1989 Honda Civic 4WD Wagon | Retro Review
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- 4th Gen Civics were awesome, and to be able to have purchased one with Realtime 4WD and a 6-speed manual is crazy talk in today's game. If you have one, swap it for big HP and smile all day.
I picked up an 1989 Civic RT4WD for $500 a couple years ago. Did a head gasket and a tune up. Thing was soo fun. Put it in super low and pop the clutch, would leave 4 black marks for a couple feet haha. Was a drift missile in the snow! Best $500 ever
Best comment ...
Mr Nick And yours is the worst
@The Kansas Dude You sir win the internet with your comment. Have a cookie.. From the dark side.. Yay t-shirt phrases?
Had a customer trade one in back in mid 90s @ Buick/Pontiac
Manual, kinda ratty ..we had fun beating the snot out of it and it wouldn't die. Crazy turning radius in that thing.
You're lucky you got to it before I did. I also live in Kansas I would have jumped all over a deal like that.
I remember back in the day thinking this vehicle was ugly as hell and I still think it looks like a cartoon vehicle, but as an adult I can appreciate that these were super dependable and very practical.
these days anytime I hear "wagovan" it grabs my immediate attention
The Japanese had some real doozies back in the '80's. The Nissan Stanza Wagon/Multi and the Toyota Tercel SR5 (not quite as hideous) also come to mind.
As an adult I really wish the US had a wagon uprising. Wagons aren't those ugly wooden panelled cars anymore ! I want to see a 2019 Civic Wagon ! The Corolla Wag❤️on looks great. Mercedes and Subaru wagons look beautiful as well as Ford's Fusion wagon. No love in the USA :(
Miguel Angel Medina Rise I agree 100%. I guess the thing I don't understand is why the Europeans can offer wagons in North America when they sell barely any cars here but the big manufacturers can't offer them as options at least. Sure, they won't have a lot of sales, but aren't a few sales better than none? I can understand the argument of not wanting to stock parts for a rare model, but they would share most of the same components as their sedan counterparts, and the designs exist in other parts of the world. I think it's a way for them to channel people into their SUV's, which they make more money on anyway. I hate the look of SUV's so much, plus the high centre of gravity just blows.
Its stil,ugly my friend
I'll take this over any of today's boring crossovers any day.
I have a Honda CRV. I'd have my CRV over this. It has more power, higher ground clearance and a bigger interior, etc
Only if it's a first or second generation CR-V. After that, they became nothing more than highway cruisers.
Me too I hate Crossovers. I'd drive a wagon over a CUV any day.
@@ElectoneGuy Yup it is first generation
Aspiring Aspie except honda crv awd is a joke. for years it didn't do a damn thing. not sure if they ironed it out now, but just due to that I would never buy a crv.
Does anybody miss vehicles with windows you can see out of? Time to lower those belt lines a bit.
I think alot of us miss a Good ol greenhouse on a vehicle but the NTSB won't allow it. Too many idiots on the road who shouldn't be and we all pay the price when manufacturers make the car "safer" by surrounding the passengers with more and more high strength steel and safety nannies and taking away the breathing room inside the car. Thanks alot shitty drivers and a government who gives them all driver licenses
I drive a 04 Grand Cherokee. I never have a problem seeing out of that thing.
True but modern Subaru's have very very exceptional visibility. The A and B pillars in the 2017 Crosstrek are thinner than my 2002's and visibility is better. All that and the car's roof can support 5x the vehicle's weight and remains very safe. All of the high belt lines are merely stylistic and less a result of safety.
The problem isn't necessarily beltlines. More or less it's the stupidly thick pillars that are mandatory, thanks to "safety regulations".
@@captainchaos0666 they are getting thinner. I still can't see. Would be nice if I could drive with my elbow on an door with an open window without throwing out my shoulder.
"Gauges are simple and efficient. Just what's needed--no more, no less." so this is John's favorite car ever.
I laughed
This must have been John's way of giving this 89 Civic a back-handed compliment. We all know how John felt about oil pressure and voltage gauges back in the 80s.
But…but…there’s no oil pressure or volt gauge!!!
This was the first new car I ever bought. Mine was an '88 and I drove it for a decade and 300,000+ miles. The only thing I ever had to was replace the CV joints and have the valves adjusted in a recall. It was a blast to drive and a joy to live with. So much glass, it felt like you wore it around your waist and the tall cabin meant lots of room for my Akita and Ridgeback. The interior was modest, but really comfortable. NVH was its only real letdown, as it droned and thrummed on long road trips. But, I was in my '20s and it was a perfect blend of sport and utility that I think was a bit ahead of its time. Mine was loaded at $13,000.
artoo45 what is nvh?
