5 Classic Hondas That Are Still Affordable (For Now)
Soichiro Honda, who founded Honda Motor Company in 1948, had the inspiration to adapt generator engines to move bicycles after World War II. Fast-forward decades and the company is now best known for making economical cars like the Accord and Civic, as well as its long-lasting and reliable four-and six-cylinder engines – not to mention its line of high-output engines that produce as much as 520 horsepower.
Some of these motors have gone in Honda's more enduring models, many of which are still available on the used market, often with very affordable price tags attached — though how long they'll remain inexpensive is anyone's guess. If you're looking to add a classic Honda hatchback or sedan to your own collection but don't want to break the bank, consider picking up a Del Sol, first-generation Accord, or one of the other models on this list.
[Featured image by PeteCaz via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed]
1988-1991 Honda Civic
The Civic might not be the most exciting car Honda ever produced, but it's certainly a legend. It was introduced in 1972 as a 1973 model and won the North American Car of the Year award in 2022. While our ranking of all 11 generations of the Civic is heavy at the top with newer models, the No. 1 spot went to the fourth-gen version, which encompasses the 1988 to 1991 model years. Classic.com also catalogs the fourth generation as the most affordable, with an average sale price of $9,189 over the last five years.
The fourth-gen Civic was offered in hatchback or four-door sedan body styles, and came with an array of four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.3 to 1.6 liters of displacement. At the time, it was the only compact car on the market with an independent suspension at all four wheels, and Car and Driver's Rich Ceppos called the 1988 model "arguably the best small sedan you can buy for $11,930 — or anything close."
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1976-1981 Honda Accord
The Accord has been around for about 50 years and is as popular as ever. Honda sold more than 300,000 Accords annually in the U.S. alone throughout much of the 2000s and 2010s before sales dipped slightly during the pandemic. The 11th generation debuted in 2023, and our ranking of all 11 iterations of the Accord placed the original in the No. 3 slot.
That first generation Accord ran from 1976 through 1981 and came at a time when American buyers were moving from V8-powered muscle cars to smaller, more efficient rides. Like the fourth-generation Civic, the original Accord was available as a hatchback or four-door sedan. Buyers could choose from engines ranging in size from 1.6 to 1.75 liters with a modest output of 68 to 75 horsepower. While that doesn't seem like much by today's standards, the 1981 hatchback weighed just 2,130 pounds and delivered a healthy 30 miles per gallon of fuel economy. First-generation Accords go for about $9,000 on the secondhand market today, which is a little more than twice what they had cost when new.
[Featured Image by RL GNZLZ via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed]
1978-1982 Honda Prelude
The Honda Prelude didn't last as long as the Accord or Civic, only living through five generations between its introduction in 1978 and discontinuation after the 2001 model year. The original Prelude design ran through 1982 and placed fourth in our ranking of the five versions of the sporty compact. This had more to do with the first-gen Prelude's wimpy 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine that took a full 19 seconds to get the car from zero to 60 miles per hour.
This was roughly equivalent to the notoriously sluggish Volkswagen Beetle, which was close to the end of its run as a U.S. market car. First-gen Preludes may be slow, but their classic styling stands out among the cookie-cutter bubble cars of today, and the average going price over the last five years has been only a little over $7,000. An entry point that low leaves you plenty of cash to swap in a 240-horsepower H22A inline four or 160-horsepower i-VTEC K20, either of which will turn the demure first-gen Prelude into a track-worthy monster.
[Featured Image by Rikita via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed]
Honda Del Sol
Honda has produced a few offshoots of the Civic during its long run, including the quirky CRX, the racing-spec Civic Type R, and the Del Sol, which was introduced in the U.S. as the Civic Del Sol in 1993 but became simply the "Del Sol" in 1995. This targa-topped cutie was built on the Civic platform but given an optional 1.6 liter VTEC engine and five-speed manual transmission to up its fun factor. The VTEC version sold for just under $20,000, which equals almost $44,000 today.
Honda made more than 45,000 Del Sols for the U.S. market in its first two years, but leaky tops led to dismal sales numbers afterward. The Del Sol was dropped after the 1997 model year, which saw a production run of just 5,600 units. This unique little model has seen a resurgence in popularity recently, but remains affordable. About five dozen have sold in the last five years, with an average price of $10,625, according to Classic.com.
[Featured image by MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC-By 4.0]
Honda Beat
One of Honda's coolest classics was never sold in U.S. markets. The Beat was a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) kei convertible that was manufactured between 1991 and 1996. It is eligible for import to the United States now that 25 years have passed since it was last produced. The Beat earned a place on our list of JDM Hondas we covet, and was powered by a mid-mounted 660 cc engine with individual throttle bodies on each of its three cylinders. The Beat's motor had a ridiculous redline of 9,000 rpm, but the car was electronically governed to a top speed of 84 miles per hour.
The diminutive engine and 1,700 pound curb weight give the Beat a miserly fuel economy of over 63 miles per gallon, and the short wheelbase and five-speed manual transmission make it a joy to drive. Honda made about 34,000 Beats during its short production run, and they sell for an average of around $8,800 today.