sitting on the Honda dealer’s used car lot.
I loved the looks of this car when it came out, and still do! This one brings back memories as my aunt had the exact same year, exterior/interior color, transmission, etc. We need more blue interiors (and red, and green, and what I’ll charitably call ‘cognac’…).
I am going to read this article very slowly later. It looks very good. Before I trundle off, I want to say that after this generation, things called Civics seemed like impostors. The current thing is huge, ornate and technically uninteresting (as far as I know). The Civic in this artlcle is a sweet car in terms of size, price, performance and above all the timelessly crisp design: that rising waistine and the airy glass house. This and Peugeot´s 205 may vie forever as the best specimens of the great small car. Thanks for this item!
My family has purchased seven brand new Hondas, starting with Civics, all from the same dealer. My wife and stepson did the actual buying. Our friend purchased a new Honda from this dealer based on our recommendation. All these purchases were with the same salesman.
I was in the showroom recently. I am an old man who dresses like an old man. I was ignored. The salespeople were not busy. I particularly liked the trio of salespeople standing together shooting the breeze. I passed them twice.
So, I wrote the dealership with a tale of woe. When I was a kid, my dad bought a new car every two years. It was only a Chevrolet, but, it was like clockwork. An easy sale for GM. One year he decided he was going to get an Oldsmobile, and he took me along. I was about ten. The dealership was Nortell Olds in Chicago.
We were ignored. After being in the showroom for a half hour, a young man in a suit entered. Two salespeople practically had a footrace to wait on him.
We left. My dad NEVER bought another new car, and he lived another 25 years. In fact, he started buying used Fords.
While other family members have bought in the past, I let everyone know all future sales are going through me.
And, like my dad, I know how to hold a grudge.
My wife’s 91 automatic LX. She inherited it from her grandmother who bought it new. I have the original paperwork on it. However by 06 with only around 140K miles it started rapidly failing and we sold it for $800. That’s her 84 DL next to it. It lasted until 2011.