@@migmog3060 Noise, Vibration, Harshness.
I like it! Never knew Honda had 6 speed manuals back in 1989.
That surprised me too and I was a 19-20 year old car enthusiast at that time.
Yeah, unfortunately when he's saying that the guy rowing through the gears shows u that there's only 5 gears and reverse.
JohnnyO34 look again. Reverse is up and left. He then cycles through six gears afterwards.
I had one of these. Actually, the granny gear is up and left. Reverse still on the bottom right like a normal 5 speed.
Thanks. After reading your reply, I zoomed in on the shift pattern and see the granny gear, 1-5, and reverse. Still an odd thing.
I love bringing this car up at car meets and listing to Honda guys laugh and say I'm full of it, "there was never a awd civic" when I mention how Honda needs to go back to there roots with there newer Civics
Toyota too, with the AllTrac Tercels and Corollas..
To add to your list.Mazda had the awd 323 if I recall correctly
shame we never got the intrac civics
although a lot of their appeal to me is their exclusivity
that pretty much sums up why I dont go to those anymore. theyre generally ignorant assholes and all the burnouts and getting cops called on the scene... hard pass
The AWD Civic wagon still exists, just under a different name with higher ground clearance.
I absolutely love the Civic wagon. I've had 5 now and still own 2 of the RT4WDs. Such a swiss army knife of cars.
Do you have any for parts? I'm trying to fix mine up lol
@@euc5957 I have an entire spare RT wagon! 😁Gotta have an extra as rare as they are. Best place to source parts is through the Facebook group or possibly the civic wagon forum. But feel free to message me if you have any questions!
Have you had to replace the engine or transmission or just regular maintenance?
Some foreshadowing of the CR-V in the profile view of this car I think.
All it needs is a full size spare and a picnic table.
I see some second gen odyssey on the hatch.
Its kind of like the lovechild of the CR-V and Odyssey but came before both
And the Fit.
I always thought of the 1st generation CR-V as the spiritual successor to the Civic wagon
I love the coffee beige ☕ exterior color on the Honda! Looks very nostalgic and awesome for the 1980s!💖💖
I had a 1990 Civic Wagon front wheel drive. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I only got 228k out of the engine. I had to rebuild it. The video is spot on about the clutch. My father used to say that it was appropriate for a truck.
Honda 6 speed was really a 5speed 1/1/2/3/4/5 first low would only drive like 5mph but it was good to show off back in the day ..had a 90 4wd stick ... my favorite Honda's are 1987 and earlier just because THEY'RE RARER THAN A FERRARI...
I own an 88' rt4WD wagon in gold. It's got 189k miles. Easy to work on, extremely reliable, and parts are very cheap . Handles like a go kart and zippy around town. Surprisingly fun to drive, and more interior room than many SUVs. Best view of the road than any car I've driven, big windows all around. At 6'1" I've got headroom for a 10 gallon hat. I absolutely love it and will never sell.
Got mine 2 months ago 32,000 miles and 2 owners from new, 1 of 50 left in the uk 😊
Dang. Jealous
That engine sounds great. Miss these days. Wasn't about 0-60
it was about comfort back then.
Other than acceleration figures the old cars are just so much more appealing than todays machines. They're more honest, simple, lighter, all the good stuff todays bloat-mobiles are not.
I would say acceleration AND safety -- I shudder to think how one of these would fold up in a medium speed crash, let alone a high speed impact. Otherwise I'm with you, and I look at the ergonomics of that interior and think it still looks like a well thought-out space.
Search for the article discussing how today's vehicles on average are actually heavier than those of the 50s - 70s it's pretty incredible
Comparison of popular midsize sedans:
1957 Chevy Bel Air: 200" length and 3200-3300 lb curb weight
1988 Ford Taurus: 188" length and 2950-3050 lb curb weight
2018 Toyota Camry: 192" length and 3300-3500 lb curb weight
Yep!
buy a 3rd gen yaris. its the last of the 90s simplicity.
Sure, those old land yachts were mostly hollow inside. There is a lot of safety equipment, insulation, and, particularly, wiring that wasn't in older cars.
I had the 1990 2WD version but it looked identical to the wagon shown in this video. I could pack it full of stuff despite it being a compact. On highway trips, I'd get 38-40 MPG. The engine was a bit underpowered but the 5-spd manual was a sweet tranny that made sure I got the most out of it. The only serious issue I had was with the brakes. I had to replace the brake system which wasn't cheap. I later found out that was one of the Achilles Heels of this generation of Civic. Otherwise, it was a reliable, economical, fun to drive car.
