Welcome back! Today it’s Two-Door Tu–er, Wednesday, because I completely forgot that I was supposed to feature these cars yesterday. (Hey, I’ve got a lot on my mind.)
Speaking of yesterday, let’s see where we ended up:
Looks like the Lincoln has it. Personally, I think I’d go for the Olds between these two, just for a little bit better gas mileage and a little bit less rear overhang, but as many commenters said, either one would do. Two nice cars that are actually worth the trouble; imagine that.
Today’s choices aren’t quite as nice, but they both run just fine, and they have both had a lot of recent work done. They don’t have much else in common besides the number of door handles per side, so it’s a bit of an odd matchup. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what you all think after we look at them.
1989 Buick Regal – $1,850
Engine/drivetrain: 3.1 liter OHV V6, 4 speed automatic, FWD
Location: Camas, WA
Odometer reading: 137,000 miles
Runs/drives? Perfect, the ad says
Fun fact: For the first couple of years, the third-generation Buick Regal, along with its W-body sister models the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Gran Prix, were only offered as two-doors. I’ve always liked the door handle design of these, with a vertical handle hidden in the B-pillar. (I believe our friend Jason would categorize these as Class 2 handles, but oriented vertically.) A 4 door sedan joined the range in 1990, with traditionally-located and therefore far less interesting door handles.
This early FWD Regal is a bit of a mishmash of new-for-the-time technology and very conservative elements: it has a digital dash and electronic climate controls set into a fake wood dash with a column-mounted shifter. It has GM’s multi-point fuel injected V6 mounted transversely and driving the front wheels, but retains the split bench seat of more traditional personal luxury coupes.
This Regal has fairly low miles, and it sounds like it may have only had one previous owner, who used it for short trips. The stereotypical “little old lady who only drove it to church,” I’m sure. The frequent short trips did it some harm, it sounds like, and some work was done to revive it: a new battery, new starter, and all six fuel injectors. A good old-fashioned “Italian tuneup” would probably do it a world of good; cars don’t like to sit, even cushy old-lady coupes.
Cosmetically, it looks fine; the beige paint may not be to everyone’s taste, but I think it works on this car. And at least it still has all its paint, unlike a lot of American cars from its era which shed pigment in sheets.
1991 Honda Civic DX – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.5 liter SOHC inline 4, 5 speed manual, FWD
Location: Hillsboro, OR
Odometer reading: 244,000 miles
Runs/drives? “Turn key n go,” they say
When was the last time you saw a Honda Civic hatchback of this generation that hadn’t been modified all to hell and back? Yeah, me too. The fourth-generation Civic got hit by the import tuner fad hard, and was well-suited to it, actually, with excellent handling from a far more sophisticated suspension system than it needed, sturdy construction, and an easy to work on and modify family of engines. Young tuners latched on, the aftermarket went nuts, and Civic hatchbacks (and CRXs) strayed far from the way they left the Honda factory.
This Civic is the DX model, with a 1.5 liter engine putting out only 92 horsepower. There was an even more basic model, with 70 horsepower and a 4 speed manual, but I think I’ve only seen one of those ever. It doesn’t have power steering (not a big deal on a car this small and light) or air conditioning (a deal-breaker on a daily driver, for me at least, these days), but it will handle like a go-kart, and keep running until the end of time. It has had its cylinder head rebuilt recently, along with lots of other work, and the seller says it’s ready for anything.
The only modification I can see, if you can call it that, are the plywood boxes someone added in for aftermarket speakers. I can’t fault anyone for that – good tunes are a must-have in any car with a less-than-melodic exhaust note.
The rest of the car looks scruffy but honest, like you’d hope a car with nearly a quarter-million miles on it would. This could make someone a nice little commuter, or a good basis for a fun little project. It’s stock now, but that doesn’t mean it needs to stay that way. And if you did want to mess with it, you won’t find many more chances at one that hasn’t been messed with already.
They’re very different cars, not really comparable, but both have some appeal. I guess it depends on what you’re expecting from a car. So what’ll it be?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
The Civic is overpriced. Since we’re voting between just these two cars though, it gets the nod over the Buick. You might as well get the shitbox with some character if they are only $650 apart in price.
I has to be the Honda, it’s just getting broken in. Plus, these are fun to drive.
I could flip that Civic for $4-5000 today with no effort in San Diego. I know that Honda is scruffy but those EFs are peak Honda and fantastic cars. My son got an EG for his first car, just one year newer, and has run it from 135,000 miles to 250,000 miles with virtually no issues – other than wrecking the darn thing, which resulted in us doing an entire front clip. It was worth saving.
