1984 was a milestone year in the car world for new cars: the new W124 Mercedes 300E; the Jeep Cherokee; The Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager mini vans. But perhaps the biggest shocker was Honda’s new Civic family: four distinctly different Civics, each with its own unique body and character: The conservative four-door sedan, the popular hatchback, the remarkably roomy tall-boy wagon, and the iconic two-seater CR-X. It was a bold and expensive gamble to make the Civic the number one compact in the land, and it paid off handsomely. With a Civic for each purpose and personality, Honda dominated the niche, and set the Civic (and Honda) firmly on a path of growth and domination that shocked Toyota, crippled Nissan, and utterly blew the domestics into the weeds. Was it Honda’s peak year ever, and have they been coasting since?
I think it was the beginning of Honda’s peak with respect to other manufacturers. MY1986 was pretty significant, too, with the launches of both the new double-wishbone-suspended Accord and the Acura nameplate, with the super-Civic DOHC Integra and the overachieving Legend. Honda remained on a roll through the early 1990s with smooth-running, high-revving, reliable and fun-to-drive models with the best ergonomics in the business, completely across their line. They hadn’t muddied their mission with SUVs and reaches into markets in which they had no experience.
Honda dominated in the 80s and 90s because both they and their customers understood their mission.
We bought our ’86 Accord new and it still runs great with 186K. The body and interior are a bit rough, but mechanicly still sound. I recently got 39.9mpg on a 300 mile freeway trip with a full load of camping gear!
I had a new ’85 Accord. It was a solid, well-built, comfortable car. Then I had to pay to have the front brake rotors replaced at 10k miles. The dealership told me, “That’s just the way they are”. I traded it not long after.
It was the first and last Honda I’ve ever owned.
An ’84 Civic sedan changed my mind about Japanese cars. It was fun, unlike the Toyotas I’d driven, and with shade tree maintenance it got to 270k miles. There’s nothing like the light and cheerful feeling that car had, and it sure did last. It would only climb the (gravelled) road to my new place in reverse, though. I saw the car again a couple years ago – still running, body still without any dents.
The 1976 first year accord was pretty significant, I’d say. Though just a small hatchback, it had a smoothness of operation only the Bmw 2002 could match, at 2/3 the price. I bought one new in ’76, had lotsa fun with it, and sold it 3 yrs. later for list price: $3995.00. There was just crazy demand for these cars, almost like the original 240Z.
More importantly, it was a foot in the door of the motherload of car segments.
A CC on that milestone car is overdue.
The third generation ’84 Civics were a revolution compared to the ’80 – ’83 second-generation Civics. But, I think the fourth generation ’88 model was probably the peak. That brought the double-wishbone front suspension and brought back independent rear suspension (the ’84 – ’87 used a beam axle). Those were extremely good cars. Civics kept this basic chassis design all through the nineties even though they changed the styling a couple of times. The ’88 kept all of the body styles that ’84 – ’87 had. They started losing their way in ’92 when the CRX went away (the del Sol was hardly a suitable replacement) and the versatile WagoVan went away. They lost it even more around 2001 when double wishbone front suspension went away and power steering started getting too overassisted and suspension calibration brought too much understeer.
Hi,
I’m the primary driver of the red hatchback Honda Civic pictured — my dad told me you came by to photograph it while I was out. It’s actually listed as a 1986 Honda Civic on my insurance card. Are you saying here that the particular hatchback design dates to 1984, even though my car itself may be a couple years younger?
There is presently a company with a small 2 door, 4 door sedan and 4 door hatchback bringing their cars to market. Soon to follow with a wagon although not in the mirror image of what Honda did years ago. Who would not like to have a Civic of any shape from those days today with low miles and no rust. I know I would.
This was, without a doubt, the heyday of Honda. The reason I enjoy our Fit Sport so much, is because it reminds me of these models. In 88, I was a junior in high school, and I wanted a CRX so bad I ached for it.
My parents hated Japanese cars and used the fact that it was a 2-seater to put the kabosh on my plans to buy one. I ended up with an ocean blue Mercury Tracer (re-styled Mazda 323) instead. The Mercury was a great little car, far more practical than the CRX. It was even fun. So while I can chalk up the purchase to being a lot smarter than would have been the CRX, I still looked longingly at the little two seater.
I keep hoping Honda returns to those days, with a purity of offering sorely lacking in its lineup today. The Crosstour and Accord, combined with the funky Civic and it’s two tiered digital dash are shameful. The Pilot and Ridgeline can take a hike too.
