Yahoo Autos A day in retro Hondas: 1985 CRX Si, 1986 Civic Si and a 1975 Civic Hatchback CVCC
Older Honda and Acura values are seemingly on a nonstop, uphill climb these days, assuming you have the right old Honda or Acura. The NSX and Integra Type R kicked this desirability train off, and it’s since trickled down to others like the Honda S2000, CRX Si, and various Civic Si models (most notably the sixth-generation EM1). We’re accustomed to seeing big dollar results in various online auctions at this point, but the question that often pops up is: Are these old Hondas really worth what people are paying for them?
That’s an impossible question to answer for plenty of reasons — everybody derives happiness from cars in their own ways — but what we can do, is tell you what it feels like to be behind the wheel of a few of them. Recently, Honda invited us out for a day of cruising around in three cars from its Heritage Collection: a 1985 Honda CRX Si, 1986 Honda Civic Si and a 1975 Honda Civic Hatchback CVCC. OK, twist our arms.
1985 Honda CRX Si
The CRX Si is easily the most desirable of all the CRX models that graced the world. Not only was it fun, frugal and attractive, but it’s the Honda that largely kickstarted the now long-running history of Si models in America. The Civic Si came a year later, and the Prelude Si arrived alongside it, yet it’s the CRX Si that can command shocking sales prices today.
Slipping into the cockpit of this 1985 example with only 11,074 miles on the clock is one great way to instantly make any bad day better. The patterned seats have high bolsters that softly hug your whole body, but never cause any notable hindrance getting in or out. That three-spoke steering wheel features a thin rim, and the five-speed manual shifter sticks up prominently from the floor. The view out the rear is only partially blocked by the Si’s rear spoiler, but the view out everywhere else is superb. There’s a surprising number of audio controls that offer manual adjustment of the sound, and the “Honda High Power System” and “Dolby System” branding on the head unit are just as much relics of another time as the rest of the car — and you can expect sound quality to match.
The dash is classic Honda with simple and easy-to-read gauges — a 6,500 rpm redline shows prominently on the tachometer, indicating that this car very obviously doesn’t come equipped with one of the sky-high-revving VTEC engines that would come a number of years later to other Hondas. Instead, the CRX Si features a 1.5-liter four-cylinder good for a modest 91 horsepower and 93 pound-feet of torque. In a car as light as the CRX Si (just under 2,000 pounds), the power increase of 15 horses and 9 pounds of twist for the Si over the regular CRX makes a big difference. One might say that it is Sport injected — we’ll see our way to the door.
Any car with less than 100 horsepower must feel like a dog, though, right? Nope, not this CRX Si. It gets up and moves out with more pep than you’re likely expecting, and the engine makes power consistently across the rev band. This isn’t some peaky rev-monster like some of the Si models that would follow the CRX. Instead, it’s just a pleasant, pure and plenty-potent four-cylinder. It sounds strong, meaty even, for such a small engine. And no, there’s nothing particularly special about the note as it reaches for redline, but it’s a sonorous noise we would look forward to hearing every day.
How’s it handle? Tough to say, as our drive route was largely limited to rolling about Woodward Ave. and the neighborhood streets throughout. But gosh this steering is delightful. It’s not power-assisted, and every ounce of road gets transmitted back into the lovely steering wheel. New cars with electric steering wish they could steal just a little bit of this CRX’s natural ability to talk to the driver nonstop.
The steering and curb weight are two of the absolute best things about this car. However, what doesn’t come anywhere close to holding up to modern standards are the tires — Honda had this CRX fitted with period-spec reproduction tires, and they prefer to fold under themselves when you take a corner quickly. The limits are low, but at least the massive sidewalls and little wheels make for a decent ride on poor Michigan roads.
Beyond the way it drives, the CRX gleans much of its magic from that iconic design. The first year of the Si in 1985 features the two-tone body-to-bumper look, with this example being the black body with gray-painted bumpers. Its special red accents continue to be an Si staple to this very day, and it’s just the right amount of aggressive with the twin tailpipes and big “CRX” in the rear taillight. It’s safe to say that we like the old CRX Si a great deal, as this is the second time we’ve driven it, and both times have resulted in our falling for the splendid two-door liftback.
1986 Honda Civic Si Hatchback
Our time spent in the 1986 Civic Si was a good deal longer than that in these other old Hondas, and we came away thinking that it would be difficult to find a better vehicle that acts as an automotive reset button. In a world full of bigger, heavier, more powerful vehicles, this lightweight hatchback with the same 91-horsepower engine as the CRX Si is a breath of fresh air.