I had to replace the clutch twice.
@@menghic531 maybe you ride the clutch too much, yo.
@@curierfromxibalba1155 --Probably the biggest cardinal sin with respects to the clutch
Fastbrakes kit with integra calipers and Corrado g60 11" rotors solves this. It limits you to 15" wheels, but worth it.
Nice back when a passenger side mirror was an option.
My dad had this car..... as a kid of all the cars my sister and I remember this one is the ONE!!! now as an adult I want one!!!! very great memories!!! we nicknamed the car FIFI
The Wagon, it did look like a small minivan. Honda actually had a manual 4WD vehicle. Subaru was getting threaten by Honda.
After 29 years this vehicle faded away through weather and time and getting one of these is like looking for the holy grail!!!
These looked like the Johnny Cab in the first Total Recall
OMG.....yes
theres a hell of a reference
Lol
I had one of these for 17 years. 1989 auto shuttle. Awesome dependable car. yes I would like another one.
Very beautiful the Honda Civic wagon
I'm still rolling in a '91 civic wagon as my daily. I've bought it with 128k mi, it's at 211k now. I was lucky, one of the previous owners' removed the rear wheel arch rubber "guards", so it's not rusty. Solid quarters and still being driven in mid-west salty winters...
The parents had one when I was a lad. Tcase went out so dad removed the rear driveshaft. FWD Civic wagon it became.
Honda, introducing the hottest car segment of the late 20teens, in 1989. This is absolutely a crossover.
Before that, there was the 1979 Subaru Leone wagon / BRAT truck, and the 1982 Toyota Tercel wagon.
@@cadsux And the AMC Eagle series.
I have a Honda acty kei truck with this. Imported it from Japan and run snow tracks on it hunting when tires just won't float across the terrain. Best vehicle ever.
I had a '91, AT, same color as this. Got it with 83k on it, drove the heck out of it for five years, sold it to a friend, who then drove it for four more. If they still made it, I'd have one now, but they don't ,so I now drive a CR-V. The '91 wagon was the best Honda ever made, IMO.
i have one of these. beautiful, reliable car, even 32 years later
I'd love to have a clean one! Great engineering! CR-V's granddaddy! LOL
Damn, under $10k to start for a car that will do 500,000 miles easily. What a deal
Robert Smith
Who knew back in 1989 lol
Yeah, but what was $10K in today's dollars?
The "as tested" price would be equal to about $25,000 in today's economy, which isn't too bad at all, very inline with Honda's current pricing.
I only got 228k out of mine. I had to re-do the clutch at least twice.
I had a 1986 wagon that had 257,000 on it when I traded it in. If it had had A/C I would have doubled that easily but Florida without air is brutal.
The Civic 4WD wagon was the source of the components Honda built the first CR-V around.
This is like an old school Fit, imagine a 4wd fit turbo 5speed!
Thus the CR-V was born
shit car
The 1st gen cr-v with the spare tire on the back and a manual transmission are actually kind cool. Now they’re just lame crossovers with no sport or utility.
@@calebtaylor3835dont forget they had a picnic table in the back storage floor. Many owners still dont know that. I show them and they are amazed they had the car that long and never used it.
Honda Civic 4WD station wagon is known and sold as the Civic Shuttle 4WD wagon in Japan.
I thought it was called the Honda Jazz Shuttle, can you get it with a manual?
@@rightlanehog3151 You could.
A modern version with a 2.0t and 6mt would be a dream car!
Before this, there was the 1979 Subaru Leone wagon / BRAT truck, and the 1982 Toyota Tercel wagon. All neat.
@MotorWeek Thank you for publishing this great car archive videos you have, you guys are the best!!!! ..... Here in Mexico we never get any of this Hondas, Honda arrived to Mexico until 1994 and only with the Accord... But here in los cabos I have seen a few of this, I always thought about this CIVIC why?? and what??? I have a Honda Fit 2016, wich I believe is the continuation of this civic
It was the first car my wife and I got when we married. We were poor and it was 500$ with 70k miles. Loved that car. When we got it it was called the Civic Wag-o-van. And I believe we had the 86.
Hear that kids .4 speed auto OPTIONAL.
Man have we gone downhill or what.
3rd gen yaris offers this.
Yeah, but think of traffic congestion now versus then.
@@alansmilealot more traffic and expensive gas = why autos prevailed. also higher dealer repair cost = more $$
@@alansmilealot no it wont. most likey will make disabled persons lives easier.
wah panda EV's are nowhere close to taking over.