Don’t get me wrong, the Regal is a great deal but it’s not a great car. But you’re choosing between it and the Civic. Thus, I will now play very unfair and present as my argument the greatest commercial ever made for the EF Civic. If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye your Autopian card is hereby revoked:
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/video-why-must-honda-torture-us-with-this-horrible-tragedy/
Yup, you were right…I cried! Always knew I had an Autopian card. I LOVE this site!!! (Especially Shitbox Showdown and David Tracy)
Love Hondas too…my Dad got an Accord new in 91 & lasted to 240k then sold????…& years later I had 87 Accord sedan auto then later an 89 Accord coupe 5spd (both pop-up lights!) Now have 2015 Accord! (Dream Honda is 89 Prelude-Si…or an NSX of course!!!)
That Civic has not led a charmed life. The Buick likely has. AC and $700 cheaper for the win.
I am the son of a former Buick dealer service manager so I had to go with the Regal. However, those early W-bodies were known for having rear disc brake issues. IIRC, the rear caliper would rust and seize up, which would then quickly wear out the pad and dig into the rotor. There was a “recall” of sorts for those that were sold in heavy salt states. So, keep an eye on those rear brakes!
Used car prices are truly insane. I bought a 1990 Civic, 4 door, auto box, 180,000 miles in 2006 for $450.
(its interior was in perfect condition, had working A/C and almost new tires).
Drove it until about 230k miles with nothing but (rare and infrequent) oil changes, then sold it for $500.
I cannot fathom paying for this shitty example $2500, my brain just locks up thinking about that..
I like the Buick, and it may be the better choice. But I had a 1988 Civic hatchback (not even a DX, the but lowest-level version with 70hp and a 4-speed, and no A/C) for many, many years, and I only sold it because it started to get some rust around the rear wheel wells and, well, it was getting old. I agree that driving it around behemoth SUVs can be a bit much, but I always enjoyed it. So I’ll go with the Civic as the nostalgic choice.
This one’s a tough decision. Genuinely so.
Being an ’89 Regal means it doesn’t have the 3100 (L82,) it has the X-based 3.1L LH0 – kissing cousin to the awful 2.8. (But at least it doesn’t have the 2.8.) But it’s still the old batch-fire MFI, not the sequential. And it has the early 4T60, which manages to be even more problematic and temperamental than the 4T60E. Things didn’t get sorted till the 4T65E. These were never moon milers. But they are very comfortable and dead reliable till they abruptly shit the bed. But parts availability is pretty much “yes.”
Problem is you won’t be replacing the stereo easily, if at all. This is from GM’s “high tech” era so it’s an extremely non-standard ~3″ square control unit between the all-digital HVAC controls and a vent, with an external receiver unit buried in the dash. Impossible to fit a DIN unit in. And it does NOT have a cassette at all.
Honda’s 1.5L is a miserable engine. This generation Civic DX is a miserable car. It is absolutely fucking hateful, designed to be nothing more than the most basic transportation. And this one was built like an Escort Pony; forget things like A/C and power steering. It didn’t even come from the factory with a stereo. Sound deadening? Yeah, no. Build quality? When a Ford Escort holds up better, yeah. Enough said there. And don’t you dare talk to me about ‘legendary Honda reliability’ when it’s needed at least one head rebuild.
But as a basis for a track car, it’s a good chassis. As daily transportation? Fuck no. Could not pay me.
So, I have to land on the Civic for a track conversion. The Regal’s great transportation for someone who still listens to AM/FM. It will serve faithfully and comfortably for years to come. But it’s too much work to make it livable, and too nice not to preserve it.
The Civic in contrast, is tired as hell. It’s beat down. $50 says every piece of rubber in the suspension is a decade overdue. The interior is already disintegrating before your eyes. Run it hard till the 1.5 grenades (which likely won’t take very long) then drop in an F23A1 from an Odyssey.
I had that same stereo head unit in an ‘89 Sunbird.
Absolutely awful… and I resented the form factor until the day I got rid of the car.
But it definitely had a tape deck. And a CD was available. Both also non-standard sizes… housed in a separate module lower on the dash.
Can’t make it out in the pictures of this car… but I bet it’s there.
I’m surprised voting is as close as it is, I was expecting this to be a blowout in favor of the Civic.
