VIDEO: Why Honda people love the Civic

Honda CIvic EF Motorweek

The Honda Civic is adored by Honda lovers of all ages, especially the 1988-2000 EF, EG and EK generations. They’re loved not in the way Toyota guys idolize the AE86, but rather in the way that Mini guys adore the original Austin Mini Cooper, almost as if that was the only offering from Honda. 

Despite being perennially the butt of nearly every shortsighted “FWD lol” joke and the bane of every salty VW enthusiast who took second place at autocross, the Honda Civic endures as one of the most popular FWD platforms ever. Why is that? Well this video from MotorWeek in 1989 will be the best description of why the EF Civic has been so beloved since it’s inception.

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15 Responses to VIDEO: Why Honda people love the Civic

  1. Ant says:

    I keep looking at these coming up for sale with the phrase “front-drive MX-5” in my head – it seems like it’d be equally fun, just a little more practical. Unfortunately, their rarity now means people seem to be charging a great deal more for them than they are for MX-5s…

    • Troggie42 says:

      That’s probably from the CRX review ThatDudeInBlue did over on YouTube. He described it as a FWD Miata, so people have glommed on to that.

  2. David Meyer says:

    I love these cars too…especially the EF and EG hatchbacks. Being a former EG Civic hatchback owner, I would have to say the only real downside to owning these cars is their attractiveness to thieves. The Honda Civic is consistently #2 on the top 10 list of cars stolen. I had to garage sequester my EG in a garage for fear it not be parked in front of my house when I got up in the morning. Forget about driving it to a mall and parking it for 2 hours.

  3. elsin says:

    I would buy one, but unfortunately most in my area have riced out or have been salvaged due to accidents. I found one that had been salvaged 4 times, dear god how was that thing still on the road not in a scrap yard.

  4. Ryan Senensky says:

    I’ve been daily driving an 89 CRX myself for the last 2 years and it’s tough. I have one of my project cars always in a driveable state incase the worst can happen and my crx gets stolen.

    Thats 95% of why I decided to sell it. I still have my 91 Civic Si project though so I at least am not completely abandoning the chassis.

  5. Falco Starbreather says:

    The hatchbacks get most of the love, but don’t forget the “last of the line” EM Si Coupes. Sure, they don’t have the look and the practicality of the hatchbacks, but every run to redline makes me smile.

  6. nar says:

    They’re just really fun cars. My 90 CRX doesn’t see daily duties anymore but i find an excuse to drive it every week without fail. I agree with all the fears of the car being stolen, and is probably the biggest reason i don’t use it as my daily anymore. Its kinda crazy to like cars like these that aren’t worth much but its getting harder to find them in good condition and they don’t make them like they used to.

  7. RainMeister says:

    I bought a white EF Si new in ’90, and it was an absolute blast of a car. The design, both inside and out, was so far ahead of the competition, as was the quality for its segment. The only downsides were the heavy steering at parking lot speeds, transmission lash, and poor seat cushions. It was indeed the Mini Cooper of its era. I moved on to an S2000, which I still have. Honda certainly doesn’t make them like they used to.

  8. Just got my Ek9 out of Hibernation and still after all These years it gives me huge smiles everytime i drive it.

  9. Nigel says:

    Lets’s see…89′ DX, 2000 Hatch DX, and a 99′ DX four door. (Need to get another one).

  10. twei says:

    I had both the EF and EK sedans. Lots of good memories with those 2 cars. I still look at them in the classifieds once in a while and harbor thoughts of maybe owning them again just for the sake of nostalgia. Parts are hard to comeby for old cars like these and like one of posters mentioned, they are quite prone to theft as well. They were pretty fun cars to drive. Its a shame that subsequent models that came became bigger and bigger lacked the fun factor of the older cars.

    • Ryan Senensky says:

      I would honestly pick one up before they become unattainable. If you don’t think that’s going to happen, try looking for a stock eg SI hatch, there are probably more Subaru XT6s around than those.

  11. miatadon says:

    I have a ’91. I love this car. I get 40 mpg. It’s reliable, comfortable, fun to drive, and I even like its looks. How many Si Civics are left that are in “preserved” condition?

    http://www.mgexp.com/registry/1991CIVICSI

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