My Granny had this car. Funny thing was the passenger side mirrors was optional. The rear speakers were a awesome design and good for the time. The car was truly solid.
FLJAMESFL yup my 93 civic only has the one mirror. People don't really notice it until they sit on the passenger side
I’d buy one now. $9,000 new base? Wow inflation.
Wow for sure take about inflation. Everything has gone up except the paycheck and wages.
@@Bigstevesmb then you've be the thing not keeping up. Wages are there if you're marketable. If you had the same skills since the 90's that's on you.
Mister X paycheck has gone up in 1999 I was getting paid $6 an hour for a car wash job nowadays it’ll be $12-$14 an hour
Everything now is 40k
It's insane that the Civic getting 27 mpg was considered economical.
I always wanted one of these with an automatic, and an Accord hatchback with a manual.
Ahh when honda made simple but fun cars..
I’m still driving my civic wagon! K20z3 with full interior.
Back when cars were made to last
Seem that the most closest Honda offering right now in north america is the HR-V . Would like to see here The Shuttle ( an extended Fit ) , the N-Box , the Freed and all the other brillant space efficient Honda automotive product only avalaible in japan .
4:04 John: Of course, if you're going to carry children on a regular basis, this heavy duty plastic may be a blessing in disguise! LOL
6 speed in 1989, back when most manufacturers were boasting about 5 speeds!
Today only a few vehicles have a 7-sp manual. Anything with 8 gears or more are automatics. I think that 6-sp. manual in that Civic is a low range gear.
@@76carmel it's the same as a Tercel 4wd wagon. It's a normal 5 spd but there is an extra low granny gear.
5 speed is stronger
that car would cost about 20k in america accounting for inflation in 2018, i think that would still be a good deal to have the chance at buying one of these brand new from a dealer now
It's basically an early CR-V; in fact, I think it more resembles the current CR-V than the 97 version. But really it's more an Element/CR-V cross. Very cool retro car. For that era and class, the interior looks good.
I had a silver blue first generation AWD Civic Wagon (1985?) with the push button On Demand AWD system and the six speed transmission which was developed by Steyer Puch for Honda - that little car was the Swiss Army Knife of compact cars - go anywhere drive train, excellent durability, great gas mileage, room for 4 and their luggage and a modular flip down interior than would fold all of the seats, including the front backrests into a semi flat padded area from the front seat cushions to the reclining rear seats. An amazing little car that I drove for 365,000 miles until it died on the TriBorough bridge in NYC on the way to a Paula Abdul concert at Nassau Coliseum (oy!) These little cars are very rare today - I've never seen one since then. I replaced it with the second generation five speed wagon in graphite gray shown in this video, sans the RealTime AWD system - I drove that one for 312,000 miles and swapped it for the first generation Odyssey, fully optioned (another great quirky Honda vehicle) given to me by my mom as a wedding present
I've wanted to drive one of these for years! Any example I see left is only firing on 2 cylinders and you can put your whole hand through the floor.
This civic has awd but not the type r.
Tool0GT92 good point 🤔
Neither have awd.
4WD
One of these today in mint condition would sell for full retail. I promise.
Indeed even today these vehicles are still very practical and good to drive. They match modern vehicles in most ways!
If Honda could sell them as brand new, they'd make another fortune on them.
A Civic with AWD...awesome.
Mid 80s to mid 90s was a great time for cars specially Honda's and Toyotas
still a few modern gems out thete.
I.have a 1997 acura tl with 250,187 original engine and transmission as long as it's just normal wear and tear stuff I keep this thing forever
My childhood family car. My dad had this car over 10yrs!
Makes me wish I didn't sell mine
Neither rain nor snow nor sleet will stay the pizza guy from his appointed rounds in this little number!
I always wanted one of these such a complete little car
The crossover in it's infancy. Next thing you know, they released the CR-V.
Thank you. So many keep mentioning the Fit, not at all knowing this car morphed to become the CR-V.
If I can find a Honda Civic Wagon 4WD with an automatic, I'm good. I would use it as a daily driver especially on rainy days and through snow and ice.
Back when I was in highschool around 2005 or so, one of my teachers played an old t.v. movie and a commercial for this exact car was on the tape. Of course this was during the whole 1980's craze which made me absolutely want this car. Maybe I should find one 🤔
They're around , but mostly in Western States. The Further east the less you'll see. Craigslist Seattle auto classified listings range $1k-5k in a ridiculously large range of vehicle condition not necessarily corresponding to asking price. Which ironic enough doesn't necessarily correspond to purchase price any how
My god look how easy it is to see out of O_O
you can see good out of a yaris too last of its kind
They didn't mention it, but that engine sounded pretty damn good being wound out on the acceleration runs.