The Civic was an easy choice for me. As nice as it is, late 80s/early 90s FWD GM stuff does absolutely nothing for me and I have no interesting in owning any of it. But a clean Civic hatch is something I’ve always wanted. It looks better, is more fun to drive than the Buick and had near unlimited aftermarket support so I can have some fun with it.
I’ll open the hatch on the high-revving 5-speed.
For some reason, I have always liked the look of that gen of Regal. Even though beige is not my favorite color, I went with the Buick.
With my vote, we’re tied, 74-74 between the two cars. Who’d have thunk it?
That Civic looks like it’s kind of molested, has high miles (even for a Honda), and carries a 25% cost bump over the Buick for the privilege. That’s a non-starter in my book. That velour has absorbed as many farts as a waiting room couch, but damn if it doesn’t look comfortable.
Buick.
My mom had a 1985 civic for a lot of my childhood and it was a very reliable fuel sipper. I know this one is a generation newer but I’m picking it. The worst thing I remember about the civis was that the side bolsters were dark red vinyl (complete with the centres being fabric) that would get hot as heck and burn my legs.
Love, LOVE that Civic, it doesn’t hurt that it’s almost identical to the one I had in the late ’90’s.
That Civic was a tank, the clutch made it to 130k, and except for the 2 year cycle on the muffler falling off, it was all but perfect.
I sold it to a friend when it had 150k, and it then made it another 50k before she sold it to get something new.
I went with the Buick as I had an 88 Cutlass Supreme International 2 door. This reminds me of it.
It was not a Gutless Cierra as it had the 3.8 stuffed in there.
Can I just say, kudos to Mark for giving us quite a few decent looking cars and tough decisions (in a good way!) this week?
There hasn’t been a truly awful entry yet, and any of the 4 from the last two days probably could win the weeklong vote in a normal week.
I have too much of a soft spot for W bodies to let this good looking one go today. Plus I can’t look at that Civic without picturing it disintegrating into dust the first time I brought it out in a salty winter.
Yep, props to Mark.
You didn’t mention it and I’m not going to look it up, but I’ll just bet the Honda’s 1.5l engine puts out more horsepower than the Buick’s 3.1.
The 3.1 actually has 50% more power, 135 vs 92.
It also has 180 lbs of torque, which is probably more than any NA Honda 4 cylinder ever built.
You are almost correct but the 2015-2019 CRV matches the 180 lbft and the 2015-2020 TLX slightly exceeds it with 182 lbft.
https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-da25d1167d2e4dfe89afc91c800da4c0-2020-acura-tlx-specifications-and-features
https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-da25d1167d2e4dfe89afc91c800da4c0-2020-acura-tlx-specifications-and-features
You are almost correct but the 2015-2019 CRV matches the 180 lbft and the 2015-2020 TLX slightly exceeds it with 182 lbft.
https://hondanews.com/en-US/honda-automobiles/releases/release-54f22367b7254cfbb14771b4caa5a654-2019-cr-v-specifications-features
https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-da25d1167d2e4dfe89afc91c800da4c0-2020-acura-tlx-specifications-and-features
wish it were an 87 Regal with a 307, but so be it. it still seems a bit better than the econobox. I would likely buy the Honduh simply to flip it to a F&F wannabe spoon engine racer, but for a winter beater, I think the Buick would be just fine.
When I read the title I thought I don’t need to read this, I’m definitely voting for the Civic but man that thing looks rough on top of being the basest of base models. Buick it is I guess, at least it has AC.
My first car was a 1991 Civic sedan with a 5-speed. I bought it with 200k miles and that thing lasted all through high school and college with nary a problem. Those old Hondas are absolute tanks and I would happily pay for a good example even to this day.
“Those old Hondas are absolute tanks”
Not a “tank” you’d want to tangle with a modern SUV though. Or anything really.
My first new car was the “base” model ‘91 Civic and remember the dealer installed A/C that was basically 10% of the MSRP! That being said, it was a great car and true to that era Honda exceeded expectations even with manual steering, vinyl seats and basic white paint. Funny thing is I had a speaker setup much like this one with plywood and 6×9 Blaupunkts
The Buick handles are class 7 by the way, not class 2. Same as the civic.
You sure? They’re a long lever. The pivot point is at the bottom, and the handle pulls down to about 45 degrees to unlatch the door.
I thought you pulled them out like rear door handles in an older nissan pathfinder. Didn’t realize there was a twisting motion…in which case you would be right.
they were also prone to failure, but as I recall from my Olds cutlass supreme of that era it was not the hardest thing to get in there and adjust the rod or reconnect it.
