The Honda CRX Si may not be a muscle car, a vintage luxury sedan, or an ultra-valuable collectors car. But finding this classic car in good condition, with low mileage is exceedingly rare. Honda
really found a niche with this compact, sporty two-door—a vehicle that made ripples in the automotive community, thanks to its design and widespread appeal. What was so special about the Honda CRX Si?
Honda has always had a reputation for building affordable and reliable imported vehicles, and the Honda CRX Si was no different. This little roadster was indeed special, though, as Hagerty
explains. The ‘80s were a time when fuel injection
was finally beginning to take off—meaning that cars no longer needed a carburetor to mix fuel and air together. Instead, they could have fuel injected into the engine, improving performance, particularly for racing-style engines. This is one of the reasons why the Honda CRX Si was instantly a hit. Honda created a fuel-injected 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, paired with a five-speed manual transmission—one of the most popular options for imported Japanese roadsters, like the CRX and Lancer.
The engine may not sound very impressive if you’re a muscle car or supercar fan, but the CRX weighed barely a ton, meaning that it could corner incredibly well and offered a responsive driving experience. In comparison, American cars of the same era often outweighed the CRX Si by over 2,000 lbs or more and were still recovering from the limited engine options created by the gas crisis of the ‘70s.
How hard is it to find a Honda CRX Si in good condition?
It’s harder than you might expect, but not impossible. One of the reasons why many of these little Hondas have so many miles is because people loved to drive them. The Honda CRX Si was also a rally car and racing vehicle, too, with a roll bar across the back of the vehicle to protect the driver in case of an accident. From 1988 to 1991, there were 65,000 Honda CRX Si models sold in the U.S. So where are they now?
They’re being bought up—and fast. Thanks to a surge in interest in FWD 1980s vehicles, partially spurred by The Fast and Furious franchise and an ‘80s revival, a Honda CRX Si will cost you more than ever. Inflation and an overpriced used car market won’t help much, either.
MORE: What Was the First Car America Got From Honda?
Is it worth buying a Honda CRX Si?
In all honesty, it depends on what your motives for purchasing a Honda CRX Si are. If you’re looking for an affordable and practical compact car that gets good mileage, you’re better off looking for an older Acura or Honda sedan.
Don’t forget that the CRX was made to be raced, and many vehicles racked up 100,000 miles or more very quickly. It’s likely that, unless the vehicle was babied by its owner, its transmission and engine have seen some abuse. But if your love for the ‘80s, or for retro Hondas, wins out, you might be willing to pay extra, just to see yourself behind the wheel of the CRX Si.
Find affordable Honda insurance with the Jerry app
If you want to save money on car insurance for your Honda CRX Si, the Jerry
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