Cheap Hondas Come In Two Flavors: 1994 Honda Accord vs 1990 Honda Civic

Good morning! We’re starting the week off by looking at two cheap used Hondas, a make that, possibly more than any other, only offers two choices: “Good grief that’s a lot of miles,” or “That poor car.” I think I already know which one you’re all going to choose, but we’ll do our due diligence.

Friday was all about old pokey German sedans, but only one of them is the sort of car you’d expect to be pokey. It’s the winner, and probably not coincidentally, the one that sold over the weekend: that cool old Mercedes 220. Several of you mentioned that it gave off “third-world dictator vibes;” I think that’s part of its charm, actually.

The BMW, on the other hand, is the right style, in a decent color combination, but equipped with the wrong engine and transmission, and with way too many miles. It might still be fun to tinker with, but it would take a lot of tinkering.

Now then: Despite my ambivalence towards a lot of Japanese cars, I have grown awfully fond of ’80s and ’90s Hondas over the years, especially those with manual transmissions. They’re driver’s cars to the core: light, crisp, ergonomically friendly, and eager. They’re also built like tanks, despite the lightness, and have a well-earned reputation for reliability and durability – as long as you keep an eye out for rust.

But because of all that wonderful engineering, they also became the darlings of the “tuner” crowd, and a lot of them suffered at the hands of enthusiastic amateurs armed with a plethora of questionable aftermarket parts. These days, if you want a cheap stickshift Honda, you have to choose between a bazillion miles, and a bazillion mods. Today, we’re going to look at one of each.

1994 Honda Accord LX – $2,250

Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD

Location: Sunnyvale, CA

Odometer reading: 280,000 miles

Operational status: Doesn’t say, actually

Ask a car-literate person for advice on what cheap used car to buy, the answer will probably be either a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. For me, the choice between the two depends on who’s asking the question. If it’s someone who isn’t typically a car person, who just needs to get around, I’ll suggest the Camry. If it’s someone who doesn’t really know cars, but likes driving, I suggest an Accord, specifically one with a manual transmission.

The Accord has always been a nice car, but around the third and fourth generations, it really came into its own. By the time this fifth generation Accord was built in 1994, it had just about reached perfection: it was now mid-sized, but still not too big or cumbersome; the 2.2 liter four ran like a sewing machine, and the five-speed gearbox was, as it always had been, a delight to run through the gears. This one just passed a smog test, so I imagine it runs just fine, though the ad doesn’t say for sure.

It looks good inside for having that many miles. It’s a mid-level LX model, which means cloth seats but power windows and locks and whatnot. There’s a little wear and tear, and it has an aftermarket stereo, but unless it has a funny smell or something, I can’t imagine it’s anything but a nice place to be.

Fifth-generation Accords came in some cool colors, including a really great dark green, but unfortunately the original buyer of this one chose this champagne beige. Ah well; you can travel incognito, at least. It’s faded and has a couple minor dings and scrapes, but at this mileage, I’d be more surprised if it didn’t.

1990 Honda Civic – $1,800

Engine/drivetrain: 1.5-liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual, FWD

Location: Longview, WA

Odometer reading: 237,000 miles

Operational status: This one doesn’t say either; stupid dealerships

The Accord’s smaller sibling, the Civic, never has been as fancy. Well, it is nowadays; all cars are fancy now. But back in the early ’90s, you could still get a base-model Civic that was really a base model: no power anything, no air conditioning, no hubcaps, not even a fifth gear. This is such a car, but it has had a few additions over the years.

This is where the rear seat used to be. It appears that someone was trying to build a giant speaker box in the back out of plywood and fiberglass. I don’t know if the goal was to turn it into one of those stereo competition cars, or something, but if you buy this car it comes with a couple hundred pounds of crap in the back you’ll have to throw out.

Ironically, it does not come with a stereo; there’s just a gaping hole in the dash. There are speakers in one door, and a bunch on the floor in the back that I think were supposed to go in the other door. I don’t know car stereo stuff well enough to know the brand; I’m guessing they’re cheap garbage, but if anyone wants to enlighten me in the comments, feel free.

The ad gives no indication of its mechanical condition, but it has current tags, and, well, it’s a Honda Civic. Unless someone has done something catastrophically cruel to it, I imagine it runs just fine. It looks a little beat-up, but if you just ditch all the misguided stereo stuff, it becomes just a decent little Civic hatch again. I think. Unless there are more “mods” hiding somewhere.

Honestly, these are probably both acceptable used cars. But I have a feeling the condition and the equipment of one of them is going to overcome the $450 price discount of the other. But maybe not; maybe the simplicity and “blank canvas” nature of the hatchback will appeal to some of you, especially those of you who like to swap engines and such. I’ll be curious to see how this one turns out.

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)