Our first Honda was an ’87 Civic Wagon (FWD only version – though AWD was available)
We’ve been buying Hondas ever since.
It’s a pity they stopped making the Civic Wagon; you could sure get a lot of stuff in that car.
i think Honda like see themselves as a ‘high end’ Japanese maker? A Japanese Audi?
As far as I know, Honda have not moved into 3rd world markets even though they have the impetus with Honda motorcycles.
The cheapest car is the Honda Fit/Jazz? So why is it that VW want a slice of India/China so much they bought Suzuki and that Nissan and the like are so hard for the sub $10k class… where is Honda who build their name on cheap but quality small cars?
I forgot that so many other milestones came out in 1984. But the Civics that year made a real impression on me. I had a friend who had one of the original CRXs, and it was a fantastic little car compared to my 3rd gen Trans Am that I had at the time. I would rate it more fun that another friend’s X-1/9 and a better car, too. I think the real zenith of these cars is the revised version that came out in 1988, even though they lost the little wagon. I had a friend who had a 1991 hatchback which replaced a Toyota Corolla FX16. The Civic was everything the FX16 was, and then some.
But, in the last 10-15 years, all of the Hondas have grown, my brother’s 2009 Civic is as big (small?) as my Pontiac G6, and frankly none of the new ones interest me in the least. Maybe the Crosstour would, but it has GM-giantic-itis. I think I’d rather find a used Malibu Maxx at that point. It seems to me that Hyundai has taken the flag from Honda, especially with the Kia line which seems to mimic the best from Honda in 1984.
This question can be answered by another question. Where is my Honda Fit Si?
Honda makes smaller and cheaper cars (google the Honda Today and Honda Life) but not for worldwide markets. I don’t know why they haven’t pursued markets in developing countries beyond selling them enormous numbers of Honda scooters. I have a made-in-Thailand Honda CBR125R motorcycle. Suzuki has a huge presence in India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.
I really liked the Civic wagon ’88 – ’91 even though we never had one in the family. I wouldn’t mind having a car like that right now, but without the terminal rust issues that Honda hadn’t yet solved at that time …
the del Sol was hardly a suitable replacement
I’m guessing I’m a party of one, but I thought the del Sol Si was brilliant – a sweet little semi-roaster. I’d have to say 1984-2002 were Honda’s golden years.
I’ve had my del sol for 15 years now and still love it .Honda used to make simple long lasting cars that were fun to drive and were easy to self maintain. But the new stuff is way to overly complex inside & out.
Wouldn’t be caught dead in one then, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of their modern counterparts now. Somethings never change.
Your loss.
Your loss.
Not really. If I wanted an underpowered death trap, I’d buy a bicycle.
A couple of years out of college and freshly transplanted to ‘the O.C.’ I remember the introduction of this quartet well. As a tall guy I was taken with the wagon, but in the end I was unwilling to pay the usual Honda dealer markup. I decided to scratch my French itch and bought a Renault Fuego instead. It was a comfortable and stylish ride that attracted attention everywhere I parked it. Unfortunately it fairly soon started having trouble engaging reverse so was replace with the fresh out of the gate Mercury Sable.
To this day I have never bought a new Honda car (several motorcycles though) due to the fact that I find the idea they are so special that they should command premiums from the dealers to be absurd. That and the fact that they dont seem to have a source for any sound deadening material. If I want to hear the road roar I’ll put on a helmet and mount my Husqvarna.
I agree that Honda has changed, as they’ve tried to “grow up” and appeal to a larger market…particularly in the U.S. One shouldn’t forget how much of that growth was driven by regulation (front impact, pedestrian impact zones…etc.)
Honda’s Accord, while not the prettiest or most trendy, still tops the ranks of many comparison lists. I actually like the way the new Civic looks…including the funky dash.
For those that thinks the Civic has grown up too much, there is always the Fit…which is much closer to the original Civic size. Perhaps, Honda should consider a small two seater…based on the Fit.
You just described the CR-Z.
While Honda may have had four different Civics, it was hardly a unique situation.
Around this same time, didn’t Oldsmobile have at least three different Cutlasses?
Depends on how you count. Cutlass Supreme, Cutlass Ciera, Cutlass Cruiser is three then in 1985 the trio was joined by the Cutlass Calais to make it a quartet. Of course the Cutlass Supreme was available with so many packages it almost started to seem like separate models (442, Hust/Olds, Salon, Brougham.)