They were also a dumb gimmick and continue to be on number of ‘2 door look’ CUVs. The designers have obviously not experienced using them after an ice storm.
I’m conflicted here, because I too appreciate the styling of the W bodies, particularly the little cargo rails on the trunk. It’s undoubtedly comfy and that 70s esque wood trimmed interior is nice. It also has 2 extra cylinders and six figures less mileage.
It’s a lot of car for that price, but alas…I must go with the Honda because it’s a manual hatchback. The best way to make econoboxes fun to drive is to simply equip a stick. This won’t be fast, but it’s a car you can rev out every single day without breaking the law. Plus, Honda…so you know it’s going to be a solid manual and it’ll run for eternity.
I’m a card carrying member of the Brotherhood Of The Hatch, as I’ve owned a GTI and currently drive a Kona N. Once you go hatch it’s hard to go back, and for some reason the “it’s a hatchback” deal is a huge selling point for non-enthusiast partners. Look, dear…we can haul your Peloton in it. It’s definitely a normal car, don’t mind what’s under the hood.
Good pairing today though…I imagine this will be a close one.
Great summary! I’d be Civic all day everyday in this comparison, except the for the lack of A/C and where I live (DC) that’s not something I want to go without.
…another DMV Autopian! I’m in DC as well and you’re right-no AC around here would in fact be brutal.
Howdy from Michigan Park (formally Columbia Heights)! Even without the swamp weather, A/C is necessary to cut through the foggy windows from cooler rainy, but humid days such as today.
As someone who commutes in DC in a car without A/C, I can confirm that it’s not ideal. That being said, I still went with the Civic because I can’t pass up a light, practical car with a stick (which, coincidentally, is how I ended up commuting in DC with no A/C).
My mind says “ohh it’s hot, not a problem”
My body says “Did you say that you want to sweat through your clothes and need to take another shower?”
Agree that the stick makes the commute more engaging!
As someone who has previously owned 6 hatchbacks I couldn’t agree more. My current DD is a BRZ which yes, it needs more torque, but more importantly it needs a hatch!!! I can’t fit my bikes in the back of this thing!!!
“I’m a card carrying member of the Brotherhood Of The Hatch”
If you think hatch is great try wagon.
If only there were sporty ones in the states. I’d buy an S4 Avant or M340i wagon tomorrow if either of them were for sale here. Such a shame…an RS6 Avant is a dream car of mine but at around 120k it’s just never going to be feasible…and I’m not ambitious enough to take on a used Audi turbo V8 in 5 years. God bless anyone who is..,
Oh well. Unless something changes the X3 M40i sure looks like it’ll be my next move in a few years…I’ll try to sell the wife on the new M2 but I don’t think she’s going to welcome a manual RWD coupe to the stable regardless of how much I might want one. Regardless, I do in fact love wagons.
Another member of the “Brotherhood of the Hatch” here.
However, I can’t vote for the Civic for several reasons including no A/C (brutal summers in Charlotte), generally loud and tinny drive on the interstate (likely bordering on needing earplugs), and the overall feeling I get when looking at the interior. The interior is probably a combo of grease, poor life decisions, and trapped fast food farts.
The Oldsmobile on the other hand appears to have lived a pretty charmed life for its age. Just don’t put a Yeti in the makeshift transmission hump based cupholder!
I vote for the red Trooper in the background 🙂
I was thinking I’d have the 2000 Vapor Blue New Beetle the Buick’s seller has in the garage. The Trooper’s a close second. Of these two options, though, it’s a tough call – I’m leaning toward the Buick as it appears to be close to nice enough to bring to Radwood, and it’d be a better winter car as long as those door handles hold up (or if I was able to garage it…) since older Civics just disintegrate in northern New England.
No thanks to that ratty base Civic with no AC and 100k more miles. I’ll save $700 and cruise in comfort with the chic velour seats.
You know, I was fully prepared to vote for the Honda, despite my love of these Buicks. That Buick is beige (eww), has the 3.1 instead of the 3.8, and it looks like the rear suspension may be sagging a bit. But that Honda doesn’t look too healthy. The hood is a different shade of blue. The hood/fender/door fitment makes me wonder if its been wrecked/jumped. I was done with it when I saw all the parts and wires in the back. That thing is hinky, and I don’t wanna sort it. I’ll take grandpa’s Buick, and rock the beige.