This was way ahead of its time
impossible to find one of these things
The CR-V before the CR-V ...
Actually this CIvic was more a predecessor to the HR-V
I drive a 2 w drive 1990 civic wagon. 145.000 original miles, I take my children to school in this and do all the running around. oil change every 3000 miles. I just replaced the brakes all away around for under 25 bucks. this car drives great... I think its funny when someone asks if I would like to sell it?? what!!!!! usually, it's someone wanting to make a project out of it... it still got some use getting the kids where they need to go.. sorry!!!
remember when honda was good cuz i dont lol. this car was made long before I was made
The AWD system in these Conditions call can are used in newer 400hp builds for race cars
I have a 90 2wd wagon 648k og miles. Runs and drives well
Have you had to replace the engine or transmission or just regular maintenance?
Love the old school videos
Wow no car brand new these days will ever be that affordable!!
I do not understand why Honda will not do a AWD car anymore. The accord is large enough to easily fit an AWD system under it.
Elrod Jenkins because no one wants cars anymore they want SUVs..
I suppose they don't think they can make it profitably.
It looks like a miniature version of the Odyssey.
Nearly %100 impossible to find parts for now
luckily many parts are interchangeable with ef hatch parts
Thomas Hislop I was talking about the AWD parts
If you look closely you can see the beginning of the first gen CRV’s silhouette which ultimately was its successor.
Funny how they compared it to the subi but in 2018 those civics are still on the road and some modded with ridiculous horsepower!!! Honda for the win 👍🏽
2:50 6 speed manual in 1989 Civic? That's impressive
incredibly nostalgic, i love it
its fun to double the performance of these cars by watching the vid in 2x speed
I miss these quirky little wagons from the 80's so much like the Dodge Colt Vista or the Nissan Stanza Wagon. We don't get cars anymore like this.
I swear Its definitely the Godfather of Honda CRVs. No doubt about it.
It is.
I would to have me one of this in mint condition, man if I could only travel back in time, forget about fancy cars or sport cars...this civic is what I would want....
So the tercel was awarded a miss because not enough gauges. Yet the civic was praised? Huh
Did the tercel have awd and good handling?
@@ricochetey before the civic yes. Look it up. Tercel wagon 4wd. Now. I mentioned intsumentation. Not anything else.
Car reviews in general seem pretty arbitrary much of the time, MW was no exception. Hondas always seemed to have a desirability factor that low end Toyota's lacked in the late 80's though. Not to say Tercel wagons weren't common...they were, but I still remember seeing *way* more Hondas. I have to think that plays a role in how a car is reviewed/perceived by testers.
@@kgbeezr75 true. But if both jad the exact same guages why was one bad and the other not.
@@blue_lancer_es Reviewer bias?
I have made my decision. If ever I buy another Honda, it has to be one of these... Along with the drivetrain from the CR-V, as well as any family brake and suspension upgrades that will work with minimal fab.
4th gen Civics are my favorite daily's ever made
Those were good numbers back then for that 1.6 Si engine. 108 HP.
I love the 80's and early 90's cars, but I feel you could accomplish the similar traction capability with much wider tires. My Jetta's 225's look like monster truck width in comparison.
The first CR-V. Hard seats included.
The car I learned to drive....
I know a guy that has one of these that motor swapped it with I think it was a K20 and still all wheel drive only like 160 or 70 whp but still a cool car
That's a lot of power for what this is!
Sounds like a cool swap, I'd imagine the AWD system in this vehicle wouldn't be able to handle a ton of torque anyway
Sleeper.170 is decent for this little car.Especially with how slow it looks.
Check out the RUclips channel boosted Bois they are currently making a 4wd k20 wagon
As of 9/26/27 one of these popped up in a transmission shop parking lot right by my house in Denver, it is FWD but otherwise identical to this vehicle even the gold paint. Original and unmolested. I am hoping it gets picked up by someone who will care for it
One day this will be my truck and van.
A six speed in a 1989 econo box, hondas of this era are just great
They had a six speed before 89, and the Toyota Tercel 4wd had one in 1982.
It was the original Civic Recreational Vehicle. (CR-V)
25 city 26 highway are really weird numbers..
How bout that the test actually yielded a higher number @ 27mpg!
1:26 ... John seems impressed by the fuel economy but in the Motorweek review of the 1983 Subaru 4WD wagon similar MPG numbers were viewed as being unacceptable. Not very consistent reviewing but still more so than Motor Trend!