Forbidden Fruit Honda Civics: Pick Your Favorite
Welcome back to Choices. Where seemingly similar cars are pitted against one another in a battle for your affection. It’s like trying to choose your favourite member of Breaker High (do you have to pick one?) Your task, if you agree to accept it, is to determine which of the four cars below belongs in each category:
It's a car known all over the world. It has starred in The Fast & The Furious, Gran Turismo, and your high school parking lot. Our theme this week is the Honda Civic. First introduced in the 1970s, the Honda Civic has become one of the most iconic and best-known models around the world.
The Contestants
- 1984 Honda Civic Si
- 1990 Honda Civic SiR
- 1992 Honda Civic SiR
- 1998 Honda Civic Type R
More than just basic family transportation, the Civic has also gained a reputation for being a budget performance car, starting in 1984 with the original Civic Si. Although we now have the monstrous Civic Type R on our shores, there were plenty of hot-hatch Honda Civics from the past we never got in North America.
For this edition of Choices, I have selected four Japanese domestic market high powered Honda Civics from the 1980s and 1990s. Each car has been plucked from a specific generation starting with the aforementioned 1984 Civic Si, that received power from a 118 hp, 1.6-liter engine.
Next there is the potent 1990 Honda Civic SiR. With 158 hp on tap, the lightweight compact could surprise a lot of sports cars thanks to its nimble handling and impressive power to weight ratio. Following the same formula was the fifth-generation 1992 Honda Civic SiR – our third contestant. To round out of quartet we must include the iconic 1998 Civic Type R. This was a purpose-built hatch designed for maximum performance at all costs.
My Choice
How can I not make the 1998 Civic Type R? It’s the icon, the one everyone wants. This also makes it one of the most expensive and Id be worried it would get stolen every time I park it. MAybe a more practical choice for me would be the 1990 Civic SiR. I like the body style of the fourth generation over the fifth generation and I will put all 158 hp to great use on my daily drive.
Let me know in the comments what you would choose!
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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6th generations hatches the best.....so yea the I'm with the 98