Now way has Honda reached it’s peak, the whole point of the Honda brand is that it always exists as a possibility. When the NSX, S2000, and Acura RL are all dominating and interesting, and when Honda’s main stars are as competitive as they are now, all at the same time, THEN Honda has peaked. The brand history is all about always hitting just a few of these targets at a time, while horribly botching or dropping, others.
Olds didn’t add the Cutlass moniker to the Calais until later in it’s run, 1988 or so.
Don’t forget the mid 80’s LeBarons from Chrysler. The sedan, the Lebaron T&C wagon (both K based), Lebaron GTS (H body), and the coupe and convertible (J body, closely related to the G body Daytona/Laser). Four distinct models on 3 platforms. Even after they stoped using the K they had a new LeBaron sedan based on the A body to sell (same as the Spirit and Acclaim sedans).
Those Civics were all based on the same car. Different body styles of the same car. Each with a very specific purpose.
The Olds offerings were different cars on different platforms in different sizes and unrelated to each other except by name. Cutlass became a sub-brand for Olds in a way. The Civic was not a “sub brand” but their compact with multiple body styles.
And, again: The Calais did not become a “Cutlass” till 88. It did not start out as a part of the Cutlass line. I had an 86. My brother still drives it. It was not a “Cutlass” Calais nor was the 85. The only connection to the Cutlass at that time was that they were both Oldsmobiles .
When GM realized they were able to still sell their larger RWD Personal Luxury cars and were increasing those sales, the N Body that was to be the replacement for the Toronado, Riviera [Somerset] and Grand Prix [what became the Grand Am] became upscale compacts of the sort GM claimed that then yuppies were attracted to. “New Values” customers,BMW intenders[I kid you not], according to the press BS that GM fed to C&D and MT.
The N Body may be yet another of GM’s deadly sins.
They have, relatively speaking vis-a-vis the West, been coasting ever since the Japanese bubble burst, along with most other Japanese companies. Remember how dominant Sony was? And even Lexus has arguably never regained the commanding lead they had with the original LS & SC. Alongside Honda with the NSX, talk about coming out of nowhere to leap frog the entire luxury car establishment! But since then the national priority in Japan has been bailing out speculators, and squandering whatever capital is available on bridges to nowhere and other feel good Keynesian nonsense.
My 1985 Civic S hatch was a terrible car. If California had had a lemon law back then, I would have invoked it. 1985 was the year for the carbureted engine and Honda couldn’t make the car run reliably despite many, many trips to the repair bays of several local dealers. It took much noise about a lawsuit and replacement of the entire fuel delivery system from the tank forward to fix the car, which I sold not long after. That was my last Honda. The ’87 Jetta that replaced it was, believe it or not, a much more reliable car.
WOW my Florida based ’85 Civic S 1500 Hatchback was the BEST car I’ve owned to date! 160K of trouble free miles during which I abused the thing to death using it as a delivery vehicle for a printing company and then as rolling rock concert by installing a massive audio system.
I gave some info on it in the original post with the spray paint can CR-X.
If I remember correctly the S hatchback came in three two-tone colors: red, dark grey and white, all with a light grey bottom & black interior. The only difference between the ’84 and (I believe) the ’86 version was the headlights were changed to a more aerodynamic design before the complete redesign of the entire line up.
The DX model had only a single side mirror and folding seats while the S and Si had the split folding rear seats. The step up to the “racy” Si got you fuel injection, while the S had 1500 CCs (like a motorcycle), the bottom line DX was 1200 CCs. All of this based on my memory so I could be wrong. I was in high school at the time and LOVED those little Civics.
My younger brother had a blue DX and I had the red S, later on my brother got a ’89 CR-X Si in red and I switched up to a yellow ’89 Prelude Si. My wife would join the Honda party later with a ’94 Civic EX. So to me ’84 – ’94 was the time period when Civics were at their prime.
When my parents were first car-shopping, the vehicle they wanted was a Civic Wagovan or a Tercel Wagon. What they could afford, after my (GM employed) grandfather’s badgering and the use of his GM employee discount, was a Chevrolet Citation.
For six weeks, at which point it actually dropped most of it’s mechanicals and all it’s life’s blood through the floor.
My parents eventually ended up buying a Corolla a few years later because although Honda’s products were pretty good, it’s dealer body during this period ranged from “arrogant” to “corrupt”.
What an period of time!
I remember the little CRX and what a car.
You could rev this mighty machine to 8000 and at this piont the car would virtually take off!
What’s up with first picture of the four? It looks like someone made a pewter Christmas Tree ornament of a CR-X and superimposed it over a photo of a house. I thought a monocrhome treatment ended with the tires